<p>well, the text in question is korean related.</p>
<p><a href="https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=DEBtDwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT257&amp;lpg=PT257&amp;dq=%22%E6%AD%A3%E7%9B%B8%E7%99%BC%22%E3%80%82%E6%81%90%E9%9D%9E%E6%8C%87%E8%B3%A2%E8%80%85&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=o66VByaDcA&amp;sig=ACfU3U1wDt33GLMKIelNHV8rRs6ESjYbZQ&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwih2M2Y-9v0AhXHZ94KHbjiBwQQ6AF6BAgCEAM" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=DEBtDwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT257&amp;lpg=PT257&amp;dq=%22%E6%AD%A3%E7%9B%B8%E7%99%BC%22%E3%80%82%E6%81%90%E9%9D%9E%E6%8C%87%E8%B3%A2%E8%80%85&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=o66VByaDcA&amp;sig=ACfU3U1wDt33GLMKIelNHV8rRs6ESjYbZQ&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwih2M2Y-9v0AhXHZ94KHbjiBwQQ6AF6BAgCEAM</a></p>
<p>正相發 roughly means: just rightfully (正 -&gt; 正好) mutually (相 -&gt; 互相) explicate (發 -&gt; 闡發) [each other]</p>
<p>edited, i would short cut the verse into:</p>
<p>“不可以不知人不知天。此所謂<strong>人</strong>” vs “仁者人也之<strong>人</strong>”</p>
<p>so, the notion of homo sapiens (人), who understand themselves (知人 ) and the heaven (知天),</p>
<p>and the notion of homo sapiens (人) who is benevolent (仁);</p>
<p>[these two notions are] just rightfully, mutually explicate [each other] (正相發)</p>
<p>btw, interpret “人” as “men” is, not politically correct nowadays </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-12T18:47:11.280Z
So would you say that the whole sentence could be roughly translated as: "Here, those who are called “men” [此所謂人], and men who are benevolent, explicate each other"  (i.e. the word "men" refers to men who are benevolent)?
McCzajnik
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-13T01:47:13.263Z
@McCzajnik, i edited the answer, reread, please 
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-13T16:37:31.157Z
Thanks. The word "men" came from James Legge's translation of the doctrine of te mean - otherwise I would not use it :)
McCzajnik
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-11T14:49:45.790Z
2021-12-13T01:46:23.040Z
2021-12-13T01:46:23.040Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>There is this passage from the Doctrine of the Mean:</p>
<p>&quot;&quot;Hence the sovereign may not neglect the cultivation of his own character. Wishing to cultivate his character, he may not neglect to serve his parents. In order to serve his parents, he may not neglect to acquire knowledge of men. In order to know men, he may not dispense with a knowledge of Heaven&quot; (<a href="https://ctext.org/liji/zhong-yong" rel="nofollow noreferrer">link</a>)</p>
<p>Below is a passage refering to this text:</p>
<p>...然苟不知人所以為人之理，則亦無以事其親。而理本出於天，故曰不可以不知人不知天。此所謂人，與仁者人也之人，正相發。恐非指賢者也。</p>
<p>I am not sure how to understand this phrase: &quot;正相發&quot;.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.</p>

<translation><classical-chinese>
meaning of "正相發"
# meaning of "正相發"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-12-11)

There is this passage from the Doctrine of the Mean:

""Hence the sovereign may not neglect the cultivation of his own character. Wishing to cultivate his character, he may not neglect to serve his parents. In order to serve his parents, he may not neglect to acquire knowledge of men. In order to know men, he may not dispense with a knowledge of Heaven" ([link](https://ctext.org/liji/zhong-yong))

Below is a passage refering to this text:

...然苟不知人所以為人之理，則亦無以事其親。而理本出於天，故曰不可以不知人不知天。此所謂人，與仁者人也之人，正相發。恐非指賢者也。

I am not sure how to understand this phrase: "正相發". Any help would be greatly appreciated.

**Tags:** translation, classical-chinese


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-12-11. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

well, the text in question is korean related.

<https://books.google.com.hk/books?id=DEBtDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT257&lpg=PT257&dq=%22%E6%AD%A3%E7%9B%B8%E7%99%BC%22%E3%80%82%E6%81%90%E9%9D%9E%E6%8C%87%E8%B3%A2%E8%80%85&source=bl&ots=o66VByaDcA&sig=ACfU3U1wDt33GLMKIelNHV8rRs6ESjYbZQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwih2M2Y-9v0AhXHZ94KHbjiBwQQ6AF6BAgCEAM>

正相發 roughly means: just rightfully (正 -> 正好) mutually (相 -> 互相) explicate (發 -> 闡發) [each other]

edited, i would short cut the verse into:

“不可以不知人不知天。此所謂**人**” vs “仁者人也之**人**”

so, the notion of homo sapiens (人), who understand themselves (知人 ) and the heaven (知天),

and the notion of homo sapiens (人) who is benevolent (仁);

[these two notions are] just rightfully, mutually explicate [each other] (正相發)

btw, interpret “人” as “men” is, not politically correct nowadays

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: So would you say that the whole sentence could be roughly translated as: "Here, those who are called “men” [此所謂人], and men who are benevolent, explicate each other"  (i.e. the word "men" refers to men who are benevolent)?  
> **username_1**: @username_0, i edited the answer, reread, please   
> **username_0**: Thanks. The word "men" came from James Legge's translation of the doctrine of te mean - otherwise I would not use it :)  

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