《孟子》英译

1A.KingHuiofLiang(partone)孟子見梁惠王。王曰，「叟，不遠千里而來，亦將有以利吾國乎？」孟子對曰，「王何必曰利？亦有仁義而已矣。」「王曰：『何以利吾國？』大夫曰：『何以利吾家？』士庶人曰：『何以利吾身？』上下交征利，而國危矣！萬乘之國弑其君者，必千乘之家；千乘之國，弑其君者，必百乘之家。萬取千焉，千取百焉，不爲不多矣；苟爲後義而先利，不奪不饜。」「未有仁而遺其親者也，未有義而後其君者也。」「王亦曰仁義而已矣，何必曰利？」[1A:1]MenciuswenttoseeKingHuiofLiang.TheKingsaid:Mygoodman,sinceyouhaven'tthoughtonethousandlitoofartocomeandseeme,mayIpresumethatyouhavesomethingwithwhichIcanprofitmykingdom?Menciussaid:Whymustyouspeakofprofit?WhatIhaveforyouisHumanenessandRightness,andthat'sall.Ifyoualwayssay'howcanIprofitmykingdom?'yourtopofficerswillask,'howcanweprofitourclans?'Theelites(shi)1andthecommonpeoplewillask:'Howcanweprofitourselves?'Superiorsandinferiorswillstruggleagainsteachotherforprofit,andthecountrywillbeinchaos.Inakingdomoftenthousandchariots,themurdererofthesovereignisusuallyfromaclanofonethousandchariots.Inathousand-chariotkingdom,themurdererofthesovereignisusuallyfromaclanofonehundredchariots.Now,tohaveathousandintenthousand,oronehundredinathousandisnotreallyallthatmuch.Butifyouputdue-givinglastandprofitfirst,noonewillbesatisfiedunlesstheycangrabsomething.Therehasneverbeenahumanemanwhoneglectedhisparