Gong Sun Chou I · 孟子 2A.1

Passage 01

公gōng孫sūn丑chǒu問wèn曰yuē：「夫fū子zǐ當dāng路lù於wū齊qí，管guǎn仲zhòng、晏yàn子zǐ之zhī功gōng，可kě復fù許xū乎hū？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「子zǐ誠chéng齊qí人rén也yě，知zhī管guǎn仲zhòng、晏yàn子zǐ而ér已yǐ矣yǐ。或huò問wèn乎hū曾céng西xī曰yuē：『吾wú子zǐ與yǔ子zǐ路lù孰shú賢xián？』曾céng西xī蹙cù然rán曰yuē：『吾wú先xiān子zǐ之zhī所suǒ畏wèi也yě。』曰yuē：『然rán則zé吾wú子zǐ與yǔ管guǎn仲zhòng孰shú賢xián？』曾céng西xī艴fú然rán不bú悅yuè曰yuē：『爾ěr何hé曾céng比bǐ予yǔ於wū管guǎn仲zhòng？管guǎn仲zhòng得dé君jūn如rú彼bǐ其qí專zhuān也yě，行xíng乎hū國guó政zhèng如rú彼bǐ其qí久jiǔ也yě，功gōng烈liè如rú彼bǐ其qí卑bēi也yě。爾ěr何hé曾céng比bǐ予yǔ於wū是shì！』」曰yuē：「管guǎn仲zhòng，曾céng西xī之zhī所suǒ不bù為wéi也yě，而ér子zǐ為wéi我wǒ愿yuàn之zhī乎hū？」曰yuē：「管guǎn仲zhòng以yǐ其qí君jūn霸bà，晏yàn子zǐ以yǐ其qí君jūn顯xiǎn，管guǎn仲zhòng、晏yàn子zǐ猶yóu不bù足zú為wéi與yǔ？」曰yuē：「以yǐ齊qí王wáng由yóu反fǎn手shǒu也yě。」曰yuē：「若ruò是shì，則zé弟dì子zǐ之zhī惑huò滋zī甚shèn。且qiě以yǐ文wén王wáng之zhī德dé，百bǎi年nián而ér後hòu崩bēng，猶yóu未wèi洽qià於wū天tiān下xià；武wǔ王wáng、周zhōu公gōng繼jì之zhī，然rán後hòu大dà行xíng。今jīn言yán王wáng若ruò易yì然rán，則zé文wén王wáng不bù足zú法fǎ與yǔ？」曰yuē：「文wén王wáng何hé可kě當dāng也yě？由yóu湯tāng至zhì於wū武wǔ丁dīng，賢xián聖shèng之zhī君jūn六liù七qī作zuò。天tiān下xià歸guī殷yīn久jiǔ矣yǐ；久jiǔ則zé難nán變biàn也yě。武wǔ丁dīng朝cháo諸zhū侯hóu有yǒu天tiān下xià，猶yóu運yùn之zhī掌zhǎng也yě。紂zhòu之zhī去qù武wǔ丁dīng未wèi久jiǔ也yě，其qí故gù家jiā遺yí俗sú、流liú風fēng善shàn政zhèng，猶yóu有yǒu存cún者zhě；又yòu有yǒu微wēi子zǐ、微wēi仲zhòng、王wáng子zǐ比bǐ干gān、箕jī子zǐ、膠jiāo鬲gé，皆jiē賢xián人rén也yě，相xiāng與yǔ輔fǔ相xiāng之zhī，故gù久jiǔ而ér後hòu失shī之zhī也yě。尺chǐ地dì莫mò非fēi其qí有yǒu也yě，一yì民mín莫mò非fēi其qí臣chén也yě；然rán而ér文wén王wáng猶yóu方fāng百bǎi里lǐ起qǐ，是shì以yǐ難nán也yě。齊qí人rén有yǒu言yán曰yuē：『雖suī有yǒu智zhì慧huì，不bù如rú乘chéng勢shì；雖suī有yǒu镃zī基jī，不bù如rú待dài時shí。』今jīn時shí則zé易yì然rán也yě。夏xià后hòu、殷yīn、周zhōu之zhī盛shèng，地dì未wèi有yǒu過guò千qiān里lǐ者zhě也yě，而ér齊qí有yǒu其qí地dì矣yǐ；雞jī鳴míng狗gǒu吠fèi相xiāng聞wén，而ér達dá乎hū四sì境jìng，而ér齊qí有yǒu其qí民mín矣yǐ。地dì不bù改gǎi辟pì矣yǐ，民mín不bù改gǎi聚jù矣yǐ，行xíng仁rén政zhèng而ér王wáng，莫mò之zhī能néng御yù也yě。且qiě王wáng者zhě之zhī不bú作zuò，未wèi有yǒu疏shū於wū此cǐ時shí者zhě也yě；民mín之zhī憔qiáo悴cuì於wū虐nüè政zhèng，未wèi有yǒu甚shèn於wū此cǐ時shí者zhě也yě。饑jī者zhě易yì為wéi食shí，渴kě者zhě易yì為wéi飲yǐn。孔kǒng子zǐ曰yuē：『德dé之zhī流liú行xíng，速sù於wū置zhì郵yóu而ér傳chuán命mìng。』當dāng今jīn之zhī時shí，萬wàn乘chéng之zhī國guó行xíng仁rén政zhèng，民mín之zhī悅yuè之zhī，猶yóu解jiě倒dǎo懸xuán也yě。故gù事shì半bàn古gǔ之zhī人rén功gōng必bì倍bèi之zhī，惟wéi此cǐ時shí為wéi然rán。」

