Thursday, November 10, 2011

From the Chinese: 逆道而反德

君子有終身之憂,而無一朝之患,順道而行,循理而言,喜不加易,怒不加難。
The Superior Man has worries all his life, that he not have a single morning of catastrophe, for he behaves adhering to the Way, speaks according to principle, enjoys without excess of ease, and grows angry without adding difficulty.
-- From the Shuo yuan 說苑 (compiled by Liu Xiang, 2nd century BC)
Rouzer on the range of 而 as a connector of verbs:
小人逆道而反德
Inferior Man goes counter to the Way and opposes Virtue.

圣人自禁而不禁人
The wise person constrains himself but does not constrain others.

君行仁义而治国
The ruler implements benevolence and righteousness and so puts the state in order.
The ruler administers the state by implementing benevolence and righteousness.
The ruler uses benevolence and righteousness to administer the state.
The ruler implements benevolence and righteousness and then and only then puts the state in order.
The ruler implements benevolence and righteousness and then and only then will the state find order.
--A New Practical Primer of Literary Chinese
Kings of the Warring States (3rd cent. BC), a contemporary Chinese impression

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