Jin Xin I · 孟子 7A.27

Passage 27

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「饑jī者zhě甘gān食shí，渴kě者zhě甘gān飲yǐn，是shì未wèi得dé飲yǐn食shí之zhī正zhèng也yě，饑jī渴kě害hài之zhī也yě。豈qǐ惟wéi口kǒu腹fù有yǒu饑jī渴kě之zhī害hài？人rén心xīn亦yì皆jiē有yǒu害hài。人rén能néng無wú以yǐ饑jī渴kě之zhī害hài為wéi心xīn害hài，則zé不bù及jí人rén不bù為wéi憂yōu矣yǐ。」

Mencius said, 'The hungry think any food sweet, and the thirsty think the same of any drink, and thus they do not get the right taste of what they eat and drink. The hunger and thirst, in fact, injure their palate. And is it only the mouth and belly which are injured by hunger and thirst? Men's minds are also injured by them. If a man can prevent the evils of hunger and thirst from being any evils to his mind, he need not have any sorrow about not being equal to other men.'

First-principles reading

Begin with the words and context, expose the premise beneath the argument, then test the conditions and limits of the principle.