| | 賢難: |
世之所以不治者，由賢難也。所謂賢難者，非直體聰明服德義之謂也。此則求賢之難得爾，非賢者之所難也。故所謂賢者，乃將言乎循善則見妬，行賢則見嫉也，而必遇患難者也。 |
| | The reason why the world is not well governed is because it is difficult to find virtuous people. What is meant by "difficulty in finding virtuous people" does not merely refer to possessing intelligence and being devoted to virtue and righteousness. This refers only to the difficulty of finding virtuous individuals, not the hardship faced by the virtuous themselves. Therefore, what is meant by a "virtuous person" refers to one who, when following goodness, encounters jealousy and, when practicing virtue, faces resentment; such a person inevitably meets with hardships.
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虞舜之所以放殛，子胥之所以被誅，上聖大賢猶不能自免於嫉妬，則又乎中世之人哉？此秀士所以雖有賢材美質，然猶不得直道而行，遂成其志者也。 |
| | Yu Shun was exiled and executed, and Wu Zixu was put to death; even the highest sages and greatest virtuous men could not escape jealousy and hatred. How much more so for ordinary people of later generations? This is why talented scholars, although possessing virtue and fine qualities, still cannot proceed along the straight path to fulfill their aspirations.
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處士不得直其行，朝臣不得直其言，此俗化之所以敗，闇君之所以孤也。齊侯之以奪國，魯公之以放逐，皆敗績厭覆於不暇，而用及治乎？故德薄者惡聞美行，政亂者惡聞治言，此亡秦之所以誅偶語而坑術士也。 |
| | When recluses scholars cannot act uprightly and court ministers cannot speak truthfully, this is why the customs and moral standards deteriorate and why an ignorant ruler becomes isolated. The Qi Hou who seized the state, and the Lu Gong who was exiled, were all overwhelmed by failure and disaster due to their negligence—how could they have achieved good governance? Therefore, those with shallow virtue dislike hearing of virtuous conduct, and those governing in chaos resent hearing words about good governance—this is why the fallen Qin dynasty resorted to executing people for uttering paired discussions and burying scholars alive.
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| | 賢難: |
今世俗之人，自慢其親而憎人敬之，自簡其親而憎人愛之者不少也。豈獨品庶，賢材時有焉。鄧通幸於文帝，盡心而不違，吮癰而無恡色。帝病不樂，從容曰：「天下誰最愛朕者乎？」鄧通欲稱太子之孝，則因對曰：「莫若太子之最愛陛下也。」及太子問疾，帝令吮癰，有難之色，帝不悅而遣太子。既而聞鄧通之常吮癰也，乃慚而怨之。及嗣帝位，遂致通罪而使至於餓死。故鄧通、行所以盡心力而無害人，其言所以譽太子而昭孝慈也。太子自不能盡其稱，則反結怨而歸咎焉。稱人之長，欲彰其孝，且猶為罪，又況明人之短矯世者哉？ |
| | Nowadays, there are not a few people in society who look down on their own relatives and resent others showing respect to them, or who treat their relatives carelessly and hate it when others show affection toward them. It is not only among the common people that such cases occur; even virtuous talents sometimes exhibit this behavior. Deng Tong was favored by Emperor Wen, who served him wholeheartedly without defiance and suckled his abscesses without showing any sign of reluctance. The emperor fell ill and was unhappy; Deng Tong, speaking calmly, said, "Who in the world loves the Son of Heaven most?" Deng Tong wished to praise the crown prince's filial piety, so he replied accordingly: "None love Your Majesty more than the Crown Prince does." When the crown prince came to inquire about the emperor's illness, the emperor ordered him to suckle the abscess. The crown prince showed a reluctant expression, which displeased the emperor, who then sent the crown prince away. Later, upon learning that Deng Tong had regularly suckled the abscess, the crown prince felt ashamed and developed resentment toward him. When he succeeded to the throne, he consequently charged Deng Tong with crimes and let him starve to death. Therefore, Deng Tong's actions were entirely devoted and harmless, and his words were meant to praise the crown prince and highlight filial piety and kindness. The crown prince himself was unable to live up to that praise, so he instead incurred resentment and blamed Deng Tong for it. Praising someone's virtues in an effort to highlight their filial piety could still be considered a crime; how much more so for those who expose others' faults and correct the customs of society?
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且凡士之所以為賢者，且以其言與行也。忠正之言，非徒譽人而已也，必有觸焉；孝子之行，非徒吮癰而已也，必有駮焉。然則循行論議之士，得不遇於嫉妬之名，免於刑戮之咎者，蓋其幸者也。比干之所以剖心，箕子之所以為奴，伯宗之以死，郄宛之以亡。 |
| | Moreover, what makes an individual virtuous is precisely their words and actions. Loyal and upright speech is not merely about praising others; it inevitably touches upon sensitive issues. Filial conduct is not merely about suckling an abscess; it must necessarily involve some form of contradiction or challenge. Therefore, among those who follow virtuous conduct and engage in discussion and debate, those who do not encounter the accusation of jealousy or escape punishment are indeed fortunate. Bi Gan was 剖 hearted open, Ji Zi became a slave, Bo Zong died, and Xi Wan perished.
