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Shu Er（述而）
Shu Er contains 37 passages on learning, virtue, and practical conduct.
This book has 37 chapters; 25/37 chapters currently have audio.
Passages in this book
子曰，述而不作，信而好古，窃比于我老彭。
The Master said, "A transmitter and not a maker, believing in and loving the ancients, I venture to compare myself with our old P'ang."
Study this passage子曰，默而识之，学而不厌，诲人不倦，何有于我哉。
The Master said, "The silent treasuring up of knowledge; learning without satiety; and instructing others without being wearied:—which one of these things belongs to me?"
Study this passage子曰，德之不修，学之不讲，闻义不能徒，不善不能改，是吾忧也。
The Master said, "The leaving virtue without proper cultivation; the not thoroughly discussing what is learned; not being able to move towards righteousness of which a knowledge is gained; and not being able to change what is not good:—these are the things which occasion me solicitude."
Study this passage子之燕居，申申如也，夭夭如也。
When the Master was unoccupied with business, his manner was easy, and he looked pleased.
Study this passage子曰，甚矣吾衰也，久矣，吾不复梦见周公。
The Master said, "Extreme is my decay. For a long time, I have not dreamed, as I was wont to do, that I saw the duke of Chau."
Study this passage子曰，志于道。据于德。依于仁。游于艺。
1. The Master said, "Let the will be set on the path of duty. 2. "Let every attainment in what is good be firmly grasped. 3. "Let perfect virtue be accorded with. 4. "Let relaxation and enjoyment be found in the polite arts."
Study this passage子曰，自行束修以上，吾未尝无诲焉。
The Master said, "From the man bringing his bundle of dried flesh for my teaching upwards, I have never refused instruction to any one."
Study this passage子曰，不愤不启，不悱不发，擧一隅，不以三隅反，则不复也。
The Master said, "I do not open up the truth to one who is not eager to get knowledge, nor help out any one who is not anxious to explain himself. When I have presented one corner of a subject to any one, and he cannot from it learn the other three, I do not repeat my lesson."
Study this passage子食于有丧者之侧，未尝饱也。子于是日哭，则不歌。
1. When the Master was eating by the side of a mourner, he never ate to the full. 2. He did not sing on the same day in which he had been weeping.
Study this passage子谓颜渊曰，用之则行，舍之则藏，惟我与尔有是夫。子路曰，子行三军则谁与。子曰，暴虎冯河，死而无悔者，吾不与也，必也临事而惧，好谋而成者也。
1. The Master said to Yen Yuan, "When called to office, to undertake its duties; when not so called, to lie retired;—it is only I and you who have attained to this." 2. Tsze-lu said, "If you had the conduct of the armies of a great State, whom would you have to act with you?" 3. The Master said, "I would not have him to act with me, who will unarmed attack a tiger, or cross a river without a boat, dying without any regret. My associate must be the man who proceeds to action full of solicitude, who is fond of adjusting his plans, and then carries them into execution."
Study this passage子曰，富而可求也，虽执鞭之士，吾亦为之，如不可求，从吾所好。
The Master said, "If the search for riches is sure to be successful, though I should become a groom with whip in hand to get them, I will do so. As the search may not be successful, I will follow after that which I love."
Study this passage子之所愼，齐，战，疾。
The things in reference to which the Master exercised the greatest caution were —fasting, war, and sickness.
Study this passage子在齐闻韶，三月不知肉味，曰，不图为乐之至于斯也。
When the Master was in Ch'i, he heard the Shao, and for three months did not know the taste of flesh. "I did not think" he said, "that music could have been made so excellent as this."
Study this passage冉有曰，夫子为衞君乎。子贡曰，诺，吾将问之。入曰，伯夷叔齐，何人也。曰，古之贤人也。曰，怨乎。曰，求仁而得仁，又何怨。出曰，夫子不为也。
1. Yen Yu said, "Is our Master for the ruler of Wei?" Tsze-kung said, "Oh! I will ask him." 2. He went in accordingly, and said, "What sort of men were Po-i and Shu-ch'i?" "They were ancient worthies," said the Master. "Did they have any repinings because of their course?" The Master again replied, "They sought to act virtuously, and they did so; what was there for them to repine about?" On this, Tsze-kung went out and said, "Our Master is not for him."
Study this passage子曰，饭疏食飮水，曲肱而枕之，乐亦在其中矣，不义而富且贵，于我如浮云。
The Master said, "With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow;—I have still joy in the midst of these things. Riches and honours acquired by unrighteousness, are to me as a floating cloud."
Study this passage子曰，加我数年，五十以学易，可以无大过矣。
The Master said, "If some years were added to my life, I would give fifty to the study of the Yi, and then I might come to be without great faults."
Study this passage子所雅言，诗，书，执礼，皆雅言也。
The Master's frequent themes of discourse were—the Odes, the History, and the maintenance of the Rules of Propriety. On all these he frequently discoursed.
Study this passage叶公问孔子于子路，子路不对。子曰，女奚不曰，其为人也，发愤忘食，乐以忘忧，不知老之将至云尔。
1. The Duke of Sheh asked Tsze-lu about Confucius, and Tsze-lu did not answer him. 2. The Master said, "Why did you not say to him,—He is simply a man, who in his eager pursuit (of knowledge) forgets his food, who in the joy of its attainment forgets his sorrows, and who does not perceive that old age is coming on?"
