Teng Wen Gong II · 孟子 3B.2

Passage 02

景jǐng春chūn曰yuē：「公gōng孫sūn衍yǎn、張zhāng儀yí豈qǐ不bù誠chéng大dà丈zhàng夫fu哉zāi？一yí怒nù而ér諸zhū侯hóu懼jù，安ān居jū而ér天tiān下xià熄xī。」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「是shì焉yān得dé為wéi大dà丈zhàng夫fu乎hū？子zǐ未wèi學xué禮lǐ乎hū？丈zhàng夫fu之zhī冠guān也yě，父fù命mìng之zhī；女nǚ子zǐ之zhī嫁jià也yě，母mǔ命mìng之zhī，往wǎng送sòng之zhī門mén，戒jiè之zhī曰yuē：『往wǎng之zhī女nǚ家jiā，必bì敬jìng必bì戒jiè，無wú違wéi夫fū子zǐ。』以yǐ順shùn為wéi正zhèng者zhě，妾qiè婦fù之zhī道dào也yě。居jū天tiān下xià之zhī廣guǎng居jū，立lì天tiān下xià之zhī正zhèng位wèi，行xíng天tiān下xià之zhī大dà道dào；得dé志zhì與yǔ民mín由yóu之zhī，不bù得dé志zhì，獨dú行xíng其qí道dào；富fù貴guì不bù能néng淫yín，貧pín賤jiàn不bù能néng移yí，威wēi武wǔ不bù能néng屈qū──此cǐ之zhī謂wèi大dà丈zhàng夫fu。」

Jing Chun said to Mencius, 'Are not Gong Sun Yan and Zhang Yi really great men? Let them once be angry, and all the princes are afraid. Let them live quietly, and the flames of trouble are extinguished throughout the kingdom.' Mencius said, 'How can such men be great men? Have you not read the Ritual Usages? "At the capping of a young man, his father admonishes him. At the marrying away of a young woman, her mother admonishes her, accompanying her to the door on her leaving, and cautioning her with these words, 'You are going to your home. You must be respectful; you must be careful. Do not disobey your husband.'" Thus, to look upon compliance as their correct course is the rule for women. To dwell in the wide house of the world, to stand in the correct seat of the world, and to walk in the great path of the world; when he obtains his desire for office, to practise his principles for the good of the people; and when that desire is disappointed, to practise them alone; to be above the power of riches and honours to make dissipated, of poverty and mean condition to make swerve from principle, and of power and force to make bend - these characteristics constitute the great man.'