陈太丘与友期行 Keeping an Appointment
Liu Yiqing (compiler) 刘义庆 · Liu Song, 5th century; a late Han anecdote
A late visitor insults his absent friend and gets a precise answer from the friend’s seven-year-old son.
陈太丘与友期行，期日中，过中不至，太丘舍去，去后乃至。 chén tài qiū yǔ yǒu qī xíng, qī rì zhōng, guò zhōng bù zhì, tài qiū shě qù, qù hòu nǎi zhì.
Chen Taiqiu arranged to go on a journey with a friend at noon. The friend had not arrived by then, so Taiqiu left; only after he had gone did the friend arrive.
元方时年七岁，门外戏。 yuán fāng shí nián qī suì, mén wài xì.
Yuanfang was seven at the time and was playing outside the gate.
客问元方：“尊君在不？” kè wèn yuán fāng: “zūn jūn zài fǒu?”
The visitor asked Yuanfang, “Is your honoured father here?”
答曰：“待君久不至，已去。” dá yuē: “dài jūn jiǔ bù zhì, yǐ qù.”
He replied, “He waited for you a long time, but you did not come, so he has left.”
友人便怒曰：“非人哉！与人期行，相委而去。” yǒu rén biàn nù yuē: “fēi rén zāi! yǔ rén qī xíng, xiāng wěi ér qù.”
The friend became angry and said, “What a wretch! He arranges a journey with someone and then abandons him and leaves.”
元方曰：“君与家君期日中。日中不至，则是无信；对子骂父，则是无礼。” yuán fāng yuē: “jūn yǔ jiā jūn qī rì zhōng. rì zhōng bù zhì, zé shì wú xìn; duì zǐ mà fù, zé shì wú lǐ.”
Yuanfang said, “You and my father agreed on noon. Failing to arrive at noon is breaking your word; insulting a father to his son is showing no respect.”
友人惭，下车引之。 yǒu rén cán, xià chē yǐn zhī.
The friend felt ashamed, got down from his carriage and reached towards the boy.
元方入门不顾。 yuán fāng rù mén bù gù.
Yuanfang went through the gate without looking back.