Li Lou I · 孟子 4A.17

Passage 17

淳chún于yú髡kūn曰yuē：「男nán女nǚ授shòu受shòu不bù親qīn，禮lǐ與yǔ？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「禮lǐ也yě。」曰yuē：「嫂sǎo溺nì則zé援yuán之zhī以yǐ手shǒu乎hū？」曰yuē：「嫂sǎo溺nì不bù援yuán，是shì豺chái狼láng也yě。男nán女nǚ授shòu受shòu不bù親qīn，禮lǐ也yě。嫂sǎo溺nì援yuán之zhī以yǐ手shǒu者zhě，權quán也yě。」曰yuē：「今jīn天tiān下xià溺nì矣yǐ，夫fū子zǐ之zhī不bù援yuán，何hé也yě？」曰yuē：「天tiān下xià溺nì，援yuán之zhī以yǐ道dào；嫂sǎo溺nì，援yuán之zhī以yǐ手shǒu。子zǐ欲yù手shǒu援yuán天tiān下xià乎hū？」

Chun Yu Kun said, 'Is it the rule that males and females shall not allow their hands to touch in giving or receiving anything?' Mencius replied, 'It is the rule.' Kun asked, 'If a man's sister-in-law be drowning, shall he rescue her with his hand?' Mencius said, 'He who would not so rescue the drowning woman is a wolf. For males and females not to allow their hands to touch in giving and receiving is the general rule; when a sister-in-law is drowning, to rescue her with the hand is a peculiar exigency.' Kun said, 'The whole kingdom is drowning. How strange it is that you will not rescue it!' Mencius answered, 'A drowning kingdom must be rescued with right principles, as a drowning sister-in-law has to be rescued with the hand. Do you wish me to rescue the kingdom with my hand?'