Book 11 先進篇第十一

11.1 The Master said: "Those who first advanced in ritual and music were plain men of the wilds; those who came later to ritual and music were noble men. If I were to use them, I would follow the first."11.2 The Master said: "Those who followed me to Chen and Cai — none of them come to my door now."11.3 Virtue in action: Yan Yuan, Min Ziqian, Ran Boniu, Zhonggong. Speech: Zai Wo, Zigong. Government: Ran You, Jilu. Culture and learning: Ziyou, Zixia.11.4 The Master said: "Hui is no help to me — there is nothing in my words he does not delight in."11.5 The Master said: "Filial indeed was Min Ziqian! No one could find fault with the words of his parents and brothers about him."11.6 Nanrong repeated the lines on the white jade scepter three times; Confucius gave him his elder brother's daughter in marriage.11.7 Ji Kangzi asked: "Who among your disciples loves learning?" Confucius answered: "There was Yan Hui who loved learning; unhappily he died young. Now there is none."11.8 When Yan Yuan died, Yan Lu begged for the Master's carriage to make him an outer coffin. The Master said: "Talented or not, each man speaks of his own son. When Li died, he had a coffin but no outer coffin. I would not go on foot to give him one, for I follow behind the great officers, and I may not go on foot."11.9 When Yan Yuan died, the Master said: "Alas! Heaven is destroying me! Heaven is destroying me!"11.10 When Yan Yuan died, the Master wept for him with abandon. His followers said: "Master, you are overcome with grief!" He said: "Am I overcome? If not for this man, for whom should I grieve so?"11.11 When Yan Yuan died, the disciples wished to bury him richly. The Master said: "That must not be." The disciples buried him richly. The Master said: "Hui looked on me as a father, yet I could not look on him as a son. This was not my doing; it was those disciples of yours."11.12 Jilu asked about serving the spirits. The Master said: "You are not yet able to serve men — how could you serve the spirits?" He said: "May I ask about death?" The Master said: "You do not yet know life — how could you know death?"11.13 Minzi stood at his side, gentle and upright; Zilu, bold and firm; Ran You and Zigong, frank and pleasant. The Master was glad. "Yet such a one as You will not die a natural death."11.14 The men of Lu were building a new treasury. Min Ziqian said: "What of keeping the old structure? Why must it be rebuilt?" The Master said: "That man seldom speaks, but when he does, he hits the mark."11.15 The Master said: "Why does You play the zither at my door?" The disciples grew disrespectful toward Zilu. The Master said: "You has climbed the hall; he has not yet entered the inner room."11.16 Zigong asked: "Which is worthier, Shi or Shang?" The Master said: "Shi goes too far; Shang falls short." He said: "Then Shi is the better?" The Master said: "Going too far is the same as falling short."11.17 The Ji family was richer than the Duke of Zhou, yet Ran Qiu gathered taxes for them and increased their wealth. The Master said: "He is no disciple of mine. Beat the drum, my young men, and attack him — that is permitted."11.18 Chai is dull; Shen is slow; Shi is one-sided; You is coarse.11.19 The Master said: "Hui is near the mark, yet often in want. Ci does not accept his lot, and has grown rich by trade; his guesses often hit."11.20 Zizhang asked about the way of a good man. The Master said: "He does not tread the old tracks, yet he does not enter the inner room."11.21 The Master said: "Is earnest speech to be approved? Is it a noble man, or only a solemn face?"11.22 Zilu asked: "Should one act on hearing?" The Master said: "Father and elder brother are alive — how could one act on hearing?" Ran You asked: "Should one act on hearing?" The Master said: "Act on hearing." Gongxi Hua said: "You asked, 'Should one act on hearing?' and you said, 'Father and elder brother are alive'; Qiu asked the same, and you said, 'Act on hearing.' I am confused; may I ask?" The Master said: "Qiu holds back, so I urged him forward; You is a match for two men, so I held him back."11.23 When the Master was in danger at Kuang, Yan Yuan fell behind. The Master said: "I thought you were dead." He said: "While you live, how would I dare die?"11.24 Ji Ziran asked: "Can Zhong You and Ran Qiu be called great ministers?" The Master said: "I thought you would ask something extraordinary, but you ask about You and Qiu. A great minister serves his lord with the Way, and withdraws when that is impossible. As for You and