| | 公孫丑上: |
公孫丑問曰：「夫子當路於齊，管仲、晏子之功，可復許乎？」 |
| Gong Sun Chou I: |
Gong Sun Chou asked Mencius, saying, 'Master, if you were to obtain the ordering of the government in Qi, could you promise yourself to accomplish anew such results as those realized by Guan Zhong and Yan?' |
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孟子曰：「子誠齊人也，知管仲、晏子而已矣。或問乎曾西曰；『吾子與子路孰賢？』曾西蹴然曰：『吾先子之所畏也。』曰：『然則吾子與管仲孰賢？』曾西艴然不悅，曰：『爾何曾比予於管仲？管仲得君，如彼其專也；行乎國政，如彼其久也；功烈，如彼其卑也。爾何曾比予於是？』」曰：「管仲，曾西之所不為也，而子為我願之乎？」 |
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Mencius said, 'You are indeed a true man of Qi. You know about Guan Zhong and Yan, and nothing more. Some one asked Zeng Xi, saying, "Sir, to which do you give the superiority, to yourself or to Zi Lu?" Zeng Zi looked uneasy, and said, "He was an object of veneration to my grandfather." "Then," pursued the other, "Do you give the superiority to yourself or to Guan Zhong?" Zeng Zi, flushed with anger and displeased, said, "How dare you compare me with Guan Zhong? Considering how entirely Guan Zhong possessed the confidence of his prince, how long he enjoyed the direction of the government of the State, and how low, after all, was what he accomplished - how is it that you liken me to him?" Thus,' concluded Mencius, 'Zeng Xi would not play Guan Zhong, and is it what you desire for me that I should do so?' |
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曰：「管仲以其君霸，晏子以其君顯。管仲、晏子猶不足為與？」 |
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Gong Sun Chou said, 'Guan Zhong raised his prince to be the leader of all the other princes, and Yan made his prince illustrious, and do you still think it would not be enough for you to do what they did?' |
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曰：「以齊王，由反手也。」 |
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Mencius answered, 'To raise Qi to the royal dignity would be as easy as it is to turn round the hand.' |
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曰：「若是，則弟子之惑滋甚。且以文王之德，百年而後崩，猶未洽於天下；武王、周公繼之，然後大行。今言王若易然，則文王不足法與？」 |
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'So!' returned the other. 'The perplexity of your disciple is hereby very much increased. There was king Wen, moreover, with all the virtue which belonged to him; and who did not die till he had reached a hundred years - and still his influence had not penetrated throughout the kingdom. It required king Wu and the duke of Zhou to continue his course, before that influence greatly prevailed. Now you say that the royal dignity might be so easily obtained - is king Wen then not a sufficient object for imitation?' |
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曰：「文王何可當也？由湯至於武丁，賢聖之君六七作。天下歸殷久矣，久則難變也。武丁朝諸侯有天下，猶運之掌也。紂之去武丁未久也，其故家遺俗，流風善政，猶有存者；又有微子、微仲、王子比干、箕子、膠鬲皆賢人也，相與輔相之，故久而後失之也。尺地莫非其有也，一民莫非其臣也，然而文王猶方百里起，是以難也。齊人有言曰：『雖有智慧，不如乘勢；雖有鎡基，不如待時。』 |
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Mencius said, 'How can king Wen be matched? From Tang to Wu Ding there had appeared six or seven worthy and sage sovereigns. The kingdom had been attached to Yin for a long time, and this length of time made a change difficult. Wu Ding had all the princes coming to his court, and possessed the kingdom as if it had been a thing which he moved round in his palm. Then, Zhou was removed from Wu Ding by no great interval of time. There were still remaining some of the ancient families and of the old manners, of the influence also which had emanated from the earlier sovereigns, and of their good government. Moreover, there were the viscount of Wei and his second son, their Royal Highnesses Bi Gan and the viscount of Qi, and Jiao Ge, all men of ability and virtue, who gave their joint assistance to Zhou in his government. In consequence of these things, it took a long time for him to lose the throne. There was not a foot of ground which he did not possess. There was not one of all the people who was not his subject. So it was on his side, and king Wen at his beginning had only a territory of one hundred square li. On all these accounts, it was difficult for him immediately to attain to the royal dignity. The people of Qi have a saying - "A man may have wisdom and discernment, but that is not like embracing the favourable opportunity. A man may have instruments of husbandry, but that is not like waiting for the farming seasons." |
