Book 9: 《子罕》 Zi Han (Seldom Spoke)
《子罕》 Passage 9.21
Legge Translation (1861)
The Master said of Yan Yuan, "Alas! I saw his constant advance. I never saw him stop in his progress."Word by word
- 子 zǐ
the Master, Confucius
- 謂 wèi
spoke of, concerning
- 顏淵 yán yuān
Yan Yuan (Yan Hui), Confucius's disciple
- 顏 Yan, surname of Confucius's disciple Yan Hui
- 淵 Yuan, courtesy name of Confucius's disciple Yan Hui
- 曰 yuē
said, spoke (introduces a direct quotation)
- 惜乎 xī hū
what a pity!, alas! (exclamation of regret)
- 惜 a pity, regrettable
- 乎 exclamatory final particle
- 吾 wú
I, me
- 見 jiàn
saw, observed
- 其 qí
his, him (referring to Yan Hui)
- 進 jìn
advance, make progress
- 也 yě
final particle marking assertion
- 未 wèi
not yet, never
- 見 jiàn
saw, observed
- 其 qí
his, him (referring to Yan Hui)
- 止 zhǐ
stop, halt, come to rest
止 continues the advance/halt (進/止) contrast from 9.19; some translators read it more idiomatically as Yan Hui reaching the end or full realization of his capacity rather than literally 'stopping'.
- 也 yě
final particle marking assertion
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