| | 滕文公下: |
陳代曰：「不見諸侯，宜若小然；今一見之，大則以王，小則以霸。且志曰：『枉尺而直尋』，宜若可為也。」 |
| Teng Wen Gong II: |
Chen Dai said to Mencius, 'In not going to wait upon any of the princes, you seem to me to be standing on a small point. If now you were once to wait upon them, the result might be so great that you would make one of them sovereign, or, if smaller, that you would make one of them chief of all the other princes. Moreover, the History says, "By bending only one cubit, you make eight cubits straight." It appears to me like a thing which might be done.' |
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孟子曰：「昔齊景公田，招虞人以旌，不至，將殺之。志士不忘在溝壑，勇士不忘喪其元。孔子奚取焉？取非其招不往也，如不待其招而往，何哉？且夫枉尺而直尋者，以利言也。如以利，則枉尋直尺而利，亦可為與？昔者趙簡子使王良與嬖奚乘，終日而不獲一禽。嬖奚反命曰：『天下之賤工也。』或以告王良。良曰：『請復之。』彊而後可，一朝而獲十禽。嬖奚反命曰：『天下之良工也。』簡子曰：『我使掌與女乘。』謂王良。良不可，曰：『吾為之範我馳驅，終日不獲一；為之詭遇，一朝而獲十。《》云：「」我不貫與小人乘，請辭。』御者且羞與射者比。比而得禽獸，雖若丘陵，弗為也。如枉道而從彼，何也？且子過矣，枉己者，未有能直人者也。」 |
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Mencius said, 'Formerly, the duke Jing of Qi, once when he was hunting, called his forester to him by a flag. The forester would not come, and the duke was going to kill him. With reference to this incident, Confucius said, "The determined officer never forgets that his end may be in a ditch or a stream; the brave officer never forgets that he may lose his head." What was it in the forester that Confucius thus approved? He approved his not going to the duke, when summoned by the article which was not appropriate to him. If one go to see the princes without waiting to be invited, what can be thought of him? Moreover, that sentence, "By bending only one cubit, you make eight cubits straight," is spoken with reference to the gain that may be got. If gain be the object, then, if it can be got by bending eight cubits to make one cubit straight, may we likewise do that? Formerly, the officer Zhao Jian made Wang Liang act as charioteer for his favourite Xi, when, in the course of a whole day, they did not get a single bird. The favourite Xi reported this result, saying, "He is the poorest charioteer in the world." Some one told this to Wang Liang, who said, "I beg leave to try again." By dint of pressing, this was accorded to him, when in one morning they got ten birds. The favourite, reporting this result, said, "He is the best charioteer in the world." Jian said, "I will make him always drive your chariot for you." When he told Wang Liang so, however, Liang refused, saying, "I drove for him, strictly observing the proper rules for driving, and in the whole day he did not get one bird. I drove for him so as deceitfully to intercept the birds, and in one morning he got ten. It is said in the Book of Poetry, 'There is no failure in the management of their horses; The arrows are discharged surely, like the blows of an axe.' I am not accustomed to drive for a mean man. I beg leave to decline the office." Thus this charioteer even was ashamed to bend improperly to the will of such an archer. Though, by bending to it, they would have caught birds and animals sufficient to form a hill, he would not do so. If I were to bend my principles and follow those princes, of what kind would my conduct be? And you are wrong. Never has a man who has bent himself been able to make others straight.' |
| | 萬章下: |
萬章曰：「敢問不見諸侯，何義也？」 |
| Wan Zhang II: |
Wan Zhang said, 'I venture to ask what principle of righteousness is involved in a scholar's not going to see the princes?' |
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孟子曰：「在國曰市井之臣，在野曰草莽之臣，皆謂庶人。庶人不傳質為臣，不敢見於諸侯，禮也。」 |
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Mencius replied, 'A scholar residing in the city is called "a minister of the market-place and well," and one residing in the country is called "a minister of the grass and plants." In both cases he is a common man, and it is the rule of propriety that common men, who have not presented the introductory present and become ministers, should not presume to have interviews with the prince.' |
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萬章曰：「庶人，召之役，則往役；君欲見之，召之，則不往見之，何也？」 |
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Wan Zhang said, 'If a common man is called to perform any service, he goes and performs it; how is it that a scholar, when the prince, wishing to see him, calls him to his presence, refuses to go?' |
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曰：「往役，義也；往見，不義也。且君之欲見之也，何為也哉？」 |
