| | 告子下: |
公孙丑问曰：“高子曰：‘《小弁》，小人之诗也。’” |
| Gaozi II: |
Gong Sun Chou asked about an opinion of the scholar Gao, saying, 'Gao observed, "The Xiao Pan is the ode of a little man."' |
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孟子曰：“何以言之？” |
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Mencius asked, 'Why did he say so?' |
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曰：“怨。” |
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'Because of the murmuring which it expresses,' was the reply. |
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曰：“固哉，高叟之为《》也！有人于此，越人关弓而射之，则己谈笑而道之；无他，疏之也。其兄关弓而射之，则己垂涕泣而道之；无他，戚之也。小弁之怨，亲亲也。亲亲，仁也。固矣夫，高叟之为《》也！” |
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Mencius answered, 'How stupid was that old Gao in dealing with the ode! There is a man here, and a native of Yue bends his bow to shoot him. I will advise him not to do so, but speaking calmly and smilingly; for no other reason but that he is not related to me. But if my own brother be bending his bow to shoot the man, then I will advise him not to do so, weeping and crying the while; for no other reason than that he is related to me. The dissatisfaction expressed in the Xiao Pan is the working of relative affection, and that affection shows benevolence. Stupid indeed was old Gao's criticism on the ode.' |
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曰：“《凯风》何以不怨？” |
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Chou then said, 'How is it that there is no dissatisfaction expressed in the Kai Feng?' |
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曰：“《凯风》，亲之过小者也；《小弁》，亲之过大者也。亲之过大而不怨，是愈疏也；亲之过小而怨，是不可矶也。愈疏，不孝也；不可矶，亦不孝也。孔子曰：‘舜其至孝矣，五十而慕。’” |
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Mencius replied, 'The parent's fault referred to in the Kai Feng is small; that referred to in the Xiao Pan is great. Where the parent's fault was great, not to have murmured on account of it would have increased the want of natural affection. Where the parent's fault was small, to have murmured on account of it would have been to act like water which frets and foams about a stone that interrupts its course. To increase the want of natural affection would have been unfilial, and to fret and foam in such a manner would also have been unfilial. Confucius said, "Shun was indeed perfectly filial! And yet, when he was fifty, he was full of longing desire about his parents."' |
