Gao Zi I · 孟子 6A.4

Passage 04

告gào子zǐ曰yuē：「食shí、色sè，性xìng也yě。仁rén，內nèi也yě，非fēi外wài也yě。義yì，外wài也yě，非fēi內nèi也yě。」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「何hé以yǐ謂wèi仁rén內nèi義yì外wài也yě？」曰yuē：「彼bǐ長cháng而ér我wǒ長cháng之zhī，非fēi有yǒu長cháng於wū我wǒ也yě。猶yóu彼bǐ白bái而ér我wǒ白bái之zhī，從cóng其qí白bái於wū外wài也yě。故gù謂wèi之zhī外wài也yě。」曰yuē：「異yì。於wū白bái馬mǎ之zhī白bái也yě，無wú以yǐ異yì於wū白bái人rén之zhī白bái也yě。不bù識shí長cháng馬mǎ之zhī長cháng也yě，無wú以yǐ異yì於wū長cháng人rén之zhī長cháng歟yú？且qiě謂wèi長cháng者zhě義yì乎hū？長cháng之zhī者zhě義yì乎hū？」曰yuē：「吾wú弟dì則zé愛ài之zhī，秦qín人rén之zhī弟dì則zé不bú愛ài也yě，是shì以yǐ我wǒ為wéi悅yuè者zhě也yě，故gù謂wèi之zhī內nèi。長cháng楚chǔ人rén之zhī長cháng，亦yì長cháng吾wú之zhī長cháng，是shì以yǐ長cháng為wéi悅yuè者zhě也yě，故gù謂wèi之zhī外wài也yě。」曰yuē：「嗜shì秦qín人rén之zhī炙zhì，無wú以yǐ異yì於wū嗜shì吾wú炙zhì。夫fū物wù則zé亦yì有yǒu然rán者zhě也yě。然rán則zé嗜shì炙zhì亦yì有yǒu外wài歟yú？」

The philosopher Gao said, 'To enjoy food and delight in colours is nature. Benevolence is internal and not external; righteousness is external and not internal.' Mencius asked him, 'What is the ground of your saying that benevolence is internal and righteousness external?' He replied, 'There is a man older than I, and I give honour to his age. It is not that there is first in me a principle of such reverence to age. It is just as when there is a white man, and I consider him white; according as he is so externally to me. On this account, I pronounce of righteousness that it is external.' Mencius said, 'There is no difference between our pronouncing a white horse to be white and our pronouncing a white man to be white. But is there no difference between the regard with which we acknowledge the age of an old horse and that with which we acknowledge the age of an old man? And what is it which is called righteousness? The fact of a man's being old? Or the fact of our giving honour to his age?' Gao said, 'There is my younger brother; I love him. But the younger brother of a man of Qin I do not love: that is, the feeling is determined by myself, and therefore I say that benevolence is internal. On the other hand, I give honour to an old man of Chu, and I also give honour to an old man of my own people: that is, the feeling is determined by the age, and therefore I say that righteousness is external.' Mencius answered him, 'Our enjoyment of meat roasted by a man of Qin does not differ from our enjoyment of meat roasted by ourselves. Thus, what you insist on takes place also in the case of such things, and will you say likewise that our enjoyment of a roast is external?'