Sem 2 RCC Final Written Questions

齊桓公為大臣具酒，期以日中。

Duke Huan of Qi, for the sake of the great minister, set out alcohol; he scheduled it using midday.

管仲後至。

Guan Zhong arrived late.

桓公舉觴以飲之。管仲半棄酒。

Duke Huan lifted the cup to make Guan Zhong drink. Guan Zhong casts aside his alcohol mid-drink.

桓公曰﹕「期而後至，飲而棄酒。於禮可乎？」

Duke Huan says, "to schedule and arrive late, to cause to drink yet cast aside the alcohol, in propriety, is this permissible?"

管仲對曰﹕「臣聞﹕酒入舌出。舌出者言失，言失者身棄。臣計棄身不如棄酒。」

Guan Zhong replied, "Your humble servant has heard: When alcohol enters, the tongue exits. As for one whose tongue exits, their words are lost. As for one whose words are lost, their body is lost. Your humble servant calculates that abandoning one's body is not comparable to abandoning wine."

桓公笑曰﹕「仲父起就坐﹗」

Duke Huan grinned, saying, "Uncle, rise and take your seat!"

曾子衣弊衣以耕。

Zengzi wore worn-out clothing in order to plow.

魯君使人往致邑焉，曰﹕「請以此修衣。」

The lord of Lu caused a person to go and give a city to him, saying, "Please use this to mend your clothing."

曾子不受。反，復往，又不受。

Zengzi did not accept. The messenger returned, came again; Zengzi again did not accept.

使者曰﹕「先生非求於人，人則獻之。奚為不受？」

The messenger said, "Mister, it is not that you ask of someone else; contrarily, it is that others give it. Why not accept it?

曾子曰﹕「臣聞之﹕『受人者畏人，予人者驕人。』

Zengzi said, "Your humble subject has heard this: One who accepts gifts fears others, one who gives gift act arrogantly toward others."

縱君有賜，不我驕也，我能勿畏乎？」

Even if it is the case that our lord has an act of gift-giving and is not arrogant toward me, am I able to not fear it?

終不受。孔子聞之曰﹕「參之言，足以全其節也。」

In the end, he did not accept. Kongzi heard of the situation and said, "Shen's words, they are a case of being sufficient to use to complete his moral principles.

趙簡子舉兵而攻齊，令軍中有敢諫者罪至死。

Viscount Jian of Zhao raised troops and attacked Qi, he commanded that all those within the army who had the audacity to remonstrate, would be punished reaching death.

披甲之士名曰公盧，望見簡子大笑。

As for an armored warrior, his name is called Gong Lu, he gazed at Viscount Jian and laughed.

簡子曰﹕「子何笑？」

Viscount Jian said, "You laugh at what?"

對曰﹕「臣乃有宿笑。」

He replied saying, "This humble servant just has a previous reason to laugh."

簡子曰:「有以解之則可。無以解之則死。」

Viscount Jian said, "If you have that which is used to explain it, then you are permissible. If you do not have that which is used to explain it, then you will die."

對曰﹕「當桑之時，臣鄰家夫與妻俱之田。

He replied saying, "In the time of the mulberries, my neighboring household's husband and wife went together to the field.

見桑中女，因往追之，不能得。

He saw a girl among the mulberries, because of this he went and chased her, but he was not able to obtain.

還反，其妻怒而去之。臣笑其曠也。」

He went back, his wife was angry and sent him away. It is such that I, your humble servant, am laughing at his loneliness."

簡子曰:「今吾伐國失國，是吾曠也。」

Viscount Jian said, "Now, I attack a state and lose a state, this is a case of my loneliness."

於是罷師而歸。

Then, he dismissed the troops and returned.

伯牙子鼓琴，鍾子期聽之。

Master Bo Ya strummed the zither, Zhongzi Qi listened to it.

方鼓而志在太山。

At this moment, he strummed and his inspiration was in Mount Tai.

鍾子期曰﹕「善哉乎鼓琴﹗巍巍乎若太山。」

Zhongzi Qi said, "So good!!! Your strumming of the zither is! Ah how lofty, like Mount Tai."

少選之間，而志在流水。

After a short while, [he strummed] and his inspiration was in flowing water.

鍾子期復曰﹕「善哉乎鼓琴﹗湯湯乎若流水。」

Zhongzi Qi again said, "So good!!! Your strumming of the zither is! It bubbles like, flowing water."

鍾子期死，伯牙破琴絕弦，終身不復鼓琴，以為世無足為鼓琴者。

Zhongzi Qi died. Master Bo Ya broke the zither and cut the strings, until the end of his life he did not again strum the zither, he took this be that this generation was without something worthy to strum the zither for.