孔子的新聞

What news! how much more important to know what that is which was never old! "Kieou-pe-yu (great dignitary of the state of Wei) sent a man to Khoung-tseu to know his news. Khoung-tseu caused the messenger to be seated near him, and questioned him in these terms: What is your master doing? The messenger answered with respect: My master desires to diminish the number of his faults, but he cannot accomplish it.. The messenger being gone, the philosopher remarked: What a worthy messenger! What a worthy messenger!"

什麼新聞！知道不會變舊的東西才是更重要的！

蘧伯玉（衞國的大人物）使人於孔子。孔子與之坐，而問焉。曰：「夫子何為？」對曰：「夫子欲寡其過而未能也。」使者出。子曰：「使乎！使乎！」 　　－ 論語(憲問第十四)

梭羅引《論語》此章有些奇怪，可能是他讀到的英譯（梭羅應該不懂中文）將使者的意圖譯成想要去打探孔子的消息，實則原文並未提及使者的來意。蘧伯玉和孔子是舊識，孔子每次去衛國都住他那裡。派使者去孔子那裡可能只是表達問候之意。

不過我在網上查閱《論語》此章時，發現就在上一章孔子所說的話更有智慧：

子曰：「古之學者為己；今之學者為人。」

孔子的思想其實很值得看看，只是無論什麼好東西一旦到了中國人手裡都變了樣。現在又被中國人搬出來供奉；但是我想若是今天孔子重生，中國的當政者也不會讓他說心裡想講的話。