英语学习之经典翻译詹姆斯雅各四书中庸.docx

英语学习之经典翻译詹姆斯雅各四书中庸.docx

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英语学习之经典翻译詹姆斯雅各四书中庸

THEDOCTRINEOFTHEMEAN

ThistranslationofTheDoctrineoftheMean,ZhongYong,isbyJamesLegge,inTheChineseClassics,vol.1（reprintedbyHongKongUniversityPress,1960）.Legge'sromanizationhasbeenturnedintopinyin.Somesmallchangesinpunctuationand（inaveryfewplaces）vocabularyhavealsobeenmade.

   Thetextisinthepublicdomainandmaybefreelyused.

   Comments,corrections,andsuggestionsmaybedirectedtoBrotherAndrewThorntonatthisaddress:

athornto@anselm.edu

   WhatHeavenhasconferrediscalledTheNature;anaccordancewiththisnatureiscalledThePathofduty;theregulationofthispathiscalledInstruction.

   Thepathmaynotbeleftforaninstant.Ifitcouldbeleft,itwouldnotbethepath.Onthisaccount,thesuperiormandoesnotwaittillheseesthings,tobecautious,nortillhehearsthings,tobeapprehensive.

   Thereisnothingmorevisiblethanwhatissecret,andnothingmoremanifestthanwhatisminute.Thereforethesuperiormaniswatchfuloverhimself,whenheisalone.

   Whiletherearenostirringsofpleasure,anger,sorrow,orjoy,themindmaybesaidtobeinthestateofEquilibrium.Whenthosefeelingshavebeenstirred,andtheyactintheirduedegree,thereensueswhatmaybecalledthestateofHarmony.ThisEquilibriumisthegreatrootfromwhichgrowallthehumanactingsintheworld,andthisHarmonyistheuniversalpathwhichtheyallshouldpursue.Letthestatesofequilibriumandharmonyexistinperfection,andahappyorderwillprevailthroughoutheavenandearth,andallthingswillbenourishedandflourish.

   ZhongNi[Confucius]said,"ThesuperiormanembodiesthecourseoftheMean;themeanmanactscontrarytothecourseoftheMean."Thesuperiorman'sembodyingthecourseoftheMeanisbecauseheisasuperiorman,andsoalwaysmaintainstheMean.Themeanman'sactingcontrarytothecourseoftheMeanisbecauseheisameanman,andhasnocaution."

   TheMastersaid,"PerfectisthevirtuewhichisaccordingtotheMean!

Rarehavetheylongbeenamongthepeople,whocouldpracticeit!

   TheMastersaid,"IknowhowitisthatthepathoftheMeanisnotwalkedin:

-Theknowinggobeyondit,andthestupiddonotcomeuptoit.IknowhowitisthatthepathoftheMeanisnotunderstood:

Themenoftalentsandvirtuegobeyondit,andtheworthlessdonotcomeuptoit.

   "Thereisnobodybuteatsanddrinks.Buttheyarefewwhocandistinguishflavors."

   TheMastersaid,"Alas!

HowisthepathoftheMeanuntrodden!

"

   TheMastersaid,"TherewasShun:

Heindeedwasgreatlywise!

Shunlovedtoquestionothers,andtostudytheirwords,thoughtheymightbeshallow.Heconcealedwhatwasbadinthemanddisplayedwhatwasgood.Hetookholdoftheirtwoextremes,determinedtheMean,andemployeditinhisgovernmentofthepeople.ItwasbythisthathewasShun!

"

   TheMastersaid"Menallsay,'Wearewise';butbeingdrivenforwardandtakeninanet,atrap,orapitfall,theyknownothowtoescape.Menallsay,'Wearewise';buthappeningtochoosethecourseoftheMean,theyarenotabletokeepitforaroundmonth."

   TheMastersaid"ThiswasthemannerofHui:

hemadechoiceoftheMean,andwheneverhegotholdofwhatwasgood,heclaspeditfirmly,asifwearingitonhisbreast,anddidnotloseit."

   TheMastersaid,"Thekingdom,itsstates,anditsfamilies,maybeperfectlyruled;dignitiesandemolumentsmaybedeclined;nakedweaponsmaybetrampledunderthefeet;butthecourseoftheMeancannotbeattainedto."

   ZiLuaskedaboutenergy.TheMastersaid,"DoyoumeantheenergyoftheSouth,theenergyoftheNorth,ortheenergywhichyoushouldcultivateyourself?

"Toshowforbearanceandgentlenessinteachingothers;andnottorevengeunreasonableconduct:

thisistheenergyofsouthernregions,andthegoodmanmakesithisstudy.

   "Tolieunderarms;andmeetdeathwithoutregret:

thisistheenergyofnorthernregions,andtheforcefulmakeittheirstudy."Therefore,thesuperiormancultivatesafriendlyharmony,withoutbeingweak.Howfirmisheinhisenergy!

Hestandserectinthemiddle,withoutincliningtoeitherside.Howfirmisheinhisenergy!

Whengoodprinciplesprevailinthegovernmentofhiscountry,hedoesnotchangefromwhathewasinretirement.Howfirmisheinhisenergy!

Whenbadprinciplesprevailinthecountry,hemaintainshiscoursetodeathwithoutchanging.Howfirmisheinhisenergy!

"

   TheMastersaid,"Toliveinobscurity,andyetpracticewonders,inordertobementionedwithhonorinfutureages:

thisiswhatIdonotdo.

