17.7 佛肸召1，子欲往。 子路曰：“昔者由也闻诸夫子曰：‘亲于其身为不善者，君子不入也。’佛肸以中牟畔2，子之往也，如之何？” 子曰：“然，有是言也。不曰坚乎，磨而不磷3；不曰白乎，涅而不缁4。吾岂匏瓜也哉5？焉能系而不食？”
【译文】
佛肸召孔子，孔子想去。 子路说：“先前我听老师说过：‘自身做过坏事的那种人，君子是不会去他那儿的。’佛肸依据中牟而叛乱，您却要去，这怎么说呢？” 孔子说：“对，我说过这样的话。但是，不是有真正坚硬的东西吗，那是磨也磨不薄的；不是有真正洁白的东西吗，那是染也染不黑的。我难道是那匏瓜吗？怎么能只是悬挂着而不被食用呢？”
【YZG解释 】
佛肸召孔子，孔子想去。 子路说：“先前我听老师说过：‘自身做过坏事的那种人，君子是不会加入他们的行列的。’佛肸依据中牟而叛乱，您却要去，这是为什么呢？” 孔子说：“对，我说过这样的话。但是，不是有真正坚硬的东西吗，那是磨也磨不薄的；不是有真正洁白的东西吗，那是染也染不黑的。我是要实行教化，有自信不会被染。我难道是那匏瓜吗？怎么能只是悬挂着而不被食用呢？”
【English Translation】
Bi Xi1 summoned Confucius to work for him, and Confucius wanted to go.
Zi Lu2 said: “You have ever said: ‘A noble person will not join the ranks of those who have committed evil.’ Bi Xi rebelled based in the county of Zhong Mu, but now you want to go. Why?”
Confucius said: “Yes, I said such words. But isn’t there something really hard that can’t be thinned even by grinding? Isn’t there something really white that can’t be blackened even by dyeing? I want to implement education and have confidence that I won’t be stained. How can I be like a gourd which just hangs there without being eaten?”
【Note】