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The Analects of Confucius 論語

19. 《子張》 Zi Zhang

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子張》 Zi Zhang

子張:「見危致命見得。」
Zi Zhang said, "The scholar, trained for public duty, seeing threatening danger, is prepared to sacrifice his life. When the opportunity of gain is presented to him, he thinks of righteousness. In sacrificing, his thoughts are reverential. In mourning, his thoughts are about the grief which he should feel. Such a man commands our approbation indeed."

子張:「信道?」
Zi Zhang said, "When a man holds fast to virtue, but without seeking to enlarge it, and believes in right principles, but without firm sincerity, what account can be made of his existence or non-existence?"

子夏門人子張子張:「子夏云何?」對曰:「子夏:『不可。』」子張:「所聞君子嘉善不能何所不容如之何?」
The disciples of Zi Xia asked Zi Zhang about the principles that should characterize mutual intercourse. Zi Zhang asked, "What does Zi Xia say on the subject?" They replied, "Zi Xia says: 'Associate with those who can advantage you. Put away from you those who cannot do so.'" Zi Zhang observed, "This is different from what I have learned. The superior man honors the talented and virtuous, and bears with all. He praises the good, and pities the incompetent. Am I possessed of great talents and virtue? - who is there among men whom I will not bear with? Am I devoid of talents and virtue? - men will put me away from them. What have we to do with the putting away of others?"

子夏:「小道可觀是以君子不為。」
Zi Xia said, "Even in inferior studies and employments there is something worth being looked at; but if it be attempted to carry them out to what is remote, there is a danger of their proving inapplicable. Therefore, the superior man does not practice them."
5
子夏:「其所其所可謂好學。」
Zi Xia said, "He, who from day to day recognizes what he has not yet, and from month to month does not forget what he has attained to, may be said indeed to love to learn."

子夏:「博學篤志切問而近思在其中。」
Zi Xia said, "There are learning extensively, and having a firm and sincere aim; inquiring with earnestness, and reflecting with self-application - virtue is in such a course."

子夏:「百工其事君子以致。」
Zi Xia said, "Mechanics have their shops to dwell in, in order to accomplish their works. The superior man learns, in order to reach to the utmost of his principles."

子夏:「小人。」
Zi Xia said, "The mean man is sure to gloss his faults."

子夏:「君子儼然。」
Zi Xia said, "The superior man undergoes three changes. Looked at from a distance, he appears stern; when approached, he is mild; when he is heard to speak, his language is firm and decided."
10
子夏:「君子而後以為而後以為。」
Zi Xia said, "The superior man, having obtained their confidence, may then impose labors on his people. If he have not gained their confidence, they will think that he is oppressing them. Having obtained the confidence of his prince, one may then remonstrate with him. If he have not gained his confidence, the prince will think that he is vilifying him."

子夏:「大德出入。」
Zi Xia said, "When a person does not transgress the boundary line in the great virtues, he may pass and repass it in the small virtues."

子游:「子夏門人小子應對進退如之何?」子夏:「君子草木君子聖人!」
Zi You said, "The disciples and followers of Zi Xia, in sprinkling and sweeping the ground, in answering and replying, in advancing and receding, are sufficiently accomplished. But these are only the branches of learning, and they are left ignorant of what is essential. How can they be acknowledged as sufficiently taught?" Zi Xia heard of the remark and said, "Alas! Yan You is wrong. According to the way of the superior man in teaching, what departments are there which he considers of prime importance, and delivers? what are there which he considers of secondary importance, and allows himself to be idle about? But as in the case of plants, which are assorted according to their classes, so he deals with his disciples. How can the way of a superior man be such as to make fools of any of them? Is it not the sage alone, who can unite in one the beginning and the consummation of learning?"

子夏:「學而優則仕。」
Zi Xia said, "The officer, having discharged all his duties, should devote his leisure to learning. The student, having completed his learning, should apply himself to be an officer."

子游:「。」
Zi You said, "Mourning, having been carried to the utmost degree of grief, should stop with that."
15
子游:「為難然而。」
Zi You said, "My friend Zhang can do things which are hard to be done, but yet he is not perfectly virtuous."

