Zi You

子游问孝，子曰，今之孝者，是谓能养，至于犬马，皆能有养，不敬，何以别乎。

Tsze-yu asked what filial piety was. The Master said, "The filial piety of now-a-days means the support of one's parents. But dogs and horses likewise are able to do something in the way of support;—without reverence, what is there to distinguish the one support given from the other?"

子游曰，事君数，斯辱矣，朋友数，斯疏矣。

Tsze-yu said, "In serving a prince, frequent remonstrances lead to disgrace. Between friends, frequent reproofs make the friendship distant."

子游为武城宰，子曰，女得人焉耳乎。曰，有澹台灭明者，行不由径，非公事，未尝至于偃之室也。

Tsze-yu being governor of Wu-ch'ang, the Master said to him, "Have you got good men there?" He answered, "There is Tan-t'ai Mieh-ming, who never in walking takes a short cut, and never comes to my office, excepting on public business."

子曰，从我于陈蔡者，皆不及门也。德行，颜渊，闵子骞，冉伯牛，仲弓。言语，宰我，子贡。政事，冉有，季路。文学，子游，子夏。

1. The Master said, "Of those who were with me in Ch'an and Ts'ai, there are none to be found to enter my door." 2. Distinguished for their virtuous principles and practice, there were Yen Yuan, Min Tsze-ch'ien, Zan Po-niu, and Chung-kung; for their ability in speech, Tsai Wo and Tsze-kung; for their administrative talents, Zan Yu and Chi Lu; for their literary acquirements, Tsze-yu and Tsze-hsia.

子之武城，闻弦歌之声。夫子莞尔而笑曰，割鸡焉用牛刀。子游对曰，昔者偃也，闻诸夫子曰，君子学道则爱人，小人学道则易使也。子曰，二三子，偃之言是也，前言戏之耳。

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."

子游曰，子夏之门人小子，当洒扫，应对，进退，则可矣，抑末也，本之则无，如之何。子夏闻之曰，噫，言游过矣，君子之道，孰先传焉，孰后倦焉，譬诸草木，区以别矣，君子之道，焉可诬也，有始有卒者，其惟圣人乎。

1. Tsze-yu said, "The disciples and followers of Tsze-hsia, in sprinkling and sweeping the ground, in answering and replying, in advancing and receding, are sufficiently accomplished. But these are only the branches of learning, and they are left ignorant of what is essential.—How can they be acknowledged as sufficiently taught?" 2. Tsze-hsia heard of the remark and said, "Alas! Yen Yu is wrong. According to the way of the superior man in teaching, what departments are there which he considers of prime importance, and delivers? what are there which he considers of secondary importance, and allows himself to be idle about? But as in the case of plants, which are assorted according to their classes, so he deals with his disciples. How can the way of a superior man be such as to make fools of any of them? Is it not the sage alone, who can unite in one the beginning and the consummation of learning?"

子游曰，丧致乎哀而止。

Tsze-hsia said, "Mourning, having been carried to the utmost degree of grief, should stop with that."

子游曰，吾友张也，为难能也，然而未仁。

Tsze-hsia said, "My friend Chang can do things which are hard to be done, but yet he is not perfectly virtuous."