叔孙武叔语大夫于朝曰：“子贡贤于仲尼。”子服景伯以告子贡，子贡曰：“譬之宫墙，赐之墙也及肩，窥见室家之好；夫子之墙数仞，不得其门而入，不见宗庙之美、百官之富。得其门者或寡矣，夫子之云不亦宜乎！”

Shu Sun Wu Shu said to an official at court,“Zi Gong is more capable than his master Confucius. Zi Fu Jing Bo told Zi Gong what he had heard. Zi Gong said, “Let us use the wall as a comparison. My wall is only as high as my shoulder, so the beauty of my house could be easily perceived from over the wall. But my Master’s wall rises many times a man’s height. If a man cannot find the door to enter the house, the beauty and magnificense of the temple and halls could not be perceived. But few could enter his house by the door. No wonder the official should have said that about my Master.

叔孙武叔毁仲尼，子贡曰：“无以为也，仲尼不可毁也。他人之贤者，丘陵也，犹可逾也；仲尼，日月也，无得而逾焉。人虽欲自绝，其何伤于日月乎？多见其不知量也。”

Shu Sun Wu Shu spoke ill of Confucius. Zi Gong said,“It is no use doing wrong to Confucius. Other good men may be vilified, for their height like hillocks or mounds may be surpassed. But Confucius is as high as the sun and the moon. How could he be surpassed? If a man should try to harm him, it would turn to harm himself. What harm could be done to the sun and the moon? It is beyond a man’s reach.”

陈子禽谓子贡曰：“子为恭也，仲尼岂贤于子乎？”子贡曰：“君子一言以为知，一言以为不知，言不可不慎也。夫子之不可及也，犹天之不可阶而升也。夫子之得邦家者，所谓立之斯立，道之斯行，绥之斯来，动之斯和。其生也荣，其死也哀，如之何其可及也？”

Chen Zi Qin said to Zi Gong,“You are too modest. How could Confucius be superior to you?” Zi Gong said, “By one word an intelligentleman may reveal his wisdom or ignorance. So we should be careful about what we say. It is as hard to catch up with my Master as to ascend the sky by a ladder. If he were in control of a state or a great family, the people would stand when he raised them, they would follow him when he led them, they would come from afar when called on to, and they would work in harmony when taught to. Living, he was glorious; dead, he would be bewailed. How could he be equalled?”

来源：翻译大王