Teng Wen Gong II · 孟子 3B.7

Passage 07

公gōng孫sūn丑chǒu問wèn曰yuē：「不bú見jiàn諸zhū侯hóu，何hé義yì？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「古gǔ者zhě不bù為wéi臣chén不bú見jiàn。段duàn干gān木mù逾yú垣yuán而ér辟pì之zhī，泄xiè柳liǔ閉bì門mén而ér不bú納nà。是shì皆jiē已yǐ甚shèn；迫pò，斯sī可kě以yǐ見jiàn矣yǐ。陽yáng貨huò欲yù見jiàn孔kǒng子zǐ，而ér惡è無wú禮lǐ。大dài夫fu有yǒu賜cì於wū士shì，不bù得dé受shòu於wū其qí家jiā，則zé往wǎng拜bài其qí門mén。陽yáng貨huò矙kàn孔kǒng子zǐ之zhī亡wáng也yě，而ér饋kuì孔kǒng子zǐ蒸zhēng豚tún，孔kǒng子zǐ亦yì矙kàn其qí亡wáng也yě而ér往wǎng拜bài之zhī。當dāng是shì時shí，陽yáng貨huò先xiān，豈qǐ得dé不bú見jiàn？曾céng子zǐ曰yuē：『脅xié肩jiān諂chǎn笑xiào，病bìng于yú夏xià畦qí。』子zǐ路lù曰yuē：『未wèi同tóng而ér言yán，觀guān其qí色sè，赧nǎn赧nǎn然rán，非fēi由yóu之zhī所suǒ知zhī也yě。』由yóu是shì觀guān之zhī，則zé君jūn子zǐ之zhī所suǒ養yǎng，可kě知zhī已yǐ矣yǐ。」

Gong Sun Chou asked Mencius, saying, 'What is the point of righteousness involved in your not going to see the princes?' Mencius replied, 'Among the ancients, if one had not seen a minister in a State, he did not go to see the sovereign. Duan Gan Mu leaped over his wall to avoid the prince. Xie Liu shut his door, and would not admit the prince. These two, however, carried their scrupulosity to excess. When a prince is urgent, it is not improper to see him. Yang Huo wished to get Confucius to go to see him, but disliked doing so by any want of propriety. As it is the rule, therefore, that when a great officer sends a gift to a scholar, if the latter be not at home to receive it, he must go to the officer's to pay his respects, Yang Huo watched when Confucius was out, and sent him a roasted pig. Confucius, in his turn, watched when Huo was out, and went to pay his respects to him. At that time, Yang Huo had taken the initiative - how could Confucius decline going to see him? Zengzi said, "They who shrug up their shoulders, and laugh in a flattering way, toil harder than the summer labourer in the fields." Zi Lu said, "There are those who talk with people with whom they have no great community of feeling. If you look at their countenances, they are full of blushes. I do not desire to know such persons." By considering these remarks, the spirit which the superior man nourishes may be known.'