Follow us on Facebook to receive important updates Follow us on Twitter to receive important updates Follow us on sina.com's microblogging site to receive important updates Follow us on Douban to receive important updates
Chinese Text Project
Back Forward
Confucianism -> Mengzi -> Gong Sun Chou II -> 10.1

孟子曰：Mencius said,
「天時不如地利， 'Opportunities of time vouchsafed by Heaven are not equal to advantages of situation afforded by the Earth,
地利不如人和。 and advantages of situation afforded by the Earth are not equal to the union arising from the accord of Men.
三里之城，There is a city, with an inner wall of three li in circumference,
七里之郭， and an outer wall of seven.
環而攻之而不勝。The enemy surround and attack it, but they are not able to take it.
夫環而攻之，Now, to surround and attack it,
必有得天時者矣； there must have been vouchsafed to them by Heaven the opportunity of time,
然而不勝者，and in such case their not taking it
是天時不如地利也。 is because opportunities of time vouchsafed by Heaven are not equal to advantages of situation afforded by the Earth.
城非不高也，There is a city, whose walls are distinguished for their height,
池非不深也，and whose moats are distinguished for their depth,
兵革非不堅利也，where the arms of its defenders, offensive and defensive, are distinguished for their strength and sharpness,
米粟非不多也； and the stores of rice and other grain are very large.
委而去之， Yet it is obliged to be given up and abandoned.
是地利不如人和也。 This is because advantages of situation afforded by the Earth are not equal to the union arising from the accord of Men.
故曰： In accordance with these principles it is said,
域民不以封疆之界，"A people is bounded in, not by the limits of dykes and borders;
固國不以山谿之險，a State is secured, not by the strengths of mountains and rivers;
威天下不以兵革之利。the kingdom is overawed, not by the sharpness and strength of arms."
得道者多助， He who finds the proper course has many to assist him.
失道者寡助。 He who loses the proper course has few to assist him.
寡助之至，When this - the being assisted by few - reaches its extreme point,
親戚畔之； his own relations revolt from the prince.
多助之至， When the being assisted by many reaches its highest point,
天下順之。 the whole kingdom becomes obedient to the prince.
以天下之所順， When one to whom the whole kingdom is prepared to be obedient,
攻親戚之所畔；attacks those from whom their own relations revolt, what must be the result?
故君子有不戰，Therefore, the true ruler will prefer not to fight;
戰必勝矣。」but if he do fight, he must overcome.'

Enjoy this site? Please help.Site design and content copyright 2006-2024. When quoting or citing information from this site, please link to the corresponding page or to https://ctext.org. Please note that the use of automatic download software on this site is strictly prohibited, and that users of such software are automatically banned without warning to save bandwidth. 沪ICP备09015720号-3Comments? Suggestions? Please raise them here.