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《程才》、《量知》之篇，徒言知學，未言才力也。 |
| | The chapters "Chengcai" and "Liangzhi" merely discuss knowledge and learning, without mentioning ability or capacity.
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人有知學，則有力矣。文吏以理事為力，而儒生以學問為力。或問楊子雲曰：「力能扛鴻鼎、揭華旗，知德亦有之乎？」荅曰：「百人矣。」夫知德百人者，與彼扛鴻鼎、揭華旗者為料敵也。夫壯士力多者，扛鼎揭旗；儒生力多者，博達䟽通。故博達䟽通，儒生之力也；舉重拔堅，壯士之力也。《梓材》曰：「彊人有王開賢，厥率化民。」此言賢人亦壯彊於禮義，故能開賢，其率化民。化民須禮義，禮義須文章。「行有餘力，則以學文。」能學文，有力之驗也。 |
| | If a person possesses knowledge and learning, then he naturally has strength. Bureaucrats regard the handling of affairs as their strength, whereas Confucian scholars regard scholarship as their strength. Someone asked Yangzi Yun: "Is there also a kind of knowledge and virtue that can lift a great tripod or raise the Hua banner?" He replied, "There are already one hundred people." Those with knowledge and virtue among a hundred people stand in contrast to those who lift the great tripod or raise the Hua flag, as if assessing an enemy. A strong man with great strength lifts tripods and raises banners; a Confucian scholar with great strength is broadly knowledgeable, erudite, and well-versed. Therefore, being broadly knowledgeable and well-versed is the strength of a Confucian scholar; lifting heavy objects and pulling out firm things are the strengths of a strong man. The "Zicai" chapter says: "A powerful person, having King Kai Xian, leads and transforms the people." This means that a virtuous person is also strong in rites and righteousness; therefore, he can cultivate virtue and lead the people through moral influence. To transform the people requires rites and righteousness, and rites and righteousness require literary excellence. "If one has spare strength after practicing conduct, then use it to study literature." Being able to study literature is proof of having strength.
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問曰：「說一經之儒，可謂有力者？」曰：非有力者也。陳留龐少都每薦諸生之吏，常曰：「王甲某子，才能百人。」太守非其能，不荅。少都更曰：「言之尚少。王甲某子，才能百萬人。」太守怒曰：「親吏妄言！」少都曰：「文吏不通一經一文，不調師一言；諸生能說百萬章句，非才知百萬人乎？」太守無以應。夫少都之言，實也，然猶未也。何則？諸生能傳百萬言，不能覽古今，守信師法，雖辭說多，終不為博。殷、周以前，頗載六經，儒生所不能說也。秦、漢之事，儒生不見，力劣不能覽也。周監二代，漢監周、秦，周、秦以來，儒生不知，漢欲觀覽，儒生無力。使儒生博觀覽，則為文儒。文儒者，力多於儒生。如少都之言，文儒才能千萬人矣。 |
| | Someone asked: "Can a Confucian scholar who explains one classic be considered someone with strength?" He said: No, he is not someone with strength. Chenliu Pang Shaodu often recommended students who became officials, and he frequently said: "Wang Jia's son, a man of talent among a hundred." The governor did not respond if it was not truly their ability. Shaodu then said, "What I have said is still insufficient." "Wang Jia's son is a man of talent among ten thousand people." The governor angrily said, "This official is speaking falsely!" Shaodu said: "Bureaucrats who do not understand even one classic or one piece of literature, and cannot transmit a single word from their teacher; students who can explain hundreds of thousands of textual passages—would they not be men of talent among ten thousand?" The governor had no response. Shaodu's words were indeed true, yet they still fell short. Why is that? Students may be able to transmit a million words, but if they cannot survey the past and present, uphold faith in their teacher's teachings, then despite having many eloquent arguments, they ultimately will not become truly erudite. Before the Yin and Zhou dynasties, there were already records of the Six Classics, which Confucian scholars could not fully explain. Matters from the Qin and Han periods, the Confucian scholars did not see; it was due to their limited strength that they could not review them. The Zhou dynasty took the two previous dynasties as a model, and the Han dynasty took the Zhou and Qin as examples. Since the Zhou and Qin dynasties, Confucian scholars have not known about them; when the Han wished to review these histories, the Confucian scholars lacked the strength. If Confucian scholars were able to broadly observe and study history, they would become learned Confucians. A learned Confucian possesses more strength than an ordinary Confucian scholar. According to Shaodu's words, a learned Confucian would be a man of talent among tens of thousands.
