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Jin Xin II · 孟子 7B.8

Passage 08

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「古gǔ之zhī為wéi關guān也yě，將jiāng以yǐ御yù暴bào；今jīn之zhī為wéi關guān也yě，將jiāng以yǐ為wéi暴bào。」

Mencius said, 'Anciently, the establishment of the frontier-gates was to guard against violence. Nowadays, it is to exercise violence.'

First-principles reading

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