Chinese sayingsКитайские изречения

The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), ch. 11.

Pauthier's French, closely; 'une action que je ne voudrais pas imiter' becomes 'то, чего надо бояться'. Thoughts of Wise Men (1903), 1 October, signed 'Китайская мудрость («Чунг-Юнг»)'.

The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean), ch. 21.

Pauthier's 'perfection morale' becomes 'добрая жизнь' and 'la haute lumière de l'intelligence' 'свет разума'. The mutual dependence is the chapter's; the last three sentences ('Одно помогает другому ...') are Tolstoy's own.

The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Great Learning (Daxue), the opening text, and commentary ch. 1.

The first aim of the Great Learning, in Pauthier's French, as in Thoughts of Wise Men (1903), 26 July, signed «Китайская мудрость». Pauthier's opening says the Great Learning 'consiste à développer et remettre en lumière le principe lumineux de la raison que nous avons reçu du ciel', and names two further aims; his commentary chapter I is headed 'Sur le devoir de…' and says King Wen made that principle 'briller dans tout son éclat'. Tolstoy takes the duty from that heading and «заставить светить во всю силу … которое мы получаем от неба» from chapter I, and frames it as «одна из главных обязанностей человека» (one of man's chief duties), where the source speaks of what the Great Learning consists in and of King Wen. 'Le principe lumineux de la raison' is Pauthier's rendering of 明德, 'bright virtue' (Legge: 'to illustrate illustrious virtue'). Legge's printing heads the opening 'The Text of Confucius', after the traditional ascription; the signature is left as Tolstoy gave it.

The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. The Analects (Lunyu), IX.26 (Legge's numbering; Pauthier ch. IX, § 26), quoting the ode 'Xiong zhi' of the Book of Odes (Bei feng).

Two lines of the Book of Odes as Pauthier gives them in the Analects (IX.26): «Sans envie de nuire et sans désirs ambitieux, A quelle action simple et vertueuse n'est-on pas propre?» (without the wish to harm and without ambitious desires, for what simple and virtuous action is one not fit?). Tolstoy's 1903 version (Thoughts of Wise Men, 2 October, signed «Китайская мудрость («Ле-Лун-Ю»)», the Lun-yu) follows Pauthier closely. The Circle turns it to the second person, «Если нет в тебе желания делать зло честолюбия, то нет и добродетельного поступка, на который ты бы не был способен» (if there is in you no wish to do evil [and] ambition, there is no virtuous act of which you would not be capable), and drops «простого» (simple); the Circle's text lacks the «и» (and) that 1903 has before «без честолюбия», probably a word lost in printing. Faithful to Pauthier. The Chinese says 'not envious (忮), not covetous (求): how could he not be good?'; Pauthier's 'for what action is one not fit' widens 'he will do only good' into 'he is capable of every good act'. In the Analects these are words of an ode, which Zilu (Tseu-lou) kept repeating, and Confucius answered that they are 'by no means sufficient' for excellence (是道也，何足以臧); Pauthier's note 42 says they are words of the Book of Odes. Tolstoy gives as wisdom the lines whose sufficiency Confucius denied. The signature «Китайская мудрость» stands; the words are not Confucius's.

The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. The Great Learning (Daxue), commentary, ch. II, § 1 (Zhu Xi's arrangement; Pauthier, Explication de Thsêng-tseu, ch. II, § 1).

Pauthier's French, in Tolstoy's own Russian of Thoughts of Wise Men (1903), 3 August, signed «Китайская мудрость («Та-Хио»)», the Ta Hio or Great Learning; the Circle repeats it word for word, as it repeats the next 1903 thought (9-4.3). Close to Pauthier: «Renouvelle-toi complètement chaque jour; fais-le de nouveau, encore de nouveau, et toujours de nouveau» (renew thyself completely each day; do it anew, again anew, and always anew), with «Tching-thang» as «Чинг-Чанг». Pauthier is freer than the Chinese, 苟日新，日日新，又日新 (Legge: 'If you can one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day. Yea, let there be daily renovation'); 'completely' is his. The words are the inscription on the bath of Tang, founder of the Shang, which the Great Learning quotes; «Китайская мудрость» stands.

The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong), ch. XX, §§ 20-21 (Legge; Pauthier ch. XX, §§ 19-20).

