18.7 子路从而后，遇丈人1，以杖荷蓧2。 子路问曰：“子见夫子乎？” 丈人曰：“四体不勤，五谷不分，孰为夫子？”植其杖而芸3。 子路拱而立。 止子路宿，杀鸡为黍而食之，见其二子焉。 明日，子路行以告。 子曰：“隐者也。”使子路反见之。至，则行矣。 子路曰：“不仕无义。长幼之节，不可废也；君臣之义，如之何其废之？欲洁其身，而乱大伦。君子之仕也，行其义也。道之不行，已知之矣。”
【译文】
子路随从孔子行走时落在了后面，他遇见一位老人，老人用拐杖担着除草农具。 子路问他：“您看见我的老师吗？” 老人说：“你这人四肢不劳动，五谷不能分辨，什么人是你的老师呀？”说着，把拐杖插立在地上去除草了。 子路拱着手恭敬地站着。 老人留子路到他家宿夜，杀鸡做饭给他吃，并让自己的两个儿子与子路相见。 第二天，子路辞别，到孔子那里把这件事告诉了他。 孔子说：“这是一位隐士。”让子路再返回去见他。子路到了老人的家，老人却已出行。 子路说：“不肯做官是不合义的。长幼之间的关系是不可能废弃的，那么君臣之间的关系又怎么能废弃呢？想使自身保持高洁，却是损坏了君臣大伦。君子出来做官，也就是为了实行君臣之义。至于道不能够实行，这早就知道了。”
【YZG解释】
子路随从孔子行走时掉队了，他遇见一位老人，老人用拐杖担着除草农具。 子路问他：“您看见我的老师吗？” 老人说：“你这人四肢不劳动，五谷不能分辨，什么人是你的老师呀？”说着，把拐杖插立在地上去除草了。 子路拱着手恭敬地站着。 老人留子路到他家宿夜，杀鸡、煮黍米饭款待他，并让自己的两个儿子与子路相见。 第二天，子路辞别，到孔子那里把这件事告诉了他。 孔子说：“这是一位隐士。”让子路再返回去见他。子路到了老人的家，老人却已离开。 子路说：“不肯做官为国家做贡献是不合义的。长幼之间的关系是不可能废弃的，更何况君臣之间的关系又怎么能废弃呢？想使自身保持高洁，却是损坏了君臣大伦。君子出来做官，也就是为了实行君臣之义。至于道不能够实行，这早就知道了，明知不可为而为之。”
【English Translation】
When Zi Lu1 was following Confucius and fell behind, he met an old man who was carrying a weeding tool with a cane. Zi Lu asked him: “Have you seen my teacher?” The old man said: “It seems you don’t do physical labour and are unable to distinguish the different kinds of grains, who is your teacher?” As he spoke, he stuck the cane into the ground and started to weed. Zi Lu stood with his hands cupped in respect. The old man invited Zi Lu to stay at his home for the night. He entertained Zi Lu by cooking chicken and millet rice, and also introduced his two sons to Zi Lu. The next day, Zi Lu said goodbye to the old man and went to tell Confucius about this. Confucius said: “He is a recluse.” He asked Zi Lu to go back and see the old man again. When Zi Lu arrived at the old man’s home, the old man had already left.
Zi Lu said: “It is not righteous if a person does not serve in the government and contribute to the State. The relationship between the young and the old cannot be abandoned, not to mention the relationship between the monarch and his subjects. Maintaining one’s own purity would violate the ethics between the monarch and his subjects. A noble person comes out to be an official to implement the righteousness between the monarch and his subjects. As for the fact that the Way cannot be implemented, it has been known for long time. A sage would still do it even though he knows it is impossible.”
【Note】