Jin Xin I · 孟子 7A.36

Passage 36

孟mèng子zǐ自zì范fàn之zhī齊qí，望wàng見jiàn齊qí王wáng之zhī子zǐ，喟kuì然rán嘆tàn曰yuē：「居jū移yí氣qì，養yǎng移yí體tǐ，大dà哉zāi居jū乎hū！夫fū非fēi盡jìn人rén之zhī子zǐ與yǔ？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「王wáng子zǐ宮gōng室shì、車jū馬mǎ、衣yī服fu多duō與yǔ人rén同tóng，而ér王wáng子zǐ若ruò彼bǐ者zhě，其qí居jū使shǐ之zhī然rán也yě。況kuàng居jū天tiān下xià之zhī廣guǎng居jū者zhě乎hū？魯lǔ君jūn之zhī宋sòng，呼hū於wū垤dié澤zé之zhī門mén。守shǒu者zhě曰yuē：『此cǐ非fēi吾wú君jūn也yě，何hé其qí聲shēng之zhī似sì我wǒ君jūn也yě？』此cǐ無wú他tā，居jū相xiāng似sì也yě。」

Mencius, going from Fan to Qi, saw the king of Qi's son at a distance, and said with a deep sigh, 'One's position alters the air, just as the nurture affects the body. Great is the influence of position! Are we not all men's sons in this respect?' Mencius said, 'The residence, the carriages and horses, and the dress of the king's son, are mostly the same as those of other men. That he looks so is occasioned by his position. How much more should a peculiar air distinguish him whose position is in the wide house of the world! 'When the prince of Lu went to Song, he called out at the Die Shi gate, and the keeper said, "This is not our prince. How is it that his voice is so like that of our prince?" This was occasioned by nothing but the correspondence of their positions.'