论语英译尧曰篇

ConfucianAnalects　Chapter20

Yaosaid,"Oh!you,Shun,theHeaven-determinedorderofsuccessionnowrestsinyourperson.SincerelyholdfastthedueMean.Ifthereshallbedistressandwantwithinthefourseas,theHeavenlyrevenuewillcometoaperpetualend."

ShunalsousedthesamelanguageingivingchargetoYu.T‘angsaid,"IthechildLi,presumetouseadark-coloredvictim,

andpresumetoannouncetoThee,OmostgreatandsovereignGod,thatthesinnerIdarenotpardon,andthyministers,OGod,Idonotkeepinobscurity.Theexaminationofthemisbythymind,OGod.If,inmyperson,Icommitoffenses,theyarenottobeattributedtoyou,thepeopleofthemyriadregions.Ifyouinthemyriadregionscommitoffenses,theseoffensesmustrestonmyperson."

Chauconferredgreatgifts,andthegoodwereenriched."Althoughhehashisnearrelatives,theyarenotequaltomy

virtuousmen.Thepeoplearethrowingblameuponme,theOneman."

Hecarefullyattendedtotheweightsandmeasures,examinedthebodyofthelaws,restoredthediscardedofficers,andthegoodgovernmentofthekingdomtookitscourse.

Herevivedstatesthathadbeenextinguished,restoredfamilieswhoselineofsuccessionhadbeenbroken,andcalledtoofficethosewhohadretiredintoobscurity,sothatthroughoutthekingdomtheheartsofthepeopleturnedtowardshim.

Whatheattachedchiefimportancetowerethefoodofthepeople,thedutiesofmourning,andsacrifices.

Byhisgenerosity,hewonall.Byhissincerity,hemadethepeoplereposetrustinhim.Byhisearnestactivity,hisachievementsweregreat.Byhisjustice,allweredelighted.

Tsze-changaskedConfucius,saying,"Inwhatwayshouldapersoninauthorityactinorderthathemayconductgovernmentproperly?"TheMasterreplied,"Lethimhonorthefiveexcellent,andbanishawaythefourbad,things;-thenmayheconductgovernmentproperly."Tsze-changsaid,"Whataremeantbythefiveexcellentthings?"TheMastersaid,"Whenthepersoninauthorityisbeneficentwithoutgreatexpenditure;whenhelaystasksonthepeoplewithouttheirrepining;whenhepursueswhathedesireswithoutbeingcovetous;whenhemaintainsadignifiedeasewithoutbeingproud;whenheismajesticwithoutbeingfierce."

Tsze-changsaid,"Whatismeantbybeingbeneficentwithoutgreatexpenditure?"TheMasterreplied,"Whenthepersoninauthoritymakesmorebeneficialtothepeoplethethingsfromwhichtheynaturallyderivebenefit;-isnotthisbeingbeneficentwithoutgreatexpenditure?Whenhechoosesthelaborswhichareproper,andmakesthemlaboronthem,whowillrepine?Whenhisdesiresaresetonbenevolentgovernment,andhesecuresit,whowillaccusehimofcovetousness?Whetherhehastodowithmanypeopleorfew,orwiththingsgreatorsmall,hedoesnotdaretoindicateanydisrespect;-isnotthistomaintainadignifiedeasewithoutanypride?Headjustshisclothesandcap,andthrowsadignityintohislooks,sothat,thusdignified,heislookedatwithawe;-isnotthistobemajesticwithoutbeingfierce?"

Tsze-changthenasked,"Whataremeantbythefourbadthings?"TheMastersaid,"Toputthepeopletodeathwithouthavinginstructedthem;-thisiscalledcruelty.Torequirefromthem,suddenly,thefulltaleofwork,withouthavinggiventhemwarning;-thisiscalledoppression.Toissueordersasifwithouturgency,atfirst,and,whenthetimecomes,toinsistonthemwithseverity;-thisiscalledinjury.And,generally,inthegivingpayorrewardstomen,todoitinastingyway;-thisiscalledactingthepartofamereofficial."

TheMastersaid,"WithoutrecognizingtheordinancesofHeaven,itisimpossibletobeasuperiorman.

"WithoutanacquaintancewiththerulesofPropriety,itisimpossibleforthecharactertobeestablished.

"Withoutknowingtheforceofwords,itisimpossibletoknowmen."

20·1尧曰：“咨！尔舜！天之历数在尔躬，允执其中。四海困穷，天禄永终。”舜亦以命禹。曰：“予小子履，敢用玄牡，敢昭告于皇皇后帝：有罪不敢赦。帝臣不蔽，简在帝心。朕躬有罪，无以万方；万方有罪，罪在朕躬。”周有大赉，善人是富。“虽有周亲，不如仁人。百姓有过，在予一人。”谨权量，审法度，修废官，四方之政行焉。兴灭国，继绝世，举逸民，天下之民归心焉。所重：民、食、丧、祭。宽则得众，信则民任焉。敏则有功，公则说。
尧说：“啧啧！你这位舜！上天的大命已经落在你的身上了。诚实地保持那中道吧！假如天下百姓都隐于困苦和贫穷，上天赐给你的禄位也就会永远终止。”舜也这样告诫过禹。（商汤）说：“我小子履谨用黑色的公牛来祭祀，向伟大的天帝祷告：有罪的人我不敢擅自赦免，天帝的臣仆我也不敢掩蔽，都由天帝的心来分辨、选择。我本人若有罪，不要牵连天下万方，天下万方若有罪，都归我一个人承担。”周朝大封诸侯，使善人都富贵起来。（周武王）说：“我虽然有至亲，不如有仁德之人。百姓有过错，都在我一人身上。”认真检查度量衡器，周密地制定法度，全国的政令就会通行了。恢复被灭亡了的国家，接续已经断绝了家族，提拔被遗落的人才，天下百姓就会真心归服了。所重视的四件事：人民、粮食、丧礼、祭祀。宽厚就能得到众人的拥护，诚信就能得到别人的任用，勤敏就能取得成绩，公平就会使百姓公平。

20·2子张问孔子曰：“何如斯可以从政矣？”子曰：“尊五美，屏四恶，斯可以从政矣。”子张曰：“何谓五美？”子曰：“君子惠而不费，劳而不怨，欲而不贪，泰而不骄，威而不猛。”子张曰：“何谓惠而不费？”子曰：“因民之所利而利之，斯不亦惠而不费乎？择可劳而劳之，又谁怨？欲仁而得仁，又焉贪？君子无众寡，无大小，无敢慢，斯不亦泰而不骄乎？君子正其衣冠，尊其瞻视，俨然人望而畏之，斯不亦威而不猛乎？”子张曰：“何谓四恶？”子曰：“不教而杀谓之虐；不戒视成谓之暴；慢令致期谓之贼；犹之与人也，出纳之吝谓之有司。”
子张问孔子说：“怎样才可以治理政事呢？”孔子说：“尊重五种美德，排除四种恶政，这样就可以治理政事了。”子张问：“五种美德是什么？”孔子说：“君子要给百姓以恩惠而自已却无所耗费；使百姓劳作而不使他们怨恨；要追求仁德而不贪图财利；庄重而不傲慢；威严而不凶猛。”子张说：“怎样叫要给百姓以恩惠而自己却无所耗费呢？”孔子说：“让百姓们去做对他们有利的事，这不就是对百姓有利而不掏自己的腰包嘛！选择可以让百姓劳作的时间和事情让百姓去做。这又有谁会怨恨呢？自己要追求仁德便得到了仁，又还有什么可贪的呢？君子对人，无论多少，势力大小，都不怠慢他们，这不就是庄重而不傲慢吗？君子衣冠整齐，目不邪视，使人见了就让人生敬畏之心，这不也是威严而不凶猛吗？”子张问：“什么叫四种恶政呢？”孔子说：“不经教化便加以杀戮叫做虐；不加告诫便要求成功叫做暴；不加监督而突然限期叫做贼，同样是给人财物，却出手吝啬，叫做小气。”

20·3孔子曰：“不知命，无以为君子也；不知礼，无以立也；不知信，无以知人也。”
孔子说：“不懂得天命，就不能做君子；不知道礼仪，就不能立身处世；不善于分辨别人的话语，就不能真正了解他。”