Gong Sun Chou II · 孟子 2B.8

Passage 08

沈shěn同tóng以yǐ其qí私sī問wèn曰yuē：「燕yàn可kě伐fá與yǔ？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「可kě。子zǐ噲kuài不bù得dé與yǔ人rén燕yàn，子zǐ之zhī不bù得dé受shòu燕yàn於wū子zǐ噲kuài。有yǒu仕shì於wū此cǐ，而ér子zǐ悅yuè之zhī，不bú告gào於wū王wáng，而ér私sī與yǔ之zhī吾wú子zǐ之zhī祿lù爵jué；夫fū士shì也yě，亦yì無wú王wáng命mìng而ér私sī受shòu之zhī於wū子zǐ，則zé可kě乎hū？何hé以yǐ異yì於wū是shì？」齊qí人rén伐fá燕yàn。或huò問wèn曰yuē：「勸quàn齊qí伐fá燕yàn，有yǒu諸zhū？」曰yuē：「未wèi也yě。沈shěn同tóng問wèn：『燕yàn可kě伐fá與yǔ？』吾wú應yīng之zhī曰yuē：『可kě。』彼bǐ然rán而ér伐fá之zhī也yě。彼bǐ如rú曰yuē：『孰shú可kě以yǐ伐fá之zhī？』則zé將jiāng應yīng之zhī曰yuē：『為wéi天tiān吏lì則zé可kě以yǐ伐fá之zhī。』今jīn有yǒu殺shā人rén者zhě，或huò問wèn之zhī曰yuē：『人rén可kě殺shā與yǔ？』則zé將jiāng應yīng之zhī曰yuē：『可kě。』彼bǐ如rú曰yuē：『孰shú可kě以yǐ殺shā之zhī？』則zé將jiāng應yīng之zhī曰yuē：『為wéi士shì師shī則zé可kě以yǐ殺shā之zhī。』今jīn以yǐ燕yàn伐fá燕yàn，何hé為wéi勸quàn之zhī哉zāi？」

Shen Tong, on his own impulse, asked Mencius, saying, 'May Yan be smitten?' Mencius replied, 'It may. Zi Kuai had no right to give Yan to another man, and Zi Zhi had no right to receive Yan from Zi Kuai. Suppose there were an officer here, with whom you, Sir, were pleased, and that, without informing the king, you were privately to give to him your salary and rank; and suppose that this officer, also without the king's orders, were privately to receive them from you - would such a transaction be allowable? And where is the difference between the case of Yan and this?' The people of Qi smote Yan. Some one asked Mencius, saying, 'Is it really the case that you advised Qi to smite Yan?' He replied, 'No. Shen Tong asked me whether Yan might be smitten, and I answered him, "It may." They accordingly went and smote it. If he had asked me, "Who may smite it?" I would have answered him, "He who is the minister of Heaven may smite it." Suppose the case of a murderer, and that one asks me, "May this man be put to death?" I will answer him, "He may." If he ask me, "Who may put him to death?" I will answer him, "The chief criminal judge may put him to death." But now with one Yan to smite another Yan - how should I have advised this?'