Gong Sun Chou II · 孟子 2B.9

Passage 09

燕yàn人rén畔pàn，王wáng曰yuē：「吾wú甚shèn慚cán於wū孟mèng子zǐ。」陳chén賈jiǎ曰yuē：「王wáng無wú患huàn焉yān，王wáng自zì以yǐ為wéi與yǔ周zhōu公gōng，孰shú仁rén且qiě智zhì？」王wáng曰yuē：「惡è！是shì何hé言yán也yě！」曰yuē：「周zhōu公gōng使shǐ管guǎn叔shū監jiān殷yīn，管guǎn叔shū以yǐ殷yīn畔pàn。知zhī而ér使shǐ之zhī，是shì不bù仁rén也yě；不bù知zhī而ér使shǐ之zhī，是shì不bú智zhì也yě。仁rén智zhì，周zhōu公gōng未wèi之zhī盡jìn也yě，而ér況kuàng於wū王wáng乎hū？賈jiǎ請qǐng見jiàn而ér解jiě之zhī。」見jiàn孟mèng子zǐ問wèn曰yuē：「周zhōu公gōng何hé人rén也yě？」曰yuē：「古gǔ聖shèng人rén也yě。」曰yuē：「使shǐ管guǎn叔shū監jiān殷yīn，管guǎn叔shū以yǐ殷yīn畔pàn也yě，有yǒu諸zhū？」曰yuē：「然rán。」曰yuē：「周zhōu公gōng知zhī其qí將jiāng畔pàn而ér使shǐ之zhī與yǔ？」曰yuē：「不bù知zhī也yě。」「然rán則zé聖shèng人rén且qiě有yǒu過guò與yǔ？」曰yuē：「周zhōu公gōng，弟dì也yě；管guǎn叔shū，兄xiōng也yě。周zhōu公gōng之zhī過guò，不bú亦yì宜yí乎hū？且qiě古gǔ之zhī君jūn子zǐ，過guò則zé改gǎi之zhī；今jīn之zhī君jūn子zǐ，過guò則zé順shùn之zhī。古gǔ之zhī君jūn子zǐ，其qí過guò也yě如rú日rì月yuè之zhī食shí，民mín皆jiē見jiàn之zhī；及jí其qí更gèng也yě，民mín皆jiē仰yǎng之zhī。今jīn之zhī君jūn子zǐ，豈qǐ徒tú順shùn之zhī？又yòu從cóng為wéi之zhī辭cí。」

The people of Yan having rebelled, the king of Qi said, 'I feel very much ashamed when I think of Mencius.' Chen Jia said to him, 'Let not your Majesty be grieved. Whether does your Majesty consider yourself or Zhou Gong the more benevolent and wise?' The king replied, 'Oh! what words are those?' 'The duke of Zhou,' said Jia, 'appointed Guan Shu to oversee the heir of Yin, but Guan Shu with the power of the Yin State rebelled. If knowing that this would happen he appointed Guan Shu, he was deficient in benevolence. If he appointed him, not knowing that it would happen, he was deficient in knowledge. If the duke of Zhou was not completely benevolent and wise, how much less can your Majesty be expected to be so! I beg to go and see Mencius, and relieve your Majesty from that feeling.' Chen Jia accordingly saw Mencius, and asked him, saying, 'What kind of man was the duke of Zhou?' 'An ancient sage,' was the reply. 'Is it the fact, that he appointed Guan Shu to oversee the heir of Yin, and that Guan Shu with the State of Yin rebelled?' 'It is.' 'Did the duke of Zhou know that he would rebel, and purposely appoint him to that office?' Mencius said, 'He did not know.' 'Then, though a sage, he still fell into error?' 'The duke of Zhou,' answered Mencius, 'was the younger brother. Guan Shu was his elder brother. Was not the error of Zhou Gong in accordance with what is right? Moreover, when the superior men of old had errors, they reformed them. The superior men of the present time, when they have errors, persist in them. The errors of the superior men of old were like eclipses of the sun and moon. All the people witnessed them, and when they had reformed them, all the people looked up to them with their former admiration. But do the superior men of the present day only persist in their errors? They go on to apologize for them likewise.'