| | 德充符: |
申徒嘉，兀者也，而與鄭子產同師於伯昏無人。子產謂申徒嘉曰：「我先出，則子止；子先出，則我止。」其明日，又與合堂同席而坐。子產謂申徒嘉曰：「我先出，則子止；子先出，則我止。今我將出，子可以止乎，其未邪？且子見執政而不違，子齊執政乎？」申徒嘉曰：「先生之門，固有執政焉如此哉？子而說子之執政而後人者也！聞之曰：『鑑明則塵垢不止，止則不明也。久與賢人處，則無過。』今子之所取大者，先生也，而猶出言若是，不亦過乎！」子產曰：「子既若是矣，猶與堯爭善，計子之德不足以自反邪？」申徒嘉曰：「自狀其過以不當亡者眾，不狀其過以不當存者寡。知不可奈何而安之若命，惟有德者能之。遊於羿之彀中，中央者，中地也，然而不中者，命也。人以其全足笑吾不全足者多矣。我怫然而怒，而適先生之所，則廢然而反。不知先生之洗我以善邪！吾與夫子遊十九年矣，而未嘗知吾兀者也。今子與我遊於形骸之內，而子索我於形骸之外，不亦過乎！」子產蹴然改容更貌曰：「子無乃稱！」 |
| The Seal of Virtue...: |
Shen-tu Jia was (another) man who had lost his feet. Along with Zi-chan of Zheng he studied under the master Bo-hun Wu-ren. Zi-chan said to him (one day), 'If I go out first, do you remain behind; and if you go out first, I will remain behind.' Next day they were again sitting together on the same mat in the hall, when Zi-chan said (again), 'If I go out first, do you remain behind; and if you go out first, I will remain behind. Now I am about to go out; will you stay behind or not? Moreover, when you see one of official rank (like myself), you do not try to get out of his way - do you consider yourself equal to one of official rank?' Shen-tu Jia replied, 'In our Master's school is there indeed such recognition required of official rank? You are one, Sir, whose pleasure is in your official rank, and would therefore take precedence of other men. I have heard that when a mirror is bright, the dust does not rest on it; when dust rests on it the mirror is not bright. When one dwells long with a man of ability and virtue, he comes to be without error. There now is our teacher whom you have chosen to make you greater than you are; and when you still talk in this way, are you not in error?' Zi-chan rejoined, 'A (shattered) object as you are, you would still strive to make yourself out as good as Yao! If I may form an estimate of your virtue, might it not be sufficient to lead you to the examination of yourself?' The other said, 'Most criminals, in describing their offences, would make it out that they ought not to have lost (their feet) for them; few would describe them so as to make it appear that they should not have preserved their feet. They are only the virtuous who know that such a calamity was unavoidable, and therefore rest in it as what was appointed for them. When men stand before (an archer like) Yi with his bent bow, if they are in the middle of his field, that is the place where they should be hit; and if they be not hit, that also was appointed. There are many with their feet entire who laugh at me because I have lost my feet, which makes me feel vexed and angry. But when I go to our teacher, I throw off that feeling, and return (to a better mood) - he has washed, without my knowing it, the other from me by (his instructions in) what is good. I have attended him now for nineteen years, and have not known that I am without my feet. Now, you, Sir, and I have for the object of our study the (virtue) which is internal, and not an adjunct of the body, and yet you are continually directing your attention to my external body - are you not wrong in this?' Zi-chan felt uneasy, altered his manner and looks, and said, 'You need not, Sir, say anything more about it.' |
| | 馬蹄: |
吾意善治天下者不然。彼民有常性，織而衣，耕而食，是謂同德；一而不黨，命曰天放。故至德之世，其行填填，其視顛顛。當是時也，山無蹊隧，澤無舟梁；萬物群生，連屬其鄉；禽獸成群，草木遂長。是故禽獸可係羈而遊，烏鵲之巢可攀援而闚。夫至德之世，同與禽獸居，族與萬物並，惡乎知君子小人哉！同乎無知，其德不離；同乎無欲，是謂素樸。素樸而民性得矣。及至聖人，蹩躠為仁，踶跂為義，而天下始疑矣；澶漫為樂，摘僻為禮，而天下始分矣。故純樸不殘，孰為犧尊！白玉不毀，孰為珪璋！道德不廢，安取仁義！性情不離，安用禮樂！五色不亂，孰為文采！五聲不亂，孰應六律！夫殘樸以為器，工匠之罪也；毀道德以為仁義，聖人之過也。 |
| Horses's Hoofs: |
According to my idea, those who knew well to govern mankind would not act so. The people had their regular and constant nature: they wove and made themselves clothes; they tilled the ground and got food. This was their common faculty. They were all one in this, and did not form themselves into separate classes; so were they constituted and left to their natural tendencies. Therefore in the age of perfect virtue men walked along with slow and grave step, and with their looks steadily directed forwards. At that time, on the hills there were no foot-paths, nor excavated passages; on the lakes there were no boats nor dams; all creatures lived in companies; and the places of their settlement were