Grand 文言文 Reading Project #5: 《大學之道》

[Humblegeoff]

This is a little early, I know, but I have a day off class, so am trying to get ahead. Last week we recklessly came up with two weeks' worth of texts, so here's 《大學之道》- the text for Wednesday the 1st of August, shockingly ahead of time.

I have checked it against the 三民書局 edition of the 四書 as is our usual habit, and was surprised to see both 后 and 後 used together to refer to time in that version. Something to discuss next week, I suppose. Widely spaced Word version is attached for notes and doodles, and I'll be carrying photocopies around in the meantime too.大學之道 spaced.docx

[Humblegeoff]

Version checked against 三民書局 edition of 四書

大學之道

大學之道：在明明德，在親民，在止於至善。知止而后有定，定而后能靜，靜而后能安，安而后能慮，慮而后能得。物有本末，事有終始，知所先後，則近道矣。

古之欲明明德於天下者，先治其國；欲治其國者，先齊其家；欲齊其家者，先修其身；欲修其身者，先正其心；欲正其心者，先誠其意；欲誠其意者，先致其知；致知在格物。物格而后知至，知至而后意誠，意誠而后心正，心正而后身修，身修而后家齊，家齊而后國治，國治而后天下平。

自天子以至於庶人，壹是皆以修身為本。其本亂而末治者否矣；其所厚者薄，而其所薄者厚，未之有也。

[Humblegeoff]

Version without punctuation

大學之道

大學之道在明明德在親民在止於至善知止而后有定定而后能靜靜而后能安安而后能慮慮而后能得物有本末事有終始知所先後則近道矣

古之欲明明德於天下者先治其國欲治其國者先齊其家欲齊其家者先修其身欲修其身者先正其心欲正其心者先誠其意欲誠其意者先致其知致知在格物物格而后知至知至而后意誠意誠而后心正心正而后身修身修而后家齊家齊而后國治國治而后天下平

自天子以至於庶人壹是皆以修身為本其本亂而末治者否矣其所厚者薄而其所薄者厚未之有也

[Humblegeoff]

Useful? Vocab and odds and ends and the like

明德

míngdé

illustrious virtue; highest virtue

而後[-后]

érhòu

{conjunction} after that; then

至善

zhìshàn

N. acme of perfection

齊家治國[齐--国]

qíjiāzhìguó

to regulate the family and rule the state (idiom)

脩

xiū

◆ (old) dried meat as gift to a teacher in lieu of tuition

◆ same as 修 xiū

修身

xiūshēn

cultivate one's moral character

誠意正心[诚---]

chéngyìzhèngxīn

F.E. sincere thought and righteous heart

致知

zhìzhī

V.O. ① pursue knowledge; attain/acquire knowledge ② extend one's knowledge ◆ See also géwùzhìzhī

格物致知

géwùzhìzhī

F.E. ① to investigate things is to attain knowledge ② extend knowledge to the utmost ③ study the nature of things

格物

géwù

V.O. <wr.> study phenomena of nature

否（古）

fǒu

(v) "it is not" (FI)

薄（古）

bó

(v) to be slight > to make slight (FI)

厚

³hòu

S.V. ① thick ② deep; profound ③ kind; magnanimous ④ large; generous ⑤ rich/strong in flavor ⑥ sincere ◆ V. favor; stress

◆ CONS. ∼A ³bó B favor A, disfavor B

[skylee]

HKU's motto is 明德格物.

PS - See sections 11-17 of this page for more explanation -> http://www.hku.hk/about/uid/background.html#D2

[Kobo-Daishi]

Version checked against 三民書局 edition of 四書

For me, Chinese is little more than a hobby.

I'm not taking it for school or for future job prospects or anything like that.

The most I do is watch American television series with Chinese subtitles.

Occasionally, I do like reading these threads on literary Chinese.

I don't have any of these classics in print but I do download pirate scans off the Internet.

I haven't been able to download any of the Sanmin versions though.

I don't know if people don't pirate in Taiwan and Hong Kong or what.

I've seen books in traditional pirated but never the Sanmin.

Would you mind scanning a representative entry for us who don't have access to the books. I've heard mention of the Sanmins in quite a few threads and am quite intrigued by them.

Kobo.

[Humblegeoff]

I'll look into this, Kobo - I should be able to scan next week's text once the storm abates, but my scanner access is limited at the moment.

[Kobo-Daishi]

Thanks.

No hurry.

Kobo.