Li Lou II · 孟子 4B.31

Passage 31

曾céng子zǐ居jū武wǔ城chéng，有yǒu越yuè寇kòu。或huò曰yuē：「寇kòu至zhì，盍hé去qù諸zhū？」曰yuē：「無wú寓yù人rén於wū我wǒ室shì，毀huǐ傷shāng其qí薪xīn木mù。」寇kòu退tuì，則zé曰yuē：「修xiū我wǒ墻qiáng屋wū，我wǒ將jiāng反fǎn。」寇kòu退tuì，曾céng子zǐ反fǎn。左zuǒ右yòu曰yuē：「待dài先xiān生shēng如rú此cǐ其qí忠zhōng且qiě敬jìng也yě，寇kòu至zhì則zé先xiān去qù以yǐ為wéi民mín望wàng，寇kòu退tuì則zé反fǎn，殆dài於wū不bù可kě。」沈shěn猶yóu行xíng曰yuē：「是shì非fēi汝rǔ所suǒ知zhī也yě。昔xī沈shěn猶yóu有yǒu負fù芻chú之zhī禍huò，從cóng先xiān生shēng者zhě七qī十shí人rén，未wèi有yǒu與yǔ焉yān。」子zǐ思sī居jū於wū衛wèi，有yǒu齊qí寇kòu。或huò曰yuē：「寇kòu至zhì，盍hé去qù諸zhū？」子zǐ思sī曰yuē：「如rú汲jí去qù，君jūn誰shuí與yǔ守shǒu？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「曾céng子zǐ、子zǐ思sī同tóng道dào。曾céng子zǐ師shī也yě，父fù兄xiōng也yě；子zǐ思sī臣chén也yě，微wēi也yě。曾céng子zǐ、子zǐ思sī易yì地dì則zé皆jiē然rán。」

When the philosopher Zeng dwelt in Wu Cheng, there came a band from Yue to plunder it. Someone said to him, 'The plunderers are coming - why not leave this?' Zeng on this left the city, saying to the man in charge of the house, 'Do not lodge any persons in my house, lest they break and injure the plants and trees.' When the plunderers withdrew, he sent word to him, saying, 'Repair the walls of my house. I am about to return.' When the plunderers retired, the philosopher Zeng returned accordingly. His disciples said, 'Since our master was treated with so much sincerity and respect, for him to be the first to go away on the arrival of the plunderers, so as to be observed by the people, and then to return on their retiring, appears to us to be improper.' Shen You Xing said, 'You do not understand this matter. Formerly, when Shen You was exposed to the outbreak of the grass-carriers, there were seventy disciples in our master's following, and none of them took part in the matter.' When Zi Si was living in Wei, there came a band from Qi to plunder. Some one said to him, 'The plunderers are coming - why not leave this?' Zi Si said, 'If I go away, whom will the prince have to guard the State with?' Mencius said, 'The philosophers Zeng and Zi Si agreed in the principle of their conduct. Zeng was a teacher - in the place of a father or elder brother. Zi Si was a minister - in a meaner place. If the philosophers Zeng and Zi Si had exchanged places the one would have done what the other did.'