孟mengtzu.com中文

Jin Xin II · 孟子 7B.6

Passage 06

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「舜shùn之zhī飯fàn糗qiǔ茹rú草cǎo也yě，若ruò將jiāng終zhōng身shēn焉yān。及jí其qí為wéi天tiān子zǐ也yě，被bèi袗zhěn衣yī，鼓gǔ琴qín，二èr女nǚ果guǒ，若ruò固gù有yǒu之zhī。」

Mencius said, 'Shun's manner of eating his parched grain and herbs was as if he were to be doing so all his life. When he became sovereign, and had the embroidered robes to wear, the lute to play, and the two daughters of Yao to wait on him, he was as if those things belonged to him as a matter of course.'

First-principles reading

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