切磋琢磨
孔子的学生中，颜回在思想和行为上与孔子最为接近，而从情商和智商的双高角度来看，子贡拔得头筹。子贡善于经商，在理财经商方面具有卓越的天赋。他曾经经商于曹、鲁两国之间，富致千金。对于子贡来说，如何在贫富之时做到精进？这是一个问题。
子贡曰：“贫而无谄，富而无骄〔1〕，何如？”
子曰：“可也。未若贫而乐，富而好礼者也。〔2〕”
子贡曰：“《诗》〔3〕云：‘如切如磋，如琢如磨。〔4〕其斯之谓与〔5〕？”
子曰：“赐也，始可与言《诗》已矣！告诸往而知来者。〔6〕”
注释
〔1〕谄，卑屈也。骄，矜肆也。常人溺于贫富之中，而不知所以自守，故必有二者之病。无谄无骄，则知自守矣，而未能超乎贫富之外也。
〔2〕凡曰“可”者，仅可而有所未尽之辞也。乐，音洛。好，去声。乐则心广体胖而忘其贫，好礼则安处善，乐循理，亦不自知其富矣。子贡货殖，盖先贫后富；而尝用力于自守者，故以此为问。而夫子答之如此，盖许其所已能，而勉其所未至也。
〔3〕《诗》，《卫风·淇澳》之篇。
〔4〕磋，七多反。言治骨角者，既切之而复磋之，治玉石者，既琢之而复磨之：治之已精，而益求其精也。
〔5〕与，平声。子贡自以无谄无骄为至矣，闻夫子之言，又知义理之无穷，虽有得焉，而未可遽自足也。故引是诗以明之。
〔6〕往者，其所已言者。来者，其所未言者。
愚按：此章问答，其浅深高下，固不待辨说而明矣。然不切则磋无所施，不琢则磨无所措。故学者虽不可安于小成，而不求造道之极致，亦不可骛于虚远，而不察切己之实病也。
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."
▍生词好句
pronounce: vt. 发音；判决；判断
pronunciation: n. 发音
flatter: vt. 拍马屁
propriety: n. 礼节
the Book of Poetry: 《诗经》
file: vi. 磋
ode: n. 颂
