切磋琢磨
孔子的學生中，顏回在思想和行為上與孔子最為接近，而從情商和智商的雙高角度來看，子貢拔得頭籌。子貢善于經商，在理財經商方面具有卓越的天賦。他曾經經商于曹、魯兩國之間，富致千金。對于子貢來說，如何在貧富之時做到精進？這是一個問題。
子貢曰：“貧而無諂，富而無驕〔1〕，何如？”
子曰：“可也。未若貧而樂，富而好禮者也。〔2〕”
子貢曰：“《詩》〔3〕云：‘如切如磋，如琢如磨。〔4〕其斯之謂與〔5〕？”
子曰：“賜也，始可與言《詩》已矣！告諸往而知來者。〔6〕”
注釋
〔1〕諂，卑屈也。驕，矜肆也。常人溺于貧富之中，而不知所以自守，故必有二者之病。無諂無驕，則知自守矣，而未能超乎貧富之外也。?
〔2〕凡曰“可”者，僅可而有所未盡之辭也。樂，音洛。好，去聲。樂則心廣體胖而忘其貧，好禮則安處善，樂循理，亦不自知其富矣。子貢貨殖，蓋先貧后富；而嘗用力于自守者，故以此為問。而夫子答之如此，蓋許其所已能，而勉其所未至也。?
〔3〕《詩》，《衛風·淇澳》之篇。
〔4〕磋，七多反。言治骨角者，既切之而復磋之，治玉石者，既琢之而復磨之：治之已精，而益求其精也。?
〔5〕與，平聲。子貢自以無諂無驕為至矣，聞夫子之言，又知義理之無窮，雖有得焉，而未可遽自足也。故引是詩以明之。
〔6〕往者，其所已言者。來者，其所未言者。
愚按：此章問答，其淺深高下，固不待辨說而明矣。然不切則磋無所施，不琢則磨無所措。故學者雖不可安于小成，而不求造道之極致，亦不可騖于虛遠，而不察切己之實病也。
Tsze-kung said, "What do you pronounce concerning the poor man who yet does not flatter, and the rich man who is not proud?"
The Master replied, "They will do; but they are not equal to him, who, though poor, is yet cheerful, and to him, who, though rich, loves the rules of propriety."
Tsze-kung replied, "It is said in the Book of Poetry, " As you cut and then file, as you carve and then polish." The meaning is the same, I apprehend, as that which you have just expressed."
?The Master said, "With one like Tsze, I can begin to talk about the odes. I told him one point, and he knew its proper sequence."
▍生詞好句
pronounce: vt. 發音；判決；判斷
pronunciation: n. 發音
flatter: vt. 拍馬屁
propriety:? n. 禮節
the Book of Poetry: 《詩經》
file: vi. 磋
ode: n. 頌
