What is meant by "making the thoughts sincere" is the allowing no self-deception, as when we hate a bad smell, and as when we love what is beautiful. This is called self-enjoyment. Therefore, the superior man must be watchful over himself when he is alone. There is no evil to which the mean man, dwelling retired, will not proceed, but when he sees a superior man, he instantly tries to disguise himself, concealing his evil, and displaying what is good. The other beholds him, as if he saw his heart and veins. Of what use is his disguise? This is an instance of the saying: "What truly is within will be manifested without." Therefore, the superior man must be watchful over himself.
(孔子《大学》，James Legge译)
原文的段落组织总体呈直线型，概念首尾贯通，语言流畅，主题突出。第一句承接上文，开门见山地提出本段主题，即“诚意”的论点，随后以“恶恶臭”以及“好好色”二例对其加以解释，并以“君子慎独”，“小人掩其不善”发展“毋自欺”的观点，最后一句重复主题，结束段落。译文没有改变原文的论述顺序，并用“as when we hate a bad smell, and as when we love what is beautiful”保留原文句法的排比“如恶恶臭，如好好色”;用两个“therefore”表现原文排比结构中的两个“此……故……”的衔接功能和意义;用“the mean man”和“a superior man”，翻译“小人”和“君子”，实现类似原文词语的对比效果，整个译文因此显得流畅连贯。
