Teng Wen Gong II · 孟子 3B.10

Passage 10

匡kuāng章zhāng曰yuē：「陳chén仲zhòng子zǐ豈qǐ不bù誠chéng廉lián士shì哉zāi？居jū於wū於wū陵líng，三sān日rì不bù食shí，耳ěr無wú聞wén，目mù無wú見jiàn也yě。井jǐng上shàng有yǒu李lǐ，螬cáo食shí實shí者zhě過guò半bàn矣yǐ，匍pú匐fú往wǎng將jiāng食shí之zhī，三sān咽yàn，然rán後hòu耳ěr有yǒu聞wén、目mù有yǒu見jiàn。」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「於wū齊qí國guó之zhī士shì，吾wú必bì以yǐ仲zhòng子zǐ為wéi巨jù擘bò焉yān。雖suī然rán，仲zhòng子zǐ惡è能néng廉lián？充chōng仲zhòng子zǐ之zhī操cāo，則zé蚓yǐn而ér後hòu可kě者zhě也yě。夫fū蚓yǐn上shàng食shí槁gǎo壤rǎng，下xià飲yǐn黃huáng泉quán。仲zhòng子zǐ所suǒ居jū之zhī室shì，伯bó夷yí之zhī所suǒ筑zhù與yǔ？抑yì亦yì盜dào跖zhí之zhī所suǒ筑zhù與yǔ？所suǒ食shí之zhī粟sù，伯bó夷yí之zhī所suǒ樹shù與yǔ？抑yì亦yì盜dào跖zhí之zhī所suǒ樹shù與yǔ？是shì未wèi可kě知zhī也yě。」曰yuē：「是shì何hé傷shāng哉zāi？彼bǐ身shēn織zhī屨jù、妻qī辟pì纑lú，以yǐ易yì之zhī也yě。」曰yuē：「仲zhòng子zǐ，齊qí之zhī世shì家jiā也yě。兄xiōng戴dài，蓋gài祿lù萬wàn鍾zhōng。以yǐ兄xiōng之zhī祿lù為wéi不bú義yì之zhī祿lù而ér不bù食shí也yě，以yǐ兄xiōng之zhī室shì為wéi不bú義yì之zhī室shì而ér不bù居jū也yě，避bì兄xiōng、離lí母mǔ，處chǔ於wū於wū陵líng。他tā日rì歸guī，則zé有yǒu饋kuì其qí兄xiōng生shēng鵝é者zhě，己jǐ頻bīn戚qī曰yuē：『惡è用yòng是shì鶃yì鶃yì者zhě為wéi哉zāi？』他tā日rì其qí母mǔ殺shā是shì鵝é也yě，與yǔ之zhī食shí之zhī。其qí兄xiōng自zì外wài至zhì，曰yuē：『是shì鶃yì鶃yì之zhī肉ròu也yě。』出chū而ér哇wā之zhī。以yǐ母mǔ則zé不bù食shí，以yǐ妻qī則zé食shí之zhī；以yǐ兄xiōng之zhī室shì則zé弗fú居jū，以yǐ於wū陵líng則zé居jū之zhī。是shì尚shàng為wéi能néng充chōng其qí類lèi也yě乎hū？若ruò仲zhòng子zǐ者zhě，蚓yǐn而ér後hòu充chōng其qí操cāo者zhě也yě。」

Kuang Zhang said to Mencius, 'Is not Chen Zhong a man of true self-denying purity? He was living in Wu Ling, and for three days was without food, till he could neither hear nor see. Over a well there grew a plum-tree, the fruit of which had been more than half eaten by worms. He crawled to it, and tried to eat some of the fruit, when, after swallowing three mouthfuls, he recovered his sight and hearing.' Mencius replied, 'Among the scholars of Qi, I must regard Zhong as the thumb among the fingers. But still, where is the self-denying purity he pretends to? To carry out the principles which he holds, one must become an earthworm, for so only can it be done. Now, an earthworm eats the dry mould above, and drinks the yellow spring below. Was the house in which Zhong dwells built by a Bo Yi? or was it built by a robber like Zhi? Was the millet which he eats planted by a Bo Yi? or was it planted by a robber like Zhi? These are things which cannot be known.' 'But,' said Zhang, 'what does that matter? He himself weaves sandals of hemp, and his wife twists and dresses threads of hemp to sell or exchange them.' Mencius rejoined, 'Zhong belongs to an ancient and noble family of Qi. His elder brother Dai received from Gai a revenue of 10,000 zhong, but he considered his brother's emolument to be unrighteous, and would not eat of it, and in the same way he considered his brother's house to be unrighteous, and would not dwell in it. Avoiding his brother and leaving his mother, he went and dwelt in Wu Ling. One day afterwards, he returned to their house, when it happened that some one sent his brother a present of a live goose. He, knitting his eyebrows, said, "What are you going to use that cackling thing for?" By-and-by his mother killed the goose, and gave him some of it to eat. Just then his brother came into the house, and said, "It is the flesh of that cackling thing," upon which he went out and vomited it. Thus, what his mother gave him he would not eat, but what his wife gives him he eats. He will not dwell in his brother's house, but he dwells in Wu Ling. How can he in such circumstances complete the style of life which he professes? With such principles as Zhong holds, a man must be an earthworm, and then he can carry them out.'