| Chinese Text Project | |
| Simplified Chinese version |
| 孟子见齐宣王曰： | Mencius, having an interview with the king Xuan of Qi, said to him, |
| “为巨室， | 'If you are going to build a large mansion, |
| 则必使工师求大木。 | you will surely cause the Master of the workmen to look out for large trees, |
| 工师得大木。 | and when he has found such large trees, |
| 则王喜， | you will be glad, |
| 以为能胜其任也。 | thinking that they will answer for the intended object. |
| 匠人斵而小之， | Should the workmen hew them so as to make them too small, |
| 则王怒， | then your Majesty will be angry, |
| 以为不胜其任矣。 | thinking that they will not answer for the purpose. |
| 夫人幼而学之， | Now, a man spends his youth in learning the principles of right government, |
| 壮而欲行之。 | and, being grown up to vigour, he wishes to put them in practice; |
| 王曰‘姑舍女所学而从我’， | if your Majesty says to him, "For the present put aside what you have learned, and follow me," |
| 则何如？ | what shall we say? |
| 今有璞玉于此， | Here now you have a gem unwrought, in the stone. |
| 虽万镒， | Although it may be worth 240,000 taels, |
| 必使玉人雕琢之。 | you will surely employ a lapidary to cut and polish it. |
| 至于治国家， | But when you come to the government of the State, |
| 则曰‘姑舍女所学而从我’， | then you say, "For the present put aside what you have learned, and follow me." |
| 则何以异于教玉人雕琢玉哉？” | How is it that you herein act so differently from your conduct in calling in the lapidary to cut the gem?' |
| Character | Composition | Variants | Reading | Meaning | Hanyu | Kangxi | Cihai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 孟子 | 子+5 子+0 | 㜽 𢀈 𢀉 𡐫 𣕓 只 | mèng zǐ ㄇㄥˋ ㄗˇ | (1) 先秦时代的思想家孟子。 Mencius, a pre-Qin philosopher. | v2,p1013#03 v2,p1006#06 | p.278#16 p.277#01 | p.399r3c02 p.395r1c01 |
| 见 | 见+0 | 现 见 | jiàn ㄐㄧㄢˋ | (4.1) 往见，拜见。 Go to see. | v6,p3663#01 | p.1133#01 | p.1229r1c01 |
| 齐宣王 | 齐+0 宀+6 玉+0 | 亝 斉 斋 斋 齐 𡩦 | qí xuān wáng ㄑㄧˊ ㄒㄩㄢ ㄨㄤˊ | 姓名：田辟强，在位前319-前301。 King Xuan of Qi (ruled 319 BC-301 BC)  | v7,p4783#01 v2,p0923#10 v2,p1099#10 | p.1531#06 p.284#16 p.727#02 | p.1569r4c01 p.417r2c01 p.888r1c02 |
| 曰 | 曰+0 | yuē ㄩㄝ | (1) 说。 Say, speak. | v2,p1482#02 | p.502#01 | p.648r3c03 | |
| 为 | 火+5 | 爲 为 | wéi ㄨㄟˊ | Create, make. / Build, construct. / Do. / Plant, grow. / Govern. / Research, study. / Serve as. / Change into, become. / As, in the role of. / Count as, be considered as. / Called, named. / Expresses judgement: is. / Make, cause (to). / Have. / Take part in. / Write, author. / Connective: if. / Particle used in the middle of a sentence to move forward the object. / Modal particle used at the end of a sentence to express a rhetorical question. | v3,p2198#11 | p.669#10 | p.844r4c03 |
| wèi ㄨㄟˋ | Help, assist. / Preposition: for, on behalf of. / Preposition: by (passive). / Preposition: because of, due to. / Preposition: with, together with. / Connective: because. / Say. / False, fake. | ||||||
| 巨 | 工+2 | 钜 𢀑 㠪 𠫕 | jù ㄐㄩˋ | large, great, enormous; chief | v1,p0082#01 | p.325#12 | p.465r6c01 |
