子曰，君子易事而难说也，说之不以道，不说也，及其使人也，器之。小人难事而易说也，说之虽不以道，说也，及其使人也，求备焉。
白话导读
孔子说：君子容易为他做事，却难以讨他欢喜。用不正当的方式去讨他欢喜，他是不会欢喜的；等到他用人的时候，总是量才录用。小人难以为他做事，却容易讨他欢喜。用不正当的方式去讨他欢喜，他也会欢喜；等到他用人的时候，却百般挑剔、求全责备。
James Legge 英译
The Master said, "The superior man is easy to serve and difficult to please. If you try to please him in any way which is not accordant with right, he will not be pleased. But in his employment of men, he uses them according to their capacity. The mean man is difficult to serve, and easy to please. If you try to please him, though it be in a way which is not accordant with right, he may be pleased. But in his employment of men, he wishes them to be equal to everything."
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。