林语堂用美妙的英文向世界介绍中国人和中国历史文化,但是,囿于所处时代、社会环境和个人经历,他的思想认识不免带有历史的局限。20世纪30年代至50年代正是中国国内动荡变迁、破旧立新的时期,特定的创作背景无疑也给他的作品留下印痕。显而易见地,比如当时对朝代称谓与历史纪元的划定不统一(如称清朝为ManchuDynasty);且时无汉语拼音方案,专有名词均使用威妥玛拼音音译等。此外,也能发现作者在解读文化历史和社会生活现象时的不足,如反映在民族关系的表述上,称中国的一些少数民族为foreign blood、foreign race,乃至以Chinese特指Han Chinese等。诸如此类,为不妨碍我们对文学和语言的鉴赏,在我们*大程度地保留作品原貌的同时,敬期读者明辨。

FOREWORD
Chapter One INTRODUCTION
I. THE CHARACTER OF CONFUCIAN IDEAS
Ⅱ. A BRIEF ESTIMATE OF THE CHARACTER OF CONFUCIUS
Ⅲ. SOURCES AND PLAN OF THE PRESENT BOOK
Ⅳ. ON THE METHOD OF TRANSLATION
Chapter Two THE LIFE OF CONFUCIUS
I. ANCESTRY, CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH
Ⅱ. BETWEEN THIRTY AND FIFTY
Ⅲ. THE PERIOD OF GREAT POWER
Ⅳ. FⅣE YEARS OF WANDERINGS
Ⅴ. IN EXTREMITIES IN CH'EN AND TS'AI
Ⅵ. FURTHER YEARS OF WANDERINGS
Ⅶ. SCHOLARLY LABORS AND PERSONAL HABITS OF
Ⅶ. HIS DEATH (479 B.c.) AND POSTERITY
Chapter Three CENTRAL HARMONY
I. THE CENTRAL HARMONY
Ⅱ. THE GOLDEN MEAN
Ⅲ. MORAL LAW EVERYWHERE
Ⅳ. THE HUMANISTIC STANDARD !
Ⅴ. CERTAIN MODELS
Ⅵ. ETHICS AND POLITICS
Ⅶ. BEING ONE'STRUE SELF
Ⅶ. THOSE WHO ARE ABSOLUTE TRUE SELVES s94
IX. EULOGY ON CONFUCIUS
X. EPILOGUE
Chapter Four ETHICS AND POLITICS
Ⅰ. GENERAL IDEA OF THIS ESSAY
Ⅱ. ON THE MEANING OF CERTAIN EXPRESSIONSUSED IN THE ABOVE SECTION
Ⅲ. ON ACHIEVING TRUE KNOWLEDGE
Ⅳ. ON MAKING THE WILL SINCERE
Ⅴ. ON SETTING THE HEART RIGHT AND PERSONAL CULTIVATION
Ⅵ. ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONAL AND FAMILY LIFE
Ⅶ. ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAMILY AND NATIONAL LIFE
Ⅶ. ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATIONAL LIFE AND WORLD PEACE
Chapter FIVe APHORISMS OF CONFUCIUS
I. DESCRIPTION OF CONFUCIUS BY HIMSELF AND OTHERS
Ⅱ. THE EMOTIONAL AND ARTISTIC LIFE OF CONFUCIUS
Ⅲ. THE CONVERSATIONAL STYLE
Ⅳ. THE JOHNSONIAN TOUCH
Ⅴ. WITAND WISDOM
Ⅵ. HUMANISM AND TRUE MANHOOD
Ⅶ. THE SUPERIOR MAN AND THE INFERIOR MAN
……