made close to one another. Birds and beasts multiplied to flocks and herds; the grass and trees grew luxuriant and long. In this condition the birds and beasts might be led about without feeling the constraint; the nest of the magpie might be climbed to, and peeped into. Yes, in the age of perfect virtue, men lived in common with birds and beasts, and were on terms of equality with all creatures, as forming one family - how could they know among themselves the distinctions of superior men and small men? Equally without knowledge, they did not leave (the path of) their natural virtue; equally free from desires, they were in the state of pure simplicity. In that state of pure simplicity, the nature of the people was what it ought to be. But when the sagely men appeared, limping and wheeling about in (the exercise of) benevolence, pressing along and standing on tiptoe in the doing of righteousness, then men universally began to be perplexed. (Those sages also) went to excess in their performances of music, and in their gesticulations in the practice of ceremonies, and then men began to be separated from one another. If the raw materials had not been cut and hacked, who could have made a sacrificial vase from them? If the natural jade had not been broken and injured, who could have made the handles for the libation-cups from it? If the attributes of the Dao had not been disallowed, how should they have preferred benevolence and righteousness? If the instincts of the nature had not been departed from, how should ceremonies and music have come into use? If the five colours had not been confused, how should the ornamental figures have been formed? If the five notes had not been confused, how should they have supplemented them by the musical accords? The cutting and hacking of the raw materials to form vessels was the crime of the skilful workman; the injury done to the characteristics of the Dao in order to the practice of benevolence and righteousness was the error of the sagely men. |
| | 天地: |
夫子問於老聃曰：「有人治道若相放，可不可，然不然。辯者有言曰：『離堅白若縣宇。』若是，則可謂聖人乎？」老聃曰：「是胥易技係，勞形怵心者也。執留之狗成思，猿狙之便自山林來。丘！予告若，而所不能聞與而所不能言。凡有首、有趾、無心、無耳者眾，有形者與無形無狀而皆存者盡無。其動，止也；其死，生也；其廢，起也。此又非其所以也。有治在人，忘乎物，忘乎天，其名為忘己。忘己之人，是之謂入於天。」 |
| Heaven and Earth: |
The Master asked Lao Dan, saying, 'Some men regulate the Dao (as by a law), which they have only to follow - (a thing, they say,) is admissible or it is inadmissible; it is so, or it is not so. (They are like) the sophists who say that they can distinguish what is hard and what is white as clearly as if the objects were houses suspended in the sky. Can such men be said to be sages?' The reply was, 'They are like the busy underlings of a court, who toil their bodies and distress their minds with their various artifices - dogs, (employed) to their sorrow to catch the yak, or monkeys that are brought from their forests (for their tricksiness). Qiu, I tell you this - it is what you cannot hear, and what you cannot speak of: Of those who have their heads and feet, and yet have neither minds nor ears, there are multitudes; while of those who have their bodies, and at the same time preserve that which has no bodily form or shape, there are really none. It is not in their movements or stoppages, their dying or living, their falling and rising again, that this is to be found. The regulation of the course lies in (their dealing with) the human element in them. When they have forgotten external things, and have also forgotten the heavenly element in them, they may be named men who have forgotten themselves. The man who has forgotten himself is he of whom it is said that he has become identified with Heaven.' |
| | 天道: |
昔者舜問於堯曰：「天王之用心何如？」堯曰：「吾不敖無告，不廢窮民，苦死者，嘉孺子而哀婦人。此吾所以用心也。」舜曰：「美則美矣，而未大也。」堯曰：「然則何如？」舜曰：「天德而出寧，日月照而四時行，若晝夜之有經，雲行而雨施矣。」堯曰：「膠膠擾擾乎！子，天之合也；我，人之合也。」夫天地者，古之所大也，而黃帝、堯、舜之所共美也。故古之王天下者，奚為哉？天地而已矣。 |
| The Way of Heaven: |
