Li Lou II · 孟子 4B.20

Passage 20

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「禹yǔ惡è旨zhǐ酒jiǔ而ér好hǎo善shàn言yán。湯tāng執zhí中zhōng，立lì賢xián無wú方fāng。文wén王wáng視shì民mín如rú傷shāng，望wàng道dào而ér未wèi之zhī見jiàn。武wǔ王wáng不bú泄xiè邇ěr，不bú忘wàng遠yuǎn。周zhōu公gōng思sī兼jiān三sān王wáng，以yǐ施shī四sì事shì。其qí有yǒu不bù合hé者zhě，仰yǎng而ér思sī之zhī，夜yè以yǐ繼jì日rì；幸xìng而ér得dé之zhī，坐zuò以yǐ待dài旦dàn。」

Mencius said, 'Yu hated the pleasant wine, and loved good words. Tang held fast the Mean, and employed men of talents and virtue without regard to where they came from. King Wen looked on the people as he would on a man who was wounded, and he looked towards the right path as if he could not see it. King Wu did not slight the near, and did not forget the distant. The duke of Zhou desired to unite in himself the virtues of those kings, those founders of the three dynasties, that he might display in his practice the four things which they did. If he saw any thing in them not suited to his time, he looked up and thought about it, from daytime into the night, and when he was fortunate enough to master the difficulty, he sat waiting for the morning.'