Confucius on His Sickbed: Respect for Authority

When the king gives food, he must first taste it on the correct seat. When the king gives raw meat, he must cook it and offer it (to the ancestors). When the king gives live animals, he must raise them. When eating with the king, he must first taste it when the king offers a sacrifice before the meal.

【Annotation】

(1)Raw meat: beef.

(2)荐: to offer.

Translation:

When the ruler gives cooked food, Confucius will always set the table and taste it first. When the ruler gives raw meat, it will be cooked and offered to the ancestors first. When the ruler gives a living thing, it will be raised. When eating with the ruler, when the ruler holds a pre-meal sacrifice, he will always taste it first.

[Analysis]

In ancient times, before the monarch ate, someone had to taste it first before the monarch ate. Confucius had great respect for the monarch. When he ate with the monarch, he took the initiative to taste it, showing his compliance with the rites.