Wenyan

It Is Not Me, It Is the Weapon

fēi非1

wǒ我2

yě也3

，

bīng兵4

yě也5

It is not me, it is the weapon.

1. (это был) не (is not, it is not that [negation in nominal predicate])

2. я

3. (final sentence particle [marking judgment/clause break])

4. (это было) оружие (weapon, arms)

5. (final sentence particle [expressing confirmation/assertion])

One Tree Does Not Make a Forest

dú独1

mù木2

bù不3

chéng成4

lín林5

A single tree cannot make a forest.

1. single, alone

2. tree

3. not

4. become, form

5. forest

Practice of Self-Examination

wú吾1

rì日2

sān三3

xǐng省4

wǒ我5

shēn身6

I examine my own self on three points every day. / I examine myself multiple times daily.

1. I, my [first-person pronoun]

2. daily, every day [adverbial]

3. three, multiple times

4. to examine, to reflect upon

5. my, my own

6. self, person, conduct

Don't disturb shit

bù不1

tà踏2

huì秽3

zé则4

bù不5

xūn熏6

If you don't step in filth, you won't be tainted by it.

1. если не (not, if not)

2. наступать на (step on, tread upon)

3. дерьмо (filth, dirt, impurity)

4. то (then, in that case)

5. не (not, will not)

6. запачкаешься (be tainted, be stained, be smoked)

Mencius Meets King Hui of Liang

mèng孟1

zǐ子2

jiàn见3

liáng梁4

huì惠5

wáng王6

Mencius went to see King Hui of Liang.

1-2. Учитель Мэн (Mencius, Master Meng)

3. принял (to meet, to grant an audience to, to see)

4. лянского (Liang [state name])

5. Беневолента (Hui [posthumous name, 'Kind/Benevolent'])

6. -царя (king)