| | 滕文公上: |
有为神农之言者许行，自楚之滕，踵门而告文公曰：“远方之人闻君行仁政，愿受一廛而为氓。”文公与之处，其徒数十人，皆衣褐，捆屦、织席以为食。 |
| Teng Wen Gong I: |
There came from Chu to Teng one Xu Xing, who gave out that he acted according to the words of Shen Nong. Coming right to his gate, he addressed the duke Wen, saying, 'A man of a distant region, I have heard that you, Prince, are practising a benevolent government, and I wish to receive a site for a house, and to become one of your people.' The duke Wen gave him a dwelling-place. His disciples, amounting to several tens, all wore clothes of haircloth, and made sandals of hemp and wove mats for a living. |
| | |
陈良之徒陈相与其弟辛，负耒耜而自宋之滕，曰：“闻君行圣人之政，是亦圣人也，愿为圣人氓。”陈相见许行而大悦，尽弃其学而学焉。 |
| |
At the same time, Chen Xiang, a disciple of Chen Liang, and his younger brother, Xin, with their plough-handles and shares on their backs, came from Song to Teng, saying, 'We have heard that you, Prince, are putting into practice the government of the ancient sages, showing that you are likewise a sage. We wish to become the subjects of a sage.' When Chen Xiang saw Xu Xing, he was greatly pleased with him, and, abandoning entirely whatever he had learned, became his disciple. |
| | |
陈相见孟子，道许行之言曰：“滕君，则诚贤君也；虽然，未闻道也。贤者与民并耕而食，饔飧而治。今也滕有仓廪府库，则是厉民而以自养也，恶得贤？” |
| |
Having an interview with Mencius, he related to him with approbation the words of Xu Xing to the following effect: 'The prince of Teng is indeed a worthy prince. He has not yet heard, however, the real doctrines of antiquity. Now, wise and able princes should cultivate the ground equally and along with their people, and eat the fruit of their labour. They should prepare their own meals, morning and evening, while at the same time they carry on their government. But now, the prince of T'ang has his granaries, treasuries, and arsenals, which is an oppressing of the people to nourish himself. How can he be deemed a real worthy prince?' |
| | |
孟子曰：“许子必种粟而后食乎？”曰：“然。” |
| |
Mencius said,'I suppose that Xu Xing sows grain and eats the produce. Is it not so?' 'It is so,' was the answer. |
| | |
“许子必织布而后衣乎？”曰：“否。许子衣褐。” |
| |
'I suppose also he weaves cloth, and wears his own manufacture. Is it not so?' 'No. Xu wears clothes of haircloth.' |
| | |
“许子冠乎？”曰：“冠。” |
| |
'Does he wear a cap?' 'He wears a cap.' |
| | |
曰：“奚冠？”曰：“冠素。” |
| |
'What kind of cap?' 'A plain cap.' |
| | |
曰：“自织之与？”曰：“否。以粟易之。” |
| |
'Is it woven by himself?' 'No. He gets it in exchange for grain.' |
| | |
曰：“许子奚为不自织？”曰：“害于耕。” |
| |
'Why does Xu not weave it himself?' 'That would injure his husbandry.' |
| | |
曰：“许子以釜甑爨，以铁耕乎？”曰：“然。” |
| |
'Does Xu cook his food in boilers and earthenware pans, and does he plough with an iron share?' 'Yes.' |
| | |
“自为之与？”曰：“否。以粟易之。” |
| |
'Does he make those articles himself?' 'No. He gets them in exchange for grain.' |
| | |
“以粟易械器者，不为厉陶冶；陶冶亦以其械器易粟者，岂为厉农夫哉？且许子何不为陶冶。舍皆取诸其宫中而用之？何为纷纷然与百工交易？何许子之不惮烦？”曰：“百工之事，固不可耕且为也。” |
| |
Mencius then said, 'The getting those various articles in exchange for grain, is not oppressive to the potter and the founder, and the potter and the founder in their turn, in exchanging their various articles for grain, are not oppressive to the husbandman. How should such a thing be supposed? And moreover, why does not Xu act the potter and founder, supplying himself with the articles which he uses solely from his own establishment? Why does he go confusedly dealing and exchanging with the handicraftsmen? Why does he not spare himself so much trouble?' Chen Xiang replied, 'The business of the handicraftsman can by no means be carried on along with the business of husbandry.' |
| | |
“然则治天下独可耕且为与？有大人之事，有小人之事。且一人之身，而百工之所为备。如必自为而后用之，是率天下而路也。故曰：或劳心，或劳力；劳心者治人，劳力者治于人；治于人者食人，治人者食于人：天下之通义也。 |
| |
