Book 9: 《子罕》 Zi Han (Seldom Spoke)
《子罕》 Passage 9.7
Legge Translation (1861)
Lao said: "The Master said, 'Having no official employment, I acquired many arts.'"Word by word
- 牢 láo
Lao, disciple of Confucius
Traditionally identified as the disciple Qin Lao (琴牢); Roberts drops the name and attributes the remark directly to Confucius.
- 曰 yuē
said, introduces reported speech
Two verbs of saying appear in this line: 曰 introduces Lao's act of reporting, 云 introduces Confucius's own words.
- 子 zǐ
the Master, Confucius
- 云 yún
said, remarked
- 吾 wú
I, me
- 不 bù
not
- 試 shì
to be tried out and taken into office
試 here means being tested and employed in government service, not a written examination.
- 故 gù
therefore, hence
- 藝 yì
skills, arts, accomplishments
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