| | 尹文子二... : |
|
| |
|
| | 尹文子二... : |
序云：文子出於周之尹氏，齊宣王時居稷下。余黄初末始到京師，繆熈伯以此書見示，聊定之。 |
| | The preface says: Wenzhen was a descendant of the Yin family from the Zhou dynasty, and during the reign of King Xuan of Qi he resided at Jixia. I arrived in the capital for the first time toward the end of Huangchu era, and Miu Xibo showed me this book; I briefly examined and determined it.
|
| | 尹文子二... : |
名有三科：一曰命物之名，方圓白黑是也；二曰毁譽之名，善惡貴賤是也；三曰況謂之名，賢愚愛憎是也。 |
| | Names are divided into three categories: the first is "mingwu zhi ming," which refers to names of things, such as roundness and squareness, whiteness and blackness; the second is "huiyu zhi ming," which refers to names used in censure or praise, such as goodness and evil, nobility and meanness; the third is "kuangwei zhi ming," which refers to names indicating conditions or descriptions, such as wisdom and foolishness, love and hatred.
|
| | 尹文子二... : |
法有四呈：一曰不變之法，君臣上下是也；二曰齊等之法，能鄙同異是也；三曰理衆之法，慶賞刑罰是也；四曰平準之法，律度權量是也。 |
| | There are four forms of law: the first is "bubian zhi fa," which refers to unchanging laws, such as those governing rulers and subjects, superiors and inferiors; the second is "qidian zhi fa," which refers to equalizing laws, where ability and mediocrity are treated the same or differently; the third is "li zhong zhi fa," which refers to laws governing the people, such as rewards for merit and punishments for offenses; the fourth is "pingzhun zhi fa," which refers to standardizing laws, such as the legal standards of measure, weight, and capacity.
|
| | 尹文子二... : |
有理而無益於治者，君子不言；有能而無益於事者，君子不為。 |
| | If there is a principle but it brings no benefit to governance, gentlemen do not speak of it; If there is an ability but it serves no purpose in practical affairs, gentlemen will not act upon it.
|
| | 尹文子二... : |
工倕不貴獨巧，貴與衆共巧。今世之人，行欲獨賢，事欲獨能，辯欲出羣，勇欲絕衆。 |
| | Gongchui did not value being uniquely skillful; he valued sharing his skills with the people at large. People of today desire to be uniquely virtuous in conduct, uniquely capable in affairs, eloquent beyond the crowd, and brave surpassing all others.
|
| | 尹文子二... : |
田駢曰：「天下之士莫不處其門庭，臣其妻子，必遊宦諸侯之朝，名利引之也。」 |
| | Tian Pian said: "Scholars throughout the world do not fail to reside in their own courtyards, serving as subjects and providing for their wives and children; they must travel and serve at the courts of feudal lords, because fame and profit draw them."
|
| | 尹文子二... : |
彭蒙曰：「雉兔在野，衆皆逐之，分未定也。鷄豕滿市，莫有志者，分定故也。」 |
| | Peng Meng said: "When pheasants and hares are in the field, all people chase after them, because their shares have not yet been determined. When chickens and pigs fill the market, no one has any desire for them; this is because their portions are already fixed."
|
| | 尹文子二... : |
兩智不能相使，兩貴不能相臨，兩辯不能相屈，力均勢敵故也。 |
| | Two intelligent people cannot command each other, two noble persons cannot dominate one another, and two eloquent individuals cannot subdue each other; this is because their abilities and positions are equal.
|
| | 尹文子二... : |
專用聰明則功不成，專用晦昧則事必悖。一明一晦，衆之所載。 |
| | Relying solely on intelligence will not accomplish achievements, while relying solely on obscurity will surely lead to confusion in affairs. A combination of clarity and obscurity is what the people support.
|
| | 尹文子二... : |
祿薄者，不可與經亂；賞輕者，不可與入難。處上者不可不慎也。 |
| | Those with meager official salaries cannot be entrusted to manage chaos; Those who receive light rewards cannot be relied upon in times of hardship. Those in positions of authority must therefore be especially cautious.
|
| | 尹文子二... : |
尹文子見宣王，宣王不言而歎。尹文子曰：「何歎？」王曰：「吾歎國中寡賢。」尹文子曰：「國中悉賢，誰處王下，誰為王使？」 |
| | Yin Wenzhen met with King Xuan, and King Xuan remained silent but sighed. Yin Wenzhen said: "Why do you sigh?" The king said, "I am sighing because there are few virtuous people in my state." Yin Wenzhen replied: "If all the people in your state were virtuous, who would be beneath you as king? Who would serve at your command?"
|
| | 尹文子二... : |
人有字長子曰「盜」，少子曰「敺」。盜出行，其父在後追而呼之曰：「盜！盜！」吏聞，因而縛之。其父呼敺喻吏，遽而聲不轉，但言：「敺！敺！」吏因而敺之，幾至於死。 |
| | A man named his eldest son "Dao" and his youngest son "Kou." When Dao went out, his father called after him from behind, saying: "Dao! Dao!" The officials heard this and consequently arrested him. His father called out to Kou, urging the officials, but in haste his voice did not change; he merely said: "Kou! Kou!" The officials then beat him, nearly causing his death.
|
