Li Lou I · 孟子 4A.8

Passage 08

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「不bù仁rén者zhě，可kě與yǔ言yán哉zāi？安ān其qí危wēi而ér利lì其qí葘zī，樂lè其qí所suǒ以yǐ亡wáng者zhě。不bù仁rén而ér可kě與yǔ言yán，則zé何hé亡wáng國guó敗bài家jiā之zhī有yǒu？有yǒu孺rú子zǐ歌gē曰yuē：『滄cāng浪làng之zhī水shuǐ淸qīng兮xī，可kě以yǐ濯zhuó我wǒ纓yīng；滄cāng浪làng之zhī水shuǐ濁zhuó兮xī，可kě以yǐ濯zhuó我wǒ足zú。』孔kǒng子zǐ曰yuē：『小xiǎo子zi聽tīng之zhī！淸qīng斯sī濯zhuó纓yīng，濁zhuó斯sī濯zhuó足zú矣yǐ，自zì取qǔ之zhī也yě。』夫fū人rén必bì自zì侮wǔ，然rán後hòu人rén侮wǔ之zhī；家jiā必bì自zì毀huǐ，而ér後hòu人rén毀huǐ之zhī；國guó必bì自zì伐fá，而ér後hòu人rén伐fá之zhī。《太tài甲jiǎ》曰yuē：『天tiān作zuò孽niè，猶yóu可kě違wéi；自zì作zuò孽niè，不bù可kě活huó』，此cǐ之zhī謂wèi也yě。」

Mencius said, 'How is it possible to speak with those princes who are not benevolent? Their perils they count safety, their calamities they count profitable, and they have pleasure in the things by which they perish. If it were possible to talk with them who so violate benevolence, how could we have such destruction of States and ruin of Families? There was a boy singing, "When the water of the Cang Lang is clear, It does to wash the strings of my cap; When the water of the Cang Lang is muddy, It does to wash my feet." Confucius said, "Hear what he sings, my children. When clear, then he will wash his cap-strings; and when muddy, he will wash his feet with it. This different application is brought by the water on itself." A man must first despise himself, and then others will despise him. A family must first destroy itself, and then others will destroy it. A State must first smite itself, and then others will smite it. This is illustrated in the passage of the Tai Jia, "When Heaven sends down calamities, it is still possible to escape them. When we occasion the calamities ourselves, it is not possible any longer to live."'