曾子:「堂堂。」
The philosopher Zeng said, "How imposing is the manner of Zhang! It is difficult along with him to practice virtue."

曾子:「夫子未有!」
The philosopher Zeng said, "I heard this from our Master: 'Men may not have shown what is in them to the full extent, and yet they will be found to do so, on the occasion of mourning for their parents."

曾子:「夫子莊子其他可能。」
The philosopher Zeng said, "I have heard this from our Master: 'The filial piety of Meng Zhuang, in other matters, was what other men are competent to, but, as seen in his not changing the ministers of his father, nor his father's mode of government, it is difficult to be attained to.'"

使曾子曾子:「久矣哀矜。」
The chief of the Meng family having appointed Yang Fu to be chief criminal judge, the latter consulted the philosopher Zeng. Zeng said, "The rulers have failed in their duties, and the people consequently have been disorganized, for a long time. When you have found out the truth of any accusation, be grieved for and pity them, and do not feel joy at your own ability."
20
子貢:「不如是以君子下流天下。」
Zi Gong said, "Zhou's wickedness was not so great as that name implies. Therefore, the superior man hates to dwell in a low-lying situation, where all the evil of the world will flow in upon him."

子貢:「君子日月。」
Zi Gong said, "The faults of the superior man are like the eclipses of the sun and moon. He has his faults, and all men see them; he changes again, and all men look up to him."

公孫子貢:「仲尼?」子貢:「文武莫不文武夫子?」
Gong Sun Zhao of Wei asked Zi Gong, saying. "From whom did Zhong Ni get his learning?" Zi Gong replied, "The doctrines of Wen and Wu have not yet fallen to the ground. They are to be found among men. Men of talents and virtue remember the greater principles of them, and others, not possessing such talents and virtue, remember the smaller. Thus, all possess the doctrines of Wen and Wu. Where could our Master go that he should not have an opportunity of learning them? And yet what necessity was there for his having a regular master?"

叔孫大夫:「子貢仲尼。」告子子貢:「宮牆及肩窺見室家夫子不得其門而入不見宗廟百官夫子不亦!」
Shu Sun Wu Shu observed to the great officers in the court, saying, "Zi Gong is superior to Zhong Ni." Zi Fu Jing Bo reported the observation to Zi Gong, who said, "Let me use the comparison of a house and its encompassing wall. My wall only reaches to the shoulders. One may peep over it, and see whatever is valuable in the apartments. The wall of my Master is several fathoms high. If one do not find the door and enter by it, he cannot see the ancestral temple with its beauties, nor all the officers in their rich array. But I may assume that they are few who find the door. Was not the observation of the chief only what might have been expected?"

叔孫仲尼子貢:「以為仲尼不可他人丘陵仲尼日月自絕日月不知!」
Shu Sun Wu Shu having spoken revilingly of Zhong Ni, Zi Gong said, "It is of no use doing so. Zhong Ni cannot be reviled. The talents and virtue of other men are hillocks and mounds which may be stepped over. Zhong Ni is the sun or moon, which it is not possible to step over. Although a man may wish to cut himself off from the sage, what harm can he do to the sun or moon? He only shows that he does not know his own capacity.
25
子禽子貢:「仲尼?」子貢:「君子一言以為一言以為不知不可不慎夫子不可不可夫子所謂如之何。」
Chen Zi Qin, addressing Zi Gong, said, "You are too modest. How can Zhong Ni be said to be superior to you?" Zi Gong said to him, "For one word a man is often deemed to be wise, and for one word he is often deemed to be foolish. We ought to be careful indeed in what we say. Our Master cannot be attained to, just in the same way as the heavens cannot be gone up by the steps of a stair. Were our Master in the position of the ruler of a state or the chief of a family, we should find verified the description which has been given of a sage's rule: he would plant the people, and forthwith they would be established; he would lead them on, and forthwith they would follow him; he would make them happy, and forthwith multitudes would resort to his dominions; he would stimulate them, and forthwith they would be harmonious. While he lived, he would be glorious. When he died, he would be bitterly lamented. How is it possible for him to be attained to?"

Source: Chinese Text Project http://ctext.org/analects, from "The Chinese Classics, volume 1", James Legge, 1861

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