Original Text:
齐景公待孔子曰若季氏则吾不能以季孟之间待之曰吾老矣不能用也孔子行
Translation:
Other Translations:
With regard to how he should treat Confucius, Duke Jing of Qi said, “I cannot treat him as I would the head of the Ji Family; I shall treat him at a level somewhere between that of the head of the Ji Family and the head of the Meng Family.” On a later occasion, he remarked, “I am too old, I will not be able to employ him.” Confucius then left the state of Qi.
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Duke Jing of Qi, speaking of the treatment that he was prepared to offer Confucius, said, I cannot give him the treatment accorded the senior branch of the Ji family. It would have to be the treatment accorded someone in between the senior and the junior branches. [To Confucius] he said, I’m old—I cannot make proper use of you.
Confucius left the state of Qi.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.