The following is my translation of passage 16.11 in the Analects of Confucius. I translated this for a book I am writing, but I am so disappointed with the translations I have seen on the Internet and even in a book I have that I decided to post it here. Why is there so much paraphrasing of this passage? Why is there still mistranslations? I don't know, but here is my translation, which is as literal as I could make it.
孔子曰, 君子有九思, 視思明, 聽思聰, 色思溫, 貌思恭, 疑思問, 言思忠, 事思敬, 忿思難, 見得思義.
Confucius (孔子) said (曰), "The superior man (君子) has (有) nine (九) thoughts (思). [He] watches (視) [and] thinks of (思) discernment (明), listens (聽) [and] thinks of (思) retention (聰), [in] facial expression (色) thinks of (思) warmth (溫), [in] manner (貌) thinks of (思) politeness (恭), doubts (疑) [and] thinks of (思) questions (問), speaks (言) [and] thinks of (思) honesty (忠), serves (事) [and] thinks of (思) reverence (敬), is angry (忿) [and] thinks of (思) restraint (難), sees (見) gain (得) [and] thinks of (思) righteousness (義)."
Besides meaning “bright,” 明 (명) can mean “discernment,” which translates in
Korean as “명찰 (明察).” 聰 (총) can mean “quick to hear,” but it can also mean “to have a good memory” or
“to have good [mental] retention,” which translates in Korean as “총명(聰明)하다.” Besides
meaning “color,” 色 (색) can also mean “facial expression,” which
translates in Korean as “안색 (顔色)” or “얼굴빛.” 溫 (온) can mean “warm,” “soft,” or “kind.” 貌 (모) mean “appearance,” “bearing,” or “manner.” 恭 (공) can mean “politeness,” “courtesy,” or
“reverence.” 忠 (충) can mean “loyalty,” “faithfulness,” and
“honesty,” which translates in Korean as “충실(忠實)하다.” 敬 (경) can mean “respect” or “reverence.” 忿 (분) can mean “to be angry” or “to resent.” 難 (난) means “difficulty” or “problem,” but it can
also mean “prudence” and “restraint,” which translates in Korean as “삼가다.”
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