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.
子曰：孟公綽為趙魏老則優，不可以為滕薛大夫。The Master said: Meng Gongchuo would be more than fit to be chief retainer of the Zhao or Wei families, but he could not be a minister of Teng or Xue.
What this chapter says
一孔按：孟公绰做赵魏大家的家臣之长绰绰有余，却做不了滕薛小国的大夫。他廉静寡欲而短于才，适合事少的位子，不适合事繁的位子。常有人问“孟公绰能做赵魏家老，为什么做不了滕薛大夫”，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
孔子说，孟公绰做赵氏、魏氏的家臣长还有余力，却不能做滕国、薛国主持国政的大夫。
Draft plain-Chinese rendering following Zhu Xi; it will be checked when the chapter is covered.
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Connections
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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
孟公绰能做赵魏家老，为什么做不了滕薛大夫？
注Key words in the commentary
公绰，鲁大夫。赵、魏，晋卿之家。老，家臣之长。大家势重，而无诸侯之事；家老望尊，而无官守之责。优，有余也。
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 子曰：孟公绰为赵 | “公绰，鲁大夫。赵、魏，晋卿之家。老，家臣之长。大家势重，而无诸侯之事；家老望尊，而无官守之责。优，有余也。滕、薛，二国名。大夫，任国政者。滕、薛国小政繁，大夫位高责重。然则公绰盖廉静寡欲，而短于才者也。” | page 190 |
| 子曰：孟公绰为赵 | “知之弗豫，枉其才而用之，则为弃人矣。此君子所以患不知人也。言此，则孔子之用人可知矣。” | page 190 |
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 七
“明人生性分各有所能。”……
Compared with Zhu Xi
| Commentary | Point | Relation | Confidence | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 钱穆《论语新解》 | same | fairly sure | 同以公绰廉静适任大族家老、却未必具小国大夫繁难全才，见任材须因职；老为家臣长而非年龄老者。 |
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