孺悲欲见孔子，孔子辞以疾。将命者出户，取瑟而歌，使之闻之。

Ru Bei sent a messenger to see Confucius, who declined to see him under the pretext of ill health. When the messenger was out, Confucius took his lute and sang so that the messenger might hear him.

宰我问：“三年之丧，期已久矣！君子三年不为礼，礼必坏；三年不为乐，乐必崩。旧谷既没，新谷既升，钻燧改火，期可已矣。”子曰：“食夫稻，衣夫锦，于女安乎？”曰：“安！”“女安则为之！夫君子之居丧，食旨不甘，闻乐不乐，居处不安，故不为也。今女安，则为之！”宰我出，子曰：“予之不仁也！子生三年，然后免于父母之怀。夫三年之丧，天下之通丧也，予也有三年之爱于其父母乎！”

Asking about the three years' mourning for parents, Zai Wo said, "One year would be long enough, for ritual and music would be lost if a cultured man did not put them into practice for three years. In one year the old grain would be exhausted and the new would spring up. So would fire be made from spring to winter. Therefore, I think the mourning may stop at the end of one year." The Master said, "Would you feel at ease to eat good rice and wear silk dress after one year of mourning?" Zai Wo said "Yes." "If you feel at ease, you may stop mourning at the end of one year. A cultured man in mourning would not enjoy nice food, sweet music and comfortable bed. If you could feel at ease, you might enjoy them." When Zai Wo was out, the Master said, "Zai Wo is not a good son. A child would not leave its parents' arms until three years old. So three years' mourning is a universal practice. How could Zai Wo belie the three years' affection of his parents?"

子曰：“饱食终日，无所用心，难矣哉！不有博弈者乎？为之犹贤乎已。”

Difficult are those, said the Master, who cram themselves with food all the day long without applying their mind to anything good. Are there not gamesters and chess-players? It would be better to play chess or games than to do nothing at all.

子路曰：“君子尚勇乎？”子曰：“君子义以为上。君子有勇而无义为乱，小人有勇而无义为盗。”

Zi Lu asked whether a cultured man valued valour. The Master said, "A cultured man values virtue above valour. Valiant without virtue, a cultured man would rise in revolt and an uncultured man would commit robbery."

子贡曰：“君子亦有恶乎？”子曰：“有恶。恶称人之恶者，恶居下流而讪上者，恶勇而无礼者，恶果敢而窒者。”曰：“赐也亦有恶乎？”“恶徼以为知者，恶不孙以为勇者，恶讦以为直者。”

Zi Gong asked whether a cultured man had dislikes. The Master said, "Yes, a cultured man dislikes those who speak ill of others, those inferior men who slander their superiors, those who are bold beyond what is right, those who take obstination for resolution." Then the Master asked Zi Gong whether he also had his dislikes. Zi Gong replied, "I dislike those who take cunning for wisdom, immodesty for bravery, and indiscretion for honesty."

子曰：“唯女子与小人为难养也，近之则不孙，远之则怨。”

It is difficult, said the Master, to deal with women and servants. If you are familiar with them, they will be immodest; if you keep your distance, they will complain.

子曰：“年四十而见恶焉，其终也已。”

If a man is disliked at the age of forty, said the Master, he would not change for the better till the end of his life.

来源：翻译大王