| | 盡心上: |
王子墊問曰：「士何事？」 |
| Jin Xin I: |
The king's son, Dian, asked Mencius, saying, 'What is the business of the unemployed scholar?' |
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孟子曰：「尚志。」 |
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Mencius replied, 'To exalt his aim.' |
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曰：「何謂尚志？」 |
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Tien asked again, 'What do you mean by exalting the aim?' |
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曰：「仁義而已矣。殺一無罪，非仁也；非其有而取之，非義也。居惡在？仁是也；路惡在？義是也。居仁由義，大人之事備矣。」 |
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The answer was, 'Setting it simply on benevolence and righteousness. He thinks how to put a single innocent person to death is contrary to benevolence; how to take what one has not a right to is contrary to righteousness; that one's dwelling should be benevolence; and one's path should be righteousness. Where else should he dwell? What other path should he pursue? When benevolence is the dwelling-place of the heart, and righteousness the path of the life, the business of a great man is complete.' |
