Gao Zi II · 孟子 6B.4

Passage 04

宋sòng牼kēng將jiāng之zhī楚chǔ，孟mèng子zǐ遇yù於wū石shí丘qiū，曰yuē：「先xiān生shēng將jiāng何hé之zhī？」曰yuē：「吾wú聞wén秦qín、楚chǔ構gòu兵bīng，我wǒ將jiāng見jiàn楚chǔ王wáng，說shuō而ér罷bà之zhī；楚chǔ王wáng不bú悅yuè，我wǒ將jiāng見jiàn秦qín王wáng，說shuō而ér罷bà之zhī。二èr王wáng我wǒ將jiāng有yǒu所suǒ遇yù焉yān。」曰yuē：「軻kē也yě請qǐng無wú問wèn其qí詳xiáng，愿yuàn聞wén其qí指zhǐ。說shuō之zhī將jiāng何hé如rú？」曰yuē：「我wǒ將jiāng言yán其qí不bú利lì也yě。」曰yuē：「先xiān生shēng之zhī志zhì則zé大dà矣yǐ，先xiān生shēng之zhī號hào則zé不bù可kě。先xiān生shēng以yǐ利lì說shuō秦qín、楚chǔ之zhī王wáng，秦qín、楚chǔ之zhī王wáng悅yuè於wū利lì，以yǐ罷bà三sān軍jūn之zhī師shī；是shì三sān軍jūn之zhī士shì樂lè罷bà而ér悅yuè於wū利lì也yě。為wéi人rén臣chén者zhě，懷huái利lì以yǐ事shì其qí君jūn，為wéi人rén子zǐ者zhě，懷huái利lì以yǐ事shì其qí父fù，為wéi人rén弟dì者zhě，懷huái利lì以yǐ事shì其qí兄xiōng，是shì君jūn臣chén、父fù子zǐ、兄xiōng弟dì終zhōng去qù仁rén義yì，懷huái利lì以yǐ相xiāng接jiē；然rán而ér不bù亡wáng者zhě，未wèi之zhī有yǒu也yě。先xiān生shēng以yǐ仁rén義yì說shuō秦qín、楚chǔ之zhī王wáng，秦qín、楚chǔ之zhī王wáng悅yuè於wū仁rén義yì，以yǐ罷bà三sān軍jūn之zhī師shī；是shì三sān軍jūn之zhī士shì樂lè罷bà而ér悅yuè於wū仁rén義yì也yě。為wéi人rén臣chén者zhě，懷huái仁rén義yì以yǐ事shì其qí君jūn，為wéi人rén子zǐ者zhě，懷huái仁rén義yì以yǐ事shì其qí父fù，為wéi人rén弟dì者zhě，懷huái仁rén義yì以yǐ事shì其qí兄xiōng，是shì君jūn臣chén、父fù子zǐ、兄xiōng弟dì去qù利lì，懷huái仁rén義yì以yǐ相xiāng接jiē也yě；然rán而ér不bù王wáng者zhě，未wèi之zhī有yǒu也yě。何hé必bì曰yuē利lì？」

Song Keng being about to go to Chu, Mencius met him in Shi Qiu. 'Master, where are you going?' asked Mencius. Keng replied, 'I have heard that Qin and Chu are fighting together, and I am going to see the king of Chu and persuade him to cease hostilities. If he shall not be pleased with my advice, I shall go to see the king of Qin, and persuade him in the same way. Of the two kings I shall surely find that I can succeed with one of them.' Mencius said, 'I will not venture to ask about the particulars, but I should like to hear the scope of your plan. What course will you take to try to persuade them?' Keng answered, 'I will tell them how unprofitable their course is to them.' 'Master,' said Mencius, 'your aim is great, but your argument is not good. If you, starting from the point of profit, offer your persuasive counsels to the kings of Qin and Chu, and if those kings are pleased with the consideration of profit so as to stop the movements of their armies, then all belonging to those armies will rejoice in the cessation of war, and find their pleasure in the pursuit of profit. Ministers will serve their sovereign for the profit of which they cherish the thought; sons will serve their fathers, and younger brothers will serve their elder brothers, from the same consideration - and the issue will be, that, abandoning benevolence and righteousness, sovereign and minister, father and son, younger brother and elder, will carry on all their intercourse with this thought of profit cherished in their breasts. But never has there been such a state of society, without ruin being the result of it. If you, starting from the ground of benevolence and righteousness, offer your counsels to the kings of Qin and Chu, and if those kings are pleased with the consideration of benevolence and righteousness so as to stop the operations of their armies, then all belonging to those armies will rejoice in the stopping from war, and find their pleasure in benevolence and righteousness. Ministers will serve their sovereign, cherishing the principles of benevolence and righteousness; sons will serve their fathers, and younger brothers will serve their elder brothers, in the same way - and so, sovereign and minister, father and son, elder brother and younger, abandoning the thought of profit, will cherish the principles of benevolence and righteousness, and carry on all their intercourse upon them. But never has there been such a state of society, without the State where it prevailed rising to the royal sway. Why must you use that word "profit."'