Book 10 鄉黨篇第十

10.1 In his village, Confucius was gentle and deferential, as one unable to speak. In the ancestral temple and at court, he spoke fluently, though with care.

10.2 At court, speaking with the lower great officers, he was forthright; with the higher great officers, he was mild and even. When the ruler was present, he was reverent and composed.

10.3 When the ruler summoned him to act as usher, his face changed and his step quickened. He bowed to those standing with him, hands left and right; his robe flowed before and behind. Hastening forward, he was like wings. When the guests withdrew, he always reported: "The guests no longer look back."

10.4 Entering the ducal gate, he bowed low, as if the gate could not hold him. He did not stand in the middle of the gate; he did not tread on the threshold. Passing the ruler's seat, his face changed and his step quickened, and his words seemed to fail him. Lifting the hem of his robe, he ascended the hall, bowing low and holding his breath as if not breathing. Coming out, when he had descended one step, he relaxed his face and was cheerful. At the foot of the steps he hurried forward, like wings. Returning to his place, he was reverent.

10.5 Holding the jade tablet, he bowed low, as if it were too heavy to bear. He raised it as if bowing, lowered it as if handing it over. His face was stirred, as of one facing battle; his steps were small and close, as if following a line. At the presentation of gifts, his face was gracious. At the private audience, he was pleasant and easy.

10.6 The noble man did not trim his collar in dark purple or maroon; he did not wear red or purple for house clothes. In hot weather he wore a single robe of hemp or coarse cloth, and always an outer layer to go out. A black robe with a lamb's coat; a white robe with a fawn's coat; a yellow robe with a fox's coat. The house fur was long, with the right sleeve short. He always had a night robe, half again as long as his body. For sitting he used the thick fur of fox and badger. Out of mourning, he wore every kind of ornament. Except for the curtained skirt, he always trimmed his garments. He did not wear a lamb's coat and dark cap to condole. On the new moon he always went to court in court dress.

10.7 In fasting, he always had a clean garment of cloth. In fasting he always changed his food, and always moved his seat.

10.8 He did not turn from white rice, nor from finely cut fish. Rice gone sour, fish gone bad, meat gone off — he did not eat. Of bad color, he did not eat. Of bad smell, he did not eat. Badly cooked, he did not eat. Out of season, he did not eat. Cut crookedly, he did not eat. Without its proper sauce, he did not eat. Though there was much meat, he did not let it outweigh the rice. Only in wine he had no measure, but never to disorder. Wine bought and meat bought he did not eat. He never withdrew the ginger from the table, but did not eat much of it.

10.9 Of the meat he sacrificed at the public sacrifice, he did not keep it overnight. Of sacrificial meat, it did not go out of his house three days; past three days, he did not eat it.

10.10 He did not speak while eating, nor talk while in bed.

10.11 Though his food were coarse greens and vegetable broth, he always made the offering, and always with reverence.

10.12 If the mat was not straight, he did not sit on it.

10.13 When the villagers drank wine, the elders went out, and then he went out.

10.14 When the villagers held the winter exorcism, he stood in his court dress on the eastern steps.

10.15 When sending a messenger to ask after a friend in another state, he bowed twice and saw him off.

10.16 Kangzi sent him medicine; he bowed and received it, saying: "I do not know it, so I dare not taste it."

10.17 The stables burned. The Master, back from court, said: "Was anyone hurt?" He did not ask about the horses.

10.18 When the ruler sent him food, he always straightened his mat and tasted it first. When the ruler sent him raw meat, he always cooked it and made the offering. When the ruler sent him a live animal, he always reared it. When eating with the ruler, when the ruler made the offering, he ate first.

10.19 When he was ill and the ruler came to see him, he lay with his head to the east, his court dress laid over him, his sash trailing.

10.20 When the ruler's summons came, he did not wait for his horses to be put to, but set out on foot.

10.21 Entering the Grand Temple, he asked about everything.

10.22 When a friend died and there was nowhere for him to be laid, he said: "I will see to his funeral."

10.23 When a friend sent a gift, though it were carriages and horses, unless it were sacrificial meat, he did not bow.

10.24 In bed he did not lie stiff as a corpse; at home he did not sit as a guest.

10.25 Seeing one in mourning, though an intimate, he always changed countenance. Seeing one in a cap, or a blind man, though a familiar, he always showed respect. To one in mourning garb he bowed from his carriage; he bowed to one carrying the census boards. At a rich spread, he always changed countenance and rose. At sudden thunder or fierce wind, he always changed countenance.

10.26 Mounting his carriage, he always stood straight and took the strap. In the carriage he did not turn to look back, did not speak fast, did not point.

10.27 When the look came, the bird rose; it hovered, and then settled. The Master said: "The hen pheasant on the hill bridge — timely indeed, timely indeed!" Zilu saluted it; the bird flapped three times and rose.

10.1 In his own village, Confucius was quiet and humble, like a man who couldn't speak. In the ancestral temple and at court, he spoke fluently — but carefully.

10.2 At court, talking with the lower officials he was easygoing; with the higher officials he was polite and calm. When the ruler was there, he was alert and composed.

10.3 When the ruler called on him to receive guests, his face changed and his steps quickened. He bowed to the people standing with him, hands to left and right, his robe hanging straight front and back. When he hurried forward, his sleeves spread like wings. When the guests left, he always reported back: "The guests aren't looking back anymore."

10.4 Going through the duke's gate, he bent low, as if the gate were too small for him. He didn't stand in the middle of the gateway; he didn't step on the doorsill. Passing the ruler's seat, his face changed and his steps quickened, and he spoke as if short of breath. Picking up his robe, he went up to the hall bent low, holding his breath as if he weren't breathing. Coming out, when he'd gone down one step, his face relaxed and he looked happy. At the bottom of the steps he hurried forward, sleeves like wings. Back in his place, he was alert again.

10.5 Holding the jade tablet, he bent low as if it were too heavy to bear. He raised it as if bowing, lowered it as if handing it over. His face was tense, as if going into battle, and his steps were short and careful, as if following a line. At the gift ceremony his face was relaxed and gracious. At the private meeting afterward, he was cheerful.

10.6 A gentleman doesn't trim his collar with dark purple or maroon, and doesn't wear red or purple around the house. In hot weather he wore a single layer of fine or coarse hemp, but always with something over it when going out. Black robe with lamb fur; white robe with fawn fur; yellow robe with fox fur. His home fur robe was long, with a short right sleeve. He always had a nightgown half again as long as he was tall. He used thick fox and badger fur to sit on. Out of mourning, he wore whatever ornaments he liked. Everything except his curtained skirt was trimmed. He didn't wear a lamb fur and dark cap to funerals. On the first of the month, he always went to court in full court dress.

10.7 When fasting, he always had a clean cloth garment. When fasting he changed his food and moved to a different seat.

10.8 He didn't mind rice being finely milled, or fish and meat finely cut. Sour rice, spoiled fish, or meat gone bad — he wouldn't eat it. Food that looked bad, he wouldn't eat. Food that smelled bad, he wouldn't eat. Food badly cooked, he wouldn't eat. Food not in season, he wouldn't eat. Meat cut wrong, he wouldn't eat. Food without the right sauce, he wouldn't eat. Even when there was plenty of meat, he didn't let it take over from the rice. With wine he had no limit, but never to the point of losing control. Wine or dried meat bought from a shop, he wouldn't eat. He never took the ginger off the table, but didn't eat much of it.

10.9 Meat from the public sacrifice he didn't keep overnight. Sacrificial meat didn't stay three days; past three days he wouldn't eat it.

10.10 He didn't talk while eating and didn't talk in bed.

10.11 Even with plain greens and vegetable soup, he always made the offering first, and always with respect.

10.12 If the mat wasn't straight, he wouldn't sit on it.

10.13 When the villagers had a drinking party, he waited for the old people with canes to leave, and then he left.

10.14 When the villagers held their exorcism ceremony, he stood in his court dress on the eastern steps.

10.15 When sending someone to ask after a friend in another state, he bowed twice and sent him off.

10.16 Kangzi sent him medicine. He bowed and accepted it, saying: "I don't know what's in it, so I don't dare taste it."

10.17 The stables burned down. When the Master came back from court he said: "Was anybody hurt?" He didn't ask about the horses.

10.18 When the ruler sent him cooked food, he always straightened his mat and tasted it first. When the ruler sent raw meat, he always cooked it and made an offering with it. When the ruler sent a live animal, he always raised it. When he ate with the ruler, and the ruler made the offering, he started eating first.

10.19 When he was sick and the ruler came to visit, he lay with his head to the east, his court dress laid over him and his sash hanging down.

10.20 When the ruler sent for him, he set out on foot without waiting for the horses to be hitched.

10.21 Going into the Grand Temple, he asked about everything.

10.22 When a friend died and there was nobody to take care of the body, he said: "I'll handle the funeral."

10.23 When a friend sent a gift, even carriages and horses, he didn't bow unless it was sacrificial meat.

10.24 He didn't sleep stretched out like a corpse, and at home he didn't sit stiff like a guest.

10.25 Seeing someone in mourning, even a close friend, his face always changed. Seeing someone in a cap, or a blind person, even someone familiar, he always showed respect. He bowed from his carriage to anyone in mourning dress, and bowed to anyone carrying the census boards. When a big meal was set out, his face always changed and he stood up. At sudden thunder or a fierce wind, his face always changed.

10.26 Getting into his carriage, he always stood straight and took hold of the hand strap. In the carriage he didn't look back, didn't talk fast, and didn't point.

10.27 When something caught its eye, the bird flew up, circled, and came back down. He said: "The hen pheasant on the bridge — how timely, how timely!" Zilu saluted it, and the bird sniffed three times and flew up.