| 室 | 宀+6 | shì ㄕˋ | room, home, house, chamber | v2,p0925#03 | p.285#02 | p.416r6c01 | |
| 则 | 刀+7 | 𠟻 𠟭 𠞋 𠟔 则 | zé ㄗㄜˊ | Method, rule. / Mimic, emulate. / Level, grade. / Adverb used to emphasize an assertion. / Adverb used to express scope: only. / Connective expressing continuation: then, and then. / Connective emphasizing comparison. / Connective expressing contrast. / Connective expressing allowance: yet, even so. / Connective expressing unexpected turn of events. / Connective expressing suppostion: if. | v1,p0340#06 | p.139#31 | p.183r5c05 |
| 必 | 心+1 | bì ㄅㄧˋ | surely, most certainly; must | v4,p2267#02 | p.375#02 | p.522r5c01 | |
| 使 | 人+6 | 𡥐 𠭆 | shǐ ㄕˇ | Order, send (on a mission). / Cause, make. / Allocate, use. / Indulge in.. / Send as an envoy. / Envoy, messenger. / Connective: if, supposing. | v1,p0145#02 | p.101#05 | p.101r3c03 |
| 工 | 工+0 | 𢀚 㣉 𠜝 | gōng ㄍㄨㄥ | labor, work; worker, laborer | v1,p0410#06 | p.325#01 | p.463r2c02 |
| 师 | 巾+7 | 𠵀 𠦵 𢂖 𩇱 师 | shī ㄕ | Unit of 2500 soldiers. / Troops in general. / The masses. / Teacher. / Take ... as one's teacher. / Model, example. / Follow, mimic, learn from. / Specialist, expert. / Official, chief. / Lion. | v1,p0740#02 | p.331#35 | p.475r3c05 |
| 求 | 水+2 | 裘 | qiú ㄑㄧㄡˊ | seek; demand, request; beseech | v3,p1547#08 | p.604#04 | p.763r3c02 |
| 大 | 大+0 | 𠘲 | dà ㄉㄚˋ | Large, great. / Exceed, be greater than. / Venerate, treat as being great. / Many. / Thick, coarse. / Elder. / Respectful term of address. / Adverb expressing high level or broad range. | v1,p0520#01 | p.248#01 | p.342r3c03 |
| tài ㄊㄞˋ | Most (superlative). / Too much. / Peaceful, tranquil. | ||||||
| 木 | 木+0 | mù ㄇㄨˋ | tree; wood, lumber; wooden | v2,p1149#06 | p.509#01 | p.662r5c05 | |
| 得 | 彳+8 | 𢔶 䙷 𢔨 | dé ㄉㄜˊ | Get, obtain. / Plunder. / Covet. / Success. / Fitting, appropriate. / Compatible. / Satisfied, pleased. / Possible, can. / Same as “德(1)” dé ㄉㄜˊ: Morals, morality. / Same as “德(3)” dé ㄉㄜˊ: Reward kindness, thank. | v2,p0828#03 | p.367#31 | p.513r6c02 |
| 王 | 玉+0 | wáng ㄨㄤˊ | King, title of supreme ruler of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. / Ruler of a vassal state in the warring states period. / Highest title in feudal China. / Meet with the emperor. / Respectful term for one's paternal grandparents. | v2,p1099#10 | p.727#02 | p.888r1c02 | |
| wàng ㄨㄤˋ | Rule as king, control all under heaven. / Enfeoff as king. / Flourish, abound. | ||||||
| wǎng ㄨㄤˇ | To, go to. | ||||||
| 喜 | 口+9 | 憙 憘 𢐭 歖 | xǐ ㄒㄧˇ | like, love, enjoy; joyful thing | v1,p0649#02 | p.199#05 | p.283r6c03 |
