举一反三

Infer Three Other Related Aspects from One Concept

列举事物的一个方面则推及其他三个方面。“举一反三”一说出自《论语》，是孔子（前551—前479）希望学生能够达成的一种学习的状态。人们要能够通过对某一事物的学习，把握事物所依循的规则，并由此认识那些遵循着相同规则的其他事物。孔子以一个事物的“一隅”与“三隅”来说明这一认识推演的过程，这也即是通常所说的“触类旁通”。

This phrase, from The Analects, stands for extrapolating many things from one. It describes a state of learning that Confucius (551-479 BC) hoped his students would reach. The concept entails understanding the underlying principles of a single matter and using that knowledge to discern other matters that follow the same principles. Confucius used the metaphor of "one corner" and "three corners" to exemplify this process of knowledge extension, widely known as "drawing inferences by analogy."

引例 Citation：

◎子曰：“不愤不启，不悱不发，举一隅不以三隅反，则不复也。”（《论语·述而》）

孔子说：“不到想求得明白而未得的时候就不去启发他，不到想说清楚而未能的时候就不去开导他。教给他一个方面的东西，他却不能由此而推知其他三个方面的东西，那就不再教他了。”

Confucius said, "I do not teach a student who is not eager to learn; I do not provide guidance to a student until he wishes to express himself but is unsure how to do it. If I impart one concept to him, and he fails to infer three other related aspects from it, then further instruction is futile." (The Analects)