Qiu, they may be called servants fit for office." He said: "Then will they follow whatever is done?" The Master said: "If it were the killing of a father or a lord, they would not follow."11.25 Zilu had Zigao made governor of Fei. The Master said: "You are injuring another man's son." Zilu said: "There are people there, and there are the altars of soil and grain — why must one read books to be learned?" The Master said: "It is for such things that I hate the glib of tongue."11.26 Zilu, Zengxi, Ran You, and Gongxi Hua were seated in attendance. The Master said: "I am but a day older than you; pay me no regard for that. You sit and say, 'No one knows me!' Yet if someone did know you, what would you do?" Zilu answered at once: "A state of a thousand chariots, hemmed in between great powers, pressed by armies, and followed by famine — let me govern it. Within three years I could give them courage and a sense of what is right." The Master smiled at him. "Qiu, what of you?" He answered: "A domain of sixty or seventy li, or fifty or sixty — let me govern it. Within three years I could make the people sufficient. As for ritual and music, I would wait for a noble man." "Chi, what of you?" He answered: "I do not say I could, but I would wish to learn. At the ceremonies of the ancestral temple, or at a gathering of lords, in the dark robe and the ceremonial cap, I would wish to serve as a lesser assistant." "Dian, what of you?" The sound of the zither thinned, then ended with a clang; he set the zither aside and rose, and answered: "Different from the three others." The Master said: "What harm is there? Each but speaks his wish." He said: "Late in spring, when the spring clothes are made, with five or six young men capped and six or seven boys, to bathe in the Yi, to take the air at the rain-altar, and to come home singing." The Master sighed deeply and said: "I am with Dian!" When the three had gone out, Zengxi stayed behind and said: "What of the words of those three?" The Master said: "Each but spoke his wish." He said: "Why did you smile at You?" He said: "To govern a state one needs ritual, and his words showed no deference — that is why I smiled at him." "Then Qiu was not speaking of a state?" "Where do you see a domain of sixty or seventy li, or fifty or sixty, that is not a state?" "Then Chi was not speaking of a state?" "Ancestral temples and gatherings of lords — what but the work of a lord? If Chi is to be the lesser, who could be the greater?"

11.1 The Master said: "The first people to really do ritual and music were plain country folk; the ones who came later were polished gentlemen. If I had to pick, I'd take the plain ones."11.2 The Master said: "Everyone who followed me to Chen and Cai — none of them stick around my door now."11.3 Good character: Yan Yuan, Min Ziqian, Ran Boniu, Zhonggong. Good talkers: Zai Wo, Zigong. Good at government: Ran You, Jilu. Good at learning and culture: Ziyou, Zixia.11.4 The Master said: "Hui doesn't help me at all — there's nothing I say that he doesn't love."11.5 The Master said: "Min Ziqian was a real good son! Nobody could say a bad word about how he treated his parents and brothers."11.6 Nanrong kept repeating the lines about the white jade scepter, so Confucius gave him his niece in marriage.11.7 Ji Kangzi asked: "Which of your students really loves learning?" Confucius said: "Yan Hui loved learning, but he died young. Now there's nobody."11.8 When Yan Yuan died, his father Yan Lu asked for the Master's carriage to pay for an outer coffin. The Master said: "Talented or not, every father talks about his own son. When my son Li died, he had a coffin but no outer one. I wouldn't walk to pay for one — I'm in the ranks of the officials, and I can't walk."11.9 When Yan Yuan died, the Master said: "Oh! Heaven is killing me! Heaven is killing me!"11.10 When Yan Yuan died, the Master wept and wept. His students said: "Master, you're grieving too much!" He said: "Too much? If not for him, who should I grieve for?"11.11 When Yan Yuan died, the students wanted a fancy funeral. The Master said: "No." They did it anyway. The Master said: "Hui treated me like a father, but I couldn't treat him like a son. It wasn't me — it was you students."11.12 Jilu asked about serving ghosts and spirits. The Master said: "You can't even serve people yet — how are you going to serve spirits?" He asked about death. The Master said: "You don't know life yet — how would you know death?"11.13 Minzi stood beside him looking respectful; Zilu looked