(1)
子曰：“为政以德(1)，譬如北辰(2)，居其所(3)而众星共(4)之。”
Zǐ yuè: “Wéi zhèng yǐ dé, pì rú běi chēn, jū qí suǒ ēr zhòng xīng gòng zhī.”
běi chēn—北辰，northern star, the Big Dipper.
suǒ—所，location
gòng—共，same as 拱，to surround.
Having gone through the above, we may render the paragraph as the following:
The master said, “To rule with virtue is just like the Big Dipper, which sits where its location is, yet all other stars surround it.”
(2)
子曰：“诗三百，一言以蔽之，曰：’思无邪’。”
Zǐ yuè: “Shī sān bǎi, yī yán yǐ bì zhī, yuè: ‘Sī wū xié’.”
Shī sān bǎi—诗三百，referring to “The Book of Songs”, which has 305 poems.
yī yán—一言，one word.
bì zhī--蔽之，to sum it up.
Sī—思，thinking.
xié--邪, a wicked idea.
Having gone through the above, we may render the paragraph as the following:
The master said, “To sum up ‘The Book of Songs’ with one sentence, which is that there are no wicked ideas in the book.”
(3)
子曰：“道之以政，齐之以刑，民免而无耻，道之以德，齐之以礼，有耻且格。”
Zǐ yuè: “Dào zhī yǐ zhèng, qí zhī yǐ xíng, mīn miǎn ēr wū chǐ, dào zhī yǐ dé, qí zhī yǐ lǐ, yǒu chí qiě gē.”
Dào—道，is a verb here, meaning to guide.
zhèng—政，politics.
qí—齐，a verb, to unify.
Miǎn—免，to be exempted from penalty.
chǐ—耻，a sense of shame.
gē—格，to reach, to get to, to align willingly with things right.
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following:
The master said, “If we guide the people with politics, unify their behavior with a criminal code, they may be exempted from being punished, yet fail to acquire a sense of shame. If we guide them with virtue, unify their behavior with rites, they would not only have a sense of shame, but also align themselves willingly with a right course.”
(4)
子曰：“吾十有五而志于学，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳顺，七十而从心所欲不逾矩。”
Zǐ yuè: “Wū shí yǒu wǔ ēr zhì yū xūe, sān shí ēr lì, sìshíēr bù huò, wǔshí ēr zhī tián mìng, liù shí ēr ěr shūn, qī shí ēr cóng xīn suǒ yù bǖ yú jù.”
zhì yū xūe—志于学， determined to learn.
lì—立，to be established in the society, meaning can deal with matters on his own.
bù huò—不惑，not to be confused.
tián mìng—天命，one’s destiny
ěr shūn—耳顺，one is not irritated of whatever he hears.
cóng xīn—从心，do what the heart (mind) decides.
yú jù—逾矩，to go beyond the norms.
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following:
The master said, “I was determined to study when I was fifteen years
old. I established myself in the society when I was thirty. I could
understand things clearly, not feeling confused when I was forty. I
what my destiny was when I was fifty. When I was sixty, I was not
irritated if I hear things unpleasant. When reached seventy, I could do
whatever I wished to do, yet not going beyond rules.”
When Confucius said he established himself at the age of thirty, he had acquired enough knowledge from the six books we mentioned before, and he could do any job all on his own. In some sense, he had occupied a rather secured position in the society. This “thirty years” means in his “thirties”, and the same applies to his ages of forty, fifty, sixty and seventy. As a matter of fact, this paragraph, as the first paragraph of the book, is very well know and often quoted by ordinary Chinese. However, it is not easy at all for people to do what Confucius did when he was in his fifties, sixties and seventies. A person in his fifties should know what his destiny is and plan the rest of his life accordingly. Not many people could do that. Many tried hard to fight against his own fate. You must have a generous heart to listen to opinions different than yours calmly. You would have reached the “Kingdom of Freedom” when you could do whatever you wish and at the same time abiding by all rules.
