《中庸》中英文版
第十二章 笃行--道不远人，远人非道
子曰：“道不远人。人之为道而远人，不可以为道。
《诗》云：‘伐柯伐柯，其则不远。’执柯以伐柯，睨而视之，犹以为远。故君子以人治人，改而止。忠恕违道不远，施诸己而不愿，亦勿施于人。君子之道四，丘未能一焉：所求乎子，以事父，未能也；所求乎臣，以事君，未能也；所求乎弟，以事兄，未能也；所求乎朋友，先施之，未能也，庸德之行，庸言之谨；有所不足，不敢不勉，有余不敢尽；言顾行，行顾言，君子胡不慥慥尔！
The Master said "The path is not far from man. When men try to pursue a course, which is far from the common indications of consciousness, this course cannot be considered The Path.
"In the Book of Poetry, it is said, 'In hewing an ax handle, in hewing an ax handle, the pattern is not far off. We grasp one ax handle to hew the other; and yet, if we look askance from the one to the other, we may consider them as apart. Therefore, the superior man governs men, according to their nature, with what is proper to them, and as soon as they change what is wrong, he stops.
"When one cultivates to the utmost the principles of his nature, and exercises them on the principle of reciprocity, he is not far from the path. What you do not like when done to yourself, do not do to others.
"In the way of the superior man there are four things, to not one of which have I as yet attained.-To serve my father, as I would require my son to serve me: to this I have not attained; to serve my prince as I would require my minister to serve me: to this I have not attained; to serve my elder brother as I would require my younger brother to serve me: to this I have not attained; to set the example in behaving to a friend, as I would require him to behave to me: to this I have not attained. Earnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license. Thus his words have respect to his actions, and his actions have respect to his words; is it not just an entire sincerity which marks the superior man?"
【原文】
子日：“道不远人。人之为道而远人，不可以为道。”
“《诗》云：‘伐柯伐柯，其则不远。（1）’执柯以伐柯，睨（2）而视之，犹以为远。故君子以人治人。改而止。”
“忠恕违道不远（3），施诸己而不愿，亦勿施于人。”
“君子之道四，丘未能一焉：所求乎子以事父，未能也；所求乎臣以事君，未能也；所求乎弟以事兄，未能也；所求乎朋友先施之，未能也。庸（4）德之行，庸言之谨。有所不足，不敢不勉；有余不敢尽。言顾行，行顾言，君子胡不慥慥尔（5）？”
【注释】
（1）伐柯伐柯，其则不远：引自《诗经•豳风•伐柯》。伐柯，砍削斧柄。柯，斧柄。则，法则，这里指斧柄的式样。（2）睨：斜视。（3）违道：离道。违，离。（4）庸：平常。（5）胡：何、怎么。慥慥（zao），忠厚诚实的样子
【译文】
孔子说：“道并不排斥人。如果有人实行道却排斥他人，那就不可以实行道了。”
“《诗经》说：‘砍削斧柄，砍削斧柄，斧柄的式样就在眼前。’握着斧柄砍削斧柄，应该说不会有什么差异，但如果你斜眼一看，还是会发现差异很大。所以，君子总是根据不同人的情况采取不同的办法治理，只要他能改正错误实行道就行。”
“一个人做到忠恕，离道也就差不远了。什么叫忠恕呢？自己不愿意的事，也不要施加给别人。”
“君子的道有四项，我孔丘连其中的一项也没有能够做到：作为一个儿子应该对父亲做到的，我没有能够做到；作为一个臣民应该对君王做到的，我没有能够做到；作为一个弟弟应该对哥哥做到的，我没有能够做到；作为一个朋友应该先做到的，我没有能够做到。平常的德行努力实践，平常的言谈尽量谨慎。德行的实践有不足的地方，不敢不勉励自己努力；言谈却不敢放肆而无所顾忌。说话符合自己的行为，行为符合自己说过的话，这样的君子怎么会不忠厚诚实呢？…”
【读解】
道不可须臾离的基本条件是道不远人。换言之，一条大道，欢迎所有的人行走，就像马克思主义的理论欢迎所有的人学习、实践，社会主义的金光大道欢迎所有的人走一样。相反，如果只允许自己走，而把别人推得离道远远的，就像鲁迅笔下的假洋鬼子只准自己“革命”而不准别人（阿Q）“革命”，那自己也就不是真正的革命者了。
推行道的另一条基本原则是从实际出发，从不同人不同的具体情况出发，使道既具有“放之四海而皆准”的普遍性，又能够适应不同个体的特殊性。这就是普遍性与特殊性相结合。
既然如此，就不要对人求全责备，而应该设身处地，将心比心地为他人着想，自己不愿意的事，也不要施加给他人。因为，金无足赤，人无完人，不要说人家，就是自己，不也还有很多应该做到的而没有能够做到吗？所以，要开展批评，也要开展自我批评。圣贤如孔子，不就从四大方面对自己进行了严厉的批评吗？那就更不要说我们这些凡夫俗子了，哪里没有这样或那样的毛病呢？说不定还深沉得很呢。
不过也不要紧，只要你做到忠恕，也就离道不远了。说到底，还是要“言顾行，行顾言”，凡事不走偏锋，不走极端，这就是“中庸”的原则，这就是中庸之道
责任编辑：sealion1986
