| | 萬章上: |
萬章問曰：「或曰：『百里奚自鬻於秦養牲者，五羊之皮，食牛，以要秦穆公。』信乎？」 |
| Wan Zhang I: |
Wan Zhang asked Mencius, 'Some say that Bai Li Xi sold himself to a cattle-keeper of Jin for the skins of five rams, and fed his oxen, in order to find an introduction to the duke Mu of Qin - was this the case?' |
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孟子曰：「否，不然。好事者為之也。百里奚，虞人也。晉人以垂棘之璧與屈產之乘，假道於虞以伐虢。宮之奇諫，百里奚不諫。知虞公之不可諫而去，之秦，年已七十矣，曾不知以食牛干秦穆公之為汙也，可謂智乎？不可諫而不諫，可謂不智乎？知虞公之將亡而先去之，不可謂不智也。時舉於秦，知穆公之可與有行也而相之，可謂不智乎？相秦而顯其君於天下，可傳於後世，不賢而能之乎？自鬻以成其君，鄉黨自好者不為，而謂賢者為之乎？」 |
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Mencius said, 'No; it was not so. This story was invented by men fond of strange things. Bai Li Xi was a man of Yu. The people of Jin, by the inducement of a round piece of jade from Chui Ji, and four horses of the Qu breed, borrowed a passage through Yu to attack Guo. On that occasion, Gong Zhi Qi remonstrated against granting their request, and Bai Li Xi did not remonstrate. When he knew that the duke of Yu was not to be remonstrated with, and, leaving that State, went to Qin, he had reached the age of seventy. If by that time he did not know that it would be a mean thing to seek an introduction to the duke Mu of Qin by feeding oxen, could he be called wise? But not remonstrating where it was of no use to remonstrate, could he be said not to be wise? Knowing that the duke of Yu would be ruined, and leaving him before that event, he cannot be said not to have been wise. Being then advanced in Qin, he knew that the duke Mu was one with whom he would enjoy a field for action, and became minister to him; could he, acting thus, be said not to be wise? Having become chief minister of Qin, he made his prince distinguished throughout the kingdom, and worthy of being handed down to future ages; could he have done this, if he had not been a man of talents and virtue? As to selling himself in order to accomplish all the aims of his prince, even a villager who had a regard for himself would not do such a thing; and shall we say that a man of talents and virtue did it?' |
| | 告子下: |
淳于髡曰：「先名實者，為人也；後名實者，自為也。夫子在三卿之中，名實未加於上下而去之，仁者固如此乎？」 |
| Gaozi II: |
Chun Yu Kun said, 'He who makes fame and meritorious services his first objects, acts with a regard to others. He who makes them only secondary objects, acts with a regard to himself. You, master, were ranked among the three chief ministers of the State, but before your fame and services had reached either to the prince or the people, you have left your place. Is this indeed the way of the benevolent?' |
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孟子曰：「居下位，不以賢事不肖者，伯夷也；五就湯，五就桀者，伊尹也；不惡汙君，不辭小官者，柳下惠也。三子者不同道，其趨一也。一者何也？曰：仁也。君子亦仁而已矣，何必同？」 |
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Mencius replied, 'There was Bo Yi - he abode in an inferior situation, and would not, with his virtue, serve a degenerate prince. There was Yi Yin - he five times went to Tang, and five times went to Jie. There was Hui of Liu Xia - he did not disdain to serve a vile prince, nor did he decline a small office. The courses pursued by those three worthies were different, but their aim was one. And what was their one aim? We must answer "To be perfectly virtuous." And so it is simply after this that superior men strive. Why must they all pursue the same course?' |