(5)
孟懿子问孝，子曰：“无违。”樊迟御，子告之曰：“孟孙问孝于我， 我对曰无违。”樊迟曰：“何谓也。”子曰：“生，事之以礼；死，葬之以礼，祭之以礼。”
Mèng Yízǐ wèn xiaò, Zǐ yuè: “Wū wěi.” Fán Chí yù, zǐ gaò zhī yuè: “Mèng sūn wèn xiaò yú wǒ, wǒ dùi yuè wū wěi.” Fán Chí yè: “Hé wèi yě.” Zǐ yuè: “Shēng, shī zhī yǐ lǐ; sǐ, zàng zhī yǐ lǐ, jì zhī yǐ lǐ.”
Mèng Yízǐ--孟懿子, a high ranking official in the State of Lǔ. His family name is Zhòngsūn, his given name is Héjì. His family was one of the three major families in the state. “Yì” was a name given to him after his death.
Wū wěi—无违， not to violate rites.
Fán Chí—樊迟，a student of Confucius. He is forty-six years younger than the master. His name is “Xū—须”, his formal name is Zǐchí—子迟. He joined efforts with another student of Confucius—Rǎnqiú—冉求 in conducting reform in the State of Lǔ.
yù--御, driving a cart for the master.
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following:
When Mèng Yízǐ asked Confucius how to be filial, the master replied, “Not to violate rites.” Later, when Fán Chí was driving cart, the master told him,” Mèng Yízǐ asked how to be filial, I told him not to violate rites.” Fán Chí then asked “What does that mean?” The master said, “When parents are alive, you should wait on them according to rites. When they have passed away, you should bury them and offer sacrifice to them according to rites.”
(6)
孟武伯问孝，子曰：“父母唯其疾之忧。”
Mèng Wǔbó wèn xiaò, Zǐ yuè: “Fù mǔ wéi qī jī zhī yōu.”
Mèng Wǔbó--孟武伯, son of Mèng Yízǐ.His name is Zhì—彘.
qī—其，here means the son’s…
jī--疾, illness.
Yōu--忧, worry
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following:
Mèng Wǔbó asked how to be filial, the master said, “If only the parents worry about their son’s illness.”
So saying, because illness sometimes can not be controlled. Don’t let your parents worry about anything else, but your health. This is the best way to be filial. It is wrong to interpret it as: worry about the illness of your parents. This is not Confucius meant, he or his students used “parents” as the subject.
(7)
子游问孝，子曰：“今之孝者，是谓能养。至于犬马，皆能有养，不敬，何以别乎？”
Zǐ Yóu wèn xiaò, zǐ yuè: “Jīn zhī xiaò zhě, shì wèi nēng yǎng. Zhì yū quǎn mǎ, jiē nēng yǒu yǎng, bù jìng, hé yǐ bié hū?”
Zǐ Yóu--子游, disciple of Confucius, his sir name is “Yán言”, his given name is “Yǎn—偃”, his formal name is “Zǐ Yóu—子游”, born in the State of Wu, he is forty-five years younger than the master.
Yǎng--养, to feed parents, to support the family.
uǎn mǎ--犬马, dogs and horses.
Jìng--敬, to respect.
bié--别, being different.
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following:
Zǐ Yóu asked the master how to be filial, the master said, “Today’s understanding of being filial is to feed the parents. Yet, dogs and horses are also being fed. If parents are not respected, what difference is there?”
(8)
子夏问孝，子曰：“色难。有事，弟子服其劳；有酒食，先生馔，曾是以为孝乎？”
Zǐ Xià wèn xiaò, zǐ yuè: “Sè nán. Yǒu shì, dì zǐ fū qī laó; yǒu jiǔ shí, xiān shēng zhuàn, céng shī yǐ wéi xiaò hū?”
Sè nán--色难, it is difficult to give a nice countenance.
dì zǐ--弟子, the young, the disciples.
Zhuàn--馔, to drink and eat.
Céng--曾, could it be said to be…
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following:
Zǐ Xià asked how to be filial, the master said, “It is difficult to keep a nice countenance before the parents. When there are things to be done, the disciples or the young would do it; when there is nice food and drinks, the parents will enjoy them first. Could that be said to be filial?”
Confucius commented on being filial in the above four occasions, each time the answer is different. Apparently, what answer he gave depended on who asked the question. We can also treat each answer as a level of being filial, and there are four different levels.
