Teng Wen Gong I · 孟子 3A.2

Passage 02

滕téng定dìng公gōng薨hōng，世shì子zǐ謂wèi然rán友yǒu曰yuē：「昔xī者zhě孟mèng子zǐ嘗cháng與yǔ我wǒ言yán於wū宋sòng，於wū心xīn終zhōng不bú忘wàng。今jīn也yě不bú幸xìng至zhì於wū大dà故gù，吾wú欲yù使shǐ子zǐ問wèn於wū孟mèng子zǐ，然rán後hòu行xíng事shì。」然rán友yǒu之zhī鄒zōu問wèn於wū孟mèng子zǐ。孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「不bú亦yì善shàn乎hū！親qīn喪sāng固gù所suǒ自zì盡jìn也yě。曾céng子zǐ曰yuē：『生shēng，事shì之zhī以yǐ禮lǐ；死sǐ，葬zàng之zhī以yǐ禮lǐ，祭jì之zhī以yǐ禮lǐ，可kě謂wèi孝xiào矣yǐ。』諸zhū侯hóu之zhī禮lǐ，吾wú未wèi之zhī學xué也yě。雖suī然rán，吾wú嘗cháng聞wén之zhī矣yǐ：三sān年nián之zhī喪sāng，齋zhāi疏shū之zhī服fú，飦zhān粥zhōu之zhī食shí，自zì天tiān子zǐ達dá於wū庶shù人rén，三sān代dài共gòng之zhī。」然rán友yǒu反fǎn命mìng，定dìng為wéi三sān年nián之zhī喪sāng。父fù兄xiōng百bǎi官guān皆jiē不bú欲yù也yě，故gù曰yuē：「吾wú宗zōng國guó魯lǔ先xiān君jūn莫mò之zhī行xíng，吾wú先xiān君jūn亦yì莫mò之zhī行xíng也yě；至zhì於wū子zǐ之zhī身shēn而ér反fǎn之zhī，不bù可kě。且qiě《志zhì》曰yuē：『喪sāng祭jì從cóng先xiān祖zǔ。』」曰yuē：「吾wú有yǒu所suǒ受shòu之zhī也yě。」謂wèi然rán友yǒu曰yuē：「吾wú他tā日rì未wèi嘗cháng學xué問wèn，好hǎo馳chí馬mǎ試shì劍jiàn。今jīn也yě父fù兄xiōng百bǎi官guān不bù我wǒ足zú也yě；恐kǒng其qí不bù能néng盡jìn於wū大dà事shì。子zǐ為wéi我wǒ問wèn孟mèng子zǐ。」然rán友yǒu復fù之zhī鄒zōu問wèn孟mèng子zǐ。孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「然rán，不bù可kě以yǐ他tā求qiú者zhě也yě。孔kǒng子zǐ曰yuē：『君jūn薨hōng，聽tīng於wū冢zhǒng宰zǎi，飦zhān粥zhōu，面miàn深shēn墨mò，即jí位wèi而ér哭kū。百bǎi官guān有yǒu司sī，莫mò敢gǎn不bù哀āi，先xiān之zhī也yě。上shàng有yǒu好hǎo者zhě，下xià必bì有yǒu甚shèn焉yān者zhě矣yǐ。君jūn子zǐ之zhī德dé，風fēng也yě；小xiǎo人rén之zhī德dé，草cǎo也yě。草cǎo上shàng之zhī風fēng必bì偃yǎn。』。是shì在zài世shì子zǐ。」然rán友yǒu反fǎn命mìng。世shì子zǐ曰yuē：「然rán，是shì誠chéng在zài我wǒ。」五wǔ月yuè居jū廬lú，未wèi有yǒu命mìng戒jiè。百bǎi官guān族zú人rén，可kě謂wèi曰yuē知zhī。及jí至zhì葬zàng，四sì方fāng來lái觀guān之zhī。顏yán色sè之zhī戚qī，哭kū泣qì之zhī哀āi，弔diào者zhě大dà悅yuè。

When the duke Ding of Teng died, the prince said to Ran You, 'Formerly, Mencius spoke with me in Song, and in my mind I have never forgotten his words. Now, alas! this great duty to my father devolves upon me; I wish to send you to ask the advice of Mencius, and then to proceed to its various services' Ran You accordingly proceeded to Zou, and consulted Mencius. Mencius said, 'Is this not good? In discharging the funeral duties to parents, men indeed feel constrained to do their utmost. The philosopher Zeng said, "When parents are alive, they should be served according to propriety; when they are dead, they should be buried according to propriety; and they should be sacrificed to according to propriety - this may be called filial piety." The ceremonies to be observed by the princes I have not learned, but I have heard these points: that the three years' mourning, the garment of coarse cloth with its lower edge even, and the eating of congee, were equally prescribed by the three dynasties, and binding on all, from the sovereign to the mass of the people.' Ran You reported the execution of his commission, and the prince determined that the three years' mourning should be observed. His aged relatives, and the body of the officers, did not wish that it should be so, and said, 'The former princes of Lu, that kingdom which we honour, have, none of them, observed this practice, neither have any of our own former princes observed it. For you to act contrary to their example is not proper. Moreover, the History says, "In the observances of mourning and sacrifice, ancestors are to be followed," meaning that they received those things from a proper source to hand them down.' The prince said again to Ran You, 'Hitherto, I have not given myself to the pursuit of learning, but have found my pleasure in horsemanship and sword-exercise, and now I don't come up to the wishes of my aged relatives and the officers. I am afraid I may not be able to discharge my duty in the great business that I have entered on; do you again consult Mencius for me.' On this, Ran You went again to Zou, and consulted Mencius. Mencius said, 'It is so, but he may not seek a remedy in others, but only in himself. Confucius said, "When a prince dies, his successor entrusts the administration to the prime minister. He sips the congee. His face is of a deep black. He approaches the place of mourning, and weeps. Of all the officers and inferior ministers there is not one who will presume not to join in the lamentation, he setting them this example. What the superior loves, his inferiors will be found to love exceedingly. The relation between superiors and inferiors is like that between the wind and grass. The grass must bend when the wind blows upon it." The business depends on the prince.' Ran You returned with this answer to his commission, and the prince said, 'It is so. The matter does indeed depend on me.' So for five months he dwelt in the shed, without issuing an order or a caution. All the officers and his relatives said, 'He may be said to understand the ceremonies.' When the time of interment arrived, they came from all quarters of the State to witness it. Those who had come from other States to condole with him, were greatly pleased with the deep dejection of his countenance and the mournfulness of his wailing and weeping.