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曰：「魯繆公之時，公儀子為政，子柳、子思為臣，魯之削也滋甚。若是乎賢者之無益於國也！」曰：「虞不用百里奚而亡，秦穆公用之而霸。不用賢則亡，削何可得與？」 |
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Kun pursued, 'In the time of the duke Mu of Lu, the government was in the hands of Gong Yi, while Zi Liu and Zi Si were ministers. And yet, the dismemberment of Lu then increased exceedingly. Such was the case, a specimen how your men of virtue are of no advantage to a kingdom!' Mencius said, 'The prince of Yu did not use Bai Li Xi, and thereby lost his State. The duke Mu of Qin used him, and became chief of all the princes. Ruin is the consequence of not employing men of virtue and talents - how can it rest with dismemberment merely?' |
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曰：「昔者王豹處於淇，而河西善謳；緜駒處於高唐，而齊右善歌；華周、杞梁之妻善哭其夫，而變國俗。有諸內必形諸外。為其事而無其功者，髡未嘗覩之也。是故無賢者也，有則髡必識之。」 |
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Kun urged again, 'Formerly, when Wang Bao dwelt on the Qi, the people on the west of the Yellow River all became skilful at singing in his abrupt manner. When Mian Ju lived in Gao Tang, the people in the parts of Qi on the west became skilful at singing in his prolonged manner. The wives of Hua Zhou and Qi Liang bewailed their husbands so skilfully, that they changed the manners of the State. When there is the gift within, it manifests itself without. I have never seen the man who could do the deeds of a worthy, and did not realize the work of one. Therefore there are now no men of talents and virtue. If there were, I should know them.' |
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曰：「孔子為魯司寇，不用，從而祭，燔肉不至，不稅冕而行。不知者以為為肉也。其知者以為為無禮也。乃孔子則欲以微罪行，不欲為苟去。君子之所為，眾人固不識也。」 |
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Mencius answered, 'When Confucius was chief minister of Justice in Lu, the prince came not to follow his counsels. Soon after there was the solstitial sacrifice, and when a part of the flesh presented in sacrifice was not sent to him, he went away even without taking off his cap of ceremony. Those who did not know him supposed it was on account of the flesh. Those who knew him supposed that it was on account of the neglect of the usual ceremony. The fact was, that Confucius wanted to go away on occasion of some small offence, not wishing to do so without some apparent cause. All men cannot be expected to understand the conduct of a superior man.' |
| | 檀弓下: |
晉獻公之喪，秦穆公使人吊公子重耳，且曰：「寡人聞之：亡國恒於斯，得國恒於斯。雖吾子儼然在憂服之中，喪亦不可久也，時亦不可失也。孺子其圖之。」以告舅犯，舅犯曰：「孺子其辭焉；喪人無寶，仁親以為寶。父死之謂何？又因以為利，而天下其孰能說之？孺子其辭焉。」 |
| Tan Gong II: |
At the mourning rites for duke Xian of Jin, duke Mu of Qin sent a messenger to present his condolences to Xian's son Chong-er (who was then an exile), and to add this message: 'I have heard that a time like this is specially adapted to the losing of a state, or the gaining of a state. Though you, my son, are quiet here, in sorrow and in mourning, your exile should not be allowed to continue long, and the opportunity should not be lost. Think of it and take your measures, my young son.' Chong-er reported the words to his maternal uncle Fan, who said,' My son, decline the proffer. An exile as you are, nothing precious remains to you; but a loving regard for your father is to be considered precious. How shall the death of a father be told? And if you take advantage of it to seek your own profit, who under heaven will be able to give a good account of your conduct? Decline the proffer, my son. |
