子路问政。子曰：「先之，劳之。」请益，曰：「无倦。」
Zilu asked about governance. The Master said: "Lead by example yourself, and the…
仲弓为季氏宰，问政。子曰：「先有司，赦小过，举贤才。」曰：「焉知贤才而举之？」子曰：「举尔所知。尔所不知，人其舍诸？」
Zhonggong, serving as steward to the Ji family, asked about governance. The Mast…
子路曰：「卫君待子而为政，子将奚先？」子曰：「必也正名乎！」子路曰：「有是哉，子之迂也！奚其正？」子曰：「野哉，由也！君…
Zilu said: "The ruler of Wei is waiting for you to take charge of governance — w…
樊迟请学稼，子曰：「吾不如老农。」请学为圃，曰：「吾不如老圃。」樊迟出。子曰：「小人哉，樊须也！上好礼，则民莫敢不敬；上…
Fan Chi asked to learn about farming. The Master said, "I am not as good as an o…
子曰：「诵《诗》三百，授之以政，不达；使于四方，不能专对；虽多，亦奚以为？」
The Master said, "A man may have memorized all three hundred odes of the Book of…
子曰：「其身正，不令而行：其身不正，虽令不从。」
The Master said, "When a ruler's own conduct is upright, his governance will be …
子曰：「鲁卫之政，兄弟也。」
The Master said, "The governments of Lu and Wei are like brothers—kindred in ori…
子谓卫公子荆：「善居室。始有，曰：『苟合矣。』少有，曰：『苟完矣。』富有，曰：『苟美矣。』」
The Master, speaking of Prince Jing of Wei, said, "He was skilled in managing hi…
子适卫，冉有仆。子曰：「庶矣哉！」冉有曰：「既庶矣又何加焉？」曰：「富之。」曰：「既富矣，又何加焉？」曰：「教之。」
The Master was traveling to the state of Wei, with Ran You driving his carriage.…
子曰：「苟有用我者，期月而已可也，三年有成。」
The Master said, "If there were a ruler who would employ me in government, withi…
子曰：「善人为邦百年，亦可以胜残去杀矣。诚哉是言！」
The Master said, "If good men were to govern a state for a hundred years, they c…
子曰：「如有王者，必世而后仁。」
The Master said, "Even if a true kingly ruler were to arise, it would still take…
子曰：「苟正其身矣，于从政乎何有？不能正其身，如正人何？」
The Master said, "If a man is able to rectify himself, what difficulty will he f…
冉子退朝。子曰：「何晏也？」对曰：「有政。」子曰：「其事也。如有政，虽不吾以，吾其与闻之。」
When Ran You returned from court, the Master said, "Why so late?" Ran You replie…
定公问：「一言而可以兴邦，有诸？」孔子对曰：「言不可以若是。其几也。人之言曰：『为君难，为臣不易。』如知为君之难也，不几…
Duke Ding asked, "Is there such a thing as a single saying that can bring a stat…
叶公问政，子曰：「近者说，远者来。」
The Lord of She asked about governance. The Master said, "See to it that those n…
子夏为莒父宰，问政子曰：「无欲速，无见小利。欲速则不达，见小利则大事不成。」
When Zixia was appointed governor of Jufu, he asked about governance. The Master…
叶公语孔子曰：「吾党有直躬者，其父攘羊，而子证之。」孔子曰：「吾党之直者异于是。父为子隐，子为父隐，直在其中矣。」
The Lord of She told Confucius, "In my village there is a man known for his upri…
樊迟问仁。子曰：「居处恭，执事敬，与人忠。虽之夷狄，不可弃也。」
Fan Chi asked about benevolence. The Master said, "In private life, be dignified…
子贡问曰：「何如斯可谓之士矣？」子曰：「行己有耻，使于四方，不辱君命，可谓士矣。」曰：「敢问其次？」曰：「宗族称孝焉，乡…
Zigong asked, "What must a person be like to be called a true gentleman-scholar?…
子曰：「不得中行而与之，必也狂狷乎！狂者进取，狷者有所不为也。」
The Master said, "If I cannot find people who pursue the middle way to associate…
子曰：「南人有言曰：『人而无恒，不可以作巫医。』善夫！」「不恒其德，或承之羞。」子曰：「不占而已矣。」
The Master said, "The people of the south have a saying: 'A man without constanc…
子曰：「君子和而不同，小人同而不和。」
The Master said, "The gentleman harmonizes with others but does not merely agree…
子贡问曰：「乡人皆好之，何如？」子曰：「未可也。」「乡人皆恶之，何如？」子曰：「未可也。不如乡人之善者好之，其不善者恶之…
Zigong asked, "What do you think of a man whom all the villagers like?" The Mast…
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…
The Master said, "A gentleman is easy to work with but hard to please. Please hi…
子曰：「君子泰而不骄，小人骄而不泰。」
The Master said, "A gentleman is serene and composed without being arrogant; a p…
子曰：「刚、毅、木、讷，近仁。」
The Master said, "Resoluteness, firmness, simplicity, and reticence — these four…
子路问曰：「何如斯可谓之士矣？」子曰：「切切偲偲，怡怡如也，可谓士矣。朋友切切偲偲，兄弟怡怡。」
Zilu asked, "What must a man be like to be called a true scholar-gentleman?" The…
子曰：「善人教民七年，亦可以即戎矣。」
The Master said: "If a good man instructs the people for seven years, they may t…
子曰：「以不教民战，是谓弃之。」
The Master said: "To send the people into battle without proper instruction is t…