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夫國不乏於妬男也，猶家不乏於妬女也。近古以來，自外及內，其爭功名妬過己者豈希也？予以唯兩賢為宜不相害乎？然也，范雎絀白起，公孫弘抑董仲舒，此同朝共君寵祿爭故邪？唯殊邦異途利害不干者為可以免乎？然也，孫臏脩能於楚，龐涓自魏變免，誘以刖之；韓非明治於韓，李斯自秦作思，致而殺之。嗟士之相妬豈若此甚乎！此未達於君故受禍邪？唯見知為可以將信乎？然也，京房數與元帝論難，使制考功而選守；晁錯雅為景帝所知；使漢法而不亂。夫二子之於君也，可謂見知深而寵愛殊矣，然京房冤死而上曾不知，晁錯既斬而帝乃悔。此材明未足衛身故及難邪？唯大聖為能無累乎？然也，帝乙以義故囚，文王以仁故拘。夫體至行仁義，據南面師尹卿士，且猶不能無難，然則夫子削迹，叔嚮縲紲，屈原放沈，賈誼貶黜，鍾離廢替，何敞束縛，王章抵罪，平阿斥逐，蓋其輕士者也。 |
| | A state is no less lacking in jealous men than a household is in jealous women. Since ancient times, from the outside to the inside, how rare have been those who compete for fame and merit while envying others who surpass them? Is it only because two virtuous individuals should not harm each other? Indeed, Fan Ju displaced Bai Qi, and Gongsun Hong suppressed Dong Zhongshu—was this merely due to competition for imperial favor and official rank within the same court? Only those from different states or paths, whose interests do not conflict, can possibly avoid such problems. Indeed, Sun Bin cultivated his abilities in the state of Chu, while Pang Juan, originally from Wei, changed and evaded responsibility, luring Sun Bin into a trap that resulted in his amputation. Han Fei clearly advocated good governance in the state of Han, while Li Si, from Qin, devised schemes and ultimately had him killed. Alas, how intense is the jealousy among scholars! Is this not because they failed to understand their ruler and thus suffered misfortune? Only those who are recognized can be trusted, is that so? Indeed, Jing Fang frequently debated with Emperor Yuan, proposing to establish a system for evaluating officials and selecting magistrates; Chao Cuo was well known to Emperor Jing; they ensured that Han legal codes remained orderly. These two men, in relation to their sovereigns, could be said to have been deeply understood and especially favored. Yet Jing Fang was wrongfully executed while the emperor remained unaware of his innocence; Chao Cuo had already been beheaded before Emperor Jing realized his regret. Is this because their talents and wisdom were insufficient to protect themselves, thus leading them into misfortune? Only the greatest sage can be free from burdens, is that so? Indeed, Emperor Yi was imprisoned for upholding righteousness, and King Wen was detained for practicing benevolence. Those who embody the highest conduct of benevolence and righteousness, holding positions as high as ministers or officials in charge of southern governance, still could not escape hardship. Therefore, Confucius had his traces erased, Shu Xiang was shackled, Qu Yuan was exiled and drowned, Jia Yi was demoted, Zhongli was discarded from office, He Chang was bound in restraints, Wang Zhang was condemned to punishment, Ping A was expelled—these were all cases of the undervaluing of virtuous men.
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《》云：「無罪無辜，讒口敖敖。」「彼人之心，于何不臻？」由此觀之，妬媚之攻擊也，亦誠工矣！賢聖之居世也，亦誠危矣！ |
| | The Shi Jing says: "Without guilt or crime, slanderous tongues are rampant." "The hearts of those people—how can they not reach understanding?" From this we see, the attacks by jealous flatterers are indeed skillfully executed! The position of virtuous and sage individuals in society is indeed perilous!
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| | 賢難: |
故所謂賢難也者，非賢難也，免則難也。彼大聖群賢，功成名遂，或爵侯伯，或位公卿，尹據天官，柬在帝心，宿夜侍宴，名達而猶有若此，則又況乎畎畝佚民、山谷隱士，因人乃達，時論乃信者乎？此智士所以鉗口結舌，括囊共默而已者也。 |
| | Therefore, what is referred to as the "difficulty in finding virtue" is not actually about the difficulty of being virtuous; rather, it is the difficulty of avoiding misfortune. Those great sages and virtuous men, having achieved fame and success, some holding titles of marquis or viscount, others occupying high positions as ministers or grand officials, serving in the imperial court, trusted by the emperor himself, attending banquets day and night—despite their renown, they still suffered such fates. How much more so is this true for those common people tilling fields, or reclusive scholars hiding in mountains and valleys, who rely on others to be recognized and whose reputations depend entirely upon public opinion? This is why wise men remain silent with sealed lips, holding their tongues and keeping quiet.
