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Yen Yuan · 08

棘jí子zǐ成chéng曰yuē，君jūn子zǐ质zhì而ér已yǐ矣yǐ，何hé以yǐ文wén为wéi。子zǐ贡gòng曰yuē，惜xī乎hū，夫fū子zǐ之zhī说shuō，君jūn子zǐ也yě，驷sì不bù及jí舌shé。文wén犹yóu质zhì也yě，质zhì犹yóu文wén也yě，虎hǔ豹bào之zhī鞹kuò，犹yóu犬quǎn羊yáng之zhī鞹kuò。

Modern Chinese Guide

棘子成说：君子只要有好的本质就够了，何必要那些文采修饰呢？子贡说：可惜啊，先生这样谈论君子，可是话一出口，四匹马拉的车也追不回来了。文采如同本质一样重要，本质也如同文采一样重要。如果去掉了毛，虎豹的皮革就跟犬羊的皮革没有分别了。

James Legge Translation

1. Chi Tsze-ch'ang said, "In a superior man it is only the substantial qualities which are wanted;—why should we seek for ornamental accomplishments?" 2. Tsze-kung said, "Alas! Your words, sir, show you to be a superior man, but four horses cannot overtake the tongue. 3. Ornament is as substance; substance is as ornament. The hide of a tiger or a leopard stripped of its hair, is like the hide of a dog or a goat stripped of its hair."

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。
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