Pa Yih / 8
子夏问曰，巧笑倩兮，美目盼兮，素以为绚兮。何谓也。子曰，绘事后素。曰，礼后乎。子曰，起予者商也，始可与言诗已矣。
Modern Chinese Guide
子夏问道：《诗经》里说“美好的笑容动人啊，明亮的眼睛顾盼啊，就像洁白的底子上画出绚丽的色彩”，这几句是什么意思呢？孔子说：先有白色的底子，然后才能在上面绘画。子夏说：这么说来，礼是产生在仁德之后的吗？孔子说：能启发我的就是你商啊！现在可以同你谈论《诗经》了。
James Legge Translation
1. Tsze-hsia asked, saying, "What is the meaning of the passage—'The pretty dimples of her artful smile! The well-defined black and white of her eye! The plain ground for the colours?'" 2. The Master said, "The business of laying on the colours follows (the preparation of) the plain ground." 3. "Ceremonies then are a subsequent thing?" The Master said, "It is Shang who can bring out my meaning. Now I can begin to talk about the odes with him."
Notes and themes
- 底本：Wikisource 整理的 James Legge《The Chinese Classics》公版中英文本。
- 中文由繁体转为简体，后续白话解释需逐章审校。
- 白话参考底本：《白话论语读本》，张兆瑢、沈元起编译，上海广益书局1948 年新三版。
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