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曾子曰：「士不可以不弘毅，任重而道遠。仁以為己任，不亦重乎？死而後已，不亦遠乎？」由此言之，儒者所懷，獨已重矣，志所欲至，獨已遠矣，身載重任，至於終死，不倦不衰，力獨多矣。夫曾子載於仁，而儒生載於學，所載不同，輕重均也。夫一石之重，一人挈之，十石以上，二人不能舉也。世多挈一石之任，寡有舉十石之力。儒生所載，非徒十石之重也。地力盛者，草木暢茂，一畝之收，當中田五畝之分。苗田，人知出穀多者地力盛，不知出文多者才知茂，失事理之實矣。 |
| | Zengzi said: "A scholar cannot fail to be broad-minded and resolute, for his responsibility is heavy and the road is long." "To take benevolence as one's own duty—should this not be considered a heavy burden?" "To continue until death—should this not also be considered a long road?" From this statement, it is clear that what a Confucian scholar carries in his heart alone is already heavy; the aspirations he wishes to achieve are already far-reaching. Bearing such great responsibilities throughout life until death, without tiring or weakening—his strength is indeed abundant. Zengzi bore the burden of benevolence, while a Confucian scholar bears that of learning; though their burdens differ in nature, they are equally heavy. A weight of one dan is carried by a single person, but when it exceeds ten dans, even two people cannot lift it. In the world, many bear responsibilities as heavy as one dan, yet few possess the strength to carry a burden of ten dans. What a Confucian scholar bears is not merely a weight of ten dans. In fertile land, grass and trees grow luxuriantly; the harvest from one mu of such land equals that of five mus of ordinary fields. In the case of seedlings in a field, people know that land with high grain yields is fertile; yet they do not realize that producing much literature indicates abundant talent and knowledge. This is to miss the truth of things.
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夫文儒之力，過於儒生，況文吏乎？能舉賢薦士，世謂之多力也。然能舉賢薦士，上書日記也。能上書日記者，文儒也。文儒非必諸生也，賢達用文則是矣。谷子雲、唐子高章奏百上，筆有餘力，極言不諱，文不折乏，非夫才知之人不能為也。孔子、周世多力之人也，作《春秋》，刪五經，祕書微文，無所不定。山大者雲多，泰山不崇朝辦雨雨天下。夫然則賢者有雲雨之知，故其吐文萬牒以上，可謂多力矣。 |
| | The strength of a learned Confucian surpasses that of an ordinary Confucian scholar, not to mention bureaucratic officials? To be able to recommend virtuous men and capable individuals is what the world calls having great strength. Yet being able to recommend virtuous people and capable officials is merely a daily record of submitting memorials to superiors. Those who can submit memorials on a daily basis are learned Confucians. A learned Confucian is not necessarily an academic student; it refers to those of virtue and insight who employ literature effectively. Gu Ziyun and Tang Zi Gao submitted hundreds of memorials; their writing was full of vigor, they spoke frankly without reservation, and their writings never lacked strength. Such feats could only be accomplished by those with genuine talent and knowledge. Confucius was a man of great strength in his time; he compiled the "Spring and Autumn Annals," edited the Five Classics, and settled all obscure and subtle texts without exception. A great mountain produces much cloud; Mount Tai does not need a whole morning to send rain that covers the world. Thus, virtuous men possess knowledge as abundant and far-reaching as clouds and rain; therefore, their literary output exceeds ten thousand documents. They can truly be called people of great strength.
