一孔录

English version: the interface and Yikonglu's notes are translated; quoted commentary stays in Chinese. The Chinese page is authoritative.

论语

Books › The Analects › 乡党第十

乡党第十 · chapter 5 · not yet coveredHolding the jade tablet, he bowed as if it were too heavy to…

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.

執圭,鞠躬如也,如不勝。上如揖,下如授。勃如戰色,足蹜蹜,如有循。享禮,有容色。私覿,愉愉如也。
Text: Zhu Xi's Collected Commentaries on the Analects (Sibu Beiyao edition), page 132 of the base edition.

Holding the jade tablet, he bowed as if it were too heavy to bear. He raised it as if bowing and lowered it as if handing something over. His face was grave as if in fear, and his steps were short as if following a line. At the presentation of gifts, his face was composed; at a private meeting, he was cheerful.

Working English rendering by Yikonglu; the Chinese text above is what counts.

What this chapter says

一孔按:出使执圭,弯身像拿不动,神色庄重,小步而行;献礼时和颜悦色,私下相见更显愉快。同一趟出使,公事、享礼、私见三种场合,容貌各不相同。常有人问:孔子出使执圭“如不胜”,这一节记的是什么?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

孔子代国君出使,捧着圭,弯着身子,好像举不动。往上举不高过作揖,往下放不低过递物。面色庄重得像在战栗,脚步细碎,像沿着一条线走。献礼的时候,神情和悦。以私人身份会见对方时,就显得轻松愉快。

Draft plain-Chinese rendering following Zhu Xi; it will be checked when the chapter is covered.

看Watch this chapter

Connections

Same line elsewhere

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

孔子出使执圭“如不胜”,这一节记的是什么?

注Key words in the commentary

圭,诸侯命圭。聘问邻国,则使大夫执以通信。如不胜,执主器,执轻如不克,敬谨之至也。

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

LineQuoted textPage
上如揖,下如授。“圭,诸侯命圭。聘问邻国,则使大夫执以通信。如不胜,执主器,执轻如不克,敬谨之至也。上如揖,下如授,谓执圭平衡,手与心齐,高不过揖,卑不过授也。”page 133
勃如战色,足蹜蹜“战色,战而色惧也。蹜蹜,举足促狭也。如有循,记所谓举前曳踵。言行不离地,如缘物也。”page 133
享礼,有容色。“享,献也。既聘而享,用圭璧,有庭实。有容色,和也。仪礼曰:发气满容。”page 133
私觌,愉愉如也。“私觌,以私礼见也。愉愉,则又和矣。”page 133
私觌,愉愉如也。“此一节,记孔子为君聘于邻国之礼也。”page 133
私觌,愉愉如也。“孔子,定公九年仕鲁,至十三年适齐,其间绝无朝聘往来之事。疑使摈、执圭两条,但孔子尝言其礼当如此尔。”page 133

见Cross-references

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 五

“鄰國為使以聘問時也。”……

woodblock scan vol. 3 p. 26About this edition

杨伯峻《论语译注》Zhonghua Book Co. · modern, short quote

“〔孔子出使到外国,举行典礼,〕拿着圭,恭敬谨慎地,…”

About this edition

钱穆《论语新解》modern, short quote

“孔子为聘使,执君之圭,敛着身,像不胜其重的样子。”

About this edition

Compared with Zhu Xi

CommentaryPointRelationConfidenceNote
杨伯峻《论语译注》圭word sensefairly sure杨概述礼用玉器,朱实指使臣所持诸侯命圭;蹜蹜均步促而狭,如不胜为敬慎,非玉器真沉重不可持。
钱穆《论语新解》samefairly sure同以执圭如不胜为敬君信物、聘享私觌愈后愈和。钱对是否孔子实际出聘保留史料之疑,不将礼态记录当已证履历。

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