Anciently, Shun asked Yao, saying, 'In what way does your Majesty by the Grace of Heaven exercise your mind?' The reply was, 'I simply show no arrogance towards the helpless; I do not neglect the poor people; I grieve for those who die; I love their infant children; and I compassionate their widows.' Shun rejoined, 'Admirable, as far as it goes; but it is not what is Great.' 'How then,' asked Yao, 'do you think I should do?' Shun replied, 'When (a sovereign) possesses the virtue of Heaven, then when he shows himself in action, it is in stillness. The sun and moon (simply) shine, and the four seasons pursue their courses. So it is with the regular phenomena of day and night, and with the movement of the clouds by which the rain is distributed.' Yao said, 'Then I have only been persistently troubling myself! What you wish is to be in harmony with Heaven, while I wish to be in harmony with men.' Now (the Way of) Heaven and Earth was much thought of of old, and Huang-Di, Yao, and Shun united in admiring it. Hence the kings of the world of old did nothing, but tried to imitate that Way. |
| | 徐無鬼: |
莊子曰：「射者非前期而中，謂之善射，天下皆羿也，可乎？」惠子曰：「可。」莊子曰：「天下非有公是也，而各是其所是，天下皆堯也，可乎？」惠子曰：「可。」 |
| Xu Wu-gui: |
Zhuangzi said, 'An archer, without taking aim beforehand, yet may hit the mark. If we say that he is a good archer, and that all the world may be Yis, is this allowable?' Huizi replied, 'It is.' Zhuangzi continued, 'All men do not agree in counting the same thing to be right, but every one maintains his own view to be right; (if we say) that all men may be Yaos, is this allowable?' Huizi (again) replied, 'It is;'. |
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莊子曰：「然則，儒、墨、楊、秉四，與夫子為五，果孰是邪？或者若魯遽者邪？其弟子曰：『我得夫子之道矣，吾能冬爨鼎而夏造冰矣。』魯遽曰：『是直以陽召陽，以陰召陰，非吾所謂道也。吾示子乎吾道。』於是為之調瑟，廢一於堂，廢一於室，鼓宮宮動，鼓角角動，音律同矣。夫或改調一弦，於五音無當也，鼓之二十五弦皆動，未始異於聲，而音之君已。且若是者邪？」 |
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Zhuangzi went on, 'Very well; there are the literati, the followers of Mo (Di), of Yang (Zhu), and of Bing - making four (different schools). Including yourself, Master, there are five. Which of your views is really right? Or will you take the position of Lu Ju? One of his disciples said to him, "Master, I have got hold of your method. I can in winter heat the furnace under my tripod, and in summer can produce ice." Lu Ju said, "That is only with the Yang element to call out the same, and with the Yin to call out the yin - that is not my method. I will show you what my method is." On this he tuned two citherns, placing one of them in the hall, and the other in one of the inner apartments. Striking the note Gong in the one, the same note vibrated in the other, and so it was with the note Jiao; the two instruments being tuned in the same way. But if he had differently tuned them on other strings different from the normal arrangement of the five notes, the five-and-twenty strings would all have vibrated, without any difference of their notes, the note to which he had tuned them ruling and guiding all the others. Is your maintaining your view to be right just like this?' |
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惠子曰：「今夫儒、墨、楊、秉，且方與我以辯，相拂以辭，相鎮以聲，而未始吾非也，則奚若矣？」莊子曰：「齊人蹢子於宋者，其命閽也不以完，其求鈃鍾也以束縛，其求唐子也而未始出域，有遺類矣夫！楚人寄而蹢閽者，夜半於無人之時而與舟人鬥，未始離於岑，而足以造於怨也。」 |
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Huizi replied, 'Here now are the literati, and the followers of Mo, Yang, and Bing. Suppose that they have come to dispute with me. They put forth their conflicting statements; they try vociferously to put me down; but none of them have ever proved me wrong: what do you say to this?' Zhuangzi said, 'There was a man of Qi who cast away his son in Song to be a gatekeeper there, and thinking nothing of the mutilation he would incur; the same man, to secure one of his sacrificial vessels or bells, would have it strapped and secured, while to find his son who was lost, he would not go out of the territory of his own state: so forgetful was he of the relative importance of things. If a man of Chu, going to another state as a lame gate-keeper, at midnight, at a time when no one was nigh, were to fight with his boatman, he would not be abie to reach the shore, and he would have done what he could to provoke the boatman's animosity.' |
| | 則陽: |
少知曰：「四方之內，六合之裏，萬物之所生惡起？」太公調曰：「陰陽相照、相蓋、相治，四時相代、相生、相殺，欲惡去就於是橋起，雌雄片合於是庸有。安危相易，禍福相生，緩急相摩，聚散以成。此名實之可紀，精微之可志也。隨序之相理，橋運之相使，窮則反，終則始。此物之所有，言之所盡，知之所至，極物而已。覩道之人，不隨其所廢，不原其所起，此議之所止。」 |
| Ze-yang: |
