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 › 子罕第九

子罕第九 · chapter 25 · not yet coveredThe three armies can be robbed of their commander

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:三軍可奪帥也,匹夫不可奪志也。
Text: Zhu Xi's Collected Commentaries on the Analects (Sibu Beiyao edition), page 127 of the base edition. Yang Bojun's Lunyu yizhu numbers this chapter 9.26.

The Master said: The three armies can be robbed of their commander; a common man cannot be robbed of his will.

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

What this chapter says

一孔按:三军可以夺去主帅,匹夫不可夺去志向。三军之勇在别人,匹夫之志在自己;能被夺走的,就不算志。常有人问:“三军可夺帅也,匹夫不可夺志也”,为什么一个人的志反而夺不走?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:一国的军队,可以夺走它的主帅;一个普通人,却不能夺走他的志向。

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

看Watch this chapter

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

“三军可夺帅也,匹夫不可夺志也”,为什么一个人的志反而夺不走?

注Key words in the commentary

三军之勇在人,匹夫之志在己。故帅可夺而志不可夺,如可夺,则亦不足谓之志矣。

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
子曰:三军可夺帅“三军之勇在人,匹夫之志在己。故帅可夺而志不可夺,如可夺,则亦不足谓之志矣。”page 127

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

“明人能守志也。”……

woodblock scan vol. 3 p. 18About this edition

钱穆《论语新解》modern, short quote

“三军之众,可把它元帅夺了。”

About this edition

Compared with Zhu Xi

CommentaryPointRelationConfidenceNote
钱穆《论语新解》samefairly sure同以三军帅依众、匹夫志在己,强力可夺帅不能夺自守之志;钱将其连前章作学先立志之结。

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