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公子重耳對客曰：「君惠吊亡臣重耳，身喪父死，不得與於哭泣之哀，以為君憂。父死之謂何？或敢有他志，以辱君義。」稽顙而不拜，哭而起，起而不私。 |
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On this the prince replied to his visitor: 'The ruler has kindly (sent you) to condole with his exiled servant. My person in banishment, and my father dead, so that I cannot take any share in the sad services of wailing and weeping for him; this has awakened the sympathy of the ruler. But how shall the death of a father be described? Shall I presume (on occasion of it) to think of any other thing, and prove myself unworthy of your ruler's righteous regard?' With this he laid his head to the ground, but did not bow (to the visitor); wailed and then arose, and after he had risen did not enter into any private conversation with him. |
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子顯以致命於穆公。穆公曰：「仁夫公子重耳！夫稽顙而不拜，則未為後也，故不成拜；哭而起，則愛父也；起而不私，則遠利也。」 |
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Zi-xian reported the execution of his commission to duke Mu, who said, 'Truly virtuous is this prince Chong-er. In laying his forehead on the ground and not bowing (to the messenger), he acknowledged that he was not his father's successor, and therefore he did not complete the giving of thanks. In wailing before he rose, he showed how he loved his father. In having no private conversation after he arose, he showed how he put from him the thought of gain.' |
| | 雜言: |
淳于髡謂孟子曰：「先名實者，為人者也；後名實者，自為者也。夫子在三卿之中，名實未加上下而去之，仁者固如此乎？」孟子曰：「居下位，不以賢事不肖者，伯夷也；五就湯，五就桀者，伊尹也；不惡汙君，不辭小官者，柳下惠也。三子者不同道，其趣一也。一者何也？曰仁也。君子亦仁而已，何必同？」曰：「魯穆公之時，公儀子為政，子思、子庚為臣，魯之削也滋甚。若是乎賢者之無益於國也。」曰：「虞不用百里奚而亡，秦穆公用之而霸，故不用賢則亡，削何可得也。」曰：「昔者王豹處於淇，而河西善謳；綿駒處於高唐，而齊右善歌。華舟杞梁之妻，善哭其夫而變國俗。有諸內必形於外；為其事，無其功，髡未睹也。是故無賢者也，有則髡必識之矣。」曰：「孔子為魯司寇而不用，從祭膰肉不至，不脫冕而行；其不善者以為為肉也，其善者以為為禮也。乃孔子欲以微罪行，不欲為苟去，故君子之所為，眾人固不得識也。」 |
| | 雜言: |
孔子遭難陳、蔡之境，絕糧，弟子皆有饑色，孔子歌兩柱之間。子路入見曰：「夫子之歌，禮乎？」孔子不應，曲終而曰：「由，君子好樂為無驕也，小人好樂為無懾也，其誰知之？子不我知而從我者乎？」子路不悅，援干而舞，三終而出。及至七日，孔子脩樂不休，子路慍見曰：「夫子之脩樂，時乎？」孔子不應，樂終而曰：「由，昔者齊桓霸心生于莒，句踐霸心生於會稽，晉文霸心生於驪氏，故居不幽，則思不遠，身不約則智不廣，庸知而不遇之。」於是興，明日免於厄。子貢執轡曰：「二三子從夫子而遇此難也，其不可忘也！」孔子曰：「惡是何也？語不云乎？三折肱而成良醫。夫陳、蔡之間，丘之幸也。二三子從丘者皆幸人也。吾聞人君不困不成王，列士不困不成行。昔者湯困於呂，文王困於羑里，秦穆公困於殽，齊桓困於長勺，句踐困於會稽，晉文困於驪氏。夫困之為道，從寒之及煖，煖之及寒也，唯賢者獨知而難言之也。《》曰：『』聖人所與人難言信也。」 |
| | 雜言: |
孔子困於陳、蔡之間，居環堵之內，席三經之席，七日不食，藜羹不糝，弟子皆有饑色，讀詩書治禮不休。子路進諫曰：「凡人為善者天報以福，為不善者天報以禍。今先生積德行，為善久矣。意者尚有遺行乎？奚居隱也！」孔子曰：「由，來，汝不知。坐，吾語汝。子以夫知者為無不知乎？則王子比干何為剖心而死？以諫者為必聽耶？伍子胥何為抉目於吳東門？子以廉者為必用乎？伯夷、叔齊何為餓死於首陽山之下？子以忠者為必用乎？則鮑莊何為而肉枯？荊公子高終身不顯，鮑焦抱木而立枯，介子推登山焚死。故夫君子博學深謀不遇時者眾矣，豈獨丘哉！賢不肖者才也，為不為者人也，遇不遇者時也，死生者命也；有其才不遇其時，雖才不用，苟遇其時，何難之有！故舜耕歷山而逃於河畔，立為天子則其遇堯也。傅說負壤土、釋板築，而立佐天子，則其遇武丁也。伊尹，有莘氏媵臣也，負鼎俎調五味而佐天子，則其遇成湯也。呂望行年五十賣食於棘津，行年七十屠牛朝歌，行年九十為天子師，則其遇文王也。管夷吾束縛膠目，居檻車中，自車中起為仲父，則其遇齊桓公也。百里奚自賣取五羊皮，伯氏牧羊以為卿大夫，則其遇秦穆公也。沈尹名聞天下，以為令尹，而讓孫叔敖，則其遇楚莊王也。伍子胥前多功，後戮死，非其智益衰也，前遇闔廬，後遇夫差也。夫驥厄罷鹽車，非無驥狀也，夫世莫能知也；使驥得王良、造父，驥無千里之足乎？芝蘭生深林，非為無人而不香。故學者非為通也，為窮而不困也，憂而不衰也，此知禍福之始而心不惑也，聖人之深念獨知獨見。舜亦賢聖矣，南面治天下，唯其遇堯也；使舜居桀紂之世，能自免於刑戮固可也，又何官得治乎？夫桀殺關龍逄而紂殺王子比干，當是時，豈關龍逄無知，而比干無惠哉？此桀紂無道之世然也。故君子疾學修身端行，以須其時也。」 |
