子zǐ游yóu曰yuē，子zǐ夏xià之zhī门mén人rén小xiǎo子zǐ，当dāng洒sǎ扫sǎo，应yìng对duì，进jìn退tuì，则zé可kě矣yǐ，抑yì末mò也yě，本běn之zhī则zé无wú，如rú之zhī何hé。子zǐ夏xià闻wén之zhī曰yuē，噫yī，言yán游yóu过guò矣yǐ，君jūn子zǐ之zhī道dào，孰shú先xiān传chuán焉yān，孰shú后hòu倦juàn焉yān，譬pì诸zhū草cǎo木mù，区qū以yǐ别bié矣yǐ，君jūn子zǐ之zhī道dào，焉yān可kě诬wú也yě，有yǒu始shǐ有yǒu卒zú者zhě，其qí惟wéi圣shèng人rén乎hū。

James Legge 英译

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?"

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。