Teng Wen Gong II · 孟子 3B.9

Passage 09

公gōng都dōu子zǐ曰yuē：「外wài人rén皆jiē稱chēng夫fū子zǐ好hǎo辯biàn，敢gǎn問wèn何hé也yě？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「予yǔ豈qǐ好hǎo辯biàn哉zāi？予yǔ不bù得dé已yǐ也yě。天tiān下xià之zhī生shēng久jiǔ矣yǐ，一yí治zhì一yí亂luàn。當dāng堯yáo之zhī時shí，水shuǐ逆nì行xíng，泛fàn濫làn於wū中zhōng國guó。蛇shé龍lóng居jū之zhī，民mín無wú所suǒ定dìng。下xià者zhě為wéi巢cháo，上shàng者zhě為wéi營yíng窟kū。《書shū》曰yuē：『洚jiàng水shuǐ警jǐng餘yú。』洚jiàng水shuǐ者zhě，洪hóng水shuǐ也yě。使shǐ禹yǔ治zhì之zhī。禹yǔ掘jué地dì而ér注zhù之zhī海hǎi，驅qū蛇shé龍lóng而ér放fàng之zhī菹zū，水shuǐ由yóu地dì中zhōng行háng，江jiāng、淮huái、河hé、漢hàn是shì也yě。險xiǎn阻zǔ既jì遠yuǎn，鳥niǎo獸shòu之zhī害hài人rén者zhě消xiāo，然rán後hòu人rén得dé平píng土tǔ而ér居jū之zhī。」「堯yáo、舜shùn既jì沒méi，聖shèng人rén之zhī道dào衰shuāi。暴bào君jūn代dài作zuò，壤rǎng宮gōng室shì以yǐ為wéi污wū池chí，民mín無wú所suǒ安ān息xī；棄qì田tián以yǐ為wéi園yuán囿yòu，使shǐ民mín不bù得dé衣yī食shí。邪xié說shuō暴bào行xíng又yòu作zuò。園yuán囿yòu污wū地dì沛pèi澤zé多duō，而ér禽qín獸shòu至zhì。及jí紂zhòu之zhī身shēn，天tiān下xià又yòu大dà亂luàn。周zhōu公gōng相xiāng武wǔ王wáng，誅zhū紂zhòu、伐fá奄yǎn，三sān年nián討tǎo其qí君jūn；驅qū飛fēi廉lián於wū海hǎi隅yú而ér戮lù之zhī；滅miè國guó者zhě五wǔ十shí；驅qū虎hǔ豹bào犀xī象xiàng而ér遠yuǎn之zhī。天tiān下xià大dà悅yuè。《書shū》曰yuē：『丕pī顯xiǎn哉zāi文wén王wáng謨mó！丕pī承chéng哉zāi武wǔ王wáng烈liè！佑yòu啟qǐ我wǒ後hòu人rén，咸xián以yǐ正zhèng無wú缺quē。』」「世shì衰shuāi道dào微wēi，邪xié說shuō暴bào行xíng有yǒu作zuò。臣chén弒shì其qí君jūn者zhě有yǒu之zhī，子zǐ弒shì其qí父fù者zhě有yǒu之zhī。孔kǒng子zǐ懼jù，作zuò《春chūn秋qiū》。《春chūn秋qiū》，天tiān子zǐ之zhī事shì也yě。是shì故gù孔kǒng子zǐ曰yuē：『知zhī我wǒ者zhě，其qí惟wéi《春chūn秋qiū》乎hū！罪zuì我wǒ者zhě，其qí惟wéi《春chūn秋qiū》乎hū！』」「聖shèng王wáng不bú作zuò，諸zhū侯hóu放fàng恣zì，處chǔ士shì橫héng議yì。楊yáng朱zhū、墨mò翟zhái之zhī言yán盈yíng天tiān下xià。天tiān下xià之zhī言yán，不bù歸guī楊yáng則zé歸guī墨mò。楊yáng氏shì為wéi我wǒ，是shì無wú君jūn也yě。墨mò氏shì兼jiān愛ài，是shì無wú父fù也yě。無wú父fù無wú君jūn，是shì禽qín獸shòu也yě。公gōng明míng儀yí曰yuē：『庖páo有yǒu肥féi肉ròu，廄jiù有yǒu肥féi馬mǎ，民mín有yǒu饑jī色sè，野yě有yǒu餓è莩piǎo，此cǐ率lǜ獸shòu而ér食shí人rén也yě。』楊yáng墨mò之zhī道dào不bù息xī，孔kǒng子zǐ之zhī道dào不bú著zhù，是shì邪xié說shuō誣wū民mín、充chōng塞sè仁rén義yì也yě。仁rén義yì充chōng塞sè，則zé率lǜ獸shòu食shí人rén，人rén將jiāng相xiāng食shí。吾wú為wéi此cǐ懼jù，閑xián先xiān聖shèng之zhī道dào，距jù楊yáng墨mò、放fàng淫yín辭cí，邪xié說shuō者zhě不bù得dé作zuò。作zuò於wū其qí心xīn，害hài於wū其qí事shì；作zuò於wū其qí事shì，害hài於wū其qí政zhèng。聖shèng人rén復fù起qǐ，不bú易yì吾wú言yán矣yǐ。」「昔xī者zhě禹yǔ抑yì洪hóng水shuǐ而ér天tiān下xià平píng，周zhōu公gōng兼jiān夷yí狄dí、驅qū猛měng獸shòu而ér百bǎi姓xìng寧níng，孔kǒng子zǐ成chéng《春chūn秋qiū》而ér亂luàn臣chén賊zéi子zǐ懼jù。《詩shī》云yún：『戎róng狄dí是shì膺yīng，荊jīng舒shū是shì懲chéng；則zé莫mò我wǒ敢gǎn承chéng。』無wú父fù無wú君jūn，是shì周zhōu公gōng所suǒ膺yīng也yě。我wǒ亦yì欲yù正zhèng人rén心xīn、息xī邪xié說shuō、距jù詖bì行xíng、放fàng淫yín辭cí，以yǐ承chéng三sān聖shèng者zhě。豈qǐ好hǎo辯biàn哉zāi？予yǔ不bù得dé已yǐ也yě。能néng言yán距jù楊yáng墨mò者zhě，聖shèng人rén之zhī徒tú也yě。」

