King Hui of Liang I · 孟子 1A.4

Passage 04

梁liáng惠huì王wáng曰yuē：「寡guǎ人rén願yuàn安ān承chéng教jiào。」孟mèng子zǐ對duì曰yuē：「殺shā人rén以yǐ梃tǐng與yǔ刃rèn，有yǒu以yǐ異yì乎hū？」曰yuē：「無wú以yǐ異yì也yě。」「以yǐ刃rèn與yǔ政zhèng，有yǒu以yǐ異yì乎hū？」曰yuē：「無wú以yǐ異yì也yě。」曰yuē：「庖páo有yǒu肥féi肉ròu，廄jiù有yǒu肥féi馬mǎ，民mín有yǒu饑jī色sè，野yě有yǒu餓è莩piǎo；此cǐ率lǜ獸shòu而ér食shí人rén也yě。獸shòu相xiāng食shí，且qiě人rén惡è之zhī；為wéi民mín父fù母mǔ行xíng政zhèng，不bù免miǎn於wū率lǜ獸shòu而ér食shí人rén，惡è在zài其qí為wéi民mín父fù母mǔ也yě？仲zhòng尼ní曰yuē：『始shǐ作zuò俑yǒng者zhě，其qí無wú後hòu乎hū？』為wéi其qí像xiàng人rén而ér用yòng之zhī也yě。如rú之zhī何hé其qí使shǐ斯sī民mín饑jī而ér死sǐ也yě！」

King Hui of Liang said, 'I wish quietly to receive your instructions.' Mencius replied, 'Is there any difference between killing a man with a stick and with a sword ?' The king said, 'There is no difference!' 'Is there any difference between doing it with a sword and with the style of government?' 'There is no difference,' was the reply. Mencius then said, 'In your kitchen there is fat meat; in your stables there are fat horses. But your people have the look of hunger, and on the wilds there are those who have died of famine. This is leading on beasts to devour men. Beasts devour one another, and men hate them for doing so. When a prince, being the parent of his people, administers his government so as to be chargeable with leading on beasts to devour men, where is his parental relation to the people? Zhong Ni said, "Was he not without posterity who first made wooden images to bury with the dead?" So he said, because that man made the semblances of men, and used them for that purpose - what shall be thought of him who causes his people to die of hunger?'