| | 曲禮上: |
從於先生，不越路而與人言。遭先生於道，趨而進，正立拱手。先生與之言則對；不與之言則趨而退。 |
| Qu Li I: |
When he is following his teacher, he should not quit the road to speak with another person. When he meets his teacher on the road, he should hasten forward to him, and stand with his hands joined across his breast. If the teacher speak to him, he will answer; if he do not, he will retire with hasty steps. |
| | 曲禮上: |
凡與客入者，每門讓於客。客至於寢門，則主人請入為席，然後出迎客。客固辭，主人肅客而入。主人入門而右，客入門而左。主人就東階，客就西階，客若降等，則就主人之階。主人固辭，然後客復就西階。主人與客讓登，主人先登，客從之，拾級聚足，連步以上。上於東階則先右足，上於西階則先左足。 |
| Qu Li I: |
Whenever (a host has received and) is entering with a guest, at every door he should give place to him. When the guest arrives at the innermost door (or that leading to the feast-room), the host will ask to be allowed to enter first and arrange the mats. Having done this, he will come out to receive the guest, who will refuse firmly (to enter first). The host having made a low bow to him, they will enter (together). When they have entered the door, the host moves to the right, and the guest to the left, the former going to the steps on the east, and the latter to those on the west. If the guest be of the lower rank, he goes to the steps of the host (as if to follow him up them). The host firmly declines this, and he returns to the other steps on the west. They then offer to each other the precedence in going up, but the host commences first, followed (immediately) by the other. They bring their feet together on every step, thus ascending by successive paces. He who ascends by the steps on the cast should move his right foot first, and the other at the western steps his left foot. |
| | 曲禮上: |
若非飲食之客，則布席，席間函丈。主人跪正席，客跪撫席而辭。客徹重席，主人固辭。客踐席，乃坐。主人不問，客不先舉。 |
| Qu Li I: |
Except in the case of guests who are there (simply) to eat and drink, in spreading the mats a space of ten cubits should be left between them. When the host kneels to adjust the mats (of a visitor), the other should kneel and keep hold of them, declining (the honour). When the visitor (wishes to) remove one or more, the host should firmly decline to permit him to do so. When the visitor steps on his mats, (the host) takes his seat. If the host have not put some question, the visitor should not begin the conversation. |
| | 曲禮上: |
將即席，容毋怍。兩手摳衣去齊尺。衣毋撥，足毋蹶。先生書策琴瑟在前，坐而遷之，戒勿越。虛坐盡後，食坐盡前。坐必安，執爾顏。長者不及，毋儳言。正爾容，聽必恭。毋剿說，毋雷同。必則古昔，稱先王。 |
| Qu Li I: |
When (a pupil) is about to go to his mat, he should not look discomposed. With his two hands he should hold up his lower garment, so that the bottom of it may be a cubit from the ground. His clothes should not hang loosely about him, nor should there be any hurried movements of his feet. If any writing or tablets of his master, or his lute or cithern be in the way, he should kneel down and remove them, taking care not to disarrange them. When sitting and doing nothing, he should keep quite at the back (of his mat); when eating, quite at the front of it. He should sit quietly and keep a watch on his countenance. If there be any subject on which the elder has not touched, let him not introduce it irregularly. Let him keep his deportment correct, and listen respectfully. Let him not appropriate (to himself) the words (of others), nor (repeat them) as (the echo does the) thunder. If he must (adduce proofs), let them be from antiquity, with an appeal to the ancient kings. |
| | 曲禮上: |
侍坐於先生：先生問焉，終則對。請業則起，請益則起。父召無諾，先生召無諾，唯而起。 |
| Qu Li I: |
When sitting by his side, and the teacher puts a question, (the learner) should not reply till (the other) has finished. When requesting (instruction) on the subject of his studies, (the learner) should rise; when requesting further information, he should rise. When his father calls, (a youth) should not (merely) answer 'yes,' nor when his teacher calls. He should, with (a respectful) 'yes,' immediately rise (and go to them). |
| | 曲禮上: |
客若降等執食興辭，主人興辭於客，然後客坐。主人延客祭：祭食，祭所先進。殽之序，遍祭之。三飯，主人延客食胾，然後辯殽。主人未辯，客不虛口。 |
| Qu Li I: |
