宰我问曰，仁者虽吿之曰，井有仁焉，其从之也。子曰，何为其然也，君子可逝也，不可陷也，可欺也，不可罔也。
Modern Chinese Guide
宰我问道：有仁德的人，即使告诉他说井里掉下去一个人，他也会跟着跳下去救吗？孔子说：为什么要这样做呢？君子可以让他走到井边去救，却不可以让他陷落井中；可以用合乎情理的话欺骗他，却不可以用荒谬的话愚弄他。
James Legge Translation
Tsai Wo asked, saying, "A benevolent man, though it be told him,—"There is a man in the well" will go in after him, I suppose." Confucius said, "Why should he do so?" A superior man may be made to go to the well, but he cannot be made to go down into it. He may be imposed upon, but he cannot be fooled."
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。