子zǐ之zhī武wǔ城chéng，闻wén弦xián歌gē之zhī声shēng。夫fū子zǐ莞wǎn尔ěr而ér笑xiào曰yuē，割gē鸡jī焉yān用yòng牛niú刀dāo。子zǐ游yóu对duì曰yuē，昔xī者zhě偃yǎn也yě，闻wén诸zhū夫fū子zǐ曰yuē，君jūn子zǐ学xué道dào则zé爱ài人rén，小xiǎo人rén学xué道dào则zé易yì使shǐ也yě。子zǐ曰yuē，二èr三sān子zǐ，偃yǎn之zhī言yán是shì也yě，前qián言yán戏xì之zhī耳ěr。

James Legge Translation

1. The Master, having come to Wu-ch'ang, heard there the sound of stringed instruments and singing. 2. Well pleased and smiling, he said, "Why use an ox knife to kill a fowl?" 3. Tsze-yu replied, "Formerly, Master, I heard you say,—'When the man of high station is well instructed, he loves men; when the man of low station is well instructed, he is easily ruled.'" 4. The Master said, "My disciples, Yen's words are right. What I said was only in sport."

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。