King Hui of Liang II · 孟子 1B.3

Passage 03

齊qí宣xuān王wáng問wèn曰yuē：「交jiāo鄰lín國guó有yǒu道dào乎hū？」孟mèng子zǐ對duì曰yuē：「有yǒu。惟wéi仁rén者zhě為wéi能néng以yǐ大dà事shì小xiǎo，是shì故gù湯tāng事shì葛gě，文wén王wáng事shì昆kūn夷yí。惟wéi智zhì者zhě為wéi能néng以yǐ小xiǎo事shì大dà，故gù太tài王wáng事shì獯xūn鬻yù，勾gōu踐jiàn事shì吳wú。以yǐ大dà事shì小xiǎo者zhě，樂lè天tiān者zhě也yě；以yǐ小xiǎo事shì大dà者zhě，畏wèi天tiān者zhě也yě。樂lè天tiān者zhě，保bǎo天tiān下xià；畏wèi天tiān者zhě，保bǎo其qí國guó。《詩shī》云yún：『畏wèi天tiān之zhī威wēi，於wū時shí保bǎo之zhī。』」王wáng曰yuē：「大dà哉zāi言yán矣yǐ！寡guǎ人rén有yǒu疾jí，寡guǎ人rén好hǎo勇yǒng。」對duì曰yuē：「王wáng請qǐng無wú好hǎo小xiǎo勇yǒng。夫fū撫fǔ劍jiàn疾jí視shì曰yuē：『彼bǐ惡è敢gǎn當dāng我wǒ哉zāi！』此cǐ匹pǐ夫fū之zhī勇yǒng，敵dí一yì人rén者zhě也yě。王wáng請qǐng大dà之zhī！《詩shī》云yún：『王wáng赫hè斯sī怒nù，爰yuán整zhěng其qí旅lǚ，以yǐ遏è徂cú莒jǔ，以yǐ篤dǔ周zhōu祜hù，以yǐ對duì於wū天tiān下xià。』此cǐ文wén王wáng之zhī勇yǒng也yě。文wén王wáng一yí怒nù而ér安ān天tiān下xià之zhī民mín。《書shū》曰yuē：『天tiān降jiàng下xià民mín，作zuò之zhī君jūn，作zuò之zhī師shī，惟wéi曰yuē：其qí助zhù上shàng帝dì，寵chǒng之zhī四sì方fāng。有yǒu罪zuì無wú罪zuì，惟wéi我wǒ在zài，天tiān下xià曷hé敢gǎn有yǒu越yuè厥jué志zhì？』一yì人rén衡héng行xíng於wū天tiān下xià，武wǔ王wáng恥chǐ之zhī，此cǐ武wǔ王wáng之zhī勇yǒng也yě。而ér武wǔ王wáng亦yì一yí怒nù而ér安ān天tiān下xià之zhī民mín。今jīn王wáng亦yì一yí怒nù而ér安ān天tiān下xià之zhī民mín，民mín惟wéi恐kǒng王wáng之zhī不bù好hǎo勇yǒng也yě。」

The king Xuan of Qi asked, saying, 'Is there any way to regulate one's maintenance of intercourse with neighbouring kingdoms?' Mencius replied, 'There is. But it requires a perfectly virtuous prince to be able, with a great country, to serve a small one - as, for instance, Tang served Ge, and king Wen served the Kun barbarians. And it requires a wise prince to be able, with a small country, to serve a large one - as the king Tai served the Xun Yu, and Gou Jian served Wu. He who with a areat State serves a small one, delights in Heaven. He who with a small State serves a large one, stands in awe of Heaven. He who delights in Heaven, will affect with his love and protection the whole kingdom. He who stands in awe of Heaven, will affect with his love and protection his own kingdom. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "I fear the Majesty of Heaven, and will thus preserve its favouring decree."' The king said,'A great saying! But I have an infirmity - I love valour.' I beg your Majesty,' was the reply, 'not to love small valour. If a man brandishes his sword, looks fiercely, and says, "How dare he withstand me?" - this is the valour of a common man, who can be the opponent only of a single individual. I beg your Majesty to greaten it. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "The king blazed with anger, And he marshalled his hosts, To stop the march to Chu, To consolidate the prosperity of Zhou, To meet the expectations of the nation." This was the valour of king Wen. King Wen, in one burst of his anger, gave repose to all the people of the kingdom. In the Book of History it is said, "Heaven having produced the inferior people, made for them rulers and teachers, with the purpose that they should be assisting to God, and therefore distinguished them throughout the four quarters of the land. Whoever are offenders, and whoever are innocent, here am I to deal with them. How dare any under heaven give indulgence to their refractory wills?" There was one man pursuing a violent and disorderly course in the kingdom, and king Wu was ashamed of it. This was the valour of king Wu. He also, by one display of his anger, gave repose to all the people of the kingdom. Let now your Majesty also, in one burst of anger, give repose to all the people of the kingdom. The people are only afraid that your Majesty does not love valour.'