Gao Zi II · 孟子 6B.6

Passage 06

淳chún于yú髡kūn曰yuē：「先xiān名míng實shí者zhě，為wéi人rén也yě；後hòu名míng實shí者zhě，自zì為wéi也yě。夫fū子zǐ在zài三sān卿qīng之zhī中zhōng，名míng實shí未wèi加jiā於wū上shàng下xià而ér去qù之zhī，仁rén者zhě固gù如rú此cǐ乎hū？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「居jū下xià位wèi，不bù以yǐ賢xián事shì不bú肖xiào者zhě，伯bó夷yí也yě。五wǔ就jiù湯tāng、五wǔ就jiù桀jié者zhě，伊yī尹yǐn也yě。不bú惡è污wū君jūn，不bù辭cí小xiǎo官guān者zhě，柳liǔ下xià惠huì也yě。三sān子zǐ者zhě不bù同tóng道dào，其qí趨qū一yī也yě。一yì者zhě何hé也yě？曰yuē仁rén也yě。君jūn子zǐ亦yì仁rén而ér已yǐ矣yǐ，何hé必bì同tóng？」曰yuē：「魯lǔ繆móu公gōng之zhī時shí，公gōng儀yí子zǐ為wéi政zhèng，子zǐ柳liǔ、子zǐ思sī為wéi臣chén，魯lǔ之zhī削xiāo也yě滋zī甚shèn。若ruò是shì乎hū賢xián者zhě之zhī無wú益yì於wū國guó也yě！」曰yuē：「虞yú不bú用yòng百bǎi里lǐ奚xī而ér亡wáng，秦qín繆móu公gōng用yòng之zhī而ér霸bà。不bú用yòng賢xián則zé亡wáng，削xiāo何hé可kě得dé與yǔ？」曰yuē：「昔xī者zhě，王wáng豹bào處chǔ於wū淇qí，而ér河hé西xī善shàn謳ōu。綿mián駒jū處chǔ於wū高gāo唐táng，而ér齊qí右yòu善shàn歌gē。華huá周zhōu、杞qǐ梁liáng之zhī妻qī，善shàn哭kū其qí夫fū，而ér變biàn國guó俗sú。有yǒu諸zhū內nèi，必bì形xíng諸zhū外wài。為wéi其qí事shì而ér無wú其qí功gōng者zhě，髡kūn未wèi嘗cháng睹dǔ之zhī也yě。是shì故gù無wú賢xián者zhě也yě；有yǒu則zé髡kūn必bì識shí之zhī。」曰yuē：「孔kǒng子zǐ為wéi魯lǔ司sī寇kòu，不bú用yòng，從cóng而ér祭jì，燔fán肉ròu不bú至zhì，不bú稅shuì冕miǎn而ér行xíng。不bù知zhī者zhě以yǐ為wéi為wéi肉ròu也yě；其qí知zhī者zhě以yǐ為wéi為wéi無wú禮lǐ也yě。乃nǎi孔kǒng子zǐ則zé欲yù以yǐ微wēi罪zuì行xíng，不bú欲yù為wéi茍jì去qù。君jūn子zǐ之zhī所suǒ為wéi，眾zhòng人rén固gù不bù識shí也yě。」

Chun Yu Kun said, 'He who makes fame and meritorious services his first objects, acts with a regard to others. He who makes them only secondary objects, acts with a regard to himself. You, master, were ranked among the three chief ministers of the State, but before your fame and services had reached either to the prince or the people, you have left your place. Is this indeed the way of the benevolent?' Mencius replied, 'There was Bo Yi - he abode in an inferior situation, and would not, with his virtue, serve a degenerate prince. There was Yi Yin - he five times went to Tang, and five times went to Jie. There was Hui of Liu Xia - he did not disdain to serve a vile prince, nor did he decline a small office. The courses pursued by those three worthies were different, but their aim was one. And what was their one aim? We must answer "To be perfectly virtuous." And so it is simply after this that superior men strive. Why must they all pursue the same course?' Kun pursued, 'In the time of the duke Mu of Lu, the government was in the hands of Gong Yi, while Zi Liu and Zi Si were ministers. And yet, the dismemberment of Lu then increased exceedingly. Such was the case, a specimen how your men of virtue are of no advantage to a kingdom!' Mencius said, 'The prince of Yu did not use Bai Li Xi, and thereby lost his State. The duke Mu of Qin used him, and became chief of all the princes. Ruin is the consequence of not employing men of virtue and talents - how can it rest with dismemberment merely?' Kun urged again, 'Formerly, when Wang Bao dwelt on the Qi, the people on the west of the Yellow River all became skilful at singing in his abrupt manner. When Mian Ju lived in Gao Tang, the people in the parts of Qi on the west became skilful at singing in his prolonged manner. The wives of Hua Zhou and Qi Liang bewailed their husbands so skilfully, that they changed the manners of the State. When there is the gift within, it manifests itself without. I have never seen the man who could do the deeds of a worthy, and did not realize the work of one. Therefore there are now no men of talents and virtue. If there were, I should know them.' Mencius answered, 'When Confucius was chief minister of Justice in Lu, the prince came not to follow his counsels. Soon after there was the solstitial sacrifice, and when a part of the flesh presented in sacrifice was not sent to him, he went away even without taking off his cap of ceremony. Those who did not know him supposed it was on account of the flesh. Those who knew him supposed that it was on account of the neglect of the usual ceremony. The fact was, that Confucius wanted to go away on occasion of some small offence, not wishing to do so without some apparent cause. All men cannot be expected to understand the conduct of a superior man.'