《论语》名句英文选译

2021年1月25日发(作者：绰约多姿)
《论语》名句英文选译（
1
）
--
《学而》

< br>1.1
学而时习之，不亦悦乎？有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？人不知而不愠，不亦君子乎？

The
master
said,
to
learn
and
at
due
times
to
repeat
what
one
has
learnt,
is
that
not
after
all
a
pleasure?
that
friends
should
come
to
one
from
afar,
is
this
not
after
all
delightful?
to
remain
unsoured
envn
though
one's
merits
are
unrecognized
by
others,
is
that
not
after
all
what
is
expected
of
a
gentleman?
（我最喜欢最后这句，也希望能够自勉，虽 然这是在太难了，谁能
够“不食人间烟火”呢？）


1.2
巧言令色，鲜矣仁。

The master said,
真的是
“人
不可貌相”
，路遥知马力，日久见人心，人心隔肚皮。
）


1.3
吾日三省吾身。为人谋，而不忠乎？与朋友交，而不信乎？传，不习乎？

Every day
I examine
myself on these three
points: in acting on behalf of others, have
I always
been loyal to their interests? In intercourse with my friends, have i always been true to my word?
Have i failed to repeat the precepts that have been handed down to me?
（反省能力也许是人类的
优势和优点，反省是进步提高的关键，三省甚至五省，每日必修 课。
）


1.4
行有余力，则以学文。

If, when all that is done, he has any energy to spare, then let him study the politte arts.
（行动然后
才是读书，但是现在我们的教育则相信“唯有读书高”
，本来也没错，错就错在只 读死书，
因此必然读书死。
）


1.5
贤贤易色；事父 母能竭其力，事君能致其身；与朋友交，言而有信。虽曰未学，吾必谓
之学矣。

A man who treats his betters as betters, wears an air of respect, who into serving father and mother
knows how to put his whole strength, who in the service of his prince will lay down his life, who
in intercourse with friends is true to his word--others may say of him that he still lacks education,
but i for my part should certainly callhim an educated man. (
什么样的人才称得上“接受过教
育” ？难道是读过书就可以吗？孔子说不是，我很同意。
）


1.6
过则勿惮改。

If he finds he has made a mistake, then he must not be afraid of admitting the fact and amending
his ways.
（知错能改不算错，知错不改错上加错。
）


1.7
慎终追远，民德归厚矣。

When proper respect towards the dead is shown at the End and continued after they are far away
the moral force of a people has reached its highest point.
（祖先敬重这是多好的美德，但是现
代社会，这种美德岌岌可危。
）


1.8

夫子温、良、恭、俭、让以得之（政
policy)
。

Our
master
gets
things
by
being
cordial,
frank,
courteous,
temperate,
deferential.
That
is
our
Master's way of enquiring--a very different matter.
（孔子的为人就是这五个字，而这五个字值
得学习和实 践一辈子，孔子可爱的地方就在于他提出的出世之道很朴实。
）


1.9.
父在观其志，父没观其行，三年无改于父之道，可谓孝矣。

While a man's father is alive, you can only see his intentions; it is when his father dies that you
discover
whether
or
not
he
is
capable
of
carrying
them
out.
If
for
the
whole
three
years
of
mourning he manages to carry on the household exactly as in his father day, then he is a good son
indeed. (
孔子学说可以 说“成”也孝，
“败”也孝。也许这在前现代中是合理的，因为黑格尔
说得好“存在就是合理的 ”
。
）


1.10
礼之用，和为贵。

In the usages of ritual it is harmony that is prized.
（曾经在学校开过一门选修课叫《生活基本
礼仪》
，的确礼节的精髓 是“和”
，而和是中国古代传统哲学思想的精髓之一。所以，中国是
礼仪之邦。
）

1.11
君子食无求饱，居无求安，敏于事而慎于言，就有道而正焉，可谓好学也已。

A gentleman who never goes on eating till he is sated, who does not demand comfort in his home,
who is diligent in business and cautious in speech, who associates with those that possess the Way
and thereby corrects his own faults--such a one may indeed be said to have a taste for learning.
（
“好学”的定义，的确很准确、很直观。
）


