1 original

Lutz asked, "Steven Zhu Xing?" Confucius said, "With my father and brother around, how can I smell and act?" You Ran asked, "Where is Sven?" Confucius said, "Si Wen must do it." Gong Xihua said: "Wen Sixing is also asked about everything. Confucius said:' Father and brother'; When asked, Confucius said,' Yes'. Red is also confused, dare to ask. Confucius said, "Seek to retreat, so advance; I retired because I am also a human being. "

2 translation

Lutz asked, "Will you act when you hear it?" Confucius said, "If you have a father and a brother, what should you do?" You Ran asked, "Will you act when you hear it?" Confucius said, "Smell it and do it." Gong Xihua said, "Zhong You asked,' Did you act as soon as you heard it? You replied,' There are still fathers and brothers alive', and Ran Qiu asked,' Did you act as soon as you heard it? You said' act when you hear it'. I was confused and dared to ask. Confucius said: "Ran Qiu is always timid, so I encourage him;" Zhong You was brave, so I restrained him. "

Three comments

This is a concrete example of Confucius putting the golden mean into educational practice. Here, he hopes that his students will not shrink back or be too radical, but will advance and retreat moderately. Therefore, Confucius gave different answers to the same question according to the different situations of Lutz and Ran Qiu. At the same time, it also vividly embodies a characteristic of Confucius' educational method, that is, teaching students in accordance with their aptitude.