Gong Sun Chou II · 孟子 2B.4

Passage 04

孟mèng子zǐ之zhī平píng陸lù，謂wèi其qí大dài夫fu曰yuē：「子zǐ之zhī持chí戟jǐ之zhī士shì，一yí日rì而ér三sān失shī伍wǔ，則zé去qù之zhī否fǒu乎hū？」曰yuē：「不bú待dài三sān。」「然rán則zé子zǐ之zhī失shī伍wǔ也yě亦yì多duō矣yǐ。兇xiōng年nián饑jī歲suì，子zǐ之zhī民mín老lǎo羸léi轉zhuǎn於wū溝gōu壑hè，壯zhuàng者zhě散sàn而ér之zhī四sì方fāng者zhě幾jī千qiān人rén矣yǐ。」曰yuē：「此cǐ非fēi距jù心xīn之zhī所suǒ得dé為wéi也yě。」曰yuē：「今jīn有yǒu受shòu人rén之zhī牛niú羊yáng而ér為wéi之zhī牧mù之zhī者zhě，則zé必bì為wéi之zhī求qiú牧mù與yǔ芻chú矣yǐ。求qiú牧mù與yǔ芻chú而ér不bù得dé，則zé反fǎn諸zhū其qí人rén乎hū？抑yì亦yì立lì而ér視shì其qí死sǐ與yǔ？」曰yuē：「此cǐ則zé距jù心xīn之zhī罪zuì也yě。」他tā日rì，見jiàn於wū王wáng曰yuē：「王wáng之zhī為wéi都dōu者zhě，臣chén知zhī五wǔ人rén焉yān。知zhī其qí罪zuì者zhě，惟wéi孔kǒng距jù心xīn。為wéi王wáng誦sòng之zhī。」王wáng曰yuē：「此cǐ則zé寡guǎ人rén之zhī罪zuì也yě。」

Mencius having gone to Ping Lu, addressed the governor of it, saying, 'If one of your spearmen should lose his place in the ranks three times in one day, would you, Sir, put him to death or not?' 'I would not wait for three times to do so,' was the reply. Mencius said, 'Well then, you, Sir, have likewise lost your place in the ranks many times. In bad calamitous years, and years of famine, the old and feeble of your people, who have been found lying in the ditches and water-channels, and the able-bodied, who have been scattered about to the four quarters, have amounted to several thousand.' The governor replied, 'That is a state of things in which it does not belong to me Ju Xin to act.' 'Here,' said Mencius, 'is a man who receives charge of the cattle and sheep of another, and undertakes to feed them for him - of course he must search for pasture-ground and grass for them. If, after searching for those, he cannot find them, will he return his charge to the owner? or will he stand by and see them die?' 'Herein,' said the officer, 'I am guilty.' Another day, Mencius had an audience of the king, and said to him, 'Of the governors of your Majesty's cities I am acquainted with five, but the only one of them who knows his faults is Kong Ju Xin.' He then repeated the conversation to the king, who said, 'In this matter, I am the guilty one.'