Historians

Original Text:

子曰吾犹及史之阙文也有马者借人乘之今亡矣夫

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “I once knew a time when scribes [who did not know how to write a word] would leave the text blank, and those who owned horses [that they could not tame themselves] would lend them to others. Nowadays, there is no one like this.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

The Master said, I can still remember when recorders left blanks in their text [when they were unsure of something,] or when people with horses lent them to others to drive. Nowadays such customs are no longer observed, are they?

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.