男女授受不親

From Mencius:

嫂溺不援，是豺狼也。男女授受不親，禮也；嫂溺援之以手者，權也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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嫂溺不援，是豺狼也。男女授受不亲，礼也；嫂溺援之以手者，权也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

Sǎo nì bù yuán, shì cháiláng yě. Nánnǚshòushòubùqīn, lǐ yě; sǎo nì yuán zhī yǐ shǒu zhě, quán yě. [Pinyin]

He who would not so rescue the drowning woman is a wolf. For males and females not to allow their hands to touch in giving and receiving is the general rule; when a sister-in-law is drowning, to rescue her with the hand is a peculiar exigency.

Also from the Book of Rites:

子云：「好德如好色。」諸侯不下漁色。故君子遠色以為民紀。故男女授受不親。御婦人則進左手。姑姊妹女子子已嫁而反，男子不與同席而坐。寡婦不夜哭。婦人疾，問之不問其疾。以此坊民，民猶淫泆而亂於族。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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子云：「好德如好色。」诸侯不下渔色。故君子远色以为民纪。故男女授受不亲。御妇人则进左手。姑姊妹女子子已嫁而反，男子不与同席而坐。寡妇不夜哭。妇人疾，问之不问其疾。以此坊民，民犹淫泆而乱于族。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

Zǐ yún: “Hǎodé rú hǎosè.” Zhūhóu bù xià yúsè. Gù jūnzǐ yuǎn sè yǐ wéi mín jì. Gù nánnǚshòushòubùqīn. Yù fùrén zé jìn zuǒshǒu. Gū zǐmèi nǚzǐ zǐ yǐ jià ér fǎn, nánzǐ bù yǔ tóngxí ér zuò. Guǎfù bù yè kū. Fùrén jí, wèn zhī bùwèn qí jí. Yǐ cǐ fāng mín, mín yóu yínyì ér luàn yú zú. [Pinyin]

The Master said, 'The love of virtue should be like the love of beauty (from an inward constraint). Princes of states should not be like fishers for beauty (in the families) below them. Hence the superior man keeps aloof from beauty, in order to constitute a rule for the people. Thus men and women, in giving and receiving, do not allow their hands to touch; in driving his wife in a carriage, a husband advances his left hand; when a young aunt, a sister, or a daughter has been married, and returns (to her father's house), no male can sit on the same mat with her; a widow should not wail at night; when a wife is ill, in asking for her, the nature of her illness should not be mentioned:-in this way it was sought to keep the people (from irregular connexions); and yet there are those who become licentious, and introduce disorder and confusion among their kindred.'

男女授受不親

1. Men and women should not touch each other when giving or receiving an item.