一孔录The video for this chapter is still in production. For now this page gives the original text, the facsimile page, a working translation and the commentary; the full reading follows when the video is out.
季子然問：仲由、冉求可謂大臣與？子曰：吾以子為異之問，曾由與求之問。所謂大臣者：以道事君，不可則止。今由與求也，可謂具臣矣。曰：然則從之者與？子曰：弒父與君，亦不從也。Ji Ziran asked: Can Zhong You and Ran Qiu be called great ministers? The Master said: I thought you would ask about someone remarkable, but you ask about You and Qiu. What is called a great minister serves his ruler by the Way, and when he cannot, he resigns. Now You and Qiu may be called ministers to fill a post. Then would they just go along? The Master said: In killing a father or a ruler, they would not go along.
What this chapter says
一孔按：季子然问子路冉有算不算大臣，孔子说只能算具臣；但弑父弑君的事，他们也不会跟从。夸学生有底线，也是在警告季氏别想让他们做大逆之事。常有人问“季子然问子路冉有算不算大臣，孔子是在夸学生还是在说季氏”，上面是一孔录的回答。
Yikonglu's reading of this chapter is in Chinese for now; the English version comes with the video.
白Plain Chinese
季子然问仲由、冉求能不能称作大臣，孔子说，我以为你问的是不寻常的人，原来问他们；大臣应依道事君，不能这样做就离开，他们如今只能算备员之臣。季子然问，他们会事事顺从吗，孔子说，弑父弑君的事，他们也不会顺从。
Draft plain-Chinese rendering following Zhu Xi; it will be checked when the chapter is covered.
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Connections
Relationship map of the whole book · The Analects, AI-reconstructed edition (PDF)
Close reading and checking
For readers who want to go deeper or check our work: key words in the commentary, what other commentators say, textual variants, the commentaries in their own words with facsimile pages, pronunciation and corrections. Tap a heading to open it.
常The common reading
季子然问子路冉有算不算大臣，孔子是在夸学生还是在说季氏？
注Key words in the commentary
子然，季氏子弟。自多其家得臣二子，故问之。
核Zhu Xi's commentary, line by line
Zhu Xi's own words on each line of this chapter, each checked against the base-edition page. Other commentators are added when the chapter is covered. About this edition
| Line | Quoted text | Page |
|---|---|---|
| 季子然问：仲由、 | “子然，季氏子弟。自多其家得臣二子，故问之。” | page 150 |
| 季子然问：仲由、 | “异，非常也。曾，犹乃也。轻二子以抑季然也。” | page 150 |
| 所谓大臣者：以道 | “以道事君者，不从君之欲。不可则止者，必行己之志。” | page 150 |
| 今由与求也，可谓 | “具臣，谓备臣数而已。” | page 150 |
| 子曰：弑父与君， | “言二子虽不足于大臣之道，然君臣之义则闻之熟矣，弑逆大故必不从之。盖深许二子以死难不可夺之节，而又以阴折季氏不臣之心也。” | page 151 |
| 子曰：弑父与君， | “季氏专权僭窃，二子仕其家而不能正也，知其不可而不能止也，可谓具臣矣。是时季氏已有无君之心，故自多其得人。意其可使从己也，故曰弑父与君亦不从也，其庶乎二子可免矣。” | page 151 |
家Other commentaries
Our base text is Zhu Xi's Collected Commentaries (above). Here are other commentaries side by side: for old commentaries, the first line of the sub-commentary with a link to the woodblock scan; for modern editions, one short quoted translation for comparison. The “compared with Zhu Xi” notes are written by Yikonglu, not quoted.
皇侃《论语义疏》Liang dynasty · 1750 Japanese woodblock edition · juan 六
“季子然，季氏家之子弟也。”……
Compared with Zhu Xi
| Commentary | Point | Relation | Confidence | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 钱穆《论语新解》 | same | fairly sure | 同以大臣是依道事君、不可则止，具臣是备员不足当大臣。由求仍不会从弑父君，不能因服务季氏便说全无底线。 |
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