Confucian Analects · Analects 13.15
1. The Duke Ting asked whether there was a single sentence which could make a country prosperous. Confucius replied, 'Such an effect cannot be expected from one sentence. 2. 'There is a saying, however, which people have-- "To be a prince is difficult; to be a minister is not easy." 3. 'If a ruler knows this,-- the difficulty of being a prince,-- may there not be expected from this one sentence the prosperity of his country?' 4. The duke then said, 'Is there a single sentence which can ruin a country?' Confucius replied, 'Such an effect as that cannot be expected from one sentence. There is, however, the saying which people have-- "I have no pleasure in being a prince, but only in that no one can offer any opposition to what I say!" 5. 'If a ruler's words be good, is it not also good that no one oppose them? But if they are not good, and no one opposes them, may there not be expected…
Chinese · source text【十五章】【一節】定公問一言而可以興邦、有諸。孔子對曰、言不可以若是其幾也。【二節】人之言曰、為君難、為臣不易。【三節】如知為君之難也、不幾乎一言而興邦乎。【四節】曰、一言而喪邦有諸。孔子對曰、言不可以若是其幾也、人之言曰、予無樂乎為君、唯其言而莫予違也。【五節】如其善、而莫之違也、不亦善乎。如不善而莫之違也、不幾乎一言而喪邦乎。
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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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