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Chinese Text Project
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Scope: Horses's Hoofs Request type: Paragraph
Condition 1: References "馬,蹄可以踐霜雪" Matched:1.
Total 1 paragraphs. Page 1 of 1.

馬蹄 - Horses's Hoofs

English translation: James Legge [?]
Books referencing 《馬蹄》 Library Resources
1 馬蹄:
馬,蹄可以踐霜雪,毛可以禦風寒,齕草飲水,翹足而陸。此馬之真性也。雖有義臺、路寢,無所用之。及至伯樂,曰:「我善治馬。」燒之剔之,刻之雒之,連之以羈馽,編之以皁棧,馬之死者十二三矣;飢之渴之,馳之驟之,整之齊之,前有橛飾之患,而後有鞭筴之威,而馬之死者已過半矣。陶者曰:「我善治埴,圓者中規,方者中矩。」匠人曰:「我善治木,曲者中鉤,直者應繩。」夫埴、木之性,豈欲中規矩鉤繩哉?然且世世稱之曰:「伯樂善治馬,而陶、匠善治埴木。」此亦治天下者之過也。
Horses's Hoofs:
Horses can with their hoofs tread on the hoarfrost and snow, and with their hair withstand the wind and cold; they feed on the grass and drink water; they prance with their legs and leap: this is the true nature of horses. Though there were made for them grand towers and large dormitories, they would prefer not to use them. But when Bo-le (arose and) said, 'I know well how to manage horses,' (men proceeded) to singe and mark them, to clip their hair, to pare their hoofs, to halter their heads, to bridle them and hobble them, and to confine them in stables and corrals. (When subjected to this treatment), two or three in every ten of them died. (Men proceeded further) to subject them to hunger and thirst, to gallop them and race them, and to make them go together in regular order. In front were the evils of the bit and ornamented breastbands, and behind were the terrors of the whip and switch. (When so treated), more than half of them died. The (first) potter said, 'I know well how to deal with clay;' and (men proceeded) to mould it into circles as exact as if made by the compass, and into squares as exact as if formed by the measuring square. The (first) carpenter said, 'I know well how to deal with wood;' and (men proceeded) to make it bent as if by the application of the hook, and straight as if by the application of the plumb-line. But is it the nature of clay and wood to require the application of the compass and square, of the hook and line? And yet age after age men have praised Bo-le, saying, 'He knew well how to manage horses,' and also the (first) potter and carpenter, saying, 'They knew well how to deal with clay and wood.' This is just the error committed by the governors of the world.

Total 1 paragraphs. Page 1 of 1.