Zhongyong – The Doctrine of the Mean

The way which the superior man pursues, reaches wide and far, and yet is secret.

Legge XII.1.

君子之道广大得无处不在，却精微得不是常人所能见闻。

白话翻译

Common men and women, however ignorant, may intermeddle with the knowledge of it; yet in its utmost reaches, there is that which even the sage does not know. Common men and women, however much below the ordinary standard of character, can carry it into practice; yet in its utmost reaches, there is that which even the sage is not able to carry into practice. Great as heaven and earth are, men still find some things in them with which to be dissatisfied. Thus it is that, were the superior man to speak of his way in all its greatness, nothing in the world would be found able to embrace it, and were he to speak of it in its minuteness, nothing in the world would be found able to split it.

Legge XII.2.

一对常人夫妇，虽说没有知识，也可以懂得一点；至于它的最高境界，即使是圣人也有些不懂得。一对常人夫妇，虽然贤良，也可以做到一些；至于它的最高境界，即使圣人也有难以做到的。天地极其广大，人们对它仍未免有所遗憾。所以君子讲到道的广大，纵是天地无边无际，也装载它不了；讲到它的精微，天下任何东西也破碎它不了。

白话翻译

It is said in the Book of Poetry, "The hawk flies up to heaven; the fishes leap in the deep." This expresses how this way is seen above and below.

Legge XII.3.

《诗经·大雅·旱麓》说：“鹞鹰高飞接上天，游鱼跳跃在深渊。”这是说，道可以和天地上下交换。〔言其上下察也——察和际本作際，同从祭声，二字相通，察即际，旧说欠妥。〕

白话翻译

The way of the superior man may be found, in its simple elements, in the intercourse of common men and women; but in its utmost reaches, it shines brightly through heaven and earth.

Legge XII.4.

君子之道，从夫妻之间开端，到了顶峰，就上和天、下和地互相交接了。

白话翻译

The twelfth chapter above contains the words of Tsze-sze, and is designed to illustrate what is said in the first chapter, that "The path may not be left." In the eight chapters which follow, he quotes, in a miscellaneous way, the words of confucius to illustrate it.

Legge XII.c.

孔子说：“中庸之道和人没有距离。人们若认为它和人有较远的距离，这就不能称之为道了。

白话翻译