| Chinese Text Project |
| 孟子曰： | Mencius said, |
| 「民為貴， | 'The people are the most important element in a nation; |
| 社稷次之， | the spirits of the land and grain are the next; |
| 君為輕。 | the sovereign is the lightest. |
| 是故得乎丘民而為天子， | Therefore to gain the peasantry is the way to become sovereign; |
| 得乎天子為諸侯， | to gain the sovereign is the way to become a prince of a State; |
| 得乎諸侯為大夫。 | to gain the prince of a State is the way to become a great officer. |
| 諸侯危社稷， | When a prince endangers the altars of the spirits of the land and grain, |
| 則變置。 | he is changed, and another appointed in his place. |
| 犧牲既成， | When the sacrificial victims have been perfect, |
| 粢盛既潔， | the millet in its vessels all pure, |
| 祭祀以時， | and the sacrifices offered at their proper seasons, |
| 然而旱乾水溢， | if yet there ensue drought, or the waters overflow, |
| 則變置社稷。」 | the spirits of the land and grain are changed, and others appointed in their place.' |
| 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) 先秦時代的思想家孟子。 Mencius, a pre-Qin philosopher. | v2,p1013#03 v2,p1006#06 | p.278#16 p.277#01 | p.399r3c02 p.395r1c01 |
| 曰 | 曰+0 | yuē ㄩㄝ | (1) 說。 Say, speak. | v2,p1482#02 | p.502#01 | p.648r3c03 | |
| 民 | 氏+1 | 𠘽 | mín ㄇㄧㄣˊ | people, subjects, citizens | v3,p2131#01 | p.598#01 | p.750r3c01 |
| 為 | 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. | ||||||
| 貴 | 貝+5 | 𡭙 𧸋 贵 | guì ㄍㄨㄟˋ | expensive, costly, valuable | v6,p3632#09 | p.1206#15 | p.1271r6c01 |
| 社 | 示+3 | 𥙲 䄕 𥙭 | shè ㄕㄜˋ | god of the soil and altars to him; group of families; company, society | v4,p2386#07 | p.839#26 | |
| 稷 | 禾+10 | 𥞷 | jì zè ㄐㄧˋ ㄗㄜˋ | god of cereals; minister of agriculture | v4,p2623#05 | p.857#19 | p.994r3c07 |
| 次 | 欠+2 | 𦮏 𠕞 𠤣 | cì ㄘˋ | order, sequence; next | v3,p2133#02 | p.565#03 | p.728r5c04 |
| 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 |
| 君 | 口+4 | 𠱩 𠱭 | jūn ㄐㄩㄣ | The son of heaven. / The ruler of a state. / Dafu (title). / To be ruler. / To rule, to govern. | v1,p0595#06 | p.177#07 | p.256r6c08 |
| 輕 | 車+7 | 𨌷 𨓷 轻 | qīng ㄑㄧㄥ | Light, low weight. / Small, thin. / Light and quick, agile. / Easy, casual. / Frivolous, careless. / Reduce, lighten. / Show contempt for, view as unimportant. | v5,p3534#05 | p.1244#09 | p.1301r6c01 |
| 是 | 日+5 | 昰 𣆞 | shì ㄕˋ | Straight. / Right, correct. / Believe accurate, affirm. / Demonstrative pronoun: this. / Be (copula). / Auxiliary word, used after moving forward the object. | v2,p1497#05 | p.493#26 | p.639r1c01 |
| 故 | 攴+5 | gù ㄍㄨˋ | Cause. / State of affairs. / Event, incident. / Plot. / Old. / Past, original. / Death. / On purpose. / Originally. / Hence, thus. | v2,p1453#05 | p.469#25 | p.601r5c01 | |
| 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 |
| 乎 | 丿+4 | 虖 | hū ㄏㄨ | Modal particle expressing questioning or a rhetorical question. / Modal particle expressing admiration or exclamation. / Modal particle expressing estimation. / Modal particle expressing request or order. / Modal particle expressing calling. / Modal particle expressing consideration. / Modal particle expressing affirmation. / Particle used after adjectives. / Particle used in the middle of a sentence to express a pause. / Preposition: in, from, to. | v1,p0036#08 | p.82#07 | p.47r3c03 |
| 丘 | 一+4 | 丠 㐀 坵 㘳 | qiū ㄑㄧㄡ | hill; elder; empty; a name | v1,p0017#01 | p.77#14 | p.36r4c01 |