Study this passage子曰，我非生而知之者，好古，敏以求之者也。
The Master said, "I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there."
Study this passage子不语，怪，力，乱，神。
The subjects on which the Master did not talk, were—extraordinary things, feats of strength, disorder, and spiritual beings.
Study this passage子曰，三人行，必有我师焉，择其善者而从之，其不善者而改之。
The Master said, "When I walk along with two others, they may serve me as my teachers. I will select their good qualities and follow them, their bad qualities and avoid them."
Study this passage子曰，天生德于予，桓魋其如予何。
The Master said, "Heaven produced the virtue that is in me. Hwan T'ui—what can he do to me?"
Study this passage子曰，二三子，以我为隐乎。吾无隐乎尔。吾无行而不与二三子者，是丘也。
The Master said, "Do you think, my disciples, that I have any concealments? I conceal nothing from you. There is nothing which I do that is not shown to you, my disciples;—that is my way."
Study this passage子以四教，文，行，忠，信。
There were four things which the Master taught,—letters, ethics, devotion of soul, and truthfulness.
Study this passage子曰，圣人吾不得而见之矣，得见君子者，斯可矣。子曰，善人吾不得而见之矣，得见有恒者，斯可矣。亡而为有，虚而为盈，约而为泰，难乎有恒矣。
1. The Master said, "A sage it is not mine to see; could I see a man of real talent and virtue, that would satisfy me." 2. The Master said, "A good man it is not mine to see; could I see a man possessed of constancy, that would satisfy me. 3. "Having not and yet affecting to have, empty and yet affecting to be full, straitened and yet affecting to be at ease:—it is difficult with such characteristics to have constancy."
Study this passage子钓而不纲，弋不射宿。
The Master angled,—but did not use a net. He shot,—but not at birds perching.
Study this passage子曰，盖有不知而作之者，我无是也。多闻，择其善者而从之，多见而识之，知之次也。
The Master said, "There may be those who act without knowing why. I do not do so. Hearing much and selecting what is good and following it; seeing much and keeping it in memory:—this is the second style of knowledge."
Study this passage互乡难与言，童子见，门人惑。子曰，与其进也，不与其退也，唯何甚，人洁己以进，与其洁也，不保其往也。
1. It was difficult to talk (profitably and reputably) with the people of Hu-hsiang, and a lad of that place having had an interview with the Master, the disciples doubted. 2. The Master said, "I admit people's approach to me without committing myself as to what they may do when they have retired. Why must one be so severe? If a man purify himself to wait upon me, I receive him so purified, without guaranteeing his past conduct."
Study this passage子曰，仁远乎哉，我欲仁，斯仁至矣。
The Master said, "Is virtue a thing remote? I wish to be virtuous, and lo! virtue is at hand."
Study this passage陈司败问昭公知礼乎。孔子曰，知礼。孔子退，揖巫马期而进之，曰，吾闻君子不党，君子亦党乎，君取于吴为同姓，谓之吴孟子，君而知礼，孰不知礼。巫马期以吿。子曰，丘也幸，苟有过，人必知之。
1. The minister of crime of Ch'an asked whether the duke Chao knew propriety, and Confucius said, "He knew propriety." 2. Confucius having retired, the minister bowed to Wu-ma Ch'i to come forward, and said, "I have heard that the superior man is not a partisan. May the superior man be a partisan also? The prince married a daughter of the house of Wu, of the same surname with himself, and called her,—'The elder Tsze of Wu.' If the prince knew propriety, who does not know it?" 3. Wu-ma Ch'i reported these remarks, and the Master said, "I am fortunate! If I have any errors, people are sure to know them."
Study this passage子与人歌，而善，必使反之，而后和之。
When the Master was in company with a person who was singing, if he sang well, he would make him repeat the song, while he accompanied it with his own voice.
Study this passage子曰，文，莫吾犹人也，躬行君子，则吾未之有得。
The Master said, "In letters I am perhaps equal to other men, but the character of the superior man, carrying out in his conduct what he professes, is what I have not yet attained to."
Study this passage子曰，若圣与仁，则吾岂敢，抑为之不厌，诲人不倦，则可谓云尔已矣。公西华曰，正唯弟子不能学也。
The Master said, "The sage and the man of perfect virtue;—how dare I rank myself with them? It may simply be said of me, that I strive to become such without satiety, and teach others without weariness." Kung-hsi Hwa said, "This is just what we, the disciples, cannot imitate you in."
Study this passage子疾病。子路请祷。子曰，有诸。子路对曰，有之，诔曰，祷尔于上下神祇。子曰，丘之祷久矣。
The Master being very sick, Tsze-lu asked leave to pray for him. He said, "May such a thing be done?" Tsze-lu replied, "It may. In the Eulogies it is said, 'Prayer has been made for thee to the spirits of the upper and lower worlds.'" The Master said, "My praying has been for a long time."
Study this passage子曰，奢则不孙，俭则固，与其不孙也，宁固。
The Master said, "Extravagance leads to insubordination, and parsimony to meanness. It is better to be mean than to be insubordinate."
Study this passage子曰，君子坦荡荡，小人长戚戚。
The Master said, "The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress."
Study this passage子温而厉，威而不猛，恭而安。
The Master was mild, and yet dignified; majestic, and yet not fierce; respectful, and yet easy.
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