Shao Zhi said, 'Within the limits of the four cardinal points, and the six boundaries of space, how was it that there commenced the production of all things?' Da-gong Diao replied, 'The Yin and Yang reflected light on each other, covered each other, and regulated each the other; the four seasons gave place to one another, produced one another, and brought one another to an end. Likings and dislikings, the avoidings of this and movements towards that, then arose (in the things thus produced), in their definite distinctness; and from this came the separation and union of the male and female. Then were seen now security and now insecurity, in mutual change; misery and happiness produced each other; gentleness and urgency pressed on each other; the movements of collection and dispersion were established: these names and processes can be examined, and, however minute, can be recorded. The rules determining the order in which they follow one another, their mutual influence now acting directly and now revolving, how, when they are exhausted, they revive, and how they end and begin again; these are the properties belonging to things. Words can describe them and knowledge can reach to them; but with this ends all that can be said of things. Men who study the Dao do not follow on when these operations end, nor try to search out how they began: with this all discussion of them stops.' |
| | 讓王: |
韓、魏相與爭侵地。子華子見昭僖侯，昭僖侯有憂色。子華子曰：「今使天下書銘於君之前，書之言曰：『左手攫之則右手廢，右手攫之則左手廢，然而攫之者必有天下。』君能攫之乎？」昭僖侯曰：「寡人不攫也。」子華子曰：「甚善！自是觀之，兩臂重於天下也，身亦重於兩臂。韓之輕於天下亦遠矣，今之所爭者，其輕於韓又遠。君固愁身傷生以憂戚不得也！」僖侯曰：「善哉！教寡人者眾矣，未嘗得聞此言也。」子華子可謂知輕重矣。 |
| Kings who have wished...: |
Han and Wei were contending about some territory which one of them had wrested from the other. Zi-hua Zi went to see the marquis Zhao-xi (of Han), and, finding him looking sorrowful, said, 'Suppose now that all the states were to sign an agreement before you to the effect that "Whoever should with his left hand carry off (the territory in dispute) should lose his right hand, and whoever should do so with his right hand should lose his left hand, but that, nevertheless, he who should carry it off was sure to obtain the whole kingdom;" would your lordship feel yourself able to carry it off?' The marquis said, 'I would not carry it off,' and Zi-hua rejoined, 'Very good. Looking at the thing from this point of view, your two arms are of more value to you than the whole kingdom. But your body is of more value than your two arms, and Han is of much less value than the whole kingdom. The territory for which you are now contending is further much less important than Han: your lordship, since you feel so much concern for your body, should not be endangering your life by indulging your sorrow.' The marquis Zhao-xi said, 'Good! Many have given me their counsel about this matter; but I never heard what you have said.' Zi-hua Zi may be said to have known well what was of great importance and what was of little. |
| | 讓王: |
楚昭王失國，屠羊說走而從於昭王。昭王反國，將賞從者，及屠羊說。屠羊說曰：「大王失國，說失屠羊；大王反國，說亦反屠羊。臣之爵祿已復矣，又何賞之言？」王曰：「強之！」屠羊說曰：「大王失國，非臣之罪，故不敢伏其誅；大王反國，非臣之功，故不敢當其賞。」王曰：「見之！」屠羊說曰：「楚國之法，必有重賞大功而後得見。今臣之知不足以存國，而勇不足以死寇。吳軍入郢，說畏難而避寇，非故隨大王也。今大王欲廢法毀約而見說，此非臣之所以聞於天下也。」王謂司馬子綦曰：「屠羊說居處卑賤而陳義甚高，子綦為我延之以三旌之位。」屠羊說曰：「夫三旌之位，吾知其貴於屠羊之肆也；萬鍾之祿，吾知其富於屠羊之利也。然豈可以食爵祿而使吾君有妄施之名乎！說不敢當，願復反吾屠羊之肆。」遂不受也。 |
| Kings who have wished...: |
When king Zhao of Chu lost his kingdom, the sheep-butcher Yue followed him in his flight. When the king (recovered) his kingdom and returned to it, and was going to reward those who had followed him, on coming to the sheep-butcher Yue, that personage said, 'When our Great King lost his kingdom, I lost my sheep-killing. When his majesty got back his kingdom, I also got back my sheep-killing. My income and rank have been recovered; why speak further of rewarding me?' The king, (on hearing of this reply), said, 'Force him (to take the reward);' but Yue said, 'It was not through any crime of mine that the king lost his kingdom, and therefore I did not dare to submit to the death (which would have been mine if I had remained in the capital). And it was not through any service of mine that he recovered his kingdom, and therefore I do not dare to count myself worthy of any reward from him.'
