【原文】

子絕四：毋意，毋必，毋固，毋我。

【參考譯文】

孔子的四項戒絕是：不任意揣測，不專斷肯定，不固執拘泥，不自高自大。

【English Translation】

Confucius’ four abstinences are not making wild conjectures, not being dogmatic, not being obstinate and not being arrogant.

【原文】

子曰：〝吾有知乎哉？無知也。有鄙夫問於我，空空如也。我叩其兩端而竭焉。〞

【參考譯文】

孔子說：〝我算有知識嗎？其實沒有。有個鄉下人問我，我卻回答不出來。對他提出的問題我前後反復思考，盡我所能回答他。

【English Translation】

Confucius said: "Am I really that knowledgeable? I’ll say not. Once when a commoner consulted me, I could not answer him. Despite thinking about the question on numerous occasions, I could not find the answer. "

【原文】

子曰：〝譬如為山，未成一簣，止，吾止也。譬如平地，雖覆一簣，進，吾往也。〞

【參考譯文】

孔子說：〝好比用土堆山，只差一筐土就堆成了，如果停下來，山就堆不出來了。又好比用土填坑，雖然剛倒一筐土，只要堅持下去，平地就填出來了。〞

【English Translation】

Confucius said: "Just like the building of a mound, if I choose to stop before the last basket of earth has been poured, the job will never be complete. And just like levelling the ground, even if only one bucketful of earth has been poured in initially, I will progress because I choose to go ahead. "