1.12.
贫而无谄（查字典：谄媚）
，富而无骄，
“未若贫而 乐道，富而好礼者也。
”

Poor without cadging, rich without swagger
. Not bad but not better than “
poor, yet delighting in
the Way, rich, yet a student of ritual.
”
（经常听到“为富不仁”的说法，其实 更常看到的是“为
富不礼”的情况。还有一种更“惨不忍睹”的现象是：贫而谄媚。囊中羞涩的人自然底 气不
足，这就是“世道”
。
）


1.13.
如切如磋，如琢如磨。

As thing cut, as thing filed, as thing chiseled, as thing polished.
（ 一个人有没有“德”要看他在
“贫富”面前的表现，贫富就像“磨刀石”
，只有经过的考验才能 够判断一个人的德，所以
说道德被康德称之为“实践理性”
，他撰写的《实践理性批判》是一本 讨论道德的书。
）


1.14
不患人之不己知，患不知人也。

The good man does not grieve that other people do not recognize his merits. His only anxiety is
lest he should fail to recognize theirs. (
这句话和第一条“人不知而不愠”不是强调 和补充吗？
不要因为不被了解而忧患，应该担心的是不了解他人。是的首先学会“关心”
，才有 可能得
到“开心”
。
)

《论语》名句英文选译（
2
）
--
《为政》

2.1
为政以德，譬如北辰，居其所而众星共
(
通“拱”
)
之。

He who rules by moral force is like the pole- star, which remains in its place while all the lesser
stars do homage to it.
（对于管理者特别是领导者— 我觉得领导者属于管理者，但是后者不一
定属于前者
--
而言，从政的定位和原则非常 重要，为政以德是一种比较明智的取向，相比于
“为政以威”
、
“为政以权”或者“为 政以制”
。为政以德类似于社会学家韦伯提出的“奇思
马里”魅力型领导。
）

2.2
《诗》三百，一言以蔽之，
“思无邪”
。

If out of the three hundred Songs I had to take one phrase to cover all my teaching, I would say
“
let there be no evil in your thoughts
”
. (
这句话算是孔子对于一部文学作品的评价吧，属于
文学评论，孔子的评论倾向于“文以载道”
，所谓身正不怕影斜，
“思想正确”不怕“文章不< br>好”
。
《诗经》
经过孔子的修订和编撰，
孔子认为里面的情感是真挚的 ，
是纯洁的，
是
“无邪”
的，这是《诗经》的价值依托。
)

2.3.
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。

Govern
the
people
by
regulations,
keep
order
among
them
by
chastisements
and
they
will
flee
from you and lose all self-respect. Govern them by moral force, keep order among them by ritual
and they will keep their self- respect and come to you of their own accord. (
法家的治理办法和儒
家的治理办法直接效果可能一样，
但是它们所带来的
side-e ffect
附带结果可能是不同的，
“
政”
即“制度”
，属于“他律 ”
，
“刑”即“处罚”
，属于“高压”
，
“德”即“道德”
，属于“自律”
，
“礼”即“礼仪”
，属于“柔和”
。构筑一种“耻感文化” —本尼迪克特撰写的《菊与刀》艺
术提出的概念，她认为日本文化是耻感文化，而西方文化是罪感文化< br>--
是理想社会的标志之
一。
)

2.4.
吾十 有五而志于学，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十知天命，六十而耳顺，七十从心所欲
而不逾矩。
（ 求学之路，人生之路）

At fifteen I set my heart upon learning. At thirty, I had planted my feet firm upon the ground. At
forty, I no longer suffered from perplexities. At fifty, I knew what were the biddings of Heaven. At
sixty, I heard them with docile ear. At seventy, I could follow the dictates of my own heart; for
what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries of ri ght.(
印象最深的是
“
15
”
年的坚持学习，
才能够“ 初步立足”
，今年我三十了，我从事教学也才
10
年，对于教育、对于社会、对于人< br>情世故都还刚刚熟悉，所以，我还要继续“求索”
。
)

1.5.
另一种对“孝”的注解：
“无违”
（前后一致，一以贯之）
,
“生， 事之以礼；死，葬之
以礼，祭之以礼。
”

Never
disobey.
While
they
are
alive,
serve
them
according
to
ritual.
When
they
die,
bury
them
according
to
ritual
and
sacrifice
to
them
according
to
ritual.(
爷爷和父亲在两年内相继离开我
们，感觉我们对他们没有做到“孝道 ”
，生、死、祭都做得不够。
)

1.6.
最大的孝：
“父母唯其疾之忧。
”

Behave in such a way that your father and mother have no anxiety about you, except concerning
your health.

