Wan Zhang I · 孟子 5A.3

Passage 03

萬wàn章zhāng問wèn曰yuē：「象xiàng日rì以yǐ殺shā舜shùn為wéi事shì，立lì為wéi天tiān子zǐ，則zé放fàng之zhī，何hé也yě？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「封fēng之zhī也yě。或huò曰yuē放fàng焉yān。」萬wàn章zhāng曰yuē：「舜shùn流liú共gòng工gōng于yú幽yōu州zhōu，放fàng驩huān兜dōu于yú崇chóng山shān，殺shā三sān苗miáo于yú三sān危wēi，殛jí鯀gǔn于yú羽yǔ山shān，四sì罪zuì而ér天tiān下xià咸xián服fú。誅zhū不bù仁rén也yě。象xiàng至zhì不bù仁rén，封fēng之zhī有yǒu庳bì。有yǒu庳bì之zhī人rén奚xī罪zuì焉yān？仁rén人rén固gù如rú是shì乎hū？在zài他tā人rén則zé誅zhū之zhī，在zài弟dì則zé封fēng之zhī。」曰yuē：「仁rén人rén之zhī於wū弟dì也yě，不bù藏cáng怒nù焉yān，不bú宿sù怨yuàn焉yān，親qīn愛ài之zhī而ér已yǐ矣yǐ。親qīn之zhī，欲yù其qí貴guì也yě；愛ài之zhī，欲yù其qí富fù也yě。封fēng之zhī有yǒu庳bì，富fù貴guì之zhī也yě。身shēn為wéi天tiān子zǐ，弟dì為wéi匹pǐ夫fū，可kě謂wèi親qīn愛ài之zhī乎hū？」「敢gǎn問wèn『或huò曰yuē放fàng』者zhě何hé謂wèi也yě？」曰yuē：「象xiàng不bù得dé有yǒu為wéi於wū其qí國guó，天tiān子zǐ使shǐ吏lì治zhì其qí國guó，而ér納nà其qí貢gòng稅shuì焉yān，故gù謂wèi之zhī放fàng。豈qǐ得dé暴bào彼bǐ民mín哉zāi？雖suī然rán，欲yù常cháng常cháng而ér見jiàn之zhī，故gù源yuán源yuán而ér來lái。『不bù及jí貢gòng，以yǐ政zhèng接jiē于yú有yǒu庳bì』，此cǐ之zhī謂wèi也yě。」

Wan Zhang said, 'Xiang made it his daily business to slay Shun. When Shun was made sovereign, how was it that he only banished him?' Mencius said, 'He raised him to be a prince. Some supposed that it was banishing him?' Wan Zhang said, 'Shun banished the superintendent of works to You Zhou; he sent away Huan Dou to the mountain Chong; he slew the prince of San Miao in San Wei; and he imprisoned Gun on the mountain Yu. When the crimes of those four were thus punished, the whole kingdom acquiesced - it was a cutting off of men who were destitute of benevolence. But Xiang was of all men the most destitute of benevolence, and Shun raised him to be the prince of You Bei - of what crimes had the people of You Bei been guilty? Does a benevolent man really act thus? In the case of other men, he cut them off; in the case of his brother, he raised him to be a prince.' Mencius replied, 'A benevolent man does not lay up anger, nor cherish resentment against his brother, but only regards him with affection and love. Regarding him with affection, he wishes him to be honourable: regarding him with love, he wishes him to be rich. The appointment of Xiang to be the prince of You Bei was to enrich and ennoble him. If while Shun himself was sovereign, his brother had been a common man, could he have been said to regard him with affection and love?' Wan Zhang said, 'I venture to ask what you mean by saying that some supposed that it was a banishing of Xiang?' Mencius replied, 'Xiang could do nothing in his State. The Son of Heaven appointed an officer to administer its government, and to pay over its revenues to him. This treatment of him led to its being said that he was banished. How indeed could he be allowed the means of oppressing the people? Nevertheless, Shun wished to be continually seeing him, and by this arrangement, he came incessantly to court, as is signified in that expression: "He did not wait for the rendering of tribute, or affairs of government, to receive the prince of You Bei.