孔子曰，天下有道，则礼乐征伐，自天子出，天下无道，则礼乐征伐，自诸侯出，自诸侯出，盖十世希不失矣，自大夫出，五世希不失矣，陪臣执国命，三世希不失矣。天下有道，则政不在大夫。天下有道，则庶人不议。
白话导读
孔子说：天下政治清明的时候，制礼作乐和出兵征伐都由天子决定；天下政治昏乱的时候，制礼作乐和出兵征伐就由诸侯决定。由诸侯决定，大概传到十代很少有不丧失政权的；由大夫决定，传到五代很少有不丧失的；家臣把持了国家政令，传到三代很少有不丧失的。天下政治清明，国家大权就不会落到大夫手里。天下政治清明，普通百姓就不会私下议论朝政。
James Legge 英译
1. Confucius said, "When good government prevails in the empire, ceremonies, music, and punitive military expeditions proceed from the son of Heaven. When bad government prevails in the empire, ceremonies, music, and punitive military expeditions proceed from the princes. When these things proceed from the princes, as a rule, the cases will be few in which they do not lose their power in ten generations. When they proceed from the Great officers of the princes, as a rule, the cases will be few in which they do not lose their power in five generations. When the subsidiary ministers of the great officers hold in their grasp the orders of the state, as a rule, the cases will be few in which they do not lose their power in three generations. 2. "When right principles prevail in the kingdom, government will not be in the hands of the Great officers. 3. "When right principles prevail in the kingdom, there will be no discussions among the common people."
译注：James Legge 公版英译，1893 年原版。
注释
- 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。