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世稱力者，常襃烏獲，然則董仲舒、楊子雲，文之烏獲也。秦武王與孟說舉鼎不任，絕脈而死。少文之人，與董仲舒等涌胸中之思，必將不任，有絕脈之變。王莽之時，省五經章句，皆為二十萬，博士弟子郭路夜定舊說，死於燭下，精思不任，絕脈氣滅也。顏氏之子，已曾馳過孔子於塗矣，劣倦罷極，髮白齒落。夫以庶幾之材，猶有仆頓之禍，孔子力優，顏淵不任也。才力不相如，則其知思不相及也。勉自什伯，鬲中嘔血，失魂狂亂，遂至氣絕。書五行之牘，書十奏之記，其才劣者，筆墨之力尤難，況乃連句結章，篇至十百哉！力獨多矣！ |
| | The world often praises Wu Huo as a man of strength; by the same token, Dong Zhongshu and Yang Ziyun are the literary Wu Huos. King Wu of Qin and Meng Yue failed to lift a tripod; they died with their veins ruptured. Those lacking in literary cultivation, if they were to compete with Dong Zhongshu and others in expressing thoughts from their hearts, would surely be unable to bear it, suffering ruptured veins as a result. During the reign of Wang Mang, the textual interpretations of the Five Classics were reduced to a total of two hundred thousand. A disciple of the imperial doctor, Guo Lu, spent the night finalizing old interpretations and died by the candlelight; his intense thinking proved too much for him, resulting in ruptured veins and extinguished vital energy. The son of the Yan family had already outpaced Confucius on the road; exhausted and worn to the bone, he grew white-haired and lost his teeth. Even with talents barely sufficient, there was still the misfortune of collapse; Confucius had superior strength, yet Yan Yuan could not bear it. If one's talent and strength are unequal, then their knowledge and thoughts cannot match either. Straining tenfold or a hundredfold, vomiting blood from within, losing one's soul to madness and confusion, eventually leading to the cessation of breath. To write a single sheet with five lines of text, or to compose ten memorials, is already difficult for those lacking talent; how much more so when it comes to connecting sentences and forming chapters, composing essays numbering in the tens or hundreds! Indeed, their strength is truly abundant!
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江河之水，馳涌滑漏，席地長遠，無枯竭之流，本源盛矣。知江河之流遠，地中之源盛，不知萬牒之人胸中之才茂，迷惑者也。故望見驥足，不異於眾馬之蹄，躡平陸而馳騁，千里之跡，斯須可見。夫馬足人手，同一實也，稱驥之足，不薦文人之手，不知類也。夫能論䈥力以見比類者，則能取文力之人立之朝庭。 |
| | The waters of rivers and streams surge forward smoothly, spreading over vast distances without ever drying up; this is because their sources are abundant. To know that the rivers flow far because their springs are rich, yet not realize that a person capable of producing thousands of documents has abundant talent within—this is to be confused. Therefore, merely seeing the hooves of a qiji (a superior horse) is no different from looking at those of an ordinary horse; but when it gallops across level ground, its tracks for a thousand li can be seen in moments. The hooves of horses and the hands of people are both physical entities; to praise a qiji's hoof yet not recommend the hand of a literary man is to fail in understanding analogy. Those who can discuss strength and make comparisons accordingly are able to identify individuals of literary ability and place them in court.
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故夫文力之人，助有力之將，乃能以力為功。有力無助，以力為禍。何以驗之？長巨之物，彊力之人乃能舉之。重任之車，彊力之牛乃能輓之。是任車上阪，彊牛引前，力人推後，乃能升踰。如牛羸人罷，任車退卻，還墮坑谷，有破覆之敗矣。文儒懷先王之道，含百家之言，其難推引，非徒任車之重也。薦致之者，罷羸無力，遂卻退竄於巖穴矣。 |
| | Therefore, those with literary strength, when assisted by capable generals, can achieve success through their strength. Strength without support turns strength into misfortune. What evidence supports this? Large and heavy objects can only be lifted by those with great strength. A heavily loaded cart can only be pulled by a strong ox. Thus, when such a heavy cart ascends a slope, it requires a strong ox to pull from the front and a powerful man to push from behind in order to climb over. If the ox is weak and the person exhausted, the heavily loaded cart will retreat backward, fall into a ditch or valley, and suffer destruction. A learned Confucian carries the teachings of former kings and contains the ideas of a hundred schools; to promote or implement such knowledge is even more difficult than pulling a heavily loaded cart. Those who recommend and bring forth such individuals, if exhausted and lacking strength, will eventually retreat and hide in caves and crevices.