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「今時則易然也。夏后、殷、周之盛，地未有過千里者也，而齊有其地矣；雞鳴狗吠相聞，而達乎四境，而齊有其民矣。地不改辟矣，民不改聚矣，行仁政而王，莫之能禦也。且王者之不作，未有疏於此時者也；民之憔悴於虐政，未有甚於此時者也。飢者易為食，渴者易為飲。孔子曰：『德之流行，速於置郵而傳命。』當今之時，萬乘之國行仁政，民之悅之，猶解倒懸也。故事半古之人，功必倍之，惟此時為然。」 |
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The present time is one in which the royal dignity may be easily attained. In the flourishing periods of the Xia, Yin, and Zhou dynasties, the royal domain did not exceed a thousand li, and Qi embraces so much territory. Cocks crow and dogs bark to one another, all the way to the four borders of the State - so Qi possesses the people. No change is needed for the enlarging of its territory; no change is needed for the collecting of a population. If its ruler will put in practice a benevolent government, no power will be able to prevent his becoming sovereign. Moreover, never was there a time farther removed than the present from the rise of a true sovereign: never was there a time when the sufferings of the people from tyrannical government were more intense than the present. The hungry readily partake of any food, and the thirsty of any drink. Confucius said, "The flowing progress of virtue is more rapid than the transmission of royal orders by stages and couriers." At the present time, in a country of ten thousand chariots, let benevolent government be put in practice, and the people will be delighted with it, as if they were relieved from hanging by the heels. With half the merit of the ancients, double their achievements is sure to be realized. It is only at this time that such could be the case.' |
| | 公孫丑下: |
燕人畔。王曰：「吾甚慚於孟子。」 |
| Gong Sun Chou II: |
The people of Yan having rebelled, the king of Qi said, 'I feel very much ashamed when I think of Mencius.' |
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陳賈曰：「王無患焉。王自以為與周公，孰仁且智？」 |
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Chen Jia said to him, 'Let not your Majesty be grieved. Whether does your Majesty consider yourself or Zhou Gong the more benevolent and wise?' |
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王曰：「惡！是何言也？」 |
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The king replied, 'Oh! what words are those?' |
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曰：「周公使管叔監殷，管叔以殷畔。知而使之，是不仁也；不知而使之，是不智也。仁智，周公未之盡也，而況於王乎？賈請見而解之。」 |
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'The duke of Zhou,' said Jia, 'appointed Guan Shu to oversee the heir of Yin, but Guan Shu with the power of the Yin State rebelled. If knowing that this would happen he appointed Guan Shu, he was deficient in benevolence. If he appointed him, not knowing that it would happen, he was deficient in knowledge. If the duke of Zhou was not completely benevolent and wise, how much less can your Majesty be expected to be so! I beg to go and see Mencius, and relieve your Majesty from that feeling.' |
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見孟子，問曰：「周公何人也？」 |
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Chen Jia accordingly saw Mencius, and asked him, saying, 'What kind of man was the duke of Zhou?' |
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曰：「古聖人也。」 |
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'An ancient sage,' was the reply. |
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曰：「使管叔監殷，管叔以殷畔也，有諸？」 |
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'Is it the fact, that he appointed Guan Shu to oversee the heir of Yin, and that Guan Shu with the State of Yin rebelled?' |
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曰：「然。」 |
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'It is.' |
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曰：「周公知其將畔而使之與？」 |
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'Did the duke of Zhou know that he would rebel, and purposely appoint him to that office?' |
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曰：「不知也。」 |
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Mencius said, 'He did not know.' |
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「然則聖人且有過與？」 |
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'Then, though a sage, he still fell into error?' |
