鲁哀公问于仲尼曰：“卫有恶人焉，曰哀骀它。丈夫与之处者，思而不能去也；妇人见之，请于父母曰：‘与为人妻，宁为夫子妾’者，数十而未止也。Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius, "In the state of Wei, there is an ugly man named Aitai. Men who stay with him are captivated and cannot leave; women who see him plead with their parents, 'Rather than be the wife of another, I would prefer to be his concubine,' and there were dozens of such women and still more kept coming.
鲁哀公问孔子说：“卫国有个面貌丑陋的人，名叫哀骀它。男人跟他相处，就会想念他，舍不得离开；女人见到他，就会向父母请求说：‘与其做别人的妻子，不如做哀骀它的小妾。’这样的女人有几十个，而且还在增加。
未尝有闻其唱者也，常和人而已矣。He has never been heard to initiate anything; he merely agrees with others.
从来没听他倡导过什么，只是常常附和别人罢了。
无君人之位以济乎人之死，无聚禄以望人之腹，又以恶骇天下。He has no position of power to save people from death, no wealth to fill people's bellies, yet his ugliness startles the world.
他没有统治他人的地位来拯救别人于死亡危难之中，也没有积聚的俸禄让别人填饱肚子，而且又因容貌丑陋使天下人惊骇。
和而不唱，知不出乎四域，且而雌雄合乎前，是必有异乎人者也。He only followed others' lead and didn't take the initiative, his wisdom does not extend beyond the four borders, yet both men and women are drawn to him. There must be something extraordinary about him.
只是附和而不倡导什么，才智也超不出周围的人，可男女老少都聚集在他跟前，这个人肯定有与常人不同的地方。
寡人召而观之，果以恶骇天下。与寡人处，不至以月数，而寡人有意乎其为人也；不至乎期年，而寡人信之。I summoned him and had a look. Indeed, his ugliness shocked the whole world. When he stayed with me, before even a month had passed, I already had a favorable impression of his character; before a year had passed, I already trusted him.
我把他召来一看，果真容貌丑陋得让天下人惊骇。他和我相处还不到一个月，我就对他的为人产生了倾慕之意；还不到一年，我就已经非常信任他了。
国无宰，而寡人传国焉。闷然而后应，氾而若辞。寡人丑乎，卒授之国。The country had no governor, and I was ready to entrust the state to him. He responded with reluctance and seemed to decline. I felt ashamed and eventually gave him the state.
国家没有宰相，我就把国事委托给他。他神情淡漠地回答，漫不经心，好像推辞的样子。我深感羞愧，最终还是把国事交给了他。
无几何也，去寡人而行。寡人恤焉若有亡也，若无与乐是国也。是何人者也！”Not long after that, he left me and went away. I was worried as if I had lost something, as if there was no one with whom I could enjoy ruling this state. Who on earth is this man!"
没过多久，他就离开我走了。我忧心忡忡，就好像丢失了什么似的，好像没有人能和我一起享受治理这个国家的乐趣了。这究竟是个什么样的人呀！”
仲尼曰：“丘也尝使于楚矣，适见豚子食于其死母者。少焉眴若，皆弃之而走。Confucius said, "I once went on a mission to the state of Chu. Just then I saw some piglets suckling at their dead mother. After a while, they all stared in horror and ran away one after another.
孔子说：“我曾出使到楚国，恰好看见一群小猪在刚死的母猪身上吃奶。一会儿，它们都惊慌失措地逃跑了。
不见己焉尔，不得其类焉尔。所爱其母者，非爱其形也，爱使其形者也。It was because they couldn't recognize their mother as she used to be and couldn't find their kind in her. What they loved about their mother was not her physical form but what gave life to that form.
因为它们发现母猪已死了，不再是它们所依赖的那个活生生的母体了。小猪爱它们的母亲，不是爱母亲的外形，而是爱那支配它外形的精神。
战而死者，其人之葬也不以翣资；刖者之屡，无为爱之。皆无其本矣。For those who died in battle, their funerals didn't use the ornaments for coffins (fans); for those who had their feet cut off, they no longer cared about the shoes they used to wear. All of them had lost their essence.
在战场上战死的人，埋葬他们的时候不用棺饰；被砍断脚的人，对于原来穿过的鞋子，也就不再爱惜了。这都是因为失去了根本啊。
为天子之诸御：不爪翦，不穿耳；取妻者止于外，不得复使。For the concubines and maidservants of the Son of Heaven: they don't trim their fingernails or pierce their ears; for those who have taken a wife, they stay outside the palace and can't be used for service in the palace again.