(9)
子曰：“吾与回言终日，不违，如愚。退而省其私，亦足以发，回也不愚。”
Zǐ yuè: “Wū yú húi yá, zhōng rì bù wěi, rú yū. Tùi ēr xǐng qī sī, yì zú yǐ fā, húi yě bù yū.”
Húi—回，ie. 颜回(Yán Húi)，a disciple of Confucius, also from the State of Lǔ. He was 30 years younger than the master.
bù wěi—不违, not to question, not to challenge.
Tùi—退，to retreat.
yì—亦，could also…
zú—足，enough.
fā—发，to develop.
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following:
The master said, “I talked to Húi all day long, he never questioned or challenged me and seemed like a dull person. I watched, after he had gone, how he spoke and acted on his own. He could make enough development on what we discussed. So, Húi is not dull at all.”
(10)
子曰：“视其所以，观其所由，察其所安，人焉廋哉？人焉廋哉？”
Zǐ yuè: “Shì qí suǒ yǐ, guān qí suǒ yóu, yóu qí suǒ ān, rēn yān sōu zāi? rēn yān sōu zāi? “
Shì—视， to look,
yǐ—以，It is a verb here—do. What he does.
Guān—观，to observe.
Yóu—由，the way or course that has been taken.
Yóu—察，to review, to check.
?n—安，what one is satisfied with… what one aims at…
Yān—焉， how could…
Sōu—廋，to hide.
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following:
The master said, “Having looked at what he did, observed his way of doing things and reviewed what he tried to arrive at, where he could hide himself? Where could he hide himself?”
Here the master tells us how to get to know a person. The first thing is to look at what he does, the second thing is to observe the way the person does things and finally we should find out what he wants to aim at. In doing so, we can get to the person quite well.
(11)
子曰：“温故而知新，可以为师矣。”
Zǐ yuè:”Wēn gù ēr zhī xīn, kě yǐ wēi shī yì.”
Wēn—温，to review. Originally, it means to warm up something with a moderate heat constantly.
gù—故，something old.
ēr zhī xīn—而知新，to learn something new. People interpret it in two ways: (1) to sense out something new from things old; (2) to acquire things new at the same time of reviewing things old. Most people takes (2) as the correct interpretation.
wēi sh—为师，to be a teacher.
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following:
The master said, “One could be a teacher if he acquires new knowledge while he reviews things he has learned.”
(12)
子曰：“君子不器。”
Zǐ yuè:”Jūn zǐ bù qì.”
qì—器， utensil.
The master said, “A man of virtue should be like a utensil that serves only one purpose.”
The master tells us that a utensil often serves only one purpose and that a man of virtue should be versatile and be gifted in many ways.
(13)
子贡问君子。子曰：“先行其言而后从之。”
Zǐ Gòng wèn jūn zǐ. Zǐ yuè:”Xiān xíng qí yán ēr hòu cóng zhī.”
wèn jūn zǐ—问君子，to ask how to become of man of virtue.
xíng qí yán—行其言，to act upon what one says.
cóng zhī—从之，It means to say what one had done.
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following:
Zǐ Gòng asked the master how to be a man of virtue. The master said, “A man of virtue acts what he would say and say what he has acted.”
(14)
子曰：“君子周而不比，小人比而不周。”
Zǐ yuè:” Jūn zǐ zhōu ēr bù bì, xiaǒ rēn bì ēr bù zhōu.”
Zhōu—周，to get along with many people.
bì—比，to collude with…
xiaǒ rēn—小人，it does not mean a “short person”, but a vile character.
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following
The master said, “A man of virtue unites and a vile character colludes.”
(15)
子曰：“学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆。”
Zǐ yuè:”Xué ēr bù sī zé wǎng, sī ēr bù xué zé dài.”
sī—思，to think.
zé—则，would be…
dài—殆，to be in danger.
The master said, “One would be puzzled if he learns without thinking, and it would be dangerous if he thinks, but not learning anything.”
(16)
子曰：“攻乎异端，斯害也已。”
Zǐ yuè:”Gōng hū yì duān, sī hài yě yǐ.”
Gōng—攻，to attach, to tackle.
yì duān—异端，the opposite end, implies heterodox doctrines.
sī—斯，this.
