By riverside are cooing A pair of turtle doves.
A good young man is wooing A fair maiden he loves.
Water flows left and right Of cresses here and there.
The youth yearns day and night For the maiden so fair.
His yearning grows so strong, He cannot fall asleep.
He tosses all night long, So deep in love, so deep!
Now gather left and right The cresses sweet and tender!
O lute, play music bright For the fiancée so slender!
Feast friends at left and right On cresses sweet and tender:'
O bells and drums, delight The bride so fair and slender!
這個譯文用水作為第二段“左右流之”的主語，用人作為第四段“左右采之”和第五段“左右芼之”的主語，這樣就可以看清人與自然的關系。也可以看出青年男女你歡我愛的真實感情。再看看《大中華文庫·詩經》中對（1）“流之”、（2）“采之”和（3）“芼之”的譯法：
（1）There grows the water grass. The folk are fond topick;
?。?）There grows the water grass. The folk are fond to choose;
?。?）There grows the water grass. The folk are fond to gain.
中文意思大致是：（1）那里長著水草，人們喜歡采摘；（2）人們喜歡挑選；（3）人們喜歡得到。這雖然沒有什么不正當的，但和男女青年的感情幾乎沒有關系，因此不如上面的解釋好。這也說明：“思無邪”如果譯表層結構，不如譯深層內容，更合孔子原意。