| 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. | ||||||
| 天子 | 大+1 子+0 | 𠀡 𠀘 𦴞 兲 靝 𠕹 㜽 𢀈 𢀉 𡐫 𣕓 只 | tiān zǐ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄗˇ | 對最高統治者的尊稱。 Son of Heaven, title of the supreme ruler. | v1,p0522#01 v2,p1006#06 | p.248#04 p.277#01 | p.358r4c01 p.395r1c01 |
| 諸侯 | 言+9 人+7 | 𢒕 诸 𥎦 | zhū hóu ㄓㄨ ㄏㄡˊ | 古代帝王分封的各國國君，規定要服從王命，定期朝貢述職。 Ruler of a vassal state during the Zhou dynasty. | v6,p3982#03 v1,p0167#01 | p.1172#04 p.103#07 | p.104r3c06 |
| 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. | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
| 危 | 卩+4 | 𡵁 | wēi wéi ㄨㄟ ㄨㄟˊ | dangerous, precarious; high | v1,p0312#03 | p.159#12 | p.226r2c01 |
| 則 | 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 |
| 變 | 言+16 | 変 𢒟 𢒪 𢒦 变 | biàn ㄅㄧㄢˋ | Change, alteration. / Movement. / Adapt to, accommodate. / Event, incident. / Disaster. / Unusual event. | v2,p1481#07 | p.1186#12 | p.1257r6c06 |
| 置 | 网+8 | 寘 𦌃 𦌤 𦋽 𦋲 | zhì ㄓˋ | Release, pardon. / Give up, abandon. / Place, put. / Establish, put in place. / Buy, purchase. / A post, a stage. / Coach, carriage. | v4,p2919#02 | p.948#20 | p.1065r3c01 |
| 犧 | 牛+16 | 牺 | xī suō ㄒㄧ ㄙㄨㄛ | sacrifice, give up; sacrificial | v3,p1822#04 | p.705#09 | p.872r5c06 |
| 牲 | 牛+5 | shēng ㄕㄥ | sacrificial animal; animal | v3,p1807#07 | p.700#03 | p.870r4c05 | |
| 既 | 无+5 | 旣 | jì xì ㄐㄧˋ ㄒㄧˋ | already; de facto; since; then | v2,p1148#01 | p.485#27 | p.626r3c02 |
| 成 | 戈+2 | 𢦩 | chéng ㄔㄥˊ | completed, finished, fixed | v2,p1399#01 | p.411#11 | |
| 粢 | 米+6 | zī cí jì ㄗ ㄘˊ ㄐㄧˋ | grain offered in ritual sacrifice; millet | v5,p3148#04 | p.908#29 | p.1026r2c01 | |
| 盛 | 皿+6 | shèng chéng ㄕㄥˋ ㄔㄥˊ | abundant, flourishing; contain; fill | v4,p2562#04 | p.794#20 | p.939r5c05 | |
| 潔 | 水+12 | 洁 | jié ㄐㄧㄝˊ | clean, purify, pure | v3,p1743#01 | p.648#40 | p.830r2c03 |
| 祭 | 示+6 | jì zhài ㄐㄧˋ ㄓㄞˋ | sacrifice to, worship | v4,p2397#07 | p.843#07 | p.982r1c02 | |
| 祀 | 示+3 | 𥛴 | sì ㄙˋ | to sacrifice, worship | v4,p2387#01 | p.840#01 | p.976r5c02 |
| 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 |
| 時 | 日+6 | 旹 时 | shí ㄕˊ | Season. / Unit of time equal to two hours. / [The passage of] time. / Time, times. / Age, period, epoch. / Occasion, opportune moment. / On time. / Then, at that time. / Always, constantly. / Same as 「伺(1)」 sì ㄙˋ: Wait until, wait for (a chance). | v2,p1505#05 | p.494#22 | p.639r3c04 |
| 然 | 火+8 | 燃 𤓉 | rán ㄖㄢˊ | Burn. / Demonstrative pronoun: like this, like that. / Expresses affirmation: true, indeed so. / Believe correct, affirm. / Adverb: actually, thus. / Connective: but, however, yet. / Particle used at the end of a sentence to express comparison. Like, as if. / Particle used after an adjective or adverb to express state. / Particle used at the end of a sentence to express affirmative mode. | v3,p2213#05 | p.675#12 | p.852r5c01 |
| 旱 | 日+3 | hàn ㄏㄢˋ | drought; dry; dry land | v2,p1486#08 | p.490#06 | p.629r4c01 | |
| 乾 | 乙+10 | 漧 𠄋 乹 亁 干 | gān qián ㄍㄢ ㄑㄧㄢˊ | dry; first hexagram; warming principle of the sun, penetrating and fertilizing, heavenly generative principle (male) | v1,p0056#10 | p.84#25 | p.56r2c02 |
| 水 | 水+0 | 氵 | shuǐ ㄕㄨㄟˇ | water, liquid, lotion, juice | v3,p1545#01 | p.603#01 | p.757r1c01 |
| 溢 | 水+10 | yì ㄧˋ | overflow, brim over; full | v3,p1707#05 | p.640#06 | p.819r5c01 |
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