| | 经解: |
孔子曰：“入其国，其教可知也。其为人也：温柔敦厚，《》教也；疏通知远，《》教也；广博易良，《乐》教也；洁静精微，《》教也；恭俭庄敬，《礼》教也；属辞比事，《春秋》教也。故《》之失，愚；《》之失，诬；《乐》之失，奢；《》之失，贼；《礼》之失，烦；《春秋》之失，乱。 |
| Jing Jie: |
Confucius said, 'When you enter any state you can know what subjects (its people) have been taught. If they show themselves men who are mild and gentle, sincere and good, they have been taught from the Book of Poetry. If they have a wide comprehension (of things), and know what is remote and old, they have been taught from the Book of History. If they be large-hearted and generous, bland and honest, they have been taught from the Book of Music. If they be pure and still, refined and subtile, they have been taught from the Yi. If they be courteous and modest, grave and respectful, they have been taught from the Book of Rites and Ceremonies. If they suitably adapt their language to the things of which they speak, they have been taught from the Chun Qiu. Hence the failing that may arise in connexion with the study of the Poems is a stupid simplicity; that in connexion. with the History is duplicity; that in connexion with Music is extravagance; that in connexion with the Yi is the violation (of reason); that in connexion with the practice of Rites and Ceremonies is fussiness; and that in connexion with the Chun Qiu is insubordination. |
| | 经解: |
其为人也：温柔敦厚而不愚，则深于《》者也；疏通知远而不诬，则深于《》者也；广博易良而不奢，则深于《乐》者也；洁静精微而不贼，则深于《》者也；恭俭庄敬而不烦，则深于《礼》者也；属辞比事而不乱，则深于《春秋》者也。” |
| Jing Jie: |
'If they show themselves men who are mild and gentle, sincere and good, and yet free from that simple stupidity, their comprehension of the Book of Poetry is deep. If they have a wide comprehension (of things), and know what is remote and old, and yet are free from duplicity, their understanding of the Book of History is deep. If they are large-hearted and generous, bland and honest, and yet have no tendency to extravagance, their knowledge of Music is deep. If they are pure and still, refined and subtle, and yet do not violate (reason), they have made great attainments in the Yi. If they are courteous and modest, grave and reverent, and yet not fussy, their acquaintance with the Book of Rites and Ceremonies is deep. If they suitably adapt their language to the things of which they speak, and yet have no disposition to be insubordinate, their knowledge of the Chun Qiu is deep.' |
| | 经解: |
天子者，与天地参。故德配天地，兼利万物，与日月并明，明照四海而不遗微小。其在朝廷，则道仁圣礼义之序；燕处，则听雅、颂之音；行步，则有环佩之声；升车，则有鸾和之音。居处有礼，进退有度，百官得其宜，万事得其序。《》云：“”此之谓也。 |
| Jing Jie: |
The son of Heaven forms a ternion with heaven and earth. Hence, in power of his goodness he is their correlate, and his benefits extend at once to all things. His brilliancy is equal to that of the sun and moon, and enlightens all within the four seas, not excepting anything, however minute and small. In the audiences at his court everything is done according to the orderly procedure of benevolence, wisdom, propriety, and righteousness. At his entertainments he listens to the singing of the Odes of the Kingdom and the Odes of the Temple and Altar. When he walks, there are the notes from his girdle pendant. When he rides in his chariot, there are the harmonious sounds of the bells attached to his horses. When he is in private at ease, there is the observance of the rules of propriety. When he advances or retires, he does so according to rule and measure. All the officers fulfil their duties rightly, and all affairs are carried on with order. It is as described in the Book of Poetry (I, xiv, 3), 'That virtuous man, the princely one, Has nothing wrong in his deportment; He has nothing wrong in his deportment, And thus he rectifies the four quarters of the state.' |
| | 经解: |
发号出令而民说，谓之和；上下相亲，谓之仁；民不求其所欲而得之，谓之信；除去天地之害，谓之义。义与信，和与仁，霸王之器也。有治民之意而无其器，则不成。 |
| Jing Jie: |
When (a ruler) issues his notices and gives forth his orders, and the people are pleased, we have what may be called the condition of harmony. When superiors and inferiors love one another, we have the condition of benevolence. When the people get what they desire without seeking for it, we have the condition of confidence. When all things in the operations of heaven and earth that might be injurious are taken out of the way, we have the condition of rightness. Rightness and confidence, harmony and benevolence are the instruments of the presiding chieftain and the king. If anyone wishes to govern the people, and does not employ these instruments, he will not be successful. |
| | 经解: |
礼之于正国也：犹衡之于轻重也，绳墨之于曲直也，规矩之于方圜也。故衡诚县，不可欺以轻重；绳墨诚陈，不可欺以曲直；规矩诚设，不可欺以方圆；君子审礼，不可诬以奸诈。 |