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河發崑崙，江起岷山，水力盛多，滂沛之流，浸下益盛，不得廣岸低地，不能通流入乎東海。如岸狹地仰，溝洫決泆，散在丘墟矣。文儒之知，有似於此。文章滂沛，不遭有力之將援引薦舉，亦將棄遺於衡門之下，固安得升陟聖主之庭，論說政事之務乎？火之光也，不舉不明。有人於斯，其知如京，其德如山，力重不能自稱，須人乃舉，而莫之助，抱其盛高之力，竄於閭巷之深，何時得達？奡、育、古之多力者，身能負荷千鈞，手能決角伸鉤，使之自舉，不能離地。智能滿胸之人，宜在王闕，須三寸之舌，一尺之筆，然後自動，不能自進，進之又不能自安，須人能動，待人能安。道重知大，位地難適也。 |
| | The Yellow River originates from Kunlun, and the Yangtze rises in Minshan. With abundant water power, their torrents surge forth; as they flow downward, their force increases further. Without wide riverbanks and low-lying land, these rivers cannot channel their waters into the East China Sea. If the banks are narrow and the terrain elevated, ditches will burst and floodwaters will disperse across hills and wastelands. The knowledge of a learned Confucian is similar to this. If literary excellence is abundant, yet no capable general or official recommends and supports it, then such talent will be abandoned beneath the humble gate. How could they possibly ascend to the court of a sage ruler and discuss matters of state? The light of fire is not visible unless it is raised. There are people among us whose knowledge is as vast as the capital city and whose virtue is as lofty as a mountain. Though their strength is great, they cannot promote themselves; they must rely on others to be elevated. Yet if no one supports them, carrying such profound ability, they will hide in the depths of alleyways—when will they ever reach those in power? Ao and Yu were men of great strength from ancient times; they could carry a thousand jin on their backs, and with their hands could break ox horns or bend hooks. Yet even if they tried to lift themselves, they could not leave the ground. A person whose wisdom and knowledge fill his chest should be in the royal court. Yet he requires a three-inch tongue and a one-foot brush to act; he cannot advance himself, nor can he secure his own position. He must rely on others for action and depend on others for stability. When the principles are profound and knowledge is vast, it becomes difficult to find a suitable position or status.
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小石附於山，山力能得持之；在沙丘之間，小石輕微，亦能自安。至於大石，沙土不覆，山不能持，處危峭之際，則必崩墜於坑谷之間矣。大智之重，遭小才之將，無左右沙土之助，雖在顯位，將不能持，則有大石崩墜之難也。或伐薪於山，輕小之木，合能束之。至於大木十圍以上，引之不能動，推之不能移，則委之於山林，收所束之小木而歸。由斯以論，知能之大者，其猶十圍以上木也，人力不能舉薦，其猶薪者不能推引大木也。孔子周流，無所留止，非聖才不明，道大難行，人不能用也。故夫孔子，山中巨木之類也。 |
| | A small stone attached to a mountain can be supported by the strength of the mountain; but placed among sand dunes, even a slight and light stone can rest securely on its own. As for large stones, sand and soil cannot support them, nor can a mountain hold them. When placed on precipitous ground, they will inevitably collapse into ditches or valleys. The weight of great wisdom, when entrusted to a minor official lacking ability, without the support of assistants like sand and soil, will inevitably fall into difficulty—just as a large stone collapses—even if placed in an exalted position, it cannot be sustained. Sometimes when cutting firewood in the mountains, small and light trees can easily be bundled together. But when it comes to large trees with a girth of ten feet or more, one cannot pull them to move, nor push them to shift; thus they are left in the forest, and only the small bundled firewood is gathered and taken home. By this reasoning, those of great knowledge and ability are like trees with a girth ten feet or more; human strength cannot recommend them. This is akin to the woodcutter who cannot move such large trees. Confucius traveled throughout the states without finding a place to settle; it was not because his holy talent lacked recognition, but because his great principles were difficult to implement and people could not employ him. Therefore, Confucius is like a giant tree in the mountains.