(
健康不仅是我们自己的财富，也是对父母的安慰与孝顺，因为父母唯一担忧的就是子女的健康，身心的健康，照顾好自己就是在照顾父母。
)

1.7.
尊敬 才称得上孝顺：
“今之孝者，是谓能养。至于犬马，皆能有养，不敬，何以别乎？”

Filial sons nowadays are people who see to it that their parents get enough to eat. But even dogs
and
horses
are
cared
for
to
that
extent.
If
there
is
no
feeling
of
respect,
wherein
lies
the
difference?(
不 是很多子女出门在外去打拼，难得回家一次，简单的给父母一堆钱，可是坐下
来陪父母“嘘寒问暖”的时 间却疼不出来，没有一点点尊敬，
谈得上孝顺吗？每天都要找妈
妈说说话，再也不能冲妈妈发脾 气了。以前真是做得不好。
)
1.8.
如何识人：视其所以，观其所由，察其所安 ，人焉瘦
(
隐藏
)
哉？

Look closely into his aims, observe the means by which he pursues them, discover what brings
him content
—
and can the m
an’s real worth remain
hidden from you. (
看一个人追求什么，
通过什< br>么方式来追求，因什么而感到满足，这就可以知道一个人了。
)

1.9.
当老师的条件：
“温故而知新，可以为师矣”
。

He who by reanimating the Old can gain knowledge of the New is fit to be a teacher. (
教师本身应
该是善于学习的人，
善于学习可以有两种方式，
一种是获取新资讯，
一种是从旧的知识中做
出新的发现，后一种更应该成为教师的信条。
)

1.10
君子不器

A gentleman is not an implement/a specialist, a tool used for a special purpose. He need only have
general, moral qualifications. (
君子应该是“通才”
，不应该成为“专才”
，君 子的视野要宽，
爱好要广，思维要活，眼见要高，胸怀要大。
)

1.11
君子周而不比，小人比而不周。

A gentleman can see a question from all sides without bias. The small man is biased and can see a
question only from one side.(
没有偏见：君子和小人的差别
)

1.12
学思关系：学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆。

He who learns but does not think, is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.(
学习
是获取间接经验，思考是内化的过程，
只学习他人的经验而不通过理解来内化则会迷失方向
lost
；
只思考，
一味靠自己苦思冥想，
而从来不向外界学习，
那是十分危险的in great danger
。
)


1.13.
真正的“知识”和真正的“智慧”
：知之为知之，不知为不知，是知也。

When you know a thing, to recognize that you know it, and when you do not
know a thing, to
recognize that you do not know it. That is knowledge. (
无独有偶，苏格拉底说过“我知道得越
多，我就知道我不知道的越多。
”

苏格拉底一定是孔子眼中“最智慧”的人。
)

1.14.
言行 的原则：多闻阙疑，慎言其余，则寡尤；多见阙怠，慎行其余，则寡悔。言寡尤，
行寡悔，禄在其中。< br>
Hear much, but maintain silence as regards doubtful points and be cautious in speaking of the rest.
Then you will seldom get into trouble. See much, but ignore what it is dangerous to have seen, and
be cautious in acting upon the rest; then you will seldom gets into trouble about what he has said
and seldom does anything that he afterwards wishes he had not done, will be sure incidentally to
get his reward. (
言行举止最重要的原 则就是谨慎，
谨慎就可以
“寡尤、
寡悔”
，
就会有回报。
)

1.15
如何才能服人：举直错诸枉，则民服；举枉错诸直，则民不服。

If you raise up the straight and set them on top of the crooked, the commoners support you. But if
you raise the crooked and set them on top of the straight, the commoners will not support you.
（领导者的价值导向和价值暗示十分关键，应该在下属中树立正确的是非观，不能黑白不分。
）


1.16.
见义不为，无勇也。