仲尼祖述尧舜，宪章文武。上律天时，下袭水土。Confucius took Yao and Shun as his predecessors to expound his teachings, and regarded the Duke of Zhou and King Wen as his models to establish his principles. He followed the laws of celestial phenomena above and conformed to the conditions of the land and water below.
孔子继承尧舜的传统，以文王、武王为典范，上遵循天时运行的规律，下符合水土地理的环境。
辟如天地之无不持载，无不覆帱。辟如四时之错行，如日月之代明。It is just like the heaven and the earth, which carry and cover everything without exception. It is like the four seasons alternating in their courses, and the sun and the moon shining in turn.
就像天地那样没有什么不能承载，没有什么不能覆盖。又好像四季的交错运行，日月交替光明。
万物并育而不相害。道并行而不相悖。小德川流；大德敦化。此天地之所以为大也。All things grow and develop together without harming each other. Different ways coexist without contradicting each other. Minor virtues flow like small streams; great virtues enrich and transform. This is why the heaven and the earth are so great.
万物一起生长而互不妨害，遵循各自的规律而互不冲突。小的德行如河水一样长流不息，大的德行使万物敦厚纯朴。这就是天地的伟大之处啊！