Hài—害，harmful.
yě yǐ—也已，the two characters should be used together, means an interjection. Somebody wrongly interpreted “已” as “to stop”. If “已” has such a meaning in here, the character “也” should be put after “已”, not before.
The master said, “It is harmful if we concentrate on the opposite end!”
(17)
子曰：“由，诲女知之乎？知之为知之，不知为不知，是知也。”
Zǐ yuè:”Yōu, hǔi rǔ zhī zhī hū? Zhī zhī wéi zhī zhī, bù zhī wéi bùzhī, shì zhī yě.”
Yōu—由，a disciple of Confucius, his surname is “Zhòng—仲”, his given name is “Zǐ Lù—子路”.
Hǔi—诲，to teach.
rǔ—女，not pronounced as “Nǚ”, means “you” here.
The master said, “Yōu, I am teaching you what knowledge is, eh? What you know is what you know and what you don’t know is what you don’t know. Such is knowledge.”
(18)
子张学干禄，子曰：“多闻阙疑，慎言其余，则寡尤；多见阙殆，慎行其余，则寡悔。言寡尤，行寡悔，禄在其中矣。”
Zǐ Zhāng xué gān lù, Zǐ yuè: “Duō wēn quē yí, shèn yán qí yú, zé guǎ yōu; duō jiàn quē dài, shèn xíng qí yú, zé guǎ hǔi. Yán guǎ yōu, xíng guǎ hǔi, lù zài qī zhōng yì.”
Zǐ Zhāng—子张，a disciple of Confucius, his sir name is Zhuān Sūn—颛孙. His given name is Shī—师. Zǐ Zhāng is his formal name. He was forty-eight years younger than the master.
xué—学，same as to ask.
Gān—干，to seek.
lù—禄，salary.
quē—阙， to put aside.
yí—疑， questions or doubts.
guǎ—寡，a few, little, small in number.
Yōu—尤， guilty or mistakes.
Hǔi—悔，regret.
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following:
Zǐ Zhāng asked how to earn a salary, the master said, “Listen more to others, put aside your doubts, be cautious in talking about the rest. In doing so, you would have few mistakes; observe more, try to avoid dangers, and act upon the rest in a discreet manner. In doing so, you would have few regrets. The salary would be there for you if you have few mistakes and regrets.”
(19)
哀公问曰：“何为则民服？”孔子对曰：“举直错诸枉，则
民服；举枉错诸直，则民不服。”
?i Gōng wèn yuè: “Hé wēi zé mīn fú?” Kǒng Zǐ dùi yuè: “Jǔ zhī cuò zhù wǎng, zé mīn fú; jǔ wǎng cuò zhù zhī, zé mīn bù fú.”
?i Gōng—哀公，Duke ?i of Lǔ, son of Duke Ding. His sir name is Jí—姬，his given name is Jiǎng—蒋. He ruled the state for twenty-seven years (494-466 BC). ?i is a title given to him after his death.
dùi yuè—对曰，to reply. In “Analects of Confucius”, the master’s replies to a duke are prefixed with 对曰, not simply 曰.
mīn fú—民服，obedience of people.
Jǔ—举，to hold up, it means here to promote.
zhī—直，to be upright, it implies a person of integrity.
cuò—错， the same as 措—to take measures, to place something.
zhù—诸，various.
Wǎng—枉，people without integrity.
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following:
Duke ?i asked, ”What to do to make people obedient?” Confucius replied, “If you place persons of integrity above vile characters, people would be obedient; if you place vile characters over persons of integrity, people would not be obedient.”
(20)
季康子问："使民敬、忠以劝，如之何？"子曰："临之以庄，则敬。孝慈，则忠。举善而教不能，则劝。"
Jì Kāng Zǐ wèn: “Shǐmīn jìng、zhōng yǐ quàn, rú zhī hé?” Zǐ yuè: “Līn zhī yǐ zhuāng, zé jìng. Xiaò cí, zé zhōng. Jǔ shàn ēr jiaà bù nēng, zé quàn.”
Jì Kāng Zǐ--季康子， a descendent of the Jì Sūn (季孙) family, which was one of the three most powerful families in the State of Lǔ. His given name is Féi—肥.
