子曰：「道千乘之國：敬事而信，節用而愛人，使民以時。」
1.“千乘之國”的翻譯。它的表面意義是指“擁有一千輛戰車的國家”。James Legge 和許淵沖都是直譯，而辜鴻銘則翻譯為“a great nation（大國）”。他自己在序言里解釋：“為了盡可能地消除英國讀者的陌生感和古怪感，只要可行，我們都盡量去掉所有那些中國的專有名詞。”那么，“千乘之國”在孔子時代算不算大國呢？楊伯峻《論語譯注》里寫道：“每乘擁有四匹馬拉的兵車一輛，車上甲士3人，車下步卒72人，后勤人員25人，共計100人。千乘之國，指擁有1000輛戰車的國家，即諸侯國。春秋時代，戰爭頻仍，所以國家的強弱都用車輛的數目來計算。在孔子時代，千乘之國已經不是大國。” 辜鴻銘考慮到文化傳播的需要，為受眾考慮，對名詞進行了模糊化處理，但是是否準確，值得商榷。
2.“使民以時”的翻譯。它的意思是“役使百姓要不誤農時”（“作事使民，必以其時，不妨奪農務。”——《論語注疏》）。我們知道，在春秋時代，一旦國家有需要，老百姓是要進行強制勞動或者服兵役的。James Legge和辜鴻銘翻譯接近，都用了“employ/employment”，許淵沖則譯為“tell them to labor at the proper times of the year”，似乎沒有翻譯出“役使”的意義，而更像是“告訴百姓不要誤了農時”。
【James Legge】The Master said, "To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business, and sincerity; economy in expenditure, and love for men; and the employment of the people at the proper seasons."
【辜鴻銘】Confucius remarked, “When directing the affairs of a great nation, a man must be serious in attention to business and faithful and punctual in his engagements. He must study economy in the public expenditure, and love the welfare of the people. He must employ the people at the proper time of the year.”
【許淵沖】In a country of a thousand war-chariots, said the Master, the ruler should be respectful in deed and faithful in word, thrifty in expenditure and affectionate towards the people and tell them to labor at the proper times of the year.
