Wan Zhang II · 孟子 5B.8

Passage 08

孟mèng子zǐ謂wèi萬wàn章zhāng曰yuē：「一yì鄉xiāng之zhī善shàn士shì，斯sī友yǒu一yì鄉xiāng之zhī善shàn士shì；一yì國guó之zhī善shàn士shì，斯sī友yǒu一yì國guó之zhī善shàn士shì；天tiān下xià之zhī善shàn士shì，斯sī友yǒu天tiān下xià之zhī善shàn士shì。以yǐ友yǒu天tiān下xià之zhī善shàn士shì為wéi未wèi足zú，又yòu尚shàng論lùn古gǔ之zhī人rén。頌sòng其qí詩shī，讀dú其qí書shū，不bù知zhī其qí人rén，可kě乎hū？是shì以yǐ論lùn其qí世shì也yě。是shì尚shàng友yǒu也yě。」

Mencius said to Wan Zhang, 'The scholar whose virtue is most distinguished in a village shall make friends of all the virtuous scholars in the village. The scholar whose virtue is most distinguished throughout a State shall make friends of all the virtuous scholars of that State. The scholar whose virtue is most distinguished throughout the kingdom shall make friends of all the virtuous scholars of the kingdom. When a scholar feels that his friendship with all the virtuous scholars of the kingdom is not sufficient to satisfy him, he proceeds to ascend to consider the men of antiquity. He repeats their poems, and reads their books, and as he does not know what they were as men, to ascertain this, he considers their history. This is to ascend and make friends of the men of antiquity.'