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.
南宮适問於孔子曰：羿善射，奡盪舟，俱不得其死然；禹稷躬稼，而有天下。夫子不答，南宮适出。子曰：君子哉若人！尚德哉若人！Nangong Kuo asked Confucius: Yi was a fine archer and Ao could push a boat over land, yet neither died a natural death. Yu and Ji labored at farming themselves, yet came to possess the realm. The Master did not answer. When Nangong Kuo had gone out, the Master said: What a gentleman that man is! How he esteems virtue!
What this chapter says
一孔按：南宫适说羿善射、奡荡舟都不得好死，禹稷亲自种地却有天下。孔子当面不答，等他出去才说：这人是君子，尚德啊。当面不答，是不肯居禹稷之比。常有人问“南宫适拿羿奡和禹稷相比，孔子为什么当面不答”，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
南宫适说，羿善射、奡力能推舟，却都不得善终，禹、稷亲自种庄稼，自己或后代却有了天下；孔子当时不答，等他出去后说，这个人真是君子，真尊重德行。
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
南宫适拿羿奡和禹稷相比，孔子为什么当面不答？
注Key words in the commentary
南宫适，即南容也。羿，有穷之君，善射，灭夏后相而篡其位。其臣寒浞又杀羿而代之。
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 南宫适问于孔子曰 | “南宫适，即南容也。羿，有穷之君，善射，灭夏后相而篡其位。其臣寒浞又杀羿而代之。奡，春秋传作浇，浞之子也，力能陆地行舟，后为夏后少康所诛。禹平水土，暨稷播种，身亲稼穑之事。禹受舜禅而有天下，稷之后至周武王亦有天下。” | page 188 |
| 南宫适问于孔子曰 | “适之意，盖以羿奡比当世之有权力者，而以禹稷比孔子也，故孔子不答。然适之言如此，可谓君子之人，而有尚德之心矣，不可以不与，故俟其出而赞美之。” | page 188 |
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
“云南宮适者，姓南宮，名适，字敬叔。”……
Compared with Zhu Xi
| Commentary | Point | Relation | Confidence | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 钱穆《论语新解》 | same | fairly sure | 同以南宫适为南容、羿奡恃力终不得善终而禹稷躬稼有天下，孔子称其尚德；不是据这些传说作已证编年史。 |
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