The king (now) asked that the butcher should be introduced to him, but Yue said, 'According to the law of Chu, great reward ought to be given to great service, and the recipient then be introduced to the king; but now my wisdom was not sufficient to preserve the kingdom, nor my courage sufficient to die at the hands of the invaders. When the army of Wu entered, I was afraid of the danger, and got out of the way of the thieves - it was not with a distinct purpose (of loyalty) that I followed the king. And now he wishes, in disregard of the law, and violations of the conditions of our social compact, to see me in court - this is not what I would like to be talked of through the kingdom.' The king said to Zi-qi, the Minister of War, 'The position of the sheep-butcher Yue is low and mean, but his setting forth of what is right is very high; do you ask him for me to accept the place of one of my three most distinguished nobles.' (This being communicated to Yue), he said, 'I know that the place of such a distinguished noble is nobler than a sheep-butcher's stall, and that the salary of 10,000 zhong is more than its profits. But how should I, through my greed of rank and emolument, bring on our ruler the name of an unlawful dispensation of his gifts? I dare not respond to your wishes, but desire to return to my stall as the sheep-butcher.' Accordingly he did not accept (the proffered reward). |
| | 讓王: |
湯將伐桀，因卞隨而謀，卞隨曰：「非吾事也。」湯曰：「孰可？」曰：「吾不知也。」湯又因瞀光而謀，瞀光曰：「非吾事也。」湯曰：「孰可？」曰：「吾不知也。」湯曰：「伊尹何如？」曰：「強力忍垢，吾不知其他也。」湯遂與伊尹謀伐桀。 |
| Kings who have wished...: |
When Tang was about to attack Jie, he took counsel with Bian Sui, who said, 'It is no business of mine.' Tang then said, 'To whom should I apply?' And the other said, 'I do not know.' Tang then took counsel with Wu Guang, who gave the same answer as Bian Sui; and when asked to whom he should apply, said in the same way, 'I do not know.' 'Suppose,' Tang then said, 'I apply to Yi Yin, what do you say about him?' The reply was, 'He has a wonderful power in doing what is disgraceful, and I know nothing more about him!' Tang thereupon took counsel with Yi Yin and attacked Jie. |
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剋之，以讓卞隨。卞隨辭曰：「后之伐桀也謀乎我，必以我為賊也；勝桀而讓我，必以我為貪也。吾生乎亂世，而無道之人再來漫我以其辱行，吾不忍數聞也。」乃自投稠水而死。 |
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Tang overcame him, after which he proposed to resign the throne to Bian Sui, who declined it, saying, 'When you were about to attack Jie, and sought counsel from me, you must have supposed me to be prepared to be a robber. Now that you have conquered Jie, and propose to resign the throne to me, you must consider me to be greedy. I have been born in an age of disorder, and a man without principle twice comes, and tries to extend to me the stain of his disgraceful proceedings - I cannot bear to hear the repetition of his proposals.' With this he threw himself into the Zhou water and died. |
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湯又讓瞀光曰：「知者謀之，武者遂之，仁者居之，古之道也。吾子胡不立乎？」瞀光辭曰：「廢上，非義也；殺民，非仁也；人犯其難，我享其利，非廉也。吾聞之曰：『非其義者，不受其祿；無道之世，不踐其土。』況尊我乎！吾不忍久見也。」乃負石而自沈於廬水。 |
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Tang further made proffer of the throne to Wu Guang, saying, 'The wise man has planned it; the martial man has carried it through; and the benevolent man should occupy it: this was the method of antiquity. Why should you, Sir, not take the position?' Wu Guang refused the proffer, saying, 'To depose the sovereign is contrary to right; to kill the people is contrary to benevolence. When another has encountered the risks, if I should accept the gain of his adventure, I should violate my disinterestedness. I have heard it said, "If it be not right for him to do so, one should not accept the emolument; in an age of unprincipled (government), one should not put foot on the soil (of the) country" - how much less should I accept this position of honour! I cannot bear to see you any longer.' And with this he took a stone on his back, and drowned himself in the lu water. |