The disciple Gong Du said to Mencius, 'Master, the people beyond our school all speak of you as being fond of disputing. I venture to ask whether it be so.' Mencius replied, 'Indeed, I am not fond of disputing, but I am compelled to do it. A long time has elapsed since this world of men received its being, and there has been along its history now a period of good order, and now a period of confusion. In the time of Yao, the waters, flowing out of their channels, inundated the Middle Kingdom. Snakes and dragons occupied it, and the people had no place where they could settle themselves. In the low grounds they made nests for themselves on the trees or raised platforms, and in the high grounds they made caves. It is said in the Book of History, "The waters in their wild course warned me." Those "waters in their wild course" were the waters of the great inundation. Shun employed Yu to reduce the waters to order. Yu dug open their obstructed channels, and conducted them to the sea. He drove away the snakes and dragons, and forced them into the grassy marshes. On this, the waters pursued their course through the country, even the waters of the Jiang, the Huai, the He, and the Han, and the dangers and obstructions which they had occasioned were removed. The birds and beasts which had injured the people also disappeared, and after this men found the plains available for them, and occupied them. 'After the death of Yao and Shun, the principles that mark sages fell into decay. Oppressive sovereigns arose one after another, who pulled down houses to make ponds and lakes, so that the people knew not where they could rest in quiet; they threw fields out of cultivation to form gardens and parks, so that the people could not get clothes and food. Afterwards, corrupt speakings and oppressive deeds became more rife; gardens and parks, ponds and lakes, thickets and marshes became more numerous, and birds and beasts swarmed. By the time of the tyrant Zhou, the kingdom was again in a state of great confusion. Zhou Gong assisted king Wu, and destroyed Zhou. He smote Yan, and after three years put its sovereign to death. He drove Fei Lian to a corner by the sea, and slew him. The States which he extinguished amounted to fifty. He drove far away also the tigers, leopards, rhinoceroses, and elephants - and all the people was greatly delighted. It is said in the Book of History, "Great and splendid were the plans of king Wen! Greatly were they carried out by the energy of king Wu! They are for the assistance and instruction of us who are of an after day. They are all in principle correct, and deficient in nothing." 'Again the world fell into decay, and principles faded away. Perverse speakings and oppressive deeds waxed rife again. There were instances of ministers who murdered their sovereigns, and of sons who murdered their fathers. Confucius was afraid, and made the "Spring and Autumn." What the "Spring and Autumn" contains are matters proper to the sovereign. On this account Confucius said, "Yes! It is the Spring and Autumn which will make men know me, and it is the Spring and Autumn which will make men condemn me." 'Once more, sage sovereigns cease to arise, and the princes of the States give the reins to their lusts. Unemployed scholars indulge in unreasonable discussions. The words of Yang Zhu and Mo Di fill the country. If you listen to people's discourses throughout it, you will find that they have adopted the views either of Yang or of Mo. Now, Yang's principle is "each one for himself," which does not acknowledge the claims of the sovereign. Mo's principle is "to love all equally," which does not acknowledge the peculiar affection due to a father. But to acknowledge neither king nor father is to be in the state of a beast. Gong Meng Yi said, "In their kitchens, there is fat meat. In their stables, there are fat horses. But their people have the look of hunger, and on the wilds there are those who have died of famine. This is leading on beasts to devour men." If the principles of Yang and Mo be not stopped, and the principles of Confucius not set forth, then those perverse speakings will delude the people, and stop up the path of benevolence and righteousness. When benevolence and righteousness are stopped up, beasts will be led on to devour men, and men will devour one another. I am alarmed by these things, and address myself to the defence of the doctrines of the former sages, and to oppose Yang and Mo. I drive away their licentious expressions, so that such perverse speakers may not be able to show themselves. Their delusions spring up in men's minds, and do injury to their practice of affairs. Shown in their practice of affairs, they are pernicious to their government. When sages shall rise up again, they will not change my words. 'In former times, Yu repressed the vast waters of the inundation, and the country was reduced to order. Zhou Gong's achievements extended even to the barbarous tribes of the east and north, and he drove away all ferocious animals, and the people enjoyed repose. Confucius completed the "Spring and Autumn," and rebellious ministers and villainous sons were struck with terror. It is said in the Book of Poetry, "He smote the barbarians of the west and the north; He punished Jing and Shu; And no one dared to resist us." These father-deniers and king-deniers would have been smitten by Zhou Gong. I also wish to rectify men's hearts, and to put an end to those perverse doctrines, to oppose their one-sided actions and banish away their licentious expressions - and thus to carry on the work of the three sages. Do I do so because I am fond of disputing? I am compelled to do it. Whoever is able to oppose Yang and Mo is a disciple of the sages.'