Jin Xin II · 孟子 7B.37

Passage 37

萬wàn章zhāng問wèn曰yuē：「孔kǒng子zǐ在zài陳chén，曰yuē：『盍hé歸guī乎hū來lái！吾wú黨dǎng之zhī士shì狂kuáng簡jiǎn，進jìn取qǔ不bú忘wàng其qí初chū。』孔kǒng子zǐ在zài陳chén，何hé思sī魯lǔ之zhī狂kuáng士shì？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「孔kǒng子zǐ『不bù得dé中zhōng道dào而ér與yǔ之zhī，必bì也yě狂kuáng狷juàn乎hū！狂kuáng者zhě進jìn取qǔ；狷juàn者zhě有yǒu所suǒ不bù為wéi也yě。』孔kǒng子zǐ豈qǐ不bú欲yù中zhōng道dào哉zāi？不bù可kě必bì得dé，故gù思sī其qí次cì也yě。」「敢gǎn問wèn何hé如rú斯sī可kě謂wèi狂kuáng矣yǐ？」曰yuē：「如rú琴qín張zhāng、曾céng晳xī、牧mù皮pí者zhě，孔kǒng子zǐ之zhī所suǒ謂wèi狂kuáng矣yǐ。」「何hé以yǐ謂wèi之zhī狂kuáng也yě？」曰yuē：「其qí志zhì嘐jiāo嘐jiāo然rán，曰yuē：『古gǔ之zhī人rén，古gǔ之zhī人rén』，夷yí考kǎo其qí行xíng而ér不bù掩yǎn焉yān者zhě也yě。狂kuáng者zhě又yòu不bù可kě得dé；欲yù得dé不bú屑xiè不bù潔jié之zhī士shì而ér與yǔ之zhī，是shì獧juàn也yě。是shì又yòu其qí次cì也yě。孔kǒng子zǐ曰yuē：『過guò我wǒ門mén而ér不bú入rù我wǒ室shì，我wǒ不bú憾hàn焉yān者zhě，其qí惟wéi鄉xiāng原yuán乎hū！鄉xiāng原yuán，德dé之zhī賊zéi也yě。』」曰yuē：何hé如rú斯sī可kě謂wèi之zhī鄉xiāng原yuán矣yǐ？」「曰yuē：『何hé以yǐ是shì嘐jiāo嘐jiāo也yě？言yán不bú顧gù行xíng，行xíng不bú顧gù言yán，則zé曰yuē：古gǔ之zhī人rén古gǔ之zhī人rén。行xíng何hé為wéi踽jǔ踽jǔ涼liáng涼liáng？生shēng斯sī世shì也yě，為wéi斯sī世shì也yě，善shàn斯sī可kě矣yǐ。』閹yān然rán媚mèi於wū世shì也yě者zhě，是shì鄉xiāng原yuán也yě。」萬wàn章zhāng曰yuē：「一yì鄉xiāng皆jiē稱chēng原yuán人rén焉yān，無wú所suǒ往wǎng而ér不bù為wéi原yuán人rén；孔kǒng子zǐ以yǐ為wéi德dé之zhī賊zéi，何hé哉zāi？」曰yuē：「非fēi之zhī無wú舉jǔ也yě，剌là之zhī無wú剌là也yě；同tóng乎hū流liú俗sú，合hé乎hū污wū世shì；居jū之zhī似sì忠zhōng信xìn，行xíng之zhī似sì廉lián潔jié；眾zhòng皆jiē悅yuè之zhī；自zì以yǐ為wéi是shì，而ér不bù可kě與yǔ入rù堯yáo舜shùn之zhī道dào，故gù曰yuē『德dé之zhī賊zéi也yě』。孔kǒng子zǐ曰yuē：『惡è似sì而ér非fēi者zhě：惡è莠yǒu，恐kǒng其qí亂luàn苗miáo也yě；惡è佞nìng，恐kǒng其qí亂luàn義yì也yě；惡è利lì口kǒu，恐kǒng其qí亂luàn信xìn也yě；惡è鄭zhèng聲shēng，恐kǒng其qí亂luàn樂lè也yě；惡è紫zǐ，恐kǒng其qí亂luàn朱zhū也yě；惡è鄉xiāng原yuán，恐kǒng其qí亂luàn德dé也yě。』君jūn子zǐ反fǎn經jīng而ér已yǐ矣yǐ。經jīng正zhèng，則zé庶shù民mín興xīng；庶shù民mín興xīng，斯sī無wú邪xié慝tè矣yǐ。」

Wan Zhang asked, saying, 'Confucius, when he was in Chen, said: "Let me return. The scholars of my school are ambitious, but hasty. They are for advancing and seizing their object, but cannot forget their early ways." Why did Confucius, when he was in Chen, think of the ambitious scholars of Lu?' Mencius replied, 'Confucius not getting men pursuing the true medium, to whom he might communicate his instructions, determined to take the ardent and the cautiously-decided. The ardent would advance to seize their object; the cautiously-decided would keep themselves from certain things. It is not to be thought that Confucius did not wish to get men pursuing the true medium, but being unable to assure himself of finding such, he therefore thought of the next class.' 'I venture to ask what sort of men they were who could be styled "The ambitious?"' 'Such,' replied Mencius, 'as Qin Zhang, Zeng Xi, and Mu Pi, were those whom Confucius styled "ambitious."' 'Why were they styled "ambitious?"' The reply was, 'Their aim led them to talk magniloquently, saying, "The ancients!" "The ancients!" But their actions, where we fairly compare them with their words, did not correspond with them. When he found also that he could not get such as were thus ambitious, he wanted to get scholars who would consider anything impure as beneath them. Those were the cautiously-decided, a class next to the former.' Zhang pursued his questioning, 'Confucius said, "They are only your good careful people of the villages at whom I feel no indignation, when they pass my door without entering my house. Your good careful people of the villages are the thieves of virtue."' 'What sort of people were they who could be styled "Your good careful people of the villages?"' Mencius replied, 'They are those who say, "Why are they so magniloquent? Their words have not respect to their actions and their actions have not respect to their words, but they say, "The ancients! The ancients! Why do they act so peculiarly, and are so cold and distant? Born in this age, we should be of this age, to be good is all that is needed." Eunuch-like, flattering their generation - such are your good careful men of the villages.' Wan Zhang said, 'Their whole village styles those men good and careful. In all their conduct they are so. How was it that Confucius considered them the thieves of virtue?' Mencius replied, 'If you would blame them, you find nothing to allege. If you would criticise them, you have nothing to criticise. They agree with the current customs. They consent with an impure age. Their principles have a semblance of right-heartedness and truth. Their conduct has a semblance of disinterestedness and purity. All men are pleased with them, and they think themselves right, so that it is impossible to proceed with them to the principles of Yao and Shun. On this account they are called "The thieves of virtue." Confucius said, "I hate a semblance which is not the reality. I hate the darnel, lest it be confounded with the corn. I hate glib-tonguedness, lest it be confounded with righteousness. I hate sharpness of tongue, lest it be confounded with sincerity. I hate the music of Chang, lest it be confounded with the true music. I hate the reddish blue, lest it be confounded with vermilion. I hate your good careful men of the villages, lest they be confounded with the truly virtuous." The superior man seeks simply to bring back the unchanging standard, and, that being correct, the masses are roused to virtue. When they are so aroused, forthwith perversities and glossed wickedness disappear.'