Jin Xin I · 孟子 7A.35

Passage 35

桃táo應yīng問wèn曰yuē：「舜shùn為wéi天tiān子zǐ，皋gāo陶táo為wéi士shì，瞽gǔ瞍sǒu殺shā人rén，則zé如rú之zhī何hé？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「執zhí之zhī而ér已yǐ矣yǐ。」「然rán則zé舜shùn不bú禁jìn與yǔ？」曰yuē：「夫fū舜shùn惡è得dé而ér禁jìn之zhī？夫fū有yǒu所suǒ受shòu之zhī也yě。」「然rán則zé舜shùn如rú之zhī何hé？」曰yuē：「舜shùn視shì棄qì天tiān下xià，猶yóu棄qì敝bì蹝xǐ也yě。竊qiè負fù而ér逃táo，遵zūn海hǎi濱bīn而ér處chǔ，終zhōng身shēn欣xīn然rán，樂lè而ér忘wàng天tiān下xià。」

Tao Ying asked, saying, 'Shun being sovereign, and Gao Yao chief minister of justice, if Gu Sou had murdered a man, what would have been done in the case?' Mencius said, 'Gao Yao would simply have apprehended him.' 'But would not Shun have forbidden such a thing?' 'Indeed, how could Shun have forbidden it? Gao Yao had received the law from a proper source.' 'In that case what would Shun have done?' 'Shun would have regarded abandoning the kingdom as throwing away a worn-out sandal. He would privately have taken his father on his back, and retired into concealment, living some where along the sea-coast. There he would have been all his life, cheerful and happy, forgetting the kingdom.'