tough; Ran You and Zigong looked cheerful. The Master was pleased. "But a guy like You won't die of old age."11.14 People of Lu were building a new treasury. Min Ziqian said: "Why not just keep the old one? Why rebuild?" The Master said: "That man hardly talks, but when he does, he's right on target."11.15 The Master said: "Why is You playing his zither at my door?" The other students started disrespecting Zilu. The Master said: "You has made it into the hall — he just hasn't gotten to the inner room yet."11.16 Zigong asked: "Who's better, Shi or Shang?" The Master said: "Shi overshoots; Shang falls short." "So Shi's better?" The Master said: "Overshooting is the same as falling short."11.17 The Ji family was richer than the Duke of Zhou, and Ran Qiu kept squeezing taxes out of people to make them richer. The Master said: "He's no student of mine. Boys, beat the drums and go after him — that's allowed."11.18 Chai is dumb, Shen is slow, Shi is lopsided, You is rough.11.19 The Master said: "Hui is close to perfect, but he's usually broke. Ci doesn't accept his lot — he trades and gets rich, and his guesses usually hit."11.20 Zizhang asked about the way of a good man. The Master said: "He doesn't walk the old tracks, but he still doesn't get into the inner room."11.21 The Master said: "Serious talk — should we approve it? Is he a real gentleman, or just putting on a solemn face?"11.22 Zilu asked: "Should I do it right when I hear it?" The Master said: "Your father and older brother are still alive — how could you just do it?" Ran You asked: "Should I do it right when I hear it?" The Master said: "Do it right when you hear it." Gongxi Hua said: "You asked that and you said, 'Your father and brother are alive'; Qiu asked and you said, 'Do it.' I'm confused — can I ask why?" The Master said: "Qiu holds back, so I push him. You is a match for two men, so I hold him back."11.23 When the Master was in danger in Kuang, Yan Yuan got left behind. The Master said: "I thought you were dead." He said: "You're alive — how would I dare die?"11.24 Ji Ziran asked: "Can Zhong You and Ran Qiu be called great ministers?" The Master said: "I thought you'd ask something interesting, and you ask about You and Qiu. A great minister serves his lord by the Way and quits if that can't be done. You and Qiu are just officials who fill a post." "So they'd go along with anything?" The Master said: "Not with murdering a father or a ruler."11.25 Zilu got Zigao appointed governor of Fei. The Master said: "You're ruining somebody's kid." Zilu said: "There are people there, and there are the altars of the land — why does he need to read books to learn?" The Master said: "That's exactly why I hate smooth talkers."11.26 Zilu, Zengxi, Ran You, and Gongxi Hua were sitting with the Master. He said: "I'm only a day older than you — don't mind that. You sit around saying, 'Nobody knows me!' But if somebody did know you, what would you do?" Zilu answered right away: "A state of a thousand chariots squeezed between big powers, hit by armies, then hit by famine — let me run it. In three years I'd give them courage and a sense of right." The Master smiled at him. "Qiu, what about you?" He said: "A small territory of sixty or seventy li, or fifty or sixty — let me run it. In three years I'd make the people well off. Ritual and music, I'd leave to a gentleman." "Chi, what about you?" He said: "I wouldn't say I can, but I'd like to learn. At temple ceremonies or meetings of lords, in the formal robe and cap, I'd like to be a junior assistant." "Dian, what about you?" The zither music thinned out, then he plucked it sharply, put the zither down, stood up, and said: "Different from those three." The Master said: "What's wrong with that? Everyone just says what he wants." He said: "Late spring, spring clothes ready, five or six young men and six or seven boys, bathing in the Yi river, enjoying the breeze at the rain altar, singing on the way home." The Master sighed and said: "I'm with Dian!" When the three went out, Zengxi stayed behind and said: "What did you think of what they said?" The Master said: "Each just said what he wanted." "Why did you smile at You?" "Running a state takes courtesy, and his answer was cocky — that's why I smiled." "And Qiu wasn't talking about a state?" "Where do you see a place of sixty or seventy li, or fifty or sixty, that isn't a state?" "And Chi wasn't talking about a state?" "Temples and meetings of lords — whose job is that but a ruler's? If Chi's the junior one, who's the senior?"