| | 萬章上: |
萬章曰：「堯以天下與舜，有諸？」 |
| Wan Zhang I: |
Wan Zhang said, 'Was it the case that Yao gave the throne to Shun?' |
| | |
孟子曰：「否。天子不能以天下與人。」 |
| |
Mencius said, 'No. The sovereign cannot give the throne to another.' |
| | |
「然則舜有天下也，孰與之？」 |
| |
'Yes - but Shun had the throne. Who gave it to him?' |
| | |
曰：「天與之。」 |
| |
'Heaven gave it to him,' was the answer. |
| | |
「天與之者，諄諄然命之乎？」 |
| |
'" Heaven gave it to him:" - did Heaven confer its appointment on him with specific injunctions?' |
| | |
曰：「否。天不言，以行與事示之而已矣。」 |
| |
Mencius replied, 'No. Heaven does not speak. It simply showed its will by his personal conduct and his conduct of affairs.' |
| | |
曰：「以行與事示之者如之何？」 |
| |
"It showed its will by his personal conduct and his conduct of affairs" - how was this?' |
| | |
曰：「天子能薦人於天，不能使天與之天下；諸侯能薦人於天子，不能使天子與之諸侯；大夫能薦人於諸侯，不能使諸侯與之大夫。昔者堯薦舜於天而天受之，暴之於民而民受之，故曰：天不言，以行與事示之而已矣。」 |
| |
Mencius's answer was, 'The sovereign can present a man to Heaven, but he cannot make Heaven give that man the throne. A prince can present a man to the sovereign, but he cannot cause the sovereign to make that man a prince. A great officer can present a man to his prince, but he cannot cause the prince to make that man a great officer. Yao presented Shun to Heaven, and Heaven accepted him. He presented him to the people, and the people accepted him. Therefore I say, "Heaven does not speak. It simply indicated its will by his personal conduct and his conduct of affairs."' |
| | |
曰：「敢問薦之於天而天受之，暴之於民而民受之，如何？」 |
| |
Zhang said, 'I presume to ask how it was that Yao presented Shun to Heaven, and Heaven accepted him; and that he exhibited him to the people, and the people accepted him.' |
| | |
曰：「使之主祭而百神享之，是天受之；使之主事而事治，百姓安之，是民受之也。天與之，人與之，故曰：天子不能以天下與人。舜相堯二十有八載，非人之所能為也，天也。堯崩，三年之喪畢，舜避堯之子於南河之南。天下諸侯朝覲者，不之堯之子而之舜；訟獄者，不之堯之子而之舜；謳歌者，不謳歌堯之子而謳歌舜，故曰天也。夫然後之中國，踐天子位焉。而居堯之宮，逼堯之子，是篡也，非天與也。《太誓》曰：『天視自我民視，天聽自我民聽』，此之謂也。」 |
| |
Mencius replied, 'He caused him to preside over the sacrifices, and all the spirits were well pleased with them; thus Heaven accepted him. He caused him to preside over the conduct of affairs, and affairs were well administered, so that the people reposed under him; thus the people accepted him. Heaven gave the throne to him. The people gave it to him. Therefore I said, "The sovereign cannot give the throne to another. Shun assisted Yao in the government for twenty and eight years - this was more than man could have done, and was from Heaven. After the death of Yao, when the three years' mourning was completed, Shun withdrew from the son of Yao to the south of South river. The princes of the kingdom, however, repairing to court, went not to the son of Yao, but they went to Shun. Litigants went not to the son of Yao, but they went to Shun. Singers sang not the son of Yao, but they sang Shun. Therefore I said, "Heaven gave him the throne." It was after these things that he went to the Middle Kingdom, and occupied the seat of the Son of Heaven. If he had, before these things, taken up his residence in the palace of Yao, and had applied pressure to the son of Yao, it would have been an act of usurpation, and not the gift of Heaven. This sentiment is expressed in the words of The Great Declaration: "Heaven sees according as my people see; Heaven hears according as my people hear."' |
| | 萬章上: |
萬章問曰：「人有言：『至於禹而德衰，不傳於賢而傳於子。』有諸？」 |
| Wan Zhang I: |
Wan Zhang asked Mencius, saying, 'People say, "When the disposal of the kingdom came to Yu, his virtue was inferior to that of Yao and Shun, and he transmitted it not to the worthiest but to his son." Was it so?' |
