Book 9: 《子罕》 Zi Han (Seldom Spoke)
《子罕》 Passage 9.24
Legge Translation (1861)
The Master said: "Can men refuse to assent to the words of strict admonition? But it is reforming the conduct because of them which is valuable. Can men refuse to be pleased with words of gentle advice? But it is unfolding their aim which is valuable. If a man be pleased with these words, but does not unfold their aim, and assents to those, but does not reform his conduct, I can really do nothing with him."Word by word
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 master, teacher (referring to Confucius)
- 曰 said, spoke
- 法語 fǎ yǔ
formal, correcting words used to admonish
- 法 correct, exemplary, according to proper models
- 語 words, speech, sayings
- 之 zhī
genitive/modifying particle: of
- 言 yán
words, speech, sayings
- 能無…乎 néng wú … hū
rhetorical question frame: how can one not..., can one help but...?
- 能 to be able to, can
- 無 not, without (negative)
- 乎 interrogative final particle
- 從 cóng
to follow, comply with, give assent to
- 改 gǎi
to correct, amend, reform oneself
- 之 zhī
object pronoun: it, them
- 為貴 wéi guì
is what is valuable, is what matters
- 為 to be, is (copula)
- 貴 valuable, important, what matters
- 巽與 xùn yǔ
deferential, tactful, gently agreeable
- 巽 mild, deferential, compliant
- 與 agreeable, accommodating, giving assent
- 之 zhī
genitive/modifying particle: of
- 言 yán
words, speech, sayings
- 能無…乎 néng wú … hū
rhetorical question frame: how can one not..., can one help but...?
- 能 to be able to, can
- 無 not, without (negative)
- 乎 interrogative final particle
- 說 yuè
pleased, delighted
loangraph for 悅; Roberts uniquely renders this occurrence as 'reflection', matching his interpretive pattern for 繹 as 'results'
- 繹 yì
to draw out, unfold the aim or meaning; to reflect on
- 之 zhī
object pronoun: it, them
- 為貴 wéi guì
is what is valuable, is what matters
- 為 to be, is (copula)
- 貴 valuable, important, what matters
- 說 yuè
pleased, delighted
loangraph for 悅; Roberts again renders this as 'Reflection', consistent with his mapping of 說→reflection and 繹→results throughout
- 而 ér
contrastive conjunction: but, yet
- 不 bù
not
- 繹 yì
to draw out the meaning, interpret, reflect on
- 從 cóng
to follow, comply with, give assent to
- 而 ér
contrastive conjunction: but, yet
- 不 bù
not
- 改 gǎi
to correct, amend, reform oneself
- 吾 wú
I, me
- 末如之何 mò rú zhī hé
there is nothing that can be done about it, no way to handle it
- 末 nothing, no way, there is nothing to be done
- 如 to deal with, do about
- 之 object pronoun: it, this
- 何 what, how (interrogative)
- 也已矣 yě yǐ yǐ
clustered final particles marking strong, emphatic assertion
- 也 final particle of assertion
- 已 final particle reinforcing finality, emphasis
- 矣 final particle marking completed or emphatic assertion
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