Original translation of three chapters of Mencius

Mencius's three chapters include "Born in sorrow and dying in happiness", "If you get the way, there will be many helpers, if you don't get the way, there will be few help", and "Fish is what I want". Next, I will share the original translation of three chapters of Mencius.

"Born in sorrow and died in happiness"

Original text:

Shun was born in the countryside, Fu Shuo moved among the building blocks, and Jiao Ge He was raised among the fish and salt, Guan Yiwu was raised by the scholars, Sun Shuao was raised by the sea, and Baili Xi was raised by the city.

Therefore, when Heaven is about to entrust a person with a great responsibility, he must first strain his mind and will, strain his muscles and bones, starve his body and skin, deplete his body, and mess up his actions. Therefore, tempting his heart and forbearance has benefited him. Can't.

If you enter, you will be unable to control the people at home, if you leave, you will be invincible to foreign patients, and the country will be permanently destroyed.

Then I know that I was born in sorrow and died in happiness.

Translation:

Shun was appointed from the fields, Fu Yue was appointed from the work of building walls, Jiao Ke was appointed from the fish and salt business, and Guan Yiwu was appointed from the job. Sun Shuao was rescued from the hands of prison officials and appointed. Sun Shuao was appointed from a seclusion on the seaside. Baili Xi was redeemed from the slave market and appointed.

Therefore, when God wants to place a heavy responsibility on this person, he must first make his mind distressed, make his bones and muscles tired, make him suffer from hunger, make him suffer from poverty, and make him do what he has done. Things are turned upside down and confused to shock his heart, toughen his temper, and increase his abilities that he does not have before.

A person often makes mistakes so that he can correct them later; he is confused and blocked in his heart, and only then can he know how to make a difference; others' anger is expressed in their faces, and their resentment is expressed in their words, and only then can they Be known. (If) a country does not have ministers who adhere to the law and wise men who can assist the king at home, and there are no countries with comparable strength and ability to compete abroad, and there are disasters from abroad, such a country will often perish.

Only then will we understand that worrying about disasters can make people (or countries) survive and develop, while ease and enjoyment can make people (or countries) perish. "The right path will help you many, but the wrong path will help you few"

Original text:

The weather is not as good as the right place, and the right place is not as good as the people. A city of three miles and a country of seven miles can be surrounded and attacked without victory. If you attack the husband's ring, you will definitely get the right time. However, if you don't win, the good time will not be as good as the earth.

The city is not too high, the pond is not not deep, the army and revolution are not not strong, and the rice and millet are not not abundant, but if we leave them behind, the favorable terrain is not as good as the people.

Therefore, it is said that the people of the region do not rely on the boundaries of the territory, the country is not consolidated by the dangers of mountains and rivers, and the people of the world do not rely on the benefits of military revolution. Those who have attained the truth will receive much help, while those who have lost the truth will receive little help. When there is little help, relatives are nearby. If you help more, the world will follow. If the people of the world are in compliance, attack those who are close to your relatives. Therefore, if a gentleman does not fight, he will definitely win in battle.

Translation:

The weather and season that are conducive to combat are not as good as the geographical situation that is conducive to combat, and the geographical situation that is conducive to combat is not as good as the will of the people during combat. , internal unity.

The inner city with a radius of three li and the outer city with a radius of seven li were surrounded and attacked, but they could not win. To attack a city by encircling it, you must get the weather and season that are conducive to combat, but you can't win because the weather and season that are conducive to combat are not as good as the geographical situation that is conducive to combat. The city wall is not too high, the moat is not too deep, the weapons and equipment are not poor, and the food supply is not insufficient. However, (the defenders still) abandoned the city and fled. This is because the geographical situation of the battle (no matter how good it is) ) is also less than what the people want and internal unity.