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桓公九合諸侯，一匡天下，管仲之力。管仲有力，桓公能舉之，可謂壯彊矣。吳不能用子胥，楚不能用屈原，二子力重，兩主不能舉也。舉物不勝，委地而去，可也。時或恚怒，斧斲破敗，此則子胥、屈原所取害也。淵中之魚，遞相吞食，度口所能容，然後嚥之，口不能受，哽咽不能下。故夫商鞅三說孝公，後說者用，前二難用，後一易行也。觀管仲之《明法》，察商鞅之《耕戰》，固非弱劣之主所能用也。 |
| | Duke Huan of Qi convened the feudal lords nine times and unified the realm once—this was due to Guan Zhong's strength. Guan Zhong had ability, and Duke Huan was able to promote him; this can truly be called strength. Wu could not employ Wu Zixu, and Chu could not utilize Qu Yuan; these two men had great strength, but the two rulers were unable to promote them. If one cannot lift an object, it is acceptable to leave it on the ground and go away. At times, out of anger or frustration, one might chop at an object until it is destroyed—this was the fate suffered by Wu Zixu and Qu Yuan. Fish in deep waters devour one another, estimating the size their mouths can accommodate before swallowing. If it is too large for their mouth to take in, they choke and cannot swallow it down. Therefore, Shang Yang made three proposals to King Xiao of Qin; the latter proposal was adopted because it was easier to implement than the first two. Observing Guan Zhong's "Mingfa" and examining Shang Yang's "Gengzhan," it is clear that such ideas are not ones a weak or inferior ruler can employ.
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六國之時，賢才之臣，入楚楚重，出齊齊輕，為趙趙完，畔魏魏傷。韓用申不害，行其《三符》，兵不侵境，蓋十五年。不能用之，又不察其書，兵挫軍破，國并於秦。殷、周之世，亂跡相屬，亡禍比肩，豈其心不欲為治乎？力弱智劣，不能納至言也。是故塠重，一人之跡不能蹈也；礚大，一人之掌不能推也。賢臣有勁彊之優，愚主有不堪之劣，以此相求，禽魚相與遊也。干將之刃，人不推頓，苽瓠不能傷；篠簬之箭，機不能動發，魯縞不能穿。非無干將、篠簬之才也，無推頓發動之主，苽瓠、魯縞不穿傷，焉望斬旗穿革之功乎？故引弓之力不能引彊弩。弩力五石，引以三石，䈥絕骨折，不能舉也。故力不任彊引，則有變惡折脊之禍；知不能用賢，則有傷德毀名之敗。論事者不曰才大道重，上不能用，而曰不肖不能自達。自達者帶絕不抗，自衒者賈賤不讎。 |
| | During the Warring States period, virtuous and capable ministers: when they entered Chu, Chu valued them; when they left Qi, Qi weakened; when they served Zhao, Zhao became strong; when they defected from Wei, Wei suffered. Han employed Shen Buhai and implemented his "Sanfu" system; as a result, its territory was not invaded by enemy troops for about fifteen years. If one cannot employ such ministers and also fails to study their writings, the army will be defeated in battle, and the state will eventually fall under Qin's control. During the Yin and Zhou dynasties, signs of disorder were frequent, and disasters leading to downfall occurred side by side. Could it be that their hearts did not desire good governance? It was because they lacked strength and inferior in wisdom, unable to accept sound advice. Therefore, when a mountain is heavy, the footprints of one person cannot tread upon it; when a rock is too large, even one hand cannot push it. Virtuous ministers possess strength and excellence; foolish rulers have the weakness of being unable to bear responsibility. When these two meet, it is like birds and fish trying to swim together. The blade of Gan Jiang will not cut unless applied with force; even a gourd cannot be harmed by it if not pressed against. A Xiao Lu arrow, if the bowstring cannot be drawn and released, will not pierce even thin Lu gao cloth. It is not that there are no talents like Gan Jiang or Xiao Lu, but without a ruler who can apply force and trigger action, even gourd skin and Lu gao cloth cannot be pierced or cut—how then could one hope for achievements such as cutting down banners or penetrating leather armor? Therefore, the strength to draw a bow is not enough to pull back a strong crossbow. If a crossbow requires five dan of force but one tries to draw it with only three dan, the bowstring will snap and bones may break—yet still it cannot be drawn. Therefore, if one's strength is insufficient to draw a strong crossbow, there will be the misfortune of broken strings or fractured spine. If wisdom cannot employ virtuous men, then it leads to failure in damaging virtue and ruining reputation. Those who discuss affairs do not say that the talent is great and the principles are weighty, which the superior cannot employ—but rather say that the unworthy person could not reach out to be recognized. Those who try to promote themselves are like ropes that break and cannot bear weight; those who boast of their own worth are like goods sold cheaply with no buyers.