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曰：「周公，弟也；管叔，兄也。周公之過，不亦宜乎？且古之君子，過則改之；今之君子，過則順之。古之君子，其過也，如日月之食，民皆見之；及其更也，民皆仰之。今之君子，豈徒順之，又從為之辭。」 |
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'The duke of Zhou,' answered Mencius, 'was the younger brother. Guan Shu was his elder brother. Was not the error of Zhou Gong in accordance with what is right? Moreover, when the superior men of old had errors, they reformed them. The superior men of the present time, when they have errors, persist in them. The errors of the superior men of old were like eclipses of the sun and moon. All the people witnessed them, and when they had reformed them, all the people looked up to them with their former admiration. But do the superior men of the present day only persist in their errors? They go on to apologize for them likewise.' |
| | 萬章上: |
萬章問曰：「舜往于田，號泣于旻天，何為其號泣也？」 |
| Wan Zhang I: |
Wan Zhang asked Mencius, saying, 'When Shun went into the fields, he cried out and wept towards the pitying heavens. Why did he cry out and weep?' |
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孟子曰：「怨慕也。」 |
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Mencius replied, 'He was dissatisfied, and full of earnest desire.' |
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萬章曰：「父母愛之，喜而不忘；父母惡之，勞而不怨。然則舜怨乎？」 |
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Wan Zhang said, 'When his parents love him, a son rejoices and forgets them not. When his parents hate him, though they punish him, he does not murmur. Was Shun then murmuring against his parents?' |
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曰：「長息問於公明高曰：『舜往于田，則吾既得聞命矣；號泣于旻天，于父母，則吾不知也。』公明高曰：『是非爾所知也。』夫公明高以孝子之心，為不若是恝，我竭力耕田，共為子職而已矣，父母之不我愛，於我何哉？帝使其子九男二女，百官牛羊倉廩備，以事舜於畎畝之中。天下之士多就之者，帝將胥天下而遷之焉。為不順於父母，如窮人無所歸。天下之士悅之，人之所欲也，而不足以解憂；好色，人之所欲，妻帝之二女，而不足以解憂；富，人之所欲，富有天下，而不足以解憂；貴，人之所欲，貴為天子，而不足以解憂。人悅之、好色、富貴，無足以解憂者，惟順於父母，可以解憂。人少，則慕父母；知好色，則慕少艾；有妻子，則慕妻子；仕則慕君，不得於君則熱中。大孝終身慕父母。五十而慕者，予於大舜見之矣。」 |
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Mencius answered, 'Chang Xi asked Gong Ming Gao, saying, "As to Shun's going into the fields, I have received your instructions, but I do not know about his weeping and crying out to the pitying heavens and to his parents." Gong Ming Gao answered him, "You do not understand that matter." Now, Gong Ming Gao supposed that the heart of the filial son could not be so free of sorrow. Shun would say, "I exert my strength to cultivate the fields, but I am thereby only discharging my office as a son. What can there be in me that my parents do not love me?" The Di caused his own children, nine sons and two daughters, the various officers, oxen and sheep, storehouses and granaries, all to be prepared, to serve Shun amid the channelled fields. Of the scholars of the kingdom there were multitudes who flocked to him. The sovereign designed that Shun should superintend the kingdom along with him, and then to transfer it to him entirely. But because his parents were not in accord with him, he felt like a poor man who has nowhere to turn to. To be delighted in by all the scholars of the kingdom, is what men desire, but it was not sufficient to remove the sorrow of Shun. The possession of beauty is what men desire, and Shun had for his wives the two daughters of the Di, but this was not sufficient to remove his sorrow. Riches are what men desire, and the kingdom was the rich property of Shun, but this was not sufficient to remove his sorrow. Honours are what men desire, and Shun had the dignity of being sovereign, but this was not sufficient to remove his sorrow. The reason why the being the object of men's delight, with the possession of beauty, riches, and honours were not sufficient to remove his sorrow, was that it could be removed only by his getting his parents to be in accord with him. The desire of the child is towards his father and mother. When he becomes conscious of the attractions of beauty, his desire is towards young and beautiful women. When he comes to have a wife and children, his desire is towards them. When he obtains office, his desire is towards his sovereign - if he cannot get the regard of his sovereign, he burns within. But the man of great filial piety, to the end of his life, has his desire towards his parents. In the great Shun I see the case of one whose desire at fifty year's was towards them.' |