| Jing Jie: |
In the right government of a state, the Rules of Propriety serve the same purpose as the steelyard in determining what is light and what is heavy; or as the carpenter's line in determining what is crooked and what is straight; or as the circle and square in determining what is square and what is round. Hence, if the weights of the steel-yard be true, there can be no imposition in the matter of weight; if the line be truly applied, there can be no imposition in the evenness of a surface; if the square and compass be truly employed, there can be no imposition in the shape of a figure. When a superior man (conducts, the government of his state) with a discriminating attention to these rules, he cannot be imposed on by traitors and impostors. |
| | 经解: |
是故，隆礼由礼，谓之有方之士；不隆礼、不由礼，谓之无方之民。敬让之道也。故以奉宗庙则敬，以入朝廷则贵贱有位，以处室家则父子亲、兄弟和，以处乡里则长幼有序。孔子曰：“安上治民，莫善于礼。”此之谓也。 |
| Jing Jie: |
Hence he who has an exalted idea of the rules, and guides his conduct by them, is called by us a mannerly gentleman, and be who has no such exalted idea and does not guide his conduct by the rules, is called by us one of the unmannerly people. These rules (set forth) the way of reverence and courtesy; and therefore when the services in the ancestral temple are performed according to them, there is reverence; when they are observed in the court, the noble and the mean have their proper positions; when the family is regulated by them, there is affection between father and son, and harmony among brothers; and when they are honoured in the country districts and villages, there is the proper order between old and young. There is the verification of what was said by Confucius, 'For giving security to superiors and good government Of the people, there is nothing more excellent than the Rules of Propriety.' |
| | 经解: |
故朝觐之礼，所以明君臣之义也。聘问之礼，所以使诸侯相尊敬也。丧祭之礼，所以明臣子之恩也。乡饮酒之礼，所以明长幼之序也。昏姻之礼，所以明男女之别也。夫礼，禁乱之所由生，犹坊止水之所自来也。故以旧坊为无所用而坏之者，必有水败；以旧礼为无所用而去之者，必有乱患。 |
| Jing Jie: |
The ceremonies at the court audiences of the different seasons were intended to illustrate the righteous relations between ruler and subject; those of friendly messages and inquiries, to secure mutual honour and respect between the feudal princes; those of mourning and sacrifice, to illustrate the kindly feelings of ministers and sons; those of social meetings in the country districts, to show the order that should prevail between young and old; and those of marriage, to exhibit the separation that should be maintained between males and females. Those ceremonies prevent the rise of disorder and confusion, and are like the embankments which prevent the overflow of water. He who thinks the old embankments useless and destroys them is sure to suffer from the desolation caused by overflowing water; and he who should consider the old rules of propriety useless and abolish them would be sure to suffer from the calamities of disorder. |
| | 经解: |
故昏姻之礼废，则夫妇之道苦，而淫辟之罪多矣。乡饮酒之礼废，则长幼之序失，而争斗之狱繁矣。丧祭之礼废，则臣子之恩薄，而倍死忘生者众矣。聘觐之礼废，则君臣之位失，诸侯之行恶，而倍畔侵陵之败起矣。 |
| Jing Jie: |
Thus if the ceremonies of marriage were discontinued, the path of husband and wife would be embittered, and there would be many offences of licentiousness and depravity. If the drinking ceremonies at country feasts were discontinued, the order between old and young would be neglected, and quarrelsome litigations would be numerous. If the ceremonies of mourning and sacrifice were discontinued, the kindly feeling of officers and sons would become small; there would be numerous cases in which there was a revolt from the observances due to the dead, and an oblivion of (those due) to the living. If the ceremonies of friendly messages and court attendances were discontinued, the positions of ruler and subject would fall into disuse, the conduct of the feudal princes would be evil, and the ruin wrought by rebellion, encroachment, and oppression would ensue. |
| | 经解: |
故礼之教化也微，其止邪也于未形，使人日徙善远罪而不自知也。是以先王隆之也。《》曰：“君子慎始，差若毫厘，缪以千里。”此之谓也。 |
| Jing Jie: |
Therefore the instructive and transforming power of ceremonies is subtile; they stop depravity before it has taken form, causing men daily to move towards what is good, and keep themselves farther apart from guilt, without being themselves conscious of it. It was on this account that the ancient kings set so high a value upon them. This sentiment is found in the words of the Yi, 'The superior man is careful at the commencement; a mistake, then, of a hair's breadth, will lead to an error of a thousand 1i.' |