| 以 | 人+3 | 㠯 | yǐ ㄧˇ | Use. / Believe. / Command. / Lead. / Connect, implicate. / Have. / Cause, reason. / Preposition: because. / Preposition: from, in. / Preposition: at [some time]. / Preposition: using. / Preposition: in accordance with. / Preposition: relying upon. / Preposition: in the capacity of. / Preposition: with, together with. / Connective: indicates the following action is the objective of the preceding one. / Connective: used between adverbial clause and verb to express modification. / Connective: and. / Connective: but. / Connective: and so, thus. / Particle: used together with some words expressing direction and time. / Modal particle. / Same as “已(1)” yǐ ㄧˇ: Stop, discontinue. / Same as “已(7.2)” yǐ ㄧˇ: Adverb: already. / Same as “已(7.3)” yǐ ㄧˇ: Adverb: extremely. | v1,p0105#07 | p.94#01 | p.87r6c01 |
| 能 | 肉+6 | néng ㄋㄥˊ | A type of bear. / Ability, talent. / Man of ability, man of talent. / Able to, competent. / Comply with, be friendly towards. / Encompass, obtain. / To, arrive at. / Then, thus. / Same as “而(4.3)” ér ㄦˊ: Connective: if, supposing. / Only, merely. / Even if. / Thus, in this way. / Three-legged turtle. | v3,p2074#01 | p.981#16 | p.1095r5c02 | |
| nài ㄋㄞˋ | Withstand, endure. | ||||||
| tái ㄊㄞˊ | Same as “台(1.1)” tái ㄊㄞˊ: Name of a celestial body. | ||||||
| tài ㄊㄞˋ | State, form. | ||||||
| 胜 | 力+10 | 𠢧 𠅫 𢾶 胜 | shèng shēng ㄕㄥˋ ㄕㄥ | victory; excel, be better than | v3,p2090#13 | p.148#31 | p.197r6c02 |
| 其 | 八+6 | 丌 亓 | qí ㄑㄧˊ | Third-person possessive pronoun: his, her, its, their. / Demonstrative pronoun: that, those. / Adverb expressing estimation or guess. / Adverb expressing imperative. / Adverb expressing rhetorical question. / Adverb expressing future tense. / Connective expressing hypothesis: if, supposing. / Connective expressing choice: or. / Connective expressing concession: even if. / Particle used after an adjective. / Particle: of. / Particle used for emphasis after single-character adjectives or onomatopoeia. / Particle used in the middle of a sentence to alter the tempo. | v1,p0245#01 | p.127#18 | p.162r5c01 |
| jì ㄐㄧˋ | Particle used after bi and he. | ||||||
| jī ㄐㄧ | Modal particle expressing interrogative tone. / A year. | ||||||
| 任 | 人+4 | 仼 | rèn rén ㄖㄣˋ ㄖㄣˊ | trust to, rely on, appoint; to bear, duty, office; allow | v1,p0122#06 | p.94#24 | p.88r6c05 |
| 也 | 乙+2 | 𠃟 匜 | yě ㄧㄝˇ | Modal particle used at the end of a sentence, expressing assertion and affirmation. / Modal particle used at the end of a question for emphasis. / Modal particle used at the end of a cause-effect sentence to express explanation. / Modal particle used in the middle of a sentence to express a pause. | v1,p0050#05 | p.84#04 | p.55r1c01 |
| 匠 | 匚+4 | jiàng ㄐㄧㄤˋ | craftsman, artisan; workman | v1,p0083#05 | p.153#22 | p.205r6c06 | |
| 人 | 人+0 | 𠔽 亻 | rén ㄖㄣˊ | Man, person. / Others, other people. / The people, ordinary men. / Talent, material. / [A man's] character. / Affairs of men, world of man. / Benevolence. | v1,p0101#10 | p.91#01 | p.80r2c01 |
| 斵 | 斤+13 | 斫 | zhuó ㄓㄨㄛˊ | to cut to pieces; to hack; to chop or hew; to carve for ornaments | v3,p2028#06 | p.480#31 | p.618r6c05 |
