定dìng公gōng问wèn一yì言yán而ér可kě以yǐ兴xīng邦bāng，有yǒu诸zhū。孔kǒng子zǐ对duì曰yuē，言yán不bù可kě以yǐ若ruò是shì其qí几jī也yě。人rén之zhī言yán曰yuē，为wéi君jūn难nán，为wéi臣chén不bú易yì。如rú知zhī为wéi君jūn之zhī难nán也yě，不bù几jī乎hū一yì言yán而ér兴xīng邦bāng乎hū。曰yuē，一yì言yán而ér丧sàng邦bāng有yǒu诸zhū。孔kǒng子zǐ对duì曰yuē，言yán不bù可kě以yǐ若ruò是shì其qí几jī也yě，人rén之zhī言yán曰yuē，予yú无wú乐lè乎hū为wéi君jūn，唯wéi其qí言yán而ér莫mò予yú违wéi也yě。如rú其qí善shàn，而ér莫mò之zhī违wéi也yě，不bú亦yì善shàn乎hū。如rú不bú善shàn而ér莫mò之zhī违wéi也yě，不bù几jǐ乎hū一yì言yán而ér丧sàng邦bāng乎hū。

James Legge 英译

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?"

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。