Analects 14.47
The Analects (論語), BOOK XIV. HSIEN WAN 憲問第十四
闕黨童子將命、或問之曰、益者與。子曰、吾見其居於位也、見其與先生並行也、非求益者也、欲速成者也。
1. A youth of the village of Ch'ueh was employed by Confucius to carry the messages between him and his visitors. Some one asked about him, saying, "I suppose he has made great progress."
2. The Master said, "I observe that he is fond of occupying the seat of a full-grown man; I observe that he walks shoulder to shoulder with his elders. He is not one who is seeking to make progress in learning. He wishes quickly to become a man."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 闕quēpalace; watchtower
- 黨dǎngpolitical party, gang, faction
- 童tóngchild, boy; servant boy; virgin
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 命mìnglife; destiny, fate, luck; an order, ins
- 或huòor, either, else; maybe, perhaps, possib
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 益yìto profit, to benefit; advantage
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 居jūto live, to reside; to dwell; to sit
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 位wèiseat, throne; rank, status; position, lo
- 也yěalso, too
- 先xiānfirst, former, previous
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
- 並bìngto combine, to annex; also, what's more
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 速sùprompt, quick, speedy
- 成chéngto accomplish; to become; to complete, t
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Analects 16.4
- Analects 16.5
- Zhuangzi The Empire
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.