| 而 | 而+0 | ér ㄦˊ | Whiskers. / Like, similar to. / Pronoun: you. / Pronoun: this, like this. / Connective: and, with. / Connective: and, then. / Connective: if, supposing. / Connective: yet, however. / Connective: therefore, hence. / Connective: expresses method or state. / Particle: of. / Expressive particle. | v4,p2810#01 | p.961#18 | p.1080r2c03 | |
| néng ㄋㄥˊ | Same as “能(3)” néng ㄋㄥˊ: Able to, competent. / Same as “能(2.1)” néng ㄋㄥˊ: Ability, talent. | ||||||
| 小 | 小+0 | xiǎo ㄒㄧㄠˇ | (1.2) 使变小。 Make small. | v1,p0560#12 | p.296#18 | p.438r2c01 | |
| 之 | 丿+3 | 㞢 | zhī ㄓ | Towards; go to. / Demonstrative pronoun: this, these. / Third person pronoun: him, her, it. / Auxiliary word: of. / Auxiliary word: used between subject and predicate, cancels independence of a clause. / Auxiliary word: used in a sentence for aesthetic purpose only, no meaning. | v1,p0043#01 | p.82#04 | p.47r2c02 |
| 怒 | 心+5 | 怒 𢘂 | nù ㄋㄨˋ | anger, rage, passion; angry | v4,p2282#03 | p.380#08 | p.525r5c06 |
| 不 | 一+3 | 不 𠀚 𠙐 | bù ㄅㄨˋ | Not have. / To not be. / Negational adverb, used before verbs, adjectives, etc. to indicate negation. / Negational adverb expressing prohibition: do not. / Negational adverb expressing rhetorical question: is not...? | v1,p0011#06 | p.76#15 | p.30r1c01 |
| fǒu ㄈㄡˇ | Same as “否(1.2)” fǒu ㄈㄡˇ: Adverb used together with an affirmative word, expressing its negative or opposite. / Same as “否(1.3)” fǒu ㄈㄡˇ: Adverb used at the end of a question to form a yes-no question. | ||||||
| fū ㄈㄨ | Sepal of a flower. | ||||||
| pī ㄆㄧ | Same as “丕(1)” pī ㄆㄧ: Large. | ||||||
| bǐ ㄅㄧˇ | Show disdain for. | ||||||
| 矣 | 矢+2 | 𠤘 | yǐ ㄧˇ | Modal particle used to express declaration. / Modal particle used to express exclamation. / Modal particle used to express an order or request. | v4,p2580#04 | p.823#37 | p.955r5c01 |
| 夫 | 大+1 | fū ㄈㄨ | General term for adult men. / Adult labourers in particular. / Soldier. / Respectful term for a man. / Husband. / Unit of area equal to one hundred mu. | v1,p0521#01 | p.248#11 | p.367r2c01 | |
| fú ㄈㄨˊ | Demonstrative pronoun: this, these. / Modal particle used at the start of a sentence for emphasis or to indicate an assertion. / Modal particle used in the middle of a sentence to soften the tone. / Modal particle used at the end of a sentence to express exclamation. | ||||||
| 幼 | 幺+2 | 𠣎 | yòu yào ㄧㄡˋ ㄧㄠˋ | infant, young child; immature | v2,p1093#07 | p.342#02 | p.485r4c02 |
| 学 | 子+13 | 𢻯 斈 学 | xué ㄒㄩㄝˊ | Study, learn. / Doctrine, teaching. / School of thought. / School, place of learning. / Account, state. | v2,p1019#11 | p.280#28 | p.403r3c05 |
| xiào ㄒㄧㄠˋ | Instruct, teach. | ||||||
| 壮 | 士+4 | 壮 | zhuàng ㄓㄨㄤˋ | big, large; robust; name of tribe | v1,p0428#07 | p.243#02 | p.333r5c01 |
| 欲 | 欠+7 | 欲 | yù ㄩˋ | desire, want, long for; intend | v3,p2140#07 | p.567#36 | p.729r4c02 |
