Jin Xin I · 孟子 7A.39

Passage 39

齊qí宣xuān王wáng欲yù短duǎn喪sāng。公gōng孫sūn丑chǒu曰yuē：「為wéi期qī之zhī喪sāng，猶yóu愈yù於wū已yǐ乎hū？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「是shì猶yóu或huò紾tiǎn其qí兄xiōng之zhī臂bì，子zǐ謂wèi之zhī『姑gū徐xú徐xú』云yún爾ěr。亦yì教jiào之zhī孝xiào弟dì而ér已yǐ矣yǐ。」王wáng子zǐ有yǒu其qí母mǔ死sǐ者zhě，其qí傅fù為wéi之zhī請qǐng數shù月yuè之zhī喪sāng。公gōng孫sūn丑chǒu曰yuē：「若ruò此cǐ者zhě，何hé如rú也yě？」曰yuē：「是shì欲yù終zhōng之zhī而ér不bù可kě得dé也yě，雖suī加jiā一yí日rì愈yù於wū已yǐ。謂wèi夫fū莫mò之zhī禁jìn而ér弗fú為wéi者zhě也yě。」

The king Xuan of Qi wanted to shorten the period of mourning. Gong Sun Chou said, 'To have one whole year's mourning is better than doing away with it altogether.' Mencius said, 'That is just as if there were one twisting the arm of his elder brother, and you were merely to say to him "Gently, gently, if you please." Your only course should be to teach such an one filial piety and fraternal duty.' At that time, the mother of one of the king's sons had died, and his tutor asked for him that he might be allowed to observe a few months' mourning. Gong Sun Chou asked, 'What do you say of this?' Mencius replied, 'This is a case where the party wishes to complete the whole period, but finds it impossible to do so. The addition of even a single day is better than not mourning at all. I spoke of the case where there was no hindrance, and the party neglected the thing itself.'