Mencius resumed, 'Then, is it the government of the kingdom which alone can be carried on along with the practice of husbandry? Great men have their proper business, and little men have their proper business. Moreover, in the case of any single individual, whatever articles he can require are ready to his hand, being produced by the various handicraftsmen - if he must first make them for his own use, this way of doing would keep all the people running about upon the roads. Hence, there is the saying, "Some labour with their minds, and some labour with their strength. Those who labour with their minds govern others; those who labour with their strength are governed by others. Those who are governed by others support them; those who govern others are supported by them." This is a principle universally recognised. |
| | |
“当尧之时，天下犹未平，洪水横流，泛滥于天下。草木畅茂，禽兽繁殖，五谷不登，禽兽逼人。兽蹄鸟迹之道，交于中国。尧独忧之，举舜而敷治焉。舜使益掌火，益烈山泽而焚之，禽兽逃匿。禹疏九河，瀹济漯，而注诸海；决汝汉，排淮泗，而注之江，然后中国可得而食也。当是时也，禹八年于外，三过其门而不入，虽欲耕，得乎？后稷教民稼穑。树艺五谷，五谷熟而民人育。人之有道也，饱食、暖衣、逸居而无教，则近于禽兽。圣人有忧之，使契为司徒，教以人伦：父子有亲，君臣有义，夫妇有别，长幼有序，朋友有信。放勋曰：‘劳之来之，匡之直之，辅之翼之，使自得之，又从而振德之。’圣人之忧民如此，而暇耕乎？ |
| |
'In the time of Yao, when the world had not yet been perfectly reduced to order, the vast waters, flowing out of their channels, made a universal inundation. Vegetation was luxuriant, and birds and beasts swarmed. The various kinds of grain could not be grown. The birds and beasts pressed upon men. The paths marked by the feet of beasts and prints of birds crossed one another throughout the Middle Kingdom. To Yao alone this caused anxious sorrow. He raised Shun to office, and measures to regulate the disorder were set forth. Shun committed to Yi the direction of the fire to be employed, and Yi set fire to, and consumed, the forests and vegetation on the mountains and in the marshes, so that the birds and beasts fled away to hide themselves. Yu separated the nine streams, cleared the courses of the Ji and Ta, and led them all to the sea. He opened a vent also for the Ru and Han, and regulated the course of the Huai and Si, so that they all flowed into the Jiang. When this was done, it became possible for the people of the Middle Kingdom to cultivate the ground and get food for themselves. During that time, Yu was eight years away from his home, and though he thrice passed the door of it, he did not enter. Although he had wished to cultivate the ground, could he have done so? The Minister of Agriculture taught the people to sow and reap, cultivating the five kinds of grain. When the five kinds of grain were brought to maturity, the people all obtained a subsistence. But men possess a moral nature; and if they are well fed, warmly clad, and comfortably lodged, without being taught at the same time, they become almost like the beasts. This was a subject of anxious solicitude to the sage Shun, and he appointed Xie to be the Minister of Instruction, to teach the relations of humanity: how, between father and son, there should be affection; between sovereign and minister, righteousness; between husband and wife, attention to their separate functions; between old and young, a proper order; and between friends, fidelity. The high meritorious sovereign said to him, "Encourage them; lead them on; rectify them; straighten them; help them; give them wings - thus causing them to become possessors of themselves. Then follow this up by stimulating them, and conferring benefits on them." When the sages were exercising their solicitude for the people in this way, had they leisure to cultivate the ground? |
| | |
“尧以不得舜为己忧，舜以不得禹、皋陶为己忧。夫以百亩之不易为己忧者，农夫也。分人以财谓之惠，教人以善谓之忠，为天下得人者谓之仁。是故以天下与人易，为天下得人难。孔子曰：‘大哉尧之为君！惟天为大，惟尧则之，荡荡乎民无能名焉！君哉舜也！巍巍乎有天下而不与焉！’尧舜之治天下，岂无所用其心哉？亦不用于耕耳。 |
| |
'What Yao felt giving him anxiety was the not getting Shun. What Shun felt giving him anxiety was the not getting Yu and Gao Yao. But he whose anxiety is about his hundred mu not being properly cultivated, is a mere husbandman. The imparting by a man to others of his wealth, is called "kindness." The teaching others what is good, is called "the exercise of fidelity." The finding a man who shall benefit the kingdom, is called "benevolence." Hence to give the throne to another man would be easy; to find a man who shall benefit the kingdom is difficult. Confucius said, "Great indeed was Yao as a sovereign. It is only Heaven that is great, and only Yao corresponded to it. How vast was his virtue! The people could find no name for it. Princely indeed was Shun! How majestic was he, having possession of the kingdom, and yet seeming as if it were nothing to him!" In their governing the kingdom, were there no subjects on which Yao and Shun employed their minds? There were subjects, only they did not employ their minds on the cultivation of the ground. |