Gong Sun Chou asked Mencius, saying, 'Master, if you were to obtain the ordering of the government in Qi, could you promise yourself to accomplish anew such results as those realized by Guan Zhong and Yan?' Mencius said, 'You are indeed a true man of Qi. You know about Guan Zhong and Yan, and nothing more. Some one asked Zeng Xi, saying, "Sir, to which do you give the superiority, to yourself or to Zi Lu?" Zeng Zi looked uneasy, and said, "He was an object of veneration to my grandfather." "Then," pursued the other, "Do you give the superiority to yourself or to Guan Zhong?" Zeng Zi, flushed with anger and displeased, said, "How dare you compare me with Guan Zhong? Considering how entirely Guan Zhong possessed the confidence of his prince, how long he enjoyed the direction of the government of the State, and how low, after all, was what he accomplished - how is it that you liken me to him?" Thus,' concluded Mencius, 'Zeng Xi would not play Guan Zhong, and is it what you desire for me that I should do so?' Gong Sun Chou said, 'Guan Zhong raised his prince to be the leader of all the other princes, and Yan made his prince illustrious, and do you still think it would not be enough for you to do what they did?' Mencius answered, 'To raise Qi to the royal dignity would be as easy as it is to turn round the hand.' 'So!' returned the other. 'The perplexity of your disciple is hereby very much increased. There was king Wen, moreover, with all the virtue which belonged to him; and who did not die till he had reached a hundred years - and still his influence had not penetrated throughout the kingdom. It required king Wu and the duke of Zhou to continue his course, before that influence greatly prevailed. Now you say that the royal dignity might be so easily obtained - is king Wen then not a sufficient object for imitation?' Mencius said, 'How can king Wen be matched? From Tang to Wu Ding there had appeared six or seven worthy and sage sovereigns. The kingdom had been attached to Yin for a long time, and this length of time made a change difficult. Wu Ding had all the princes coming to his court, and possessed the kingdom as if it had been a thing which he moved round in his palm. Then, Zhou was removed from Wu Ding by no great interval of time. There were still remaining some of the ancient families and of the old manners, of the influence also which had emanated from the earlier sovereigns, and of their good government. Moreover, there were the viscount of Wei and his second son, their Royal Highnesses Bi Gan and the viscount of Qi, and Jiao Ge, all men of ability and virtue, who gave their joint assistance to Zhou in his government. In consequence of these things, it took a long time for him to lose the throne. There was not a foot of ground which he did not possess. There was not one of all the people who was not his subject. So it was on his side, and king Wen at his beginning had only a territory of one hundred square li. On all these accounts, it was difficult for him immediately to attain to the royal dignity. The people of Qi have a saying - "A man may have wisdom and discernment, but that is not like embracing the favourable opportunity. A man may have instruments of husbandry, but that is not like waiting for the farming seasons." The present time is one in which the royal dignity may be easily attained. In the flourishing periods of the Xia, Yin, and Zhou dynasties, the royal domain did not exceed a thousand li, and Qi embraces so much territory. Cocks crow and dogs bark to one another, all the way to the four borders of the State - so Qi possesses the people. No change is needed for the enlarging of its territory; no change is needed for the collecting of a population. If its ruler will put in practice a benevolent government, no power will be able to prevent his becoming sovereign. Moreover, never was there a time farther removed than the present from the rise of a true sovereign: never was there a time when the sufferings of the people from tyrannical government were more intense than the present. The hungry readily partake of any food, and the thirsty of any drink. Confucius said, "The flowing progress of virtue is more rapid than the transmission of royal orders by stages and couriers." At the present time, in a country of ten thousand chariots, let benevolent government be put in practice, and the people will be delighted with it, as if they were relieved from hanging by the heels. With half the merit of the ancients, double their achievements is sure to be realized. It is only at this time that such could be the case.'