6.12 冉求曰:“非不说子之道,力不足也。”子曰:“力不足者,中道而废。今女画1。”
【译文】
冉求说:“不是我不喜欢您的学说,是我的力量不够。”孔子说:“如果力量不够,应是走到中途而停下来。你现在是还未用力就已经停止了。”
【YZG解释】
冉求说:“不是我不喜欢您的学说,是我的力量不够。”孔子说:“如果力量不够,应是走到中途而不得不停下来。而你现在是画地为牢,还未做就认为自己做不了。”
【English Translation】
Ran Qiu1 said: “The reason why I cannot practice your doctrine is not that I do not like your doctrine, but that I do not have enough ability.” Confucius said: “If you don’t have enough ability, you should stop halfway. However, now you limit yourself by thinking that you can’t do it before even doing it.”
【Note】