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Introduction to Literary Chinese - Lesson 3, Text 2

Adapted from the 1927 book by J. Brandt Vocabulary section transcribed with help from with help from 武克富強/Võ Khắc Phú Cường

田仲 T'ien-chung a_name-a_name (T'ien\-chung)

齊有居士田仲者。 There was in the Ch'i state a retired scholar T'ien-chung (by name). 2[in the] Ch'i_state [a] 1exist[:^there_was] dwell-scholar (retired_scholar) 2a_name-a_name (T'ien\-chung) 1who [was named].

齊王養以厚祿。而不責以事。田仲安之。 The ruler of Ch'i paid (lit. supported) (him) a liberal salary, but did not entrust (him) with (any) work, and on account of that T'ien-chung felt himself quite at his ease. 2[of] Ch'i_state 1[^the] ruler support[ed] [him] with [a] substantial (liberal) salary, but [did] not lay_a_charge_on (entrust) [him] with [any] work, [and] 2a_name-a_name (T'ien\-chung) 3[felt himself quite] at_ease 1that[:on_account_of_that].

屈榖往見而謂之曰。 Ch'ü-ku came to see (him) and said to him, a_name-a_name (Ch'\ü\-ku) go[:came] [to] see [him] [and] speak[:said] him[:to_him] speak[:~],

吾有匏。堅如石。厚而無竅。 "I have a bottle-gourd which is hard as a stone, and thick but has no cavity. I have [a] bottle\-gourd [which] [is_]hard as stone, [and] thick but without[:has_no] cavity.

願獻之。 (I) wish to present it to you". [I] wish [to] present it [to you].

仲曰。所貴夫匏者。爲其可以盛也。 T'ien chung said, "One values the bottle-gourd for its use as a receptacle (lit. because it can contain things). a_name (T'ien\-chung) speak[:said], "5passive_particle[:~d] 4[is] value 2this 3bottle\-gourd 1that_which[:^that_for_which] consist[s_in] its can[:ability_to_be] use[d] [for] contain[ing] [things].

今厚而無竅。則不能剖以盛物。 Now (that gourd of yours) is thick but has no cavity; therefore it can not be made to hold things. ^now [that gourd of yours] [is_]thick but without[:has_no] cavity; therefore [it] 2[~]not 1can [be_]split in_order_to hold thing[s].

吾無所用之。 I have no need of it". I without[:have_no] passive_particle[:reason_to] use it.

屈穀曰。今君仰人而食亦無益於人國。殆堅匏之類也。 Ch'ü-ku replied, "Living now at other people's expense you are also of no use to their state and (therefore) closely resemble the hard bottle-gourd (lit. nearly of the hard bottle-gourd class). a_name-a_name (Ch'\ü\-ku) said[:replied], "^now you 3rely[ing]_upon 4person[:other_people] [and are] 2conjunctive_particle (by) 1eat[:feed_yourself] also [of] without[:no] advantage (use) to person[:their] state [and therefore] 2nearly 4hard 5bottle\-gourd ~'s[:~] 3[of the same] class [as the] 1final_particle[:are]."