Meeting One Another with Ritual
Text
English translation
Original Chinese text
公行子有子之丧,右师往吊。入门,有进而与右师言者,有就右师之位而与右师言者。孟子不与右师言,右师不悦曰:“诸君子皆与驩言,孟子独不与驩言,是简驩也。”
English translation
Gong Xingzi had lost a son, and the Right Minister went to offer condolences. Once he entered the gate, some people stepped forward to speak with him, while others went to where he stood and spoke to him there. Mencius did not speak with the Right Minister. The minister was displeased and said, “All the gentlemen speak with Huan; only Mencius does not. He is slighting me.”
Original Chinese text
孟子闻之,曰:“礼:朝庭不历位而相与言,不逾阶而相揖也。我欲行礼,子敖以我为简,不亦异乎?”
English translation
When Mencius heard this, he said, “Ritual requires that at court one not cross from one’s place to speak with another, nor pass over the steps to exchange bows. I wished to follow ritual, yet Ziao takes me for discourteous. Is that not strange?”