定公问一言而可以兴邦，有诸。孔子对曰，言不可以若是其几也。人之言曰，为君难，为臣不易。如知为君之难也，不几乎一言而兴邦乎。曰，一言而丧邦有诸。孔子对曰，言不可以若是其几也，人之言曰，予无乐乎为君，唯其言而莫予违也。如其善，而莫之违也，不亦善乎。如不善而莫之违也，不几乎一言而丧邦乎。
Modern Chinese Guide
鲁定公问：一句话就能使国家兴盛，有这样的话吗？孔子回答说：话不能说得这样绝对，但意思相近的话是有的。人们常说：做国君难，做臣子也不容易。如果懂得做国君的难处，这不就近于一句话能使国家兴盛吗？定公又问：一句话就能使国家衰亡，有这样的话吗？孔子回答说：话不能说得这样绝对，但意思相近的话是有的。人们常说：我做国君没有别的乐趣，只是我说的话没有人敢违抗。如果说得对而没有人违抗，不也很好吗？如果说得不对却没有人敢违抗，这不就近于一句话能使国家衰亡吗？
James Legge Translation
1. The Duke Ting asked whether there was a single sentence which could make a country prosperous. Confucius replied, "Such an effect cannot be expected from one sentence. 2. "There is a saying, however, which people have—'To be a prince is difficult; to be a minister is not easy.' 3. "If a ruler knows this,—the difficulty of being a prince,—may there not be expected from this one sentence the prosperity of his country?" 4. The duke then said, "Is there a single sentence which can ruin a country?" Confucius replied, "Such an effect as that cannot be expected from one sentence. There is, however, the saying which people have—'I have no pleasure in being a prince, but only in that no one can offer any opposition to what I say!' 5. "If a ruler's words be good, is it not also good that no one oppose them? But if they are not good, and no one opposes them, may there not be expected from this one sentence the ruin of his country?"
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。