13.24 子贡问曰:“乡人皆好之,何如?”子曰:“未可也。” “乡人皆恶之,何如?”子曰:“未可也。不如乡人之善者好之,其不善者恶之。”
【译文】
子贡问道:“全乡人都喜欢他,这个人怎么样?” 孔子说:“不可就此肯定他好。” 子贡又问:“全乡人都厌恶他,这个人怎么样?” 孔子说:“不可就此肯定他坏。最好的是乡里的好人都喜欢他,乡里的坏人都厌恶他。”
【YZG解释】
子贡问道:“全乡人都喜欢他,这个人怎么样?” 孔子说:“不可就此认可他。” 子贡又问:“全乡人都厌恶他,这个人怎么样?” 孔子说:“不可就此随便附和。最好的是乡里的好人都喜欢他,同时乡里的坏人都厌恶他。”
【English Translation】
Zi Gong asked: “What about a person if all the people in the whole village like him?”
Confucius said: “We cannot approve of him only for this.”
Zi Gong further asked: “What about a person if all the people in the whole village detest him?”
Confucius said: “We cannot simply echo others’ views either. The best is that all the good people in the village like him, while all the bad people in the village detest him.”