| 行 | 行+0 | 行 | xíng ㄒㄧㄥˊ | Walk, move (on foot). / Advance, move forward. / Leave, exit. / Patrol, go on inspection. / Inspection of the realm by the Son of Heaven. / Be married off. / Flow, circulate. / Channel, guide. / Revolution, circular motion. / Experience. / Luggage, belongings taken on a journey. / Do, carry out. / Actions. / Accomplishments. / Use, utilize. / Take over (an official duty). / Offer, present. / Moral conduct, behaviour. / A type of classical poem. / A piece of music. / Semi-cursive script. / Adverb: will, about to. / Adverb: again, once more. / Adverb: by chance, luckily. / Ambassador (official title). / Measure word for number of pourings of drinks. | v2,p0811#06 | p.1108#31 | p.1203r5c05 |
| háng ㄏㄤˊ | Road. / Track, pattern. / Row, line. / Row of soldiers in battle. / Unit of 25 soldiers. / Shaft of a feather (and by extension, wings). / Measure word for things which form rows. / Rank, position. | ||||||
| 曰 | 曰+0 | yuē ㄩㄝ | Say, speak. / Call, name. / Particle. | v2,p1482#02 | p.502#01 | p.648r3c03 | |
| 姑 | 女+5 | gū ㄍㄨ | father's sister; husband's mother | v2,p1035#04 | p.258#32 | p.381r4c01 | |
| 舍 | 舌+2 | 舎 舍 | shè shě shì ㄕㄜˋ ㄕㄜˇ ㄕˋ | house, dwelling; dwell, reside | v5,p2941#02 | p.1006#23 | p.1115r6c01 |
| 女 | 女+0 | 女 𠨰 | nǚ ㄋㄩˇ | Woman, female. / Unmarried woman. / Weak and small. | v2,p1023#23 | p.254#22 | p.376r1c02 |
| nǜ ㄋㄩˋ | Marry off. | ||||||
| rǔ ㄖㄨˇ | Same as “汝(2)” rǔ ㄖㄨˇ: Second person pronoun: you. | ||||||
| 所 | 户+4 | 𢨷 | suǒ ㄙㄨㄛˇ | Place. / Location. / A suitable place or location. / Measure word, used for counting buldings. / Used before a verb, creates a noun-like phrase. / If. Mainly used in oaths and curses. / Used together with 为 to indicate the passive tense. / Indicates an approximate number. / Number, number of times. / Meaning. | v3,p2259#01 | p.415#16 | p.556r1c01 |
| 从 | 彳+8 | 従 从 | cóng ㄘㄨㄥˊ | Follow, accompany. / Cause to follow, make go along with. / Pursue, chase after. / Die with, bury along with the dead. / Listen to, do as required. / Eloquent. / Obedient, submissive. / Route to peaceful society, correct order. / Perform, participate in. / Blood relation through the male line. / Secondary, sub- (of official titles). / Preposition: from. / Preposition: towards. / Preposition: because of, due to. / Addition, also. | v2,p0829#12 | p.368#18 | p.514r5c01 |
| zòng ㄗㄨㄥˋ | North-south. / Alliance of states opposed to the Qin alliance. / Straight, upright. / Indulge, allow to. / Connective: even if. | ||||||
| zōng ㄗㄨㄥ | Trace, vestige. | ||||||
| sǒng ㄙㄨㄥˇ | See 从容。 | ||||||
| 我 | 戈+3 | 𠨂 𢦓 𢦠 | wǒ ㄨㄛˇ | First-person pronoun: I. / One's own side in general. / Expresses closeness. / Egoism, self-involvement. | v2,p1401#02 | p.412#01 | p.552r1c01 |
| 何 | 人+5 | hé ㄏㄜˊ | Ask, enquire. / What. / Who, which one. / How, in what way. / Why, for what reason. / Where, in what place. / How much, to what extent. | v1,p0130#04 | p.98#15 | p.97r2c04 | |
| hē ㄏㄜ | Criticize, condemn. | ||||||
| hè ㄏㄜˋ | Carry on one's back. / Bear, carry a burden. | ||||||
