| | 贤难: |
世之所以不治者，由贤难也。所谓贤难者，非直体聪明服德义之谓也。此则求贤之难得尔，非贤者之所难也。故所谓贤者，乃将言乎循善则见妬，行贤则见嫉也，而必遇患难者也。 |
| | 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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| | 贤难: |
虞舜之所以放殛，子胥之所以被诛，上圣大贤犹不能自免于嫉妬，则又乎中世之人哉？此秀士所以虽有贤材美质，然犹不得直道而行，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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| | 贤难: |
处士不得直其行，朝臣不得直其言，此俗化之所以败，暗君之所以孤也。齐侯之以夺国，鲁公之以放逐，皆败绩厌覆于不暇，而用及治乎？故德薄者恶闻美行，政乱者恶闻治言，此亡秦之所以诛偶语而坑术士也。 |
| | 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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| | 贤难: |
今世俗之人，自慢其亲而憎人敬之，自简其亲而憎人爱之者不少也。岂独品庶，贤材时有焉。邓通幸于文帝，尽心而不违，吮痈而无恡色。帝病不乐，从容曰：“天下谁最爱朕者乎？”邓通欲称太子之孝，则因对曰：“莫若太子之最爱陛下也。”及太子问疾，帝令吮痈，有难之色，帝不悦而遣太子。既而闻邓通之常吮痈也，乃惭而怨之。及嗣帝位，遂致通罪而使至于饿死。故邓通、行所以尽心力而无害人，其言所以誉太子而昭孝慈也。太子自不能尽其称，则反结怨而归咎焉。称人之长，欲彰其孝，且犹为罪，又况明人之短矫世者哉？ |
| | 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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| | 贤难: |
且凡士之所以为贤者，且以其言与行也。忠正之言，非徒誉人而已也，必有触焉；孝子之行，非徒吮痈而已也，必有驳焉。然则循行论议之士，得不遇于嫉妬之名，免于刑戮之咎者，盖其幸者也。比干之所以剖心，箕子之所以为奴，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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| | 贤难: |
夫国不乏于妬男也，犹家不乏于妬女也。近古以来，自外及内，其争功名妬过己者岂希也？予以唯两贤为宜不相害乎？然也，范雎绌白起，公孙弘抑董仲舒，此同朝共君宠禄争故邪？唯殊邦异途利害不干者为可以免乎？然也，孙膑修能于楚，庞涓自魏变免，诱以刖之；韩非明治于韩，李斯自秦作思，致而杀之。嗟士之相妬岂若此甚乎！此未达于君故受祸邪？唯见知为可以将信乎？然也，京房数与元帝论难，使制考功而选守；晁错雅为景帝所知；使汉法而不乱。夫二子之于君也，可谓见知深而宠爱殊矣，然京房冤死而上曾不知，晁错既斩而帝乃悔。此材明未足卫身故及难邪？唯大圣为能无累乎？然也，帝乙以义故囚，文王以仁故拘。夫体至行仁义，据南面师尹卿士，且犹不能无难，然则夫子削迹，叔向缧绁，屈原放沈，贾谊贬黜，锺离废替，何敞束缚，王章抵罪，平阿斥逐，盖其轻士者也。 |
| | 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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| | 贤难: |
《》云：“无罪无辜，谗口敖敖。”“彼人之心，于何不臻？”由此观之，妬媚之攻击也，亦诚工矣！贤圣之居世也，亦诚危矣！ |
| | 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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| | 贤难: |
故所谓贤难也者，非贤难也，免则难也。彼大圣群贤，功成名遂，或爵侯伯，或位公卿，尹据天官，柬在帝心，宿夜侍宴，名达而犹有若此，则又况乎畎亩佚民、山谷隐士，因人乃达，时论乃信者乎？此智士所以钳口结舌，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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| | 贤难: |
且闾阎凡品，何独识哉？苟望尘僄声而已矣。观其论也，非能本闺𨵦之行迹，察臧否之虚实也；直以面誉我者为智，谄谀己者为仁，处奸利者为行，窃禄位者为贤尔。岂复知孝悌之原，忠正之直，纲纪之化，本途之归哉？此鲍焦所以立枯于道左，徐衍所以自沈于沧海者也。 |
| | 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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| | 贤难: |
谚曰：“一犬吠形，百犬吠声。”世之疾此固久矣哉！吾伤世之不察贞伪之情也，故设虚义以喻其心曰：今观宰司之取士也，有似于司原之佃也。昔有司原氏者，燎猎中野。鹿斯东奔，司原纵噪之。西方之众有逐狶者，闻司原之噪也，竞举音而和之。司原闻音之众，则反辍己之逐而往伏焉，遇夫俗恶之狶。司原喜，而自以获白瑞珍禽也，尽刍豢单囷仓以养之。豕俛仰嚘咿，为作容声，司原愈益珍之。居无何，烈风兴而泽雨作，灌巨豕而恶涂渝，逐骇惧，真声出，乃知是家之艾猳尔。此随声逐响之过也，众遇之未赴信焉。 |
| | 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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| | 贤难: |
今世主之于士也，目见贤则不敢用，耳闻贤则恨不及。虽自有知也，犹不能取，必更待群司之所举，则亦惧失麟鹿而获艾猳。奈何其不分者也？未过风之变者故也。俾使一朝奇政两集，则险隘之徒，闒茸之质，亦将别矣。 |
| | 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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| | 贤难: |
夫众小朋党而固位，谗妬群吠啮贤，为祸败也岂希？三代之以覆，列国之以灭，后人犹不能革，此万官所以屡失守，而天命数靡常者也。《》云：“”呜呼！时君俗主不此察也。 |
| | 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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