| | |
孟子曰：「否，不然也。天與賢，則與賢；天與子，則與子。昔者舜薦禹於天，十有七年，舜崩。三年之喪畢，禹避舜之子於陽城。天下之民從之，若堯崩之後，不從堯之子而從舜也。禹薦益於天，七年，禹崩。三年之喪畢，益避禹之子於箕山之陰。朝覲訟獄者不之益而之啟，曰：『吾君之子也。』謳歌者不謳歌益而謳歌啟，曰：『吾君之子也。』丹朱之不肖，舜之子亦不肖。舜之相堯，禹之相舜也，歷年多，施澤於民久。啟賢，能敬承繼禹之道。益之相禹也，歷年少，施澤於民未久。舜、禹、益相去久遠，其子之賢不肖，皆天也，非人之所能為也。莫之為而為者，天也；莫之致而至者，命也。匹夫而有天下者，德必若舜禹，而又有天子薦之者，故仲尼不有天下。繼世以有天下，天之所廢，必若桀紂者也，故益、伊尹、周公不有天下。伊尹相湯以王於天下。湯崩，太丁未立，外丙二年，仲壬四年。太甲顛覆湯之典刑，伊尹放之於桐。三年，太甲悔過，自怨自艾，於桐處仁遷義；三年，以聽伊尹之訓己也，復歸于亳。周公之不有天下，猶益之於夏，伊尹之於殷也。孔子曰：『唐虞禪，夏后、殷、周繼，其義一也。』」 |
| |
Mencius replied, 'No; it was not so. When Heaven gave the kingdom to the worthiest, it was given to the worthiest. When Heaven gave it to the son of the preceding sovereign, it was given to him. Shun presented Yu to Heaven. Seventeen years elapsed, and Shun died. When the three years' mourning was expired, Yu withdrew from the son of Shun to Yang Cheng. The people of the kingdom followed him just as after the death of Yao, instead of following his son, they had followed Shun. Yu presented Yi to Heaven. Seven years elapsed, and Yu died. When the three years' mourning was expired, Yi withdrew from the son of Yu to the north of mount Qi. The princes, repairing to court, went not to Yi, but they went to Qi. Litigants did not go to Yi, but they went to Qi, saying, "He is the son of our sovereign;" the singers did not sing Yi, but they sang Qi, saying, "He is the son of our sovereign. That Dan Zhu was not equal to his father, and Shun's son not equal to his; that Shun assisted Yao, and Yu assisted Shun, for many years, conferring benefits on the people for a long time; that thus the length of time during which Shun, Yu, and Yi assisted in the government was so different; that Qi was able, as a man of talents and virtue, reverently to pursue the same course as Yu; that Yi assisted Yu only for a few years, and had not long conferred benefits on the people; that the periods of service of the three were so different; and that the sons were one superior, and the other superior - all this was from Heaven, and what could not be brought about by man. That which is done without man's doing is from Heaven. That which happens without man's causing is from the ordinance of Heaven. In the case of a private individual obtaining the throne, there must be in him virtue equal to that of Shun or Yu; and moreover there must be the presenting of him to Heaven by the preceding sovereign. It was on this account that Confucius did not obtain the throne. When the kingdom is possessed by natural succession, the sovereign who is displaced by Heaven must be like Jie or Zhou. It was on this account that Yi, Yi Yin, and Zhou Gong did not obtain the throne. Yi Yin assisted Tang so that he became sovereign over the kingdom. After the demise of Tang, Tai Ding having died before he could be appointed sovereign, Wai Bing reigned two years, and Zhong Ren four. Tai Jia was then turning upside down the statutes of Tang, when Yi Yin placed him in Tong for three years. There Tai Jia repented of his errors, was contrite, and reformed himself. In Tong be came to dwell in benevolence and walk in righteousness, during those threee years, listening to the lessons given to him by Yi Yin. Then Yi Yin again returned with him to Bo. Zhou Gong not getting the throne was like the case of Yi and the throne of Xia, or like that of Yi Yin and the throne of Yin. Confucius said, "Tang and Yu resigned the throne to their worthy ministers. The sovereign of Xia and those of Yin and Zhou transmitted it to their sons. The principle of righteousness was the same in all the cases."' |
