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。
Modern Chinese Guide
孔子说:大概有一种自己并不懂却凭空创作的人吧,我没有这种毛病。多多地听,选择其中好的加以接受;多多地看,把它们记在心里,这是仅次于生来就知道的一种智慧。
James Legge Translation
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."
Source: James Legge, public domain, 1893.
Notes
- 底本:Wikisource 整理的 James Legge《The Chinese Classics》公版中英文本(1893–1895)。
- 简体化:原文由繁体转为简体(OpenCC),与公版英译逐句对应。
- 白话参考底本:《白话论语读本》,张兆瑢、沈元起编译,上海广益书局1948 年新三版。