礼之和为贵
“礼”的本质在于自然之理，正因如此，在实行“礼”时，便要以“从容不迫”处之，这叫做“礼之用，和为贵”；然而，“礼”的应用，又不能“因和而和”，而应“以礼节之”，方能恰当应对。
有子曰：“礼之用，和为贵〔1〕。先王之道斯为美，小大由之。有所不行，知和而和，不以礼节之，亦不可行也。”
注释
〔1〕礼者，天理之节文，人事之仪则也。和者，从容不迫之意。盖礼之为体虽严，而皆出于自然之理，故其为用，必从容而不迫，乃为可贵。
程子曰：“礼胜则离，故礼之用，和为贵，先王之道以斯为美，而小大由之。乐胜则流，故有所不行者，知和而和，不以礼节之， 亦不可行。”
The philosopher Yu said, "In practising the rules of propriety, a natural ease is to be prized. In the ways prescribed by the ancient kings, this is the excellent quality, and in things small and great we follow them. "Yet it is not to be observed in all cases. If one, knowing how such ease should be prized, manifests it, without regulating it by the rules of propriety, this likewise is not to be done."
生词
propriety: n. 规范；礼节
ease: n. 轻松；舒适
at ease: 放松
prescribe: vt. 规定
prescription: n. 药方；处方
observe: vt. 遵守
observe the proprieties: 遵守规定
manifest: vt. 呈现；显现
regulate: vt. 调节；节制
likewise: adv. 同样地；也
ancient kings: 古代君王
