<p>in classical chinese, "i" is rarely used. it's replaced by other character / word.</p>

<p>請勿復敢見矣 is "I do not dare to ask for meeting you anymore" (imo, this translation is a very good one)</p>

<p>請 - replaced "i"</p>

<p>勿 - do not</p>

<p>復 - anymore</p>

<p>敢 - dare to</p>

<p>見 - ask for meeting you</p>

<p>in the same sentence, 弟子齊宿而後敢言 is roughly:</p>

<p>i used to respect (you, mr 孟), therefore i dare to persuade</p>

<p>弟子 - literally "disciple", it replaced "i"</p>

<p>齊宿 - in 漢 dynasty, it was interpreted as "used to respect"¹</p>

<p>而後 - therefore</p>

<p>敢言 - dare to persuade</p>

<p>no "i", get it?</p>

<p>¹齊﹒敬也﹒宿﹒素也:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/t1Rmy.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/t1Rmy.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-27T03:00:50.390Z
2016-11-27T03:00:50.390Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>This is from baidu, in more modern Chinese.</p>

<p><a href="https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/139017464.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/139017464.html</a></p>

<p>客人很不高兴地说：“我是先一天斋戒沭浴后才敢跟您说话，先生睡卧而不听，今后再也不敢请求见您了。”</p>

<p>They put '请勿复敢见矣' as '，今后再也不敢请求见您了'</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-27T03:04:40.577Z
"齊宿" translated as "先一天齋戒沐浴"? this baidu is xxx. btw, it should be "沐", not "沭".
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-27T04:13:09.157Z
Good thing it is not my translation then! There must be a reliable source for Modern Chinese versions of these Old Chinese texts. Do you know one?
Gangosa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-27T04:23:55.140Z
modern chinese version? sorry lah, no.
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-27T02:36:27.373Z
2016-11-27T02:36:27.373Z
Gangosa
<p>How to understand &quot;请勿复敢见矣&quot; in 《孟子·公孙丑下》:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>孟子去齐，宿于昼。有欲为王留行者，坐而言。不应，隐几而卧。客不悦曰：“弟子齐宿而后敢言，夫子卧而不听，<strong>请勿复敢见矣</strong>。”</p>
<p>曰：“坐！我明语子。昔者鲁缪公无人乎子思之侧，则不能安子思；泄柳、申详，无人乎缪公之侧，则不能安其身。子为长者虑，而不及子思，子绝长者乎？长者绝子乎？”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Someone translates &quot;请勿复敢见矣&quot; to &quot;I do not dare to ask for meeting you anymore&quot;. It makes sense to me, but I don't get why it can be expressed in this way.</p>
<p>I think &quot;请勿&quot; means &quot;please stop doing/ please do not&quot;, and &quot;复敢见&quot; is &quot;dare to meet again&quot;. Therefore the natural interpretation would be &quot;Please don't dare to meet again&quot;. I know it sounds very odd, so I am wondering what I have missed here?</p>

<translation><classical-chinese>
How to understand "请勿复敢见矣"?
# How to understand "请勿复敢见矣"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-11-27)

How to understand "请勿复敢见矣" in 《孟子·公孙丑下》:

> 孟子去齐，宿于昼。有欲为王留行者，坐而言。不应，隐几而卧。客不悦曰：“弟子齐宿而后敢言，夫子卧而不听，**请勿复敢见矣**。”
>
> 曰：“坐！我明语子。昔者鲁缪公无人乎子思之侧，则不能安子思；泄柳、申详，无人乎缪公之侧，则不能安其身。子为长者虑，而不及子思，子绝长者乎？长者绝子乎？”

Someone translates "请勿复敢见矣" to "I do not dare to ask for meeting you anymore". It makes sense to me, but I don't get why it can be expressed in this way.

I think "请勿" means "please stop doing/ please do not", and "复敢见" is "dare to meet again". Therefore the natural interpretation would be "Please don't dare to meet again". I know it sounds very odd, so I am wondering what I have missed here?

**Tags:** translation, classical-chinese


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-11-27. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

in classical chinese, "i" is rarely used. it's replaced by other character / word.

請勿復敢見矣 is "I do not dare to ask for meeting you anymore" (imo, this translation is a very good one)

請 - replaced "i"

勿 - do not

復 - anymore

敢 - dare to

見 - ask for meeting you

in the same sentence, 弟子齊宿而後敢言 is roughly:

i used to respect (you, mr 孟), therefore i dare to persuade

弟子 - literally "disciple", it replaced "i"

齊宿 - in 漢 dynasty, it was interpreted as "used to respect"¹

而後 - therefore

敢言 - dare to persuade

no "i", get it?

¹齊﹒敬也﹒宿﹒素也:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/t1Rmy.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/t1Rmy.png)


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### Answer by username_2 on 2016-11-27. Score: 0

This is from baidu, in more modern Chinese.

<https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/139017464.html>

客人很不高兴地说：“我是先一天斋戒沭浴后才敢跟您说话，先生睡卧而不听，今后再也不敢请求见您了。”

They put '请勿复敢见矣' as '，今后再也不敢请求见您了'

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: "齊宿" translated as "先一天齋戒沐浴"? this baidu is xxx. btw, it should be "沐", not "沭".  
> **username_2**: Good thing it is not my translation then! There must be a reliable source for Modern Chinese versions of these Old Chinese texts. Do you know one?  
> **username_1**: modern chinese version? sorry lah, no.  

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