Gao Zi I · 孟子 6A.1

Passage 01

告gào子zǐ曰yuē：「性xìng，猶yóu杞qǐ柳liǔ也yě；義yì，猶yóu桮bēi棬quān也yě。以yǐ人rén性xìng為wéi仁rén義yì，猶yóu以yǐ杞qǐ柳liǔ為wéi桮bēi棬quān。」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「子zǐ能néng順shùn杞qǐ柳liǔ之zhī性xìng，而ér以yǐ為wéi桮bēi棬quān乎hū？將jiāng戕qiāng賊zéi杞qǐ柳liǔ，而ér後hòu以yǐ為wéi桮bēi棬quān也yě？如rú將jiāng戕qiāng賊zéi杞qǐ柳liǔ，而ér以yǐ為wéi桮bēi棬quān；則zé亦yì將jiāng戕qiāng賊zéi人rén，以yǐ為wéi仁rén義yì與yǔ？率lǜ天tiān下xià之zhī人rén而ér禍huò仁rén義yì者zhě，必bì子zǐ之zhī言yán夫fū。」

The philosopher Gao said, 'Man's nature is like the qi-willow , and righteousness is like a cup or a bowl. The fashioning benevolence and righteousness out of man's nature is like the making cups and bowls from the qi-willow.' Mencius replied, 'Can you, leaving untouched the nature of the willow, make with it cups and bowls? You must do violence and injury to the willow, before you can make cups and bowls with it. If you must do violence and injury to the willow in order to make cups and bowls with it, on your principles you must in the same way do violence and injury to humanity in order to fashion from it benevolence and righteousness! Your words, alas! would certainly lead all men on to reckon benevolence and righteousness to be calamities.'