译文
A disciple of Confucius enquired about the period of three years' mourning for parents, remarking that one year was long enough. "For," said he, "if a gentleman neglects the Arts and usages of life for three years, he will lose his knowledge of them; and if he put aside music for three years, he will entirely forget it. Again, even in the ordinary course of nature, in one year the old corn is mown away to give place to new corn which springs up, and in one year we burn through all the different kinds of wood produced in all the seasons. I believe, therefore, that after the completion of one year, mourning may cease." Confucius answered, "If, after one year's mourning, you were to eat good food and wear fine clothes, would you feel at ease? " "I should," replied the disciple. "Then," answered Confucius, "if you can feel at ease, do it. But a good man during the whole period of three years' mourning, does not enjoy good food when he eats it, and derives no pleasure from music when he hears it; when he is lodged in comfort, he does not feel at ease: therefore, he does not do anything of those things. You, however, since you feel at ease, can, of course, do them." Afterwards, when the disciple had left, Confucius remarked, "What a man without moral feeling he is? It is only three years after his birth that a child is able to leave the arms of his parents. Now the period of three years' mourning for parents is universally observed throughout the Empire. As to that man, — I wonder if he was one who did not enjoy the affection of his parents when he was a child!"
评论
“三年之丧，期已久矣”是宰我提出的看法，辜鸿铭译为“the period of three years’s mourning for parents, remarking that one year was long enough”，“关于为父母的三年丧期，认为一年就足够长了”。其中，“期”指一年时间；“久”指足够长。下面，宰我还提出了自己的理由。
“君子三年不为礼，礼必坏；三年不为乐，乐必崩”一句，辜鸿铭的翻译是：“君子三年不为礼，礼必坏”译为“if a gentleman neglects the Arts and usages of life for three years, he will lose his knowledge of them”，“如果一个绅士疏忽艺术及生活习俗三年，他就会丧失掉与之相关的学问”。其中，“君子”译为“绅士”，指单个的道德个体；“不为礼”译为“neglects the Arts and usages of life”，“疏忽艺术及生活习俗”，“礼”泛指艺术与生活习俗；“坏”译为“lose his knowledge of”，“丧失……的学问”。“三年不为乐，乐必崩”，译为“if he put aside music for three years, he will entirely forget it”，“如果他扔下音乐三年，他就会全部忘记”。其中，“崩”指忘记。
“旧谷既没，新谷既升，钻燧改火，期可已矣”。辜鸿铭的翻译是：“旧谷既没，新谷既升”译为“in one year the old corn is mown away to give place to new corn which springs up”，“一年之内陈旧的谷物就会被割掉，为迅速生长起来的新谷物让出位置”；“钻燧改火”译为“in one year we burn through all the different kinds of wood produced in all the seasons”，“一年之内我们会烧遍各个季节生长的各种各样的木柴”，指各个季节用不同的木材取火；“期可已矣”译为“after the completion of one year, mourning may cease”，“一年结束之后，悲痛也会结束”。
对此，孔子阐释了三年之丧的原因。“子生三年，然后免于父母之怀”，辜鸿铭译为“it is only three years after his birth that a child is able to leave the arms of his parents”，“一个孩子只有在出生三年之后，才能够离开他父母的怀抱”。“夫三年之丧，天下之通丧也”，译为“now the period of three years' mourning for parents is universally observed throughout the Empire”，“现在，为父母的三年丧期在整个帝国都在被普遍地遵循着”。“通丧”即普遍遵循的丧制。