曾子有疾，孟敬子问之。曾子言曰，鸟之将死，其鸣也哀，人之将死，其言也善。君子所贵乎道者三，动容貌，斯远暴慢矣，正颜色，斯近信笑，出辞气，斯远鄙倍矣，笾豆之事，则有司存。
白话导读
曾子病重，孟敬子去探望他。曾子说：鸟将要死的时候，鸣叫声是悲哀的；人将要死的时候，说的话是善意的。君子所应重视的道有三方面：使自己的仪容举止庄重，就可以避免粗暴放肆；使自己的脸色端正，就容易使人信服；讲究说话的言辞语气，就可以避免鄙陋和错误。至于祭祀礼仪中陈设器皿之类的具体事务，自有主管的人员在。
James Legge 英译
1. The philosopher Tsang being ill, Meng Chang went to ask how he was. 2. Tsang said to him, "When a bird is about to die, its notes are mournful; when a man is about to die, his words are good. 3. "There are three principles of conduct which the man of high rank should consider specially important:—that in his deportment and manner he keep from violence and heedlessness; that in regulating his countenance he keep near to sincerity; and that in his words and tones he keep far from lowness and impropriety. As to such matters as attending to the sacrificial vessels, there are the proper officers for them."
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。