Pauthier's French, in Tolstoy's own Russian of Thoughts of Wise Men (1903), 22 June, signed «Китайская мудрость («Чунг-Юнг»)», reworded in places for the Circle. One change alters the sense: those who reflect but 'cannot acquire a clear knowledge of the principle of the good' (Pauthier «une connaissance claire du principe du bien»; 1903 «ясное понимание начала добра») become those who cannot acquire «ясного понимания смысла жизни» (a clear understanding of the meaning of life). The others are of wording: «а если, и расспрашивая, они не делаются более просвещенными» (and if, asking, they are not made more enlightened) becomes «а если и расспрашивают, то не делаются от этого более просвещенными» (and if they do ask, they are not made more enlightened by it); «не имеют ясного о нем представления» (have no clear idea of it) becomes «не имеют ясного представления об этом различии» (have no clear idea of this distinction); «как бы он ни был невежествен, непременно» gains «он». Pauthier reads the Chinese as comfort for those who fail: 'if there are persons who do not study, or who study without profit, let them not be discouraged'. The Chinese states the resolve of the superior man: 有弗學，學之弗能弗措也 ('if there is something he has not studied, or has studied and cannot master, he does not let it go'; Legge: 'The superior man, while there is anything he has not studied, or while in what he has studied there is anything he cannot understand, will not intermit his labour'). The close, 'though dull, he will surely become intelligent; though weak, he will surely become strong', is the same in all three; before it the Chinese has 'if another succeeds once, he will do it a hundred times; if another ten times, he a thousand' (人一能之，己百之；人十能之，己千之), and Pauthier and Tolstoy have once and ten, a hundred and a thousand. Pauthier's note at the chapter's end says it holds the words of Confucius (KHOUNG-TSEU); the Jubilee editors add no name to «Китайская мудрость», and none is added here.

The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. The Great Learning (Daxue), commentary, ch. III, § 2 (Zhu Xi's arrangement; Pauthier, Explication de Thsêng-tseu, ch. III, § 2).

Pauthier's French, in Tolstoy's own Russian of Thoughts of Wise Men (1903), 6 August, signed «Китайская мудрость («Та-Хио»)», with an ending added for the Circle. The Great Learning quotes an ode, 'The twittering yellow bird rests on a corner of the mound', and the Master's comment, 'When it rests, it knows where to rest. Is it possible that a man should not be equal to this bird?' (Legge). Pauthier reads 止 (to rest, to stop) as fixing a dwelling and knowing a 'destination', and adds in brackets the commentary's gloss on man, «la plus intelligente des créatures» (from the Ji-kiang, his note 4: «L'homme est de tous les êtres le plus intelligent»). The 1903 text follows him: the ode's yellow bird becomes «Всякая птица» (every bird), its dwelling shows «что знает свое назначение» (that it knows its calling; Pauthier «le lieu de sa destination»), and man is «умнейшее из всех существ» (the most intelligent of all beings), Pauthier's bracket. 1903 ends «не может знать того же, что и птица?» (cannot know as much as the bird?); the Circle ends «не может знать того, что знает птица: в чем назначение его жизни?» (cannot know what the bird knows: what the calling of his life is?). The added question names what a man should know, the calling of his life, where the Chinese and Pauthier speak of the place to rest. The comment is Confucius's (子曰; Pauthier «Le philosophe [KHOUNG-TSEU] a dit»), the line before it the Book of Odes'; «Китайская мудрость» covers both and stands.

The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. The Great Learning (Daxue), the text, § 2 (Zhu Xi's arrangement; Pauthier, Ta Hio, § 2).

The opening of the Great Learning (the text, § 2) in D. Konissi's Russian, as Thoughts of Wise Men (1903), 3 October, prints it signed «Конфуций» (the Jubilee vol. 40 commentary names Konissi's «Великая наука Конфуция», Вопросы философии и психологии, 1893, кн. 1 (16), which was not found online), reworded for the Circle and signed «Китайская мудрость». The Chinese: 知止而後有定，定而後能静，静而後能安，安而後能慮，慮而後能得 ('knowing where to rest, one is settled; settled, one can be still; still, one can be at peace; at peace, one can deliberate; deliberating, one can attain'; Legge: 'The point where to rest being known, the object of pursuit is then determined …'). The Circle changes the first clause: «Когда человек ясно узнает место, где он должен оставаться навсегда» (when a man clearly learns the place where he must remain forever; the Chinese 知止, knowing where to rest, the highest good of § 1) becomes «Только когда человек ясно узнает свое место в мире» (only when a man clearly learns his place in the world). It makes the last step a cause: «Такой человек бывает восприимчив ко всему истинному» (such a man is receptive to all that is true) becomes «Работа же мысли делает человека восприимчивым ко всему истинному» (and the work of thought makes a man receptive to all that is true), with «работе мысли» (the work of thought) for «мыслительной деятельности» (mental activity) before it; «наступит» (will set in) for «будет» (will be) and «таким» (such) are added. Receptivity to truth for 得 (attaining) is already in 1903, so probably Konissi's. Pauthier's French reads the first clause otherwise («Il faut d'abord connaître le but auquel on doit tendre, ou sa destination définitive»), so 1903 did not come from him. Zhu Xi ascribes the Great Learning's text to Confucius as Zengzi handed it down; «Китайская мудрость» stands.