《中庸》英译（二十八）

子曰：“愚而好自用；贱而好自专；生乎今之世，反古之道；如此者，烖及其身者也。”

非天子不议礼，不制度，不考文。今天下，车同轨，书同文，行同伦。虽有其位，苟无其德，不敢作礼乐焉；虽有其德，苟无其位，亦不敢作礼乐焉。

子曰：“吾说夏礼，杞不足征也；吾学殷礼，有宋存焉；吾学周礼，今用之，吾从周。”

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XXVIII.

Confucius remarked: “A man who is foolish and yet is fond of using his own judgment; who is in humble circumstances and yet is fond of assuming authority; who, while living in the present age, reverts to the ways of antiquity: such a man is one who will bring calamity upon himself.

To no one but the supreme head of the Empire does it belong to disturb the established religious and social institutions, to introduce new forms of government, to change the form and use of language. At the present day throughout the Empire, carriage wheels all have the same standard form and size; all writing is written with the same characters, and in all the relations of life, all recognise the same established principles.

Although a man may occupy the position of the Supreme Head of the Empire, yet unless he possesses the moral qualities fitting him for the task, he may not take upon himself to make changes in the established moral and religious institutions. Although one may possess the moral qualities fitting him for the task, yet unless occupies he the position of the Supreme Head of the Empire, he may not take upon himself to make changes in the established moral and religious institutions.

Confucius remarked: “I have tried to understand the moral and religious institutions of the Hsia dynasty, but what remains of those institutions in the present state of Chi are not sufficient to give me a clue. I have studied the moral and religious institutions of the Yin dynasty; the remains of them are still preserved in the present state of Sung. I have studied the moral and religious institutions of the present Chow dynasty, which are now in use. In practice, I follow the forms of the present Chow dynasty.”