| 如 | 女+3 | rú ㄖㄨˊ | Go to. / According to, in accordance with. / Like, similar to. / As good as, comparable to. / Should. / Or, alternatively. / If, should it be the case. / As for, as regards. / Adjectival suffix. | v2,p1025#09 | p.255#21 | p.378r5c02 | |
| 今 | 人+2 | jīn ㄐㄧㄣ | now, today, modern era | v1,p0105#05 | p.91#18 | p.83r5c02 | |
| 有 | 月+2 | | yǒu ㄧㄡˇ | Have, possess. / Store, collect. / Occupy. / Hold on to, retain. / Have in abundance. / Good harvest. / Obtain. / Only. / Be, exist. / Occur, happen. / Make. / Particle used before a noun with no meaning. / Particle used before a monosyllabic adjective with no meaning. / Particle used before a verb with no meaning. / Still, yet. / Some people. / Region. | v3,p2041#05 | p.504#20 | p.656r5c01 |
| yòu ㄧㄡˋ | Help, assist. / Same as “又(3)” yòu ㄧㄡˋ: Moreover. | ||||||
| 璞 | 玉+12 | pú ㄆㄨˊ | unpolished gem, uncarved gem | v2,p1137#10 | p.742#09 | p.900r3c03 | |
| 玉 | 玉+0 | 𤣪 | yù ㄩˋ | jade, precious stone, gem | v2,p1100#01 | p.726#04 | p.884r5c02 |
| 于 | 方+4 | 乌 𣱏 𤕘 于 亏 扵 | yú ㄩˊ | Be (copula). / Be, exist. / Preposition: in. / Preposition: from or to. / Preposition: compared to. / Preposition: to, for, towards. / Preposition: by (indicating passive tense). / Preposition: with, using. / Preposition: due to, because of. / Preposition: by, according to. / Connective: just as. / Auxiliary word, no meaning. | v3,p2175#02 | p.481#11 | p.622r2c03 |
| 此 | 止+2 | cǐ ㄘˇ | This. / Like this. / Here. / Adverb: then. | v2,p1438#03 | p.574#10 | p.735r4c01 | |
| 虽 | 隹+9 | 𨾡 虽 | suī ㄙㄨㄟ | Type of insect. / Even, though, even if. / Only. | v6,p4103#05 | p.1368#22 | p.1440r6c01 |
| 万 | 禸+8 | 万 卍 㸘 𤍚 𢁭 | wàn ㄨㄢˋ | ten thousand; innumerable | v5,p3247#08 | p.1042#33 | p.1149r4c02 |
| 镒 | 金+10 | 镒 | yì ㄧˋ | measure of weight for gold | v6,p4244#07 | p.1318#19 | p.1391r5c01 |
| 雕 | 彡+8 | 㓮 雕 雕 | diāo ㄉㄧㄠ | carve, decorate; emaciated | v2,p0855#04 | p.363#23 | p.508r3c02 |
| 琢 | 玉+8 | zhuó zuó ㄓㄨㄛˊ ㄗㄨㄛˊ | polish jade; cut jade | v2,p1120#12 | p.734#19 | p.896r4c02 | |
| 至 | 至+0 | 𦤳 𦤴 𦤵 𡊏 | zhì dié ㄓˋ ㄉㄧㄝˊ | reach, arrive; extremely, very | v4,p2814#01 | p.1001#11 | p.1111r3c04 |
| 治 | 水+5 | 乿 | zhì ㄓˋ | (1) 治理，管理。 Rule, administer. | v3,p1599#06 | p.614#07 | p.776r5c02 |
| 国 | 囗+8 | 圀 国 囗 囶 𢧌 䆐 囯 国 | guó ㄍㄨㄛˊ | nation, country, nation-state | v1,p0720#09 | p.219#16 | p.303r4c02 |
| 家 | 宀+7 | 家 宊 𠖔 𡩅 𡧚 | jiā jie gū ㄐㄧㄚ ㄐㄧㄝ· ㄍㄨ | house, home, residence; family | v2,p0930#15 | p.286#17 | p.420r1c02 |
| 异 | 田+6 | 異 𢄖 异 | yì ㄧˋ | different, unusual, strange | v4,p2540#05 | p.763#18 | p.916r1c02 |
| 教 | 攴+7 | 敎 | jiào jiāo ㄐㄧㄠˋ ㄐㄧㄠ | teach, class | v2,p1459#09 | p.472#05 | |
| 哉 | 口+6 | 才 | zāi ㄗㄞ | Begin, start. / Modal particle expressing exclamation. / Modal particle expressing questioning or a rhetorical question. | v1,p0611#07 | p.189#08 | p.270r2c01 |
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