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且閭閻凡品，何獨識哉？苟望塵僄聲而已矣。觀其論也，非能本閨𨵦之行迹，察臧否之虛實也；直以面譽我者為智，諂諛己者為仁，處姦利者為行，竊祿位者為賢爾。豈復知孝悌之原，忠正之直，綱紀之化，本途之歸哉？此鮑焦所以立枯於道左，徐衍所以自沈於滄海者也。 |
| | Moreover, how can common people in the villages even recognize such matters? They merely hope to catch a glimpse of fame or hear whispers of reputation. Observing their discussions, they are not truly able to examine the conduct and deeds within one's household or discern the truth behind a person's virtues and faults; They merely regard those who praise them to their face as wise, flatterers as kind-hearted, those who associate with villains and pursue profit as virtuous, and those who steal official positions and salaries as exemplary. How could they possibly understand the origins of filial piety and fraternal respect, the uprightness of loyalty and integrity, the moral transformation through the principles of order and discipline, or the fundamental path to righteousness? This is why Bao Jiao withered to death by the roadside and Xu Yan drowned himself in the East Sea.
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諺曰：「一犬吠形，百犬吠聲。」世之疾此固久矣哉！吾傷世之不察貞偽之情也，故設虛義以喻其心曰：今觀宰司之取士也，有似於司原之佃也。昔有司原氏者，燎獵中野。鹿斯東奔，司原縱譟之。西方之眾有逐狶者，聞司原之譟也，競舉音而和之。司原聞音之眾，則反輟己之逐而往伏焉，遇夫俗惡之狶。司原喜，而自以獲白瑞珍禽也，盡芻豢單囷倉以養之。豕俛仰嚘咿，為作容聲，司原愈益珍之。居無何，烈風興而澤雨作，灌巨豕而惡塗渝，逐駭懼，真聲出，乃知是家之艾猳爾。此隨聲逐響之過也，眾遇之未赴信焉。 |
| | The proverb says: "When one dog barks at a shadow, a hundred dogs bark at the sound." This condition has plagued society for a long time indeed! I lament the fact that society fails to discern sincerity from falsehood, so I have devised a metaphorical analogy to illustrate this: Consider how officials today select scholars—it is much like a landowner managing his fields. In the past there was a man named Siyuan Shi who set fires to hunt in the wilderness. The deer fled eastward, and Siyuan let out loud cries to pursue it. People in the west who were hunting boars heard Siyuan's shouting and, competing with one another, raised their voices to join in. Siyuan, hearing the multitude of voices, abandoned his own pursuit and went to join them, only to encounter a boar that was despised by common folk. Siyuan rejoiced, believing he had captured a rare and precious white beast, and lavished all his grain stores to feed it. The boar lowered and raised its head, making soft cooing sounds as if displaying graceful behavior; Siyuan grew even more fond of it. After a short while, fierce winds arose and heavy rain fell, drenching the large boar and muddying its appearance. Startled and frightened, it let out a genuine, fearsome snarl, revealing itself to be merely an ordinary male pig from a farmstead. This is the mistake of following sounds and chasing echoes; the crowd encountered it but did not verify its true nature.
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今世主之於士也，目見賢則不敢用，耳聞賢則恨不及。雖自有知也，猶不能取，必更待群司之所舉，則亦懼失麟鹿而獲艾猳。奈何其不分者也？未過風之變者故也。俾使一朝奇政兩集，則險隘之徒，闒茸之質，亦將別矣。 |
| | In today's society, rulers regard scholars in such a way that when they see a virtuous person with their own eyes, they dare not employ him; yet when they hear of a virtuous man through others' words, they regret not being able to match his excellence. Even when rulers have their own knowledge, they still cannot make a selection without waiting for recommendations from various officials. This is because they fear losing the chance to gain a rare talent like a qilu (a mythical deer-like creature) and instead capturing only an ordinary pig like the aiji. How can they fail to distinguish between them? It is because they have not yet experienced the changes brought by time and circumstances. If only a single day of extraordinary governance could be implemented, then those with treacherous and narrow-minded intentions, as well as those with base and mediocre qualities, would also become distinguishable.
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夫眾小朋黨而固位，讒妬群吠齧賢，為禍敗也豈希？三代之以覆，列國之以滅，後人猶不能革，此萬官所以屢失守，而天命數靡常者也。《》云：「」嗚呼！時君俗主不此察也。 |
| | How rare is it for factions of petty followers to consolidate power, and for jealous flatterers to gang up in barking and gnawing at the virtuous, causing disaster and failure? The downfall of the Three Dynasties, and the destruction of the Warring States—yet later generations still fail to reform. This is why officials repeatedly lose their posts, and heavenly mandate remains ever-changing. The Shi Jing says: "When the state has already been completely destroyed, how can one fail to take warning!" Alas! The rulers of their time and the 庸俗 lords failed to perceive this.
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