Analects 12.6
The Analects (論語), BOOK XII. YEN YUAN 顏淵第十二
子張問明。子曰、浸潤之譖、膚受之愬、不行焉、可謂明也已矣、浸潤之譖、膚受之愬、不行焉、可謂遠也已矣。
Tsze-chang asked what constituted intelligence. The Master said, "He with whom neither slander that gradually soaks into the mind, nor statements that startle like a wound in the flesh, are successful, may be called intelligent indeed. Yea, he with whom neither soaking slander, nor startling statements, are successful, may be called farseeing."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 張zhāngto display; to expand, to open; to stret
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 明míngbright, clear; to explain, to understand
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 浸jìnto dip, to immerse, to soak; to percolat
- 潤rùnfresh, moist; soft, sleek
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 譖zènto slander
- 膚fūskin; shallow, superficial
- 受shòuto receive, to get, to accept; to bear
- 愬sùaccuse; sue; inform; narrate
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 也yěalso, too
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 遠yuǎndistant, remote, far; profound
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.