Page 175 - 《论语》（三）中·英对照版

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sentence the prosperity of his country?” The duke
then said, “Is there a single sentence which can ruin
a country?” Confucius replied, “ Such an effect as
that cannot be expected from one sentence. There
is, however, the saying which people have — ‘I have
no pleasure in being a prince, but only in that no one
can offer any opposition to what I say!’ If a ruler’s
words be good, is it not also good that no one oppose
them? But if they are not good, and no one opposes
them, may there not be expected from this one
sentence the ruin of his country?”

【注释】［1］几：近。

【译文】鲁定公问：“一句话就可以使国家兴盛，
有这样的话吗？”孔子回答说：“话不可以
这么起作用，但也有近似的话。有人说：‘做
君主的难，做臣下的也不容易。’如果知道
了做君主的难处，不是近于一句话就会使国

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