The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 4
子曰：「道之不行也，我知之矣：知者過之，愚者不及也。道之不明也，我知之矣：賢者過之，不肖者不及也。人莫不飲食也，鮮能知味也。」
The Master said, "I know how it is that the path of the Mean is not walked in: The knowing go beyond it, and the stupid do not come up to it. I know how it is that the path of the Mean is not understood: The men of talents and virtue go beyond it, and the worthless do not come up to it. There is no body but eats and drinks. But they are few who can distinguish flavors."
English: James Legge (1861), The Doctrine of the Mean, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861); romanization modernized on Wikisource — public domain. Chinese: Chinese text from the Wikisource bilingual edition.
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 也yěalso, too
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 過guòpass; to go across, to pass through
- 愚yústupid, foolish
- 及jíto extend; to reach; and; in time
- 明míngbright, clear; to explain, to understand
- 賢xiánvirtuous, worthy; good, able
- 肖xiàoto resemble, to look like; to be like
- 人rénman, person; people
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 飲yǐnto swallow, to drink; a kind of drink
- 食shífood; to eat
- 鮮xiānfresh; delicious; attractive
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 味wèitaste; smell, odor; delicacy
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Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.