If a guest be of lower rank (than his entertainer), he should take up the rice, rise and decline (the honour he is receiving). The host then rises and refuses to allow the guest (to retire). After this the guest will resume his seat. When the host leads on the guests to present an offering (to the father of cookery), they will begin with the dishes which were first brought in. Going on from the meat cooked on the bones they will offer of all (the other dishes). After they have eaten three times, the host will lead on the guests to take of the sliced meat, from which they will go on to all the other dishes. A guest should not rinse his mouth with spirits till the host has gone over all the dishes. |
| | 曲禮上: |
外事以剛日，內事以柔日。凡卜筮日：旬之外曰遠某日，旬之內曰近某日。喪事先遠日，吉事先近日。曰：「為日，假爾泰龜有常，假爾泰筮有常。」卜筮不過三，卜筮不相襲。龜為卜，策為筮，卜筮者，先聖王之所以使民信時日、敬鬼神、畏法令也；所以使民決嫌疑、定猶與也。故曰：「疑而筮之，則弗非也；日而行事，則必踐之。」 |
| Qu Li I: |
External undertakings should be commenced on the odd days, and internal on the even. In all cases of divining about a day, whether by the tortoise-shell or the stalks, if it be beyond the decade, it is said, 'on such and such a distant day,' and if within the decade, 'on such and such a near day.' For matters of mourning a distant day is preferred; for festive matters a near day. It is said, 'For the day we depend on thee, O great Tortoise-shell, which dost give the regular indications; we depend on you, O great Divining Stalks, which give the regular indications.' Divination by the shell or the stalks should not go beyond three times. The shell and the stalks should not be both used on the same subject. Divination by the shell is called bu; by the stalks, shi. The two were the methods by which the ancient sage kings made the people believe in seasons and days, revere spiritual beings, stand in awe of their laws and orders; the methods (also) by which they made them determine their perplexities and settle their misgivings. Hence it is said, 'If you doubted, and have consulted the stalks, you need not (any longer) think that you will do wrong. If the day (be clearly indicated), boldly do on it (what you desire to do).' |
| | 曲禮下: |
君子將營宮室：宗廟為先，廄庫為次，居室為後。凡家造：祭器為先，犧賦為次，養器為後。無田祿者不設祭器；有田祿者，先為祭服。君子雖貧，不粥祭器；雖寒，不衣祭服；為宮室，不斬於丘木。 |
| Qu Li II: |
When a superior man, (high in rank), is about to engage in building, the ancestral temple should have his first attention, the stables and arsenal the next, and the residences the last. In all preparations of things by (the head of) a clan, the vessels of sacrifice should have the first place; the victims supplied from his revenue, the next; and the vessels for use at meals, the last. Those who have no revenue from lands do not provide vessels for sacrifice. Those who have such revenue first prepare their sacrificial dresses. A superior man,. though poor, will not sell his vessels of sacrifice; though suffering from cold, he will not wear his sacrificial robes; in building a house, he will not cut down the trees on his grave-mounds. |
| | 曲禮下: |
大夫、士見於國君，君若勞之，則還辟，再拜稽首；君若迎拜，則還辟，不敢答拜。大夫、士相見，雖貴賤不敵，主人敬客，則先拜客；客敬主人，則先拜主人。凡非吊喪、非見國君，無不答拜者。 |
| Qu Li II: |
When a Great or other officer has an interview with the ruler of the state (to whom he has been sent), if the ruler be condoling with him on the toils of his journey, he should withdraw on one side to avoid (the honour), and then bow twice with his head to the ground. If the ruler meet him (outside the gate) and bow to him, he should withdraw on one side to avoid (the honour), and not presume to return the bow. When Great or other officers are having interviews with one another, though they may not be equal in rank, if the host reverence (the greater worth of) the guest, he should first bow to him; and if the guest reverence the (greater worth of the) host, he should first bow. In all cases but visits of condolence on occasion of a death, and seeing the ruler of one's state, the parties should be sure to return the bow, each of the other. |
| | 曲禮下: |
天子建天官，先六大：曰大宰、大宗、大史、大祝、大士、大卜，典司六典。 |
| Qu Li II: |
The son of Heaven appoints the officers of Heaven's institution, the precedence among them belonging to the six grandees: the Grand-governor; the Grand-minister of the ancestral temple; the Grand-historiographer; the Grand-minister of prayers; the Grand-minister of justice; and the Grand-divine. These are the guardians and superintendents of the six departments of the statutes. |