| | |
“吾闻用夏变夷者，未闻变于夷者也。陈良，楚产也。悦周公、仲尼之道，北学于中国。北方之学者，未能或之先也。彼所谓豪杰之士也。子之兄弟事之数十年，师死而遂倍之。昔者孔子没，三年之外，门人治任将归，入揖于子贡，相向而哭，皆失声，然后归。子贡反，筑室于场，独居三年，然后归。他日，子夏、子张、子游以有若似圣人，欲以所事孔子事之，强曾子。曾子曰：‘不可。江汉以濯之，秋阳以暴之，颢颢乎不可尚已。’今也南蛮觖舌之人，非先王之道，子倍子之师而学之，亦异于曾子矣。吾闻出于幽谷迁于乔木者，末闻下乔木而入于幽谷者。《鲁颂》曰：‘戎狄是膺，荆舒是惩。’周公方且膺之，子是之学，亦为不善变矣。” |
| |
'I have heard of men using the doctrines of our great land to change barbarians, but I have never yet heard of any being changed by barbarians. Chen Liang was a native of Chu. Pleased with the doctrines of Zhou Gong and Zhong Ni, he came northwards to the Middle Kingdom and studied them. Among the scholars of the northern regions, there was perhaps no one who excelled him. He was what you call a scholar of high and distinguished qualities. You and your brother followed him some tens of years, and when your master died, you forthwith turned away from him. Formerly, when Confucius died, after three vears had elapsed, his disciples collected their baggage, and prepared to return to their several homes. But on entering to take their leave of Zi Gong, as they looked towards one another, they wailed, till they all lost their voices. After this they returned to their homes, but Zi Gong went back, and built a house for himself on the altar-ground, where he lived alone other three years, before he returned home. On another occasion, Zi Xia, Zi Zhang, and Zi You, thinking that You Ruo resembled the sage, wished to render to him the same observances which they had rendered to Confucius. They tried to force the disciple Zeng to join with them, but he said, "This may not be done. What has been washed in the waters of the Jiang and Han, and bleached in the autumn sun - how glistening is it! Nothing can be added to it." Now here is this shrike-tongued barbarian of the south, whose doctrines are not those of the ancient kings. You turn away from your master and become his disciple. Your conduct is different indeed from that of the philosopher Zeng. I have heard of birds leaving dark valleys to remove to lofty trees, but I have not heard of their descending from lofty trees to enter into dark valleys. In the Praise-songs of Lu it is said, "He smote the barbarians of the west and the north, He punished Jing and Shu." Thus Zhou Gong would be sure to smite them, and you become their disciple again; it appears that your change is not good.' |
| | |
“从许子之道，则市贾不贰，国中无伪。虽使五尺之童适市，莫之或欺。布帛长短同，则贾相若；麻缕丝絮轻重同，则贾相若；五谷多寡同，则贾相若；屦大小同，则贾相若。”曰：“夫物之不齐，物之情也；或相倍蓰，或相什伯，或相千万。子比而同之，是乱天下也。巨屦小屦同贾，人岂为之哉？从许子之道，相率而为伪者也，恶能治国家？” |
| |
Chen Xiang said, 'If Xu's doctrines were followed, then there would not be two prices in the market, nor any deceit in the kingdom. If a boy of five cubits were sent to the market, no one would impose on him; linen and silk of the same length would be of the same price. So it would be with bundles of hemp and silk, being of the same weight; with the different kinds of grain, being the same in quantity; and with shoes which were of the same size.' Mencius replied, 'It is the nature of things to be of unequal quality. Some are twice, some five times, some ten times, some a hundred times, some a thousand times, some ten thousand times as valuable as others. If you reduce them all to the same standard, that must throw the kingdom into confusion. If large shoes and small shoes were of the same price, who would make them? For people to follow the doctrines of Xu, would be for them to lead one another on to practise deceit. How can they avail for the government of a State?' |
