King Hui of Liang II · 孟子 1B.2

Passage 02

齊qí宣xuān王wáng問wèn曰yuē：「文wén王wáng之zhī囿yòu方fāng七qī十shí里lǐ，有yǒu諸zhū？」孟mèng子zǐ對duì曰yuē：「於wū傳chuán有yǒu之zhī。」曰yuē：「若ruò是shì其qí大dà乎hū？」曰yuē：「民mín猶yóu以yǐ為wéi小xiǎo也yě。」曰yuē：「寡guǎ人rén之zhī囿yòu方fāng四sì十shí里lǐ，民mín猶yóu以yǐ為wéi大dà，何hé也yě？」曰yuē：「文wén王wáng之zhī囿yòu方fāng七qī十shí里lǐ，芻chú蕘ráo者zhě往wǎng焉yān，雉zhì兔tù者zhě往wǎng焉yān，與yǔ民mín同tóng之zhī。民mín以yǐ為wéi小xiǎo，不bú亦yì宜yí乎hū？臣chén始shǐ至zhì於wū境jìng，問wèn國guó之zhī大dà禁jìn，然rán後hòu敢gǎn入rù。臣chén聞wén郊jiāo關guān之zhī內nèi有yǒu囿yòu方fāng四sì十shí里lǐ，殺shā其qí麋mí鹿lù者zhě如rú殺shā人rén之zhī罪zuì，則zé是shì方fāng四sì十shí里lǐ為wéi阱jǐng於wū國guó中zhōng。民mín以yǐ為wéi大dà，不bú亦yì宜yí乎hū？」

The king Xuan of Qi asked, 'Was it so, that the park of king Wen contained seventy square li?' Mencius replied, 'It is so in the records.' 'Was it so large as that?' exclaimed the king. 'The people,' said Mencius, 'still looked on it as small.' The king added, 'My park contains only forty square li, and the people still look on it as large. How is this?' 'The park of king Wen,' was the reply, 'contained seventy square li, but the grass-cutters and fuel-gatherers had the privilege of entrance into it; so also had the catchers of pheasants and hares. He shared it with the people, and was it not with reason that they looked on it as small? When I first arrived at the borders of your kingdom, I inquired about the great prohibitory regulations, before I would venture to enter it; and I heard, that inside the barrier-gates there was a park of forty square lî, and that he who killed a deer in it, was held guilty of the same crime as if he had killed a man. Thus those forty square li are a pitfall in the middle of the kingdom. Is it not with reason that the people look upon them as large?'