<中庸注> B. The Commentary
仲尼曰 君子中庸 小人反中庸 君子之中庸也 君子而時中 小人之反中庸也 小人而無忌憚也
2. Confucius said: "The Superior Man actualizes the mean, the inferior man goes against it. The Superior Man actualizes the mean because he is always with it; the inferior man's contrarity is do to his heedlessness."
子曰 中庸其至矣乎 民鮮能久矣
3. How far-reaching the mean is! That is why those who are able to keep it for long are few.
子曰 道之不行也 我知之矣 知者過之 愚者不及也 道之不明也 我知之矣 賢者過之 不肖者不及也 人莫不飮食也 鮮能知味也
4. Confucius said: "I know why the Tao is not practiced. The intelligent go beyond it and the dull do not reach it. I know why the Tao is not manifested. The 'good' go beyond it and the unworthy do not reach it. There is no one who does not eat or drink, but there are few who really have 'taste.'"
子曰 道其不行矣夫
5. Confucius said: "What a pity! The way is not followed."
子曰 舜其大知也與 舜好問而好察邇言 隱惡而揚善 執其兩端 用其中於民 其斯以爲舜乎
6. Confucius said: "(Emperor) Shun was so wise! He liked to question people and delighted in listening to everyday speech. He would cover people's bad points and disclose their goodness. He snatched up their excesses and facilitated their balanced nature for the benefit of all. It was in this way that Shun made himself into what he was."
子曰 人皆曰予知 驅而納諸罟擭陷阱之中 而莫之知辟也 人皆曰予知 擇乎中庸而不能期月守也
7. Confucius said: "Everybody says 'I know,' but they are driven forward, becoming ensnared in traps and falling into pits without knowing how to avoid them. Everybody says 'I know,' but in intending the actualization of the mean, they are not able to stay with it for a full month."
子曰 回之爲人也 擇乎中庸 得一善則拳拳服膺 而弗失之矣
8. Confucius said: "(Yen) Hui was the kind of person who grasped the mean in such a way that, attaining to a certain goodness, he would clasp it firmly and never lose it."
子曰 天下國家可均也 爵祿可辭也 白刃可蹈也 中庸不可能也
9. Confucius said: "You might be able to put in order the whole country, kingdoms and clans; decline rank and merit-pay and tread on bare swords, yet still be incapable of actualizing the mean."
[Comment] The performance of phenomenal wonders in incomparable with the task of actualizing the mean.
子路 問强 子曰 南方之强與 北方之强與 抑而强與 寬柔以敎 不報無道 南方之强也 君子居之
10. Tzu-lu asked about strength. Confucius said: "Do you mean the strength of the South, the strength of the North, or the strength of self-mastery? To be broadminded and gentle in teaching and not rashly punish wrong-doing is the strength of the South. The Superior Man abides in this.
衽金革 死而不厭 北方之强也 而强者居之
To be able to make a bed of weapons and armor and die without grief--this is the strength of the North. The forceful are at home in this.
故君子和而不流 强哉矯 中立而不倚 强哉矯 國有道 不變塞焉 强哉矯 國無道 至死不變 强哉矯
Therefore the Superior Man is harmonious without getting sloppy. How correct his strength is! He stands in the center without leaning to either side. How correct his strength is! When the Tao is manifest in the land, he is changeless in his support of it. How correct his strength is! When the Tao is not manifest in the land, he will not sell himself out, even until death. How correct his strength is!"
子曰 索隱行怪 後世有述焉 吾弗爲之矣
11. Confucius said: "When you study the occult and perform miracles, later generations always tell about it. This I won't do."
君子遵道而行 半途而廢 吾弗能已矣
"As a Superior Man, to go according to the Tao and abandon it half way--this I certainly cannot do."
君子依乎中庸 遯世不見知而不悔 唯聖者能之 君子之道 費而隱
"Then there is the Superior Man, who depends on his actualization of the mean, hides himself from the world such that he is unseen and unknown, and has no regrets about it. Only the sage can do this."