| | 檀弓下: |
魯人有周豐也者，哀公執摯請見之，而曰不可。公曰：「我其已夫！」使人問焉，曰：「有虞氏未施信於民而民信之，夏后氏未施敬於民而民敬之，何施而得斯於民也？」對曰：「墟墓之間，未施哀於民而民哀；社稷宗廟之中，未施敬於民而民敬。殷人作誓而民始畔，周人作會而民始疑。茍無禮義忠信誠愨之心以蒞之，雖固結之，民其不解乎？」 |
| Tan Gong II: |
In Lu there was one Zhou Feng, to whom duke Ai went, carrying an introductory present, and requesting an interview, which, however, the other refused. The duke said, 'I must give it up then.' And he sent a messenger with the following questions: '(Shun), the lord of Yu, had not shown his good faith, to the people, and yet they put confidence in him. The sovereign of Xia had not shown his reverence for the people, and yet the people revered him - what shall I exhibit that I may obtain such things from the people?' The reply was: 'Ruins and graves express no mournfulness to the people, and yet the people mourn (amidst them). The altars of the spirits of the land and grain and the ancestral temples express no reverence to the people, and yet the people revere them. The kings of Yin made their solemn proclamations, and yet the people began to rebel; those of Zhou made their covenants, and the people began to distrust them. If there be not the heart observant of righteousness, self-consecration, good faith, sincerity, and guilelessness, though a ruler may try to knit the people firmly to him, will not all bonds between them be dissolved?' |
| | 月令: |
東風解凍，蟄蟲始振，魚上冰，獺祭魚，鴻雁來。 |
| Yue Ling: |
The east winds resolve the cold. Creatures that have been torpid during the winter begin to move. The fishes rise up to the ice. Otters sacrifice fish. The wild geese make their appearance. |
| | 月令: |
是月也，日長至，陰陽爭，死生分。君子齊戒，處必掩身，毋躁。止聲色，毋或進。薄滋味，毋致和。節嗜欲，定心氣，百官靜事毋刑，以定晏陰之所成。鹿角解，蟬始鳴。半夏生，木堇榮。 |
| Yue Ling: |
In this month the longest day arrives. The influences in nature of darkness and decay and those 'Of brightness and growth struggle together; the tendencies to death and life are divided. Superior men give themselves to vigil and fasting. They keep retired in their houses, avoid all violent exercise, restrain their indulgence in music and beautiful sights, eschew the society of their wives, make their diet spare, use no piquant condiments, keep their desires under rule, and maintain their spirits free from excitement. The various magistrates keep things quiet and inflict no punishments - to bring about that state of settled quiet in which the influence of darkness and decay shall obtain its full development. Deer shed their horns. Cicadas begin to sing. The midsummer herb is produced. The tree hibiscus flowers. |
| | 月令: |
季秋行夏令，則其國大水，冬藏殃敗，民多鼽嚏。行冬令，則國多盜賊，邊境不寧，土地分裂。行春令，則暖風來至，民氣解惰，師興不居。 |
| Yue Ling: |
If, in this last month of autumn, the proceedings proper to summer were observed, there would be great floods in the states; the winter stores would be injured and damaged; there would be many colds and catarrhs among the people. If those proper to winter were observed, there would be many thieves and robbers in the states; the borders would be unquiet; and portions of territory would be torn from the rest. If those proper to spring were observed, the warm airs would come; the energies of the people would be relaxed and languid; and the troops would be kept moving about. |
| | 月令: |
是月也，日短至。陰陽爭，諸生蕩。君子齊戒，處必掩身。身欲寧，去聲色，禁耆欲。安形性，事欲靜，以待陰陽之所定。蕓始生，荔挺出，蚯螾結，麋角解，水泉動。日短至，則伐木，取竹箭。 |
| Yue Ling: |
In this month the shortest day arrives. The principle of darkness and decay (in nature) struggles with that of brightness and growth. The elements of life begin to move. Superior men give themselves to self-adjustment and fasting. They keep retired in their houses. They wish to be at rest in their persons; put away all indulgence in music and beautiful sights; repress their various desires; give repose to their bodies and all mental excitements. They wish all affairs to be quiet, while they wait for the settlement of those principles of darkness and decay, and brightness and growth. Rice begins to grow. The broom-sedge rises up vigorously. Worms curl. The moose-deer shed their horns. The springs of water are (all) in movement. When the shortest day has arrived, they fell trees, and carry away bamboos, (especially) the small species suitable for arrows. |
