子曰，譬如为山，未成一篑，止，吾止也，譬如平地，虽覆一篑，进，吾往也。
Modern Chinese Guide
孔子说：好比堆土成山，只差一筐土就完成了，若停下来，那是我自己停下的；又好比在平地上堆山，虽然才倒下一筐土，若继续前进，那是我自己在前进。
James Legge Translation
The Master said, "The prosecution of learning may be compared to what may happen in raising a mound. If there want but one basket of earth to complete the work, and I stop, the stopping is my own work. It may be compared to throwing down the earth on the level ground. Though but one basketful is thrown at a time, the advancing with it is my own going forward."
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。