14.40 子张曰：“《书》云：‘高宗谅阴，三年不言1。’何谓也？”子曰：“何必高宗，古之人皆然。君薨2，百官总己以听于冢宰三年3。”
【译文】
子张说：“《尚书》中说：‘殷高宗守丧居庐，三年不言语。’这是什么意思？” 孔子说：“岂止殷高宗这样，古人都这样。国君死了，三年之内，百官各自统理自己的职事而听命于冢宰。”
【YZG解释】
子张说：“《尚书》中说：‘殷高宗守丧居庐，三年不言语。’这是什么意思？” 孔子说：“岂止殷高宗这样，古人都这样。国君死了，三年之内，百官各自统理自己的职事而听命于冢宰。”
【English Translation】
Zi Zhang said: “It is said in ‘The Book of History’ that ‘King Gao of Yin Dynasty kept mourning and lived in a thatched hut, and did not speak for three years.’ What does this mean?”
Confucius said: “Not only King Gao did so, but the ancients all did like this. When a monarch died, within three years, all officials managed their own duties and obeyed the orders of the Prime Minister.”