中 庸 Zhongyong – The Doctrine of the Mean

子曰：「道不遠人。人之為道而遠人，不可以為道。

原文 30

The Master said "The path is not far from man. When men try to pursue a course, which is far from the common indications of consciousness, this course cannot be considered THE PATH.

Legge XIII.1.

《诗经·豳风·伐柯》上说：‘拿把斧子砍木做斧柄，斧柄样式在眼前，（就是手中的旧斧柄。）’拿着斧柄做斧柄，斜眼望着手中柄，难道还说样式差得很远吗？所以君子拿自己怎样做人来揣摩别人，别人有错，改正便够了。

白话翻译

詩云：『伐柯伐柯，其則不遠。』執柯以伐柯，睨而視之，猶以為遠。故君子以人治人，改而止。

原文 31

"In the Book of Poetry, it is said, 'In hewing an ax-handle, in hewing an ax-handle, the pattern is not far off.' We grasp one ax handle to hew the other; and yet, if we look askance from the one to the other, we may consider them as apart. Therefore, the superior man governs men, according to their nature, with what is proper to them, and as soon as they change what is wrong, he stops.

Legge XIII.2.

‘忠’和‘恕’两种准则极近于中庸之道：不愿意加在自己身上的，也就不加在别人身上。

白话翻译

忠恕違道不遠，施諸己而不願，亦勿施於人。

原文 32

"When one cultivates to the utmost the principles of his nature, and exercises them on the principle of reciprocity, he is not far from the path. What you do not like when done to yourself, do not do to others.

Legge XIII.3.

君子行为准则有四项，我孔丘可一项也没能完全做好：比如要求儿子对待我的，我也这样对待父亲，我没能完全做到；要求臣下对待国君的，我也这样对待国君，我没能完全做到；要求弟弟对待兄长的，我也这样对待兄长，我没能完全做到；要求朋友对待我的，我先这样对待他，我没能完全做到。一般道德的实行，一般言语的谨慎，我做得不够，不敢不努力；做得很好，也不敢说做够了，应该再努一把力。说话时要顾及实践，实践时顾及所说的话，两相无疚，君子为什么还不急急于实行呢？”

白话翻译

君子之道四，丘未能一焉：所求乎子，以事父未能也；所求乎臣，以事君未能也；所求乎弟，以事兄未能也；所求乎朋友，先施之未能也。庸德之行，庸言之謹，有所不足，不敢不勉，有餘不敢盡；言顧行，行顧言，君子胡不慥慥爾！」

原文 33

"In the way of the superior man there are four things, to not one of which have I as yet attained.– To serve my father, as I would require my son to serve me: to this I have not attained; to serve my prince, as I would require my minister to serve me: to this I have not attained; to serve my elder brother, as I would require my younger brother to serve me: to this I have not attained; to set the example in behaving to a friend, as I would require him to behave to me: to this I have not attained. Earnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license. Thus his words have respect to his actions, and his actions have respect to his words; is it not just an entire sincerity which marks the superior man?"

Legge XIII.4.

君子按照目前的处境去行事，不作分外之想。

白话翻译