原文
孔子曰:“见善如不及,见不善如探汤。吾见其人矣,吾闻其语矣。隐居以求其志,行义以达其道。吾闻其语矣,未见其人也。”
译文
Confucius remarked, "Men who, when they see what is good and honest, try to act up to it, and when they see what is bad and dishonest try to avoid it as if avoiding scalding water: such men I have known and the expressions of such principles I have heard. But men who live in retirement in order to study their aims and who practise righteousness in order to carry out their principles: the expression of such principles I have heard, but I have not seen such men."
评论
“见善如不及,见不善如探汤”一句,“见善如不及”辜鸿铭译为“when they see what is good and honest, try to act up to it”,“看到优秀与正直时试着去遵守它”。“善”指优秀与正直的事情或行为;“及”指遵守之意。“见不善如探汤”,译为“when they see what is bad and dishonest try to avoid it as if avoiding scalding water”,“看到恶劣与不正直时试着去躲避它,就像躲避滚烫的开水”。“探汤”,比喻像躲避滚烫的开水那样,躲避恶劣与不正直。“吾见其人矣,吾闻其语矣”,译为“such men I have known and the expressions of such principles I have heard”,“这样的人我看到过,这种行为准则的表述我也听到过”。其中,“闻其语”指听过类似的行为准则。指上面所说的人,孔子是听说过并见过的。“隐居以求其志,行义以达其道。吾闻其语矣,未见其人也”,指这样的人孔子只听说过但没见过。“隐居以求其志”,译为“live in retirement in order to study their aims”,“为了研究他们的目标而隐居”;“行义以达其道”译为“practise righteousness in order to carry out their principles”,“为了实现他们的原则而依义行事的人”。