Wan Zhang II · 孟子 5B.6

Passage 06

萬wàn章zhāng曰yuē：「士shì之zhī不bù托tuō諸zhū侯hóu，何hé也yě？」孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「不bù敢gǎn也yě。諸zhū侯hóu失shī國guó而ér後hòu托tuō於wū諸zhū侯hóu，禮lǐ也yě。士shì之zhī托tuō於wū諸zhū侯hóu，非fēi禮lǐ也yě。」萬wàn章zhāng曰yuē：「君jūn饋kuì之zhī粟sù，則zé受shòu之zhī乎hū？」曰yuē：「受shòu之zhī。」「受shòu之zhī何hé義yì也yě？」曰yuē：「君jūn之zhī於wū氓máng也yě，固gù周zhōu之zhī。」曰yuē：「周zhōu之zhī則zé受shòu，賜cì之zhī則zé不bú受shòu，何hé也yě？」曰yuē：「不bù敢gǎn也yě。」曰yuē：「敢gǎn問wèn其qí不bù敢gǎn何hé也yě？」曰yuē：「抱bào關guān擊jī柝tuò者zhě，皆jiē有yǒu常cháng職zhí以yǐ食shí於wū上shàng。無wú常cháng職zhí而ér賜cì於wū上shàng者zhě，以yǐ為wéi不bù恭gōng也yě。」曰yuē：「君jūn饋kuì之zhī，則zé受shòu之zhī，不bù識shí可kě常cháng繼jì乎hū？」曰yuē：「繆móu公gōng之zhī於wū子zǐ思sī也yě，亟jí問wèn，亟jí饋kuì鼎dǐng肉ròu。子zǐ思sī不bú悅yuè，於wū卒zú也yě標biāo使shǐ者zhě出chū諸zhū大dà門mén之zhī外wài，北běi面miàn稽qǐ首shǒu再zài拜bài而ér不bú受shòu，曰yuē：『今jīn而ér後hòu知zhī君jūn之zhī犬quǎn馬mǎ畜chù汲jí！』蓋gài自zì是shì臺tái無wú饋kuì也yě。悅yuè賢xián不bù能néng舉jǔ，又yòu不bù能néng養yǎng也yě，可kě謂wèi悅yuè賢xián乎hū？」曰yuē：「敢gǎn問wèn國guó君jūn欲yù養yǎng君jūn子zǐ，如rú何hé斯sī可kě謂wèi養yǎng矣yǐ？」曰yuē：「以yǐ君jūn命mìng將jiāng之zhī，再zài拜bài稽qǐ首shǒu而ér受shòu；其qí後hòu廩lǐn人rén繼jì粟sù，庖páo人rén繼jì肉ròu，不bù以yǐ君jūn命mìng將jiāng之zhī。子zǐ思sī以yǐ為wéi鼎dǐng肉ròu使shǐ己jǐ僕pú僕pú爾ěr亟jí拜bài也yě，非fēi養yǎng君jūn子zǐ之zhī道dào也yě。堯yáo之zhī於wū舜shùn也yě，使shǐ其qí子zǐ九jiǔ男nán事shì之zhī，二èr女nǚ女nǚ焉yān，百bǎi官guān牛niú羊yáng倉cāng廩lǐn備bèi，以yǐ養yǎng舜shùn於wū畎quǎn畝mǔ之zhī中zhōng，後hòu舉jǔ而ér加jiā諸zhū上shàng位wèi。故gù曰yuē王wáng公gōng之zhī尊zūn賢xián者zhě也yě。」

Wan Zhang said, 'What is the reason that a scholar does not accept a stated support from a prince?' Mencius replied, 'He does not presume to do so. When a prince loses his State, and then accepts a stated support from another prince, this is in accordance with propriety. But for a scholar to accept such support from any of the princes is not in accordance with propriety.' Wan Zhang said, 'If the prince send him a present of grain, for instance, does he accept it?' 'He accepts it,' answered Mencius. 'On what principle of righteousness does he accept it?' 'Why, the prince ought to assist the people in their necessities.' Zhang pursued, 'Why is it that the scholar will thus accept the prince's help, but will not accept his pay?' The answer was, 'He does not presume to do so.' 'I venture to ask why he does not presume to do so.' 'Even the keepers of the gates, with their watchmen's sticks, have their regular offices for which they can take their support from the prince. He who without a regular office should receive the pay of the prince must be deemed disrespectful.' Zhang asked, 'If the prince sends a scholar a present, he accepts it; I do not know whether this present may be constantly repeated.' Mencius answered, 'There was the conduct of the duke Mu to Zi Si. He made frequent inquiries after Zi Si's health, and sent him frequent presents of cooked meat. Zi Si was displeased; and at length, having motioned to the messenger to go outside the great door, he bowed his head to the ground with his face to the north, did obeisance twice, and declined the gift, saying, "From this time forth I shall know that the prince supports me as a dog or a horse." And so from that time a servant was no more sent with the presents. When a prince professes to be pleased with a man of talents and virtue, and can neither promote him to office, nor support him in the proper way, can he be said to be pleased with him?' Zhang said, 'I venture to ask how the sovereign of a State, when he wishes to support a superior man, must proceed, that he may be said to do so in the proper way?' Mencius answered, 'At first, the present must be offered with the prince's commission, and the scholar, making obeisance twice with his head bowed to the ground, will receive it. But after this the storekeeper will continue to send grain, and the master of the kitchen to send meat, presenting it as if without the prince's express commission. Zi Si considered that the meat from the prince's caldron, giving him the annoyance of constantly doing obeisance, was not the way to support a superior man. There was Yao's conduct to Shun: He caused his nine sons to serve him, and gave him his two daughters in marriage; he caused the various officers, oxen and sheep, storehouses and granaries, all to be prepared to support Shun amid the channelled fields, and then he raised him to the most exalted situation. From this we have the expression, "The honouring of virtue and talents proper to a king or a duke."'