   "Thegoodmantriestoproceedaccordingtotherightpath,butwhenhehasgonehalfway,heabandonsit.Iamnotablesotostop.

   "ThesuperiormanaccordswiththecourseoftheMean.Thoughhemaybeallunknown,unregardedbytheworld,hefeelsnoregret.Itisonlythesagewhoisableforthis."

   Thewaywhichthesuperiormanpursues,reacheswideandfar,andyetissecret.

   Commonmenandwomen,howeverignorant,mayintermeddlewiththeknowledgeofit;yetinitsutmostreaches,thereisthatwhicheventhesagedoesnotknow.Commonmenandwomen,howevermuchbelowtheordinarystandardofcharacter,cancarryitintopractice;yetinitsutmostreaches,thereisthatwhicheventhesageisnotabletocarryintopractice.Greatasheavenandearthare,menstillfindsomethingsinthemwithwhichtobedissatisfied.Thusitisthat,werethesuperiormantospeakofhiswayinallitsgreatness,nothingintheworldwouldbefoundabletoembraceit,andwerehetospeakofitinitsminuteness,nothingintheworldwouldbefoundabletosplitit.

   ItissaidintheBookofPoetry,"Thehawkfliesuptoheaven;thefishesleapinthedeep."Thisexpresseshowthiswayisseenaboveandbelow.

   Thewayofthesuperiormanmaybefound,initssimpleelements,intheintercourseofcommonmenandwomen;butinitsutmostreaches,itshinesbrightlythroughHeavenandearth.

   TheMastersaid"Thepathisnotfarfromman.Whenmentrytopursueacourse,whichisfarfromthecommonindicationsofconsciousness,thiscoursecannotbeconsideredThePath.

   "IntheBookofPoetry,itissaid,'Inhewinganaxhandle,inhewinganaxhandle,thepatternisnotfaroff.Wegrasponeaxhandletohewtheother;andyet,ifwelookaskancefromtheonetotheother,wemayconsiderthemasapart.Therefore,thesuperiormangovernsmen,accordingtotheirnature,withwhatispropertothem,andassoonastheychangewhatiswrong,hestops.

   "Whenonecultivatestotheutmosttheprinciplesofhisnature,andexercisesthemontheprincipleofreciprocity,heisnotfarfromthepath.Whatyoudonotlikewhendonetoyourself,donotdotoothers.

   "Inthewayofthesuperiormantherearefourthings,tonotoneofwhichhaveIasyetattained:

Toservemyfather,asIwouldrequiremysontoserveme:

tothisIhavenotattained;toservemyprinceasIwouldrequiremyministertoserveme:

tothisIhavenotattained;toservemyelderbrotherasIwouldrequiremyyoungerbrothertoserveme:

tothisIhavenotattained;tosettheexampleinbehavingtoafriend,asIwouldrequirehimtobehavetome:

tothisIhavenotattained.Earnestinpracticingtheordinaryvirtues,andcarefulinspeakingaboutthem,if,inhispractice,hehasanythingdefective,thesuperiormandaresnotbutexerthimself;andif,inhiswords,hehasanyexcess,hedaresnotallowhimselfsuchlicense.Thushiswordshaverespecttohisactions,andhisactionshaverespecttohiswords;isitnotjustanentiresinceritywhichmarksthesuperiorman?

"

   Thesuperiormandoeswhatispropertothestationinwhichheis;hedoesnotdesiretogobeyondthis.

   Inapositionofwealthandhonor,hedoeswhatispropertoapositionofwealthandhonor.Inapoorandlowposition,hedoeswhatispropertoapoorandlowposition.Situatedamongbarbaroustribes,hedoeswhatispropertoasituationamongbarbaroustribes.Inapositionofsorrowanddifficulty,hedoeswhatispropertoapositionofsorrowanddifficulty.Thesuperiormancanfindhimselfinnosituationinwhichheisnothimself.

   Inahighsituation,hedoesnottreatwithcontempthisinferiors.Inalowsituation,hedoesnotcourtthefavorofhissuperiors.Herectifieshimself,andseeksfornothingfromothers,sothathehasnodissatisfactions.HedoesnotmurmuragainstHeaven,norgrumbleagainstmen.

   Thusitisthatthesuperiormanisquietandcalm,waitingfortheappointmentsofHeaven,whilethemeanmanwalksindangerouspaths,lookingforluckyoccurrences.

   TheMastersaid,"Inarcherywehavesomethinglikethewayofthesuperiorman.Whenthearchermissesthecenterofthetarget,heturnsroundandseeksforthecauseofhisfailureinhimself."

   Thewayofthesuperiormanmaybecomparedtowhattakesplaceintraveling,whentogotoadistancewemustfirsttraversethespacethatisnear,andinascendingaheight,whenwemustbeginfromthelowerground.

   ItissaidintheBookofPoetry,"Happyunionwithwifeandchildrenislikethemusicoflutesandharps.Whenthereisconcordamongbrethren,theharmonyisdelightfulandenduring.Thusmayyouregulateyourfamily,andenjoythepleasureofyourwifeandchildren."

   TheMastersaid,"Insuchastateofthings,parentshaveentirecomplacence!

"

   TheMastersaid,"Howabundantlydospiritualbeingsdisplaythepowersthatbelongtothem!

Welookforthem,butdonotseethem;welistento,butdonothearthem;yettheyenterintoallthings,andth