"Mencius. Translation of Gongsun Chou's Exit

Translation:

Mencius said: "The weather that is conducive to combat is 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 people's hearts in combat." direction, internal unity. For example, if an inner city with a radius of three miles has only an outer city with a radius of seven miles, it can't be won if it is surrounded on all sides.

The method used to attack the city must be beneficial. The weather is favorable for fighting, but the reason why we cannot win is that the weather and weather favorable for fighting are not as good as the geographical situation that is favorable for fighting! The city wall is not too high, the moat is not not deep, the weapons and equipment are not strong and sharp, and the food supply is not not. Not enough. The reason why the defenders abandoned the city and fled was that the geographical situation that was conducive to the battle was not as good as the people's will and internal unity during the battle.

So it was said that the people settled down and did not move. When going to other places, you cannot rely on demarcated border boundaries. You cannot rely on the dangers of mountains and rivers. You cannot rely on the power of force. A monarch who can implement "benevolent government" will not be able to support him. A monarch with benevolent government will have fewer people to help and support him.

If the number of people who help and support him reaches the extreme, his relatives at home and abroad will betray him. If the number of people who help and support him reaches the extreme, everyone in the world will submit. He relied on the condition that everyone in the world would submit to him, so he attacked the helpless king who even betrayed his relatives at home and abroad. Therefore, if a gentleman does not fight, he will definitely win."

Mencius is ready to go to court. King Qi, it happened that King Qi sent someone to convey: "I should have come to see you, but I have a cold and can't catch the wind. I will go to the court tomorrow morning to handle government affairs. I wonder if you can come to the court and let me see you." ?" Mencius replied: "Unfortunately, I am also ill and cannot go to the court." The next day, Mencius was going to mourn at Dr. Dongguo's house. Gongsun Chou said: "Yesterday you excused your illness and declined the invitation of the King of Qi, but today you went to Dr. Dongguo's house to mourn. This may not be good, right?" Mencius said: "You were sick yesterday and you feel better today. Why can't you go to mourn?" ?”

The King of Qi sent people to inquire about Mencius’ illness and brought a doctor. Meng Zhongzi responded and said: "Yesterday when the king's order came, he was ill and could not go to the court. Today he has recovered a little and has gone to the court, but I don't know whether he can arrive." Meng Zhongzi immediately sent another Someone stopped Mencius on the road and told him: "Please do not go home under any circumstances, but go to the court as soon as possible!"

Mencius had no choice but to stay at Jing Chou's house. Jing Chou said: "In the family, there are father and son, and outside the family, there are monarchs and ministers. This is the most important ethical relationship between people. Kindness is the main thing between father and son, and respect is the main thing between kings and ministers. I only see Qi Qi. The king respects you, but I don't see you respecting the king of Qi." Mencius said: "Hey! What is this! No one in Qi talks about benevolence and righteousness. Isn't it good? No. What they were thinking was: 'How can such a king deserve to talk about benevolence and righteousness with him? This is their greatest disrespect for Qi Wang. The king stated. Therefore, no one in Qi is more respectful to the king than me." Jing Chou said: "No, I am not talking about this. The book of rites says that if the father calls, you will not wait. In response to "promise", you get up with the word "only"; when the king calls, you get up before the carriage and horses are ready. But you, who was originally prepared to meet the king of Qi, but you didn't go when you heard the summons of the king of Qi. It seems that It’s not quite consistent with what the Book of Rites says.”

Mencius said: “So that’s what you are talking about! Zengzi said: ‘No one can match the wealth of Jin and Chu. , He has his wealth, I have my benevolence; he has his title, and I have my righteousness. What should I be inferior to him? "Isn't it reasonable for Zengzi to say these things?

There are three most noble things in the world: one is title, the other is age, and the same is virtue. The most noble thing in the court is the title; the most noble thing in the countryside is age; as for assisting the king in governing the people, The most noble thing is virtue. How can he neglect my age and virtue just because of his title?

So, a great monarch must have ministers that he cannot call. If he needs to make suggestions for something, he can do it. Visit them in person. This is called respecting virtue and loving benevolence. Without this, you will not be able to achieve much.

Therefore, Shang Tang first learned from Yi Yin and then made him his minister. , so he unified the world without much effort; Duke Huan also learned from Guan Zhong first, and then made him his minister, so he dominated the princes without much effort.

Now, all the countries in the world. The lands are all about the same, and the virtues of the monarchs are all the same. No one can be superior to each other. There is no other reason than that the kings only like to use people who listen to their words as their ministers, and do not like to use people who can teach them as their ministers. People are ministers. Shang Tang did not dare to summon Guan Zhong, as did Shang Tang and Guan Zhong.

Mencius said: 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, if you attack it by surrounding it, you will not be victorious; if you attack it by surrounding it, you will definitely have the right time; however, the one who will not win is because the good time is not as good as the right place.

The city is not too high, the pond is not not deep, the military revolution is not not strong and powerful, and the rice and millet are not not abundant. If we leave it by force, the favorable terrain is not as good as the harmony of people.

Therefore it is said: The people of the region do not rely on the boundaries of the border, the country is consolidated without 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 will be there; when there is much help, the world will follow. Use the favor of the world to attack the homes of relatives. Therefore, if a gentleman does not fight, he will win if he fights.