Jìng—敬，to be respectful to others.
Zhōng—忠，to be loyal, honest.
Quàn—劝，to work hard.
Līn—临，to face with… When a superior faces with a subordinate,” Līn” is used
Zhuāng—庄，to be serious.
Jǔ—举，to use.
Shàn—善， kind-hearted man
bù nēng—不能，those who are capable of…
Having gone through the above, the paragraph may be rendered into English as the following:
Jì Kāng Zǐ asked, “What to do to make people respectful, honest and work hard?” The master said, “They would show respect if you treat them with seriousness. They would be loyal if you are filial to your parents and kind to your children. They would work hard if you use kind-hearted people and teach those who are incapable.”
(21)
或谓孔子曰："子奚不为政？"子曰："书云：‘孝乎惟孝、友于兄弟。'施于有政，是亦为政。奚其为为政？"
Huò wèi Kǒng Zǐ yuè, “Zǐ xī bù wéi zhèng?” Zǐ yuè, “Shū yūn: ‘Xiào hū wéi xiào、yǒu yū xiōng dì.’ Shī yū yōu zhèng, shì yì wéi zhèng. Xī qī wéi wéi zhèng?”
Huò--或, somebody.
xī—奚，why not.
wéi zhèng—为政，to be in politics.
Shū—书，it refers to “尚书” here, which is “The Book of Documents”.
Yūn—云， to say or says…
hū—乎，a word to express a mood.
Wéi—惟， only the…
Yǒu—友，to be nice to…
Somebody asked Confucius, “Why aren’t you in politics?” The master said, “The Book of Documents says: ‘To be filial and only filial conduct would lead to kindness to your brothers.’ If that is applied to politics, one is certainly in politics. What else can be said to be in politics?”
(22)
子曰："人而无信，不知其可也。大车无輗（ní），小车无軏（yuè），其何以行之哉？"
Zǐ yuè: “Rēn ēr wū xìn, bù zhī qī kě yě. Dà ché wū ní, xiǎo ché wū yuè, qī hé yǐ xíng zhī zāi?”
ní--輗, a cross bar at the end of a carriage pole on a cart.
yuè--軏, a cross bar in a carriage hitched to two parallel bars on a cart for guiding directions.
The master said, “How could it ever be possible if a person didn’t keep his credit. If a big cart had no cross bar linked to the carriage pole and if a small cart had no cross bar that was hitched to the two parallel bars, how could them be driven?”
(23)
子张问："十世可知也？"子曰："殷因于夏礼，所损益，可知也；周因于殷礼，所损益，可知也；其或继周者，虽百世，可知也。"
Zǐ Zhāng wèn: “Shí shì kě zhī yě?” Zǐ yuè: “Yīn yīn yú Xià lǐ, suǎsun yì kě zhīyē; zhou yīnyú Yīn lǐ, suǒ sún yī, kě zhī yē; Qī huò jì Zhou zhè, suí bǎi shè, kè zhī yě”.
shì—世，thirty years is a “shì”.
Yīn—因，to follow.
Xià--夏, the first dynasty in China, was established in the 21st century BC by Qǐ, the son of Yǔ, was defeated by Shang in the 16th century BC.
Yīn--殷, a dynasty after Xia, also called “Shang”.
sun yì--损益, what has been added or reduced.
Zǐ Zhāng asked, “Would you know how things would be 300 years later?” The master said, “The Yin followed the ritual system of the Xia, we could therefore know what they had added or reduced; The Zhou followed the ritual system of the Yin, we could also know what the Zhou had added or reduced; we could certainly know what things would be 300 years later no matter who would succeed the Zhou.”
(24)
子曰：“非其鬼而祭之；谄也。见义不为，无勇也。”
Zǐ yuè: “Fēi qí gǔi ēr jì zhī; chǎn yě. Jiàn yì bù wéi, wú yǒng yě.”
Gǔi—鬼，a term for any deceased ones at that time, in normal circumstances, it refers to one’s own ancestors.
jì—祭，to ask the blessing from the deceased.
Chǎn—谄， flattery.
The master said, “It is purely flattery of sacrifices are given not to one’s own deceased ancestors. One is not courageous if he didn’t take actions for justice.”