作为天子身边的妃嫔宫女们：不修剪指甲，不穿耳孔戴耳环；男子娶妻之后就止步于宫廷之外，不能再进入宫廷供役使了。
形全犹足以为尔，而况全德之人乎！Even those with complete physical forms are already capable of being like this, let alone those with complete virtues!
形体完整的人尚且能做到这样让人产生倾慕之感，更何况是那些道德完备的人呢！
今哀骀它未言而信，无功而亲，使人授己国，唯恐其不受也，是必才全而德不形者也。”Now Aitaita has won people's trust without saying much, has been loved without achieving any merits, and has made people want to hand over their state to him, fearing that he might not accept it. He must be a man with complete talents but whose virtues are not outwardly manifested."
如今哀骀它未曾多言却能得到别人的信任，没有什么功绩却能让人亲近，使得别人要把国家交给他管理，还唯恐他不接受，这个人必定是才能完备而道德不显露于外的人啊。”
哀公曰：“何谓才全？”Duke Ai asked, "What does it mean to have complete talents?"
鲁哀公问：“什么叫做才能完备呢？”
仲尼曰：“死生、存亡、穷达、贫富、贤与不肖、毁誉、饥渴、寒暑，是事之变、命之行也。Confucius said, "Life and death, existence and non-existence, poverty and prosperity, wealth and poverty, virtue and vice, praise and slander, hunger and thirst, cold and heat, these are all the changes of things and the workings of fate.
孔子说：“生死、存亡、困厄与显达、贫穷与富有、贤能与不肖、诋毁与赞誉、饥渴、寒暑，这些都是事物的变化、命运的流转。
日夜相代乎前，而知不能规乎其始者也。故不足以滑和，不可入于灵府。They alternate day and night before us, and our wisdom can't predict their beginnings. Therefore, they are not enough to disrupt the inner harmony and can't penetrate into the depths of our souls.
它们日夜交替出现在人们面前，而人的智慧却无法预知它们的起始。所以这些变化不足以扰乱内心的平和，也不能侵入到心灵深处。
使之和豫通而不失于兑。使日夜无隙，而与物为春，是接而生时于心者也。是之谓才全。”Let it make one's mood harmonious, pleasant, and unobstructed without losing the sense of joy. Let it be continuous day and night, and treat everything like spring, so that when one comes into contact with things, a sense of timeliness arises in one's heart. This is what is called having complete talents."
要使心境平和愉悦通畅而不失于愉悦之情的表露。让这种平和的心境日夜不间断，对待万物都如同春天般温和，这样就能在与万物接触时在心中产生顺应时宜的感觉。这就叫做才能完备。”
“何谓德不形？”"What does it mean that virtues are not outwardly manifested?"
鲁哀公又问：“什么叫做道德不显露于外呢？”
曰：“平者，水停之盛也。其可以为法也，内保之而外不荡也。Confucius said, "Calmness is the perfect state of still water. It can be used as a standard, keeping calm inside and not being disturbed on the outside.
孔子说：“平，是水静止时达到的最佳状态。它可以作为效法的准则，内心保持平静而外表不被扰动。
德者，成和之修也。德不形者，物不能离也。”Virtue is the cultivation of achieving harmony. For those whose virtues are not outwardly manifested, things can't do without them."
道德，是成就平和心性的修养。道德不显露于外的人，万物都离不开他。”
哀公异日以告闵子曰：“始也吾以南面而君天下，执民之纪而忧其死，吾自以为至通矣。On another day, Duke Ai told Minzi, "At first, I thought that by facing south and ruling the world, grasping the principles for governing the people and worrying about their deaths, I had reached the utmost understanding.
过了些日子，鲁哀公把这些话告诉闵子骞说：“起初我以国君的身份治理天下，掌握着治理百姓的纲纪，担忧百姓的生死，我自以为已经非常通达事理了。
今吾闻至人之言，恐吾无其实，轻用吾身而亡吾国。吾与孔丘非君臣也，德友而已矣！”Now that I've heard the words of the perfect man, I'm afraid that I don't actually have such abilities, and I might easily misuse my power and lose my state. I and Confucius are not just in a relationship of sovereign and subject, but are friends in virtue!"
有一天鲁哀公把孔子这番话告诉闵子，说：“起初我认为坐朝当政统治天下，掌握国家的纲纪而忧心人民的死活，便自以为是最通达的了，如今我听到至人的名言，真忧虑没有实在的政绩，轻率作践自身而使国家危亡。我跟孔子不是君臣关系，而是以德相交的朋友啊！”