Mencius will go to the king. The king sent people to come and said, "I am just like what I saw - I have a cold disease, so I can't let the wind blow; the general of the court is looking at the court, but I don't know, how can I see it?" He said to him: "Unfortunately, I have a disease, so I can't make a court. "

Tomorrow, the hanging will be held at Dongguo's house. Gongsun Chou said: "In the past, I was sick, and today I am hanging up. Is it inappropriate?" He said: "In the past, I was sick, and today I am better. Why not hang up?" The king sent people to ask about the illness, and the doctor came. Meng Zhongzi said to him: "In the past, we had the king's order and the worry of collecting firewood, so we could not build a dynasty. Now that I have recovered from my illness, I am ready to build a dynasty. I don't know if I can do it?" He asked several people to stop on the road and said: " Please be sure to return to the imperial court."

As a last resort, Jingchou's family stayed in Yan. Jingzi said: "Internally, there are father and son, and externally, there are monarchs and ministers, which is the great ethics of human beings. Father and son are responsible for kindness, and monarch and ministers are responsible for respect. If you see the king's ugliness, you should respect his son, but if you don't see it, you should respect the king." He said: "Evil, what can I say? ! How can the people of Qi think that benevolence and righteousness are not beautiful? "How can I speak of benevolence and righteousness?" This is because I am not in the way of Yao and Shun. Present it before the king. Therefore, the people of Qi can't respect the king as much as I do." Jingzi said: "No, that's not the case. Jia. "I will go to court and hear the king's order but it will not work. If it is not the same as my husband's etiquette," he said, "How can it be said?" Zengzi said: "The wealth of Jin and Chu is unreachable; he is so rich." , I use my benevolence; he treats him with dignity, and I use my righteousness; why should I be unrighteous? Zeng Zi said, this is the same as the three in the world: There is nothing better than virtue in the imperial court, nothing more than teeth in the country, and there is nothing better than virtue in serving the people. Therefore, if you are going to be a great leader, you must not call him. If you want to have a plan, then follow it. It is not as good as this, and it is not enough to do anything. Therefore, it is recommended to follow Yin, so you can become a king without working.

< p> Duke Huan learned from Guan Zhong, so he became domineering without working. Today, the people in the land are ugly and virtuous, and no one can respect him. Without him, he is good at what his ministers taught him, but not what he was taught by his ministers. Yi Yin, Duke Huan did not dare to call Guan Zhong, but Guan Zhong could not be summoned, so why not call him? ”

This article comes from the extended material of "Mencius Gongsun Chou" by Mencius during the Warring States Period!

Writing background:

"Mencius Gongsun Chou's Execution" is an article in the work "Mencius" and was written during the Warring States Period. "Mencius" was listed as one of the "Four Books" by Zhu Xi of the Southern Song Dynasty (the other three are "The Great Learning", "The Doctrine of the Mean" and "The Analects of Confucius"). In the middle of the Warring States Period, Mencius and his disciples Wan Zhang and Gongsun Chou were waiting. It was first seen in Zhao Qi's "Mencius' Inscription": "This book was written by Mencius, so it is always called "Mencius"."

"Hanshu Yiwenzhi" records eleven chapters of "Mencius", of which seven chapters exist in fourteen volumes. The total number of words is more than 35,000 words and 286 chapters. According to legend, there were four other chapters of "Mencius's Wai Shu" that have been lost (the current "Mencius' Wai Shu" was forged by Yao Shiliang of the Ming Dynasty). The book records the political, educational, philosophical, ethical and other ideological views and political activities of Mencius and his disciples. The ancient examination mainly tested the "Four Books" and "Five Classics".

About the author:

Mencius (approximately 372 BC - 289 BC), surnamed Ji, Meng, given name Ke, courtesy name Ziyu, lived in the state of Zou (now Jining, Shandong) during the Warring States Period Zoucheng) people. He was a famous philosopher, thinker, politician, and educator during the Warring States Period. He was one of the representatives of the Confucian school. His status was second only to Confucius. Together with Confucius, he was also known as "Confucius and Mencius". He promoted "benevolent government" and was the first to put forward the idea of ??"the people are more important than the monarch".

Mencius is one of the most important representatives of Confucianism, and is called the "Less Sage" by later generations. But Mencius's status was not very high before the Song Dynasty. There is a limerick that satirizes Mencius: "How can a beggar have two wives? How can there be many chickens in the neighbor's house? At that time, there was an emperor of Zhou, so why did everyone talk about Wei Qi?"

Since the mid-Tang Dynasty, Han Yu wrote "The Original Way" ”, listed Mencius as the only person among the pre-Qin Confucians who inherited Confucius’ “Taoism”, a Mencius “upgrade movement” emerged, and the status of Mencius as a person and his books gradually increased. In the fourth year of Xining (1071), the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, the book "Mencius" was included in the imperial examination subjects for the first time.

In the sixth year of Yuanfeng (1083), Mencius was officially posthumously named "Zou Guogong" for the first time, and the following year he was approved to enjoy the Confucius Temple. Later, "Mencius" was upgraded to a Confucian classic. Zhu Xi of the Southern Song Dynasty combined "Mencius" with "The Analects of Confucius", "Great Learning", and "The Doctrine of the Mean" into the "Four Books", and its actual status was even higher than the "Five Classics".