| | 先知卷第... : |
或问：“为政有几？”曰：“思斁。”或问“思斁”？曰：“昔在周公，征于东方，四国是王。召伯述职，蔽芾甘棠，其思矣。夫齐桓欲径陈，陈不果内，执袁涛涂，其斁矣夫。于戏，从政者审其思斁而已矣。” |
| Foreknowledge: |
Someone asked: Does governing have a key element?
Yangzi said: Being cherished or being despised.
The other asked about being cherished and being despised.
Yangzi said: In the past the Duke of Zhou attacked and rectified the four kingdoms of the east. Shaobo carried out his duties and resided under "the shade of the pear tree." Being thus remembered in verse is being cherished. Huan of Qi wanted to pass through Chen, but Chen would not allow him to enter, so he arrested Yuan Taotu. This is being despised. Alas! One who governs simply has to pay close attention to whether he is cherished or despised. |
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或问：“何思？何斁？”曰：“老人老，孤人孤，病者养，死者葬，男子亩，妇人桑之谓思。若污人老，屈人孤，病者独，死者逋，田亩荒，杼轴空之谓斁。” |
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The other said: What makes one cherished or despised?
Yangzi said: Treat the elderly as elderly, treat orphans as orphans; nourish the sick and bury the dead; let men tend their mou of land and let women tend the mulberry trees —you will be referred to as "cherished." Treat the elderly disrespectfully and neglect orphans; abandon the sick and leave the dead exposed; leave the fields uncultivated and the shuttles for weaving empty—you will be referred to as "despised." |
