Confucian Analects · Analects 12.3
1. Sze-ma Niu asked about perfect virtue. 2. The Master said, 'The man of perfect virtue is cautious and slow in his speech.' 3. 'Cautious and slow in his speech!' said Niu;-- 'is this what is meant by perfect virtue?' The Master said, 'When a man feels the difficulty of doing, can he be other than cautious and slow in speaking?'
Chinese · source text【第三章】【一節】司馬牛問仁。【二節】子曰、仁者其言也訒。【三節】曰、其言也訒、斯謂之仁矣乎。子曰、為之難、言之得無訒乎。
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Confucius · English translation by James Legge · bilingual transcription
James Legge, The Chinese Classics, Volume 1: Confucian Analects · Project Gutenberg #4094
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