So it is said: To make people settle down (rather than move to other places), we cannot rely on territorial boundaries, to consolidate national defense cannot rely on the dangers of mountains and rivers, and to frighten the world cannot rely on the sharpness of weapons. A monarch who implements benevolent government will have more people who will help and support him. A monarch who does not implement benevolent government will have fewer people who will support and help him. If the number of people who support and help him reaches the extreme, even his brothers and sisters will betray him; if the number of people who support and help him reaches the extreme, everyone in the world will submit to him. On the condition that everyone in the world submits to him, he attacks the helpless king who even betrays his brothers and sisters. Therefore, if a monarch who can implement benevolent government does not fight, he will definitely win in battle. "Fish is what I want"

Original text:

Fish is what I want, fish is what I want, bear's paw is also what I want, you can't have both. He who gives up the fish and takes the bear's paw. Life is what I want, and righteousness is what I want. You cannot have both, and you must sacrifice life for righteousness. Life is what I want, and what I want is more than life, so I don't want to get it. Death is also what I hate, and what I hate is even worse than the dead, so I cannot avoid suffering from it. If there is nothing more that people want than life, then why not use anything that can lead to life. There is nothing more evil that can be done to a person than the dead, so why not do anything that can avoid the patient! Because of this, there is no need to use it; because of this, you can avoid trouble but there is no need to do it. Therefore, what one desires is more than the living, and what one hates is more than the dead. Not only sages have this mind, but everyone has it. A sage will not lose his ears.

A basket of food and a bean soup, if you get it, you will live, if you don't get it, you will die. If you give him a call, you will not be tolerated by those who practice the Tao; if you give him a call, you will be looked down upon by beggars.

If ten thousand bells are accepted without discerning etiquette and justice, how can ten thousand bells be of any use to me? For the beauty of the palace, the support of wives and concubines, and the needy people I know, should I be my wife? I didn't accept it because of my body death, but now I do it because of the beauty of the palace; I didn't accept it because of my body death, but now I do it because of my wives and concubines; I didn't accept it because of my body death, but now I do it because the poor people I know get me. ：Is it okay? This is called losing one's original intention.

Translation:

Fish is what I want, and bear paws are also what I want. If these two things cannot be obtained at the same time, then I would rather give up the fish and choose the bear. Palm. Life is what I want, and justice is also what I want. If I cannot get these two things at the same time, then I would rather sacrifice my life and choose justice. Life is what I want, but there is something more than life that I want, so I won’t do anything to live by. Death is what I hate, but there is something more than death that I hate, so There are certain disasters that I will not avoid. If there is nothing more important than life that people want, then all the methods that can be used to preserve life are not available. If there is nothing that people hate more than death, then any method that can be used to avoid disaster Which bad thing is not allowed to be done? You can survive by adopting certain methods, but some people are unwilling to adopt them; you can avoid disasters by adopting certain methods, but some people are unwilling to adopt them. It can be seen that there are things more precious than life that they love (that is, "righteousness"); and there are things that are more serious than death that they hate (that is, "unrighteousness"). Not only sages have this kind of thinking, but everyone has it, it's just that sages don't throw it away.

A bowl of rice and a bowl of soup. If you eat it, you can live. If you don't eat it, you will starve to death. But even if you scold and give food to others, the hungry people passing by will not accept it; if you kick it with your feet and give it to others, beggars will not accept it either. (But some people) accept the generous salary without discerning whether it is in line with etiquette and justice. In this way, what good does a generous salary do to me? Is it for the splendor of my residence, the service of my wife and concubines, and the gratitude of the poor people I know well? In the past (someone) (someone) would rather die for (morality) than accept (other people's charity) , now (someone) accepts it for the beauty of the house; in the past (someone) would rather die than accept (other people's charity) for the sake of (morality), but now (someone) accepts it in order to get the service of his wife and concubines; In the past, (someone) would rather die than accept (other people's charity) for the sake of (morality), but now (someone) accepts it in order to make the poor and needy people they know appreciate their kindness. Can't this (behavior) stop? This is called losing human nature (referring to shame and shame).