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案諸為人用之物，須人用之，功力乃立。鑿所以入木者，槌叩之也；鍤所以能撅地者，跖蹈之也。諸有鋒刃之器，所以能斷斬割削者，手能把持之也，力能推引之也。韓信去楚入漢，項羽不能安，高祖能持之也。能用其善，能安其身，則能量其力，能別其功矣。樊、酈有攻城野戰之功，高祖行封，先及蕭何，則比蕭何於獵人，同樊、酈於獵犬也。夫蕭何安坐，樊、酈馳走，封不及馳走而先安坐者，蕭何以知為力，而樊、酈以力為功也。蕭何所以能使樊、酈者，以入秦收歛文書也。眾將拾金，何獨掇書，坐知秦之形勢，是以能圖其利害。眾將馳走者，何驅之也。故叔孫通定儀，而高祖以尊；蕭何造律，而漢室以寧。案儀、律之功，重於野戰；斬首之力，不及尊主。故夫墾草殖穀，農夫之力也；勇猛攻戰，士卒之力也；構架斲削，工匠之力也；治書定簿，佐史之力也；論道議政，賢儒之力也。人生莫不有力，所以為力者，或尊或卑。孔子能舉北門之關，不以力自章，知夫䈥骨之力，不如仁義之力榮也。 |
| | Observing all objects meant to be used by people, they must be employed by others in order for their function and value to manifest. A chisel can penetrate wood only when struck with a mallet; a spade can dig into the earth only when stepped on by one's foot. All sharp-edged tools can cut, sever, and carve only because the hand holds them firmly and strength is applied to push or pull. When Han Xin left Chu and joined Han, Xiang Yu could not keep him at ease, but Emperor Gaozu was able to hold onto him. If one can employ a person's strengths and ensure their safety, then they will be able to measure that person's ability and distinguish their contributions. Fan Kuai and Li Guang had the merit of attacking cities and fighting in open battles, yet Emperor Gaozu, when bestowing titles, first honored Xiao He. This is like comparing Xiao He to a hunter and equating Fan Kuai and Li Guang to hunting dogs. Xiao He sat idly at his post, while Fan Kuai and Li Guang ran about in battle. Yet the title was given to Xiao He before those who had run about—this is because Xiao He used knowledge as strength, whereas Fan Kuai and Li Guang achieved merit through physical effort. What enabled Xiao He to command the efforts of Fan Kuai and Li Guang was his action in entering Qin territory and collecting official documents. While other generals were picking up gold, Xiao He alone collected books; sitting in his seat, he understood the situation of Qin and thus could plan its advantages and disadvantages. The other generals who ran about were driven forward by Xiao He's planning. Therefore, when Shusun Tong established rituals and ceremonies, Emperor Gaozu gained respect through them; when Xiao He created laws, the Han dynasty found peace. Judging by their contributions, establishing rituals and laws is more significant than fighting in open battle; the strength of beheading enemies cannot compare to the merit of honoring one's ruler. Therefore, cultivating land and growing grain is the effort of farmers; bravery in battle is the strength of soldiers; building and carving is the skill of craftsmen; managing documents and establishing records is the duty of assistants and clerks; discussing principles and deliberating on governance is the strength of virtuous scholars. No human being lacks strength, but what one's strength can achieve may be either respected or humble. Confucius was able to lift the gate at Beimen, but he did not use his physical strength to show off. He understood that the power of a strong back and bones is less honorable than the power of benevolence and righteousness.
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