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Mencius replied, 'It is right to go and perform the service; it would not be right to go and see the prince. And,' added Mencius, 'on what account is it that the prince wishes to see the scholar?' |
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曰：「為其多聞也，為其賢也。」 |
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'Because of his extensive information, or because of his talents and virtue,' was the reply. |
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曰：「為其多聞也，則天子不召師，而況諸侯乎？為其賢也，則吾未聞欲見賢而召之也。繆公亟見於子思，曰：『古千乘之國以友士，何如？』子思不悅，曰：『古之人有言：曰事之云乎，豈曰友之云乎？』子思之不悅也，豈不曰：『以位，則子，君也；我，臣也。何敢與君友也？以德，則子事我者也。奚可以與我友？』千乘之君求與之友，而不可得也，而況可召與？齊景公田，招虞人以旌，不至，將殺之。志士不忘在溝壑，勇士不忘喪其元。孔子奚取焉？取非其招不往也。」 |
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'If because of his extensive information,' said Mencius, 'such a person is a teacher, and the sovereign would not call him - how much less may any of the princes do so? If because of his talents and virtue, then I have not heard of any one wishing to see a person with those qualities, and calling him to his presence. During the frequent interviews of the duke Mu with Zi Si, he one day said to him, "Anciently, princes of a thousand chariots have yet been on terms of friendship with scholars - what do you think of such an intercourse?" Zi Si was displeased, and said, "The ancients have said, 'The scholar should be served:' how should they have merely said that he should be made a friend of?" When Zi Si was thus displeased, did he not say within himself, "With regard to our stations, you are sovereign, and I am subject. How can I presume to be on terms of friendship with my sovereign! With regard to our virtue, you ought to make me your master. How can you be on terms of friendship with me?" Thus, when a ruler of a thousand chariots sought to be on terms of friendship with a scholar, he could not obtain his wish - how much less could he call him to his presence! The duke Ching of Qi, once, when he was hunting, called his forester to him by a flag. The forester would not come, and the duke was going to kill him. With reference to this incident, Confucius said, "The determined officer never forgets that his end may be in a ditch or a stream; the brave officer never forgets that he may lose his head." What was it in the forester that Confucius thus approved? He approved his not going to the duke, when summoned by the article which was not appropriate to him.' |
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曰：「敢問招虞人何以？」 |
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Zhang said, 'May I ask with what a forester should be summoned?' |
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曰：「以皮冠。庶人以旃，士以旂，大夫以旌。以大夫之招招虞人，虞人死不敢往。以士之招招庶人，庶人豈敢往哉。況乎以不賢人之招招賢人乎？欲見賢人而不以其道，猶欲其入而閉之門也。夫義，路也；禮，門也。惟君子能由是路，出入是門也。《》云：『』」 |
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Mencius replied, 'With a skin cap. A common man should be summoned with a plain banner; a scholar who has taken office, with one having dragons embroidered on it; and a Great officer, with one having feathers suspended from the top of the staff. When the forester was summoned with the article appropriate to the summoning of a Great officer, he would have died rather than presume to go. If a common man were summoned with the article appropriate to the summoning of a scholar, how could he presume to go? How much more may we expect this refusal to go, when a man of talents and virtue is summoned in a way which is inappropriate to his character! When a prince wishes to see a man of talents and virtue, and does not take the proper course to get his wish, it is as if he wished him to enter his palace, and shut the door against him. Now, righteousness is the way, and propriety is the door, but it is only the superior man who can follow this way, and go out and in by this door. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "The way to Zhou is level like a whetstone, And straight as an arrow. The officers tread it, And the lower people see it."' |
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萬章曰：「孔子，君命召，不俟駕而行。然則孔子非與？」 |
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Wan Zhang said, 'When Confucius received the prince's message calling him, he went without waiting for his carriage. Doing so, did Confucius do wrong?' |
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曰：「孔子當仕有官職，而以其官召之也。」 |
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Mencius replied, 'Confucius was in office, and had to observe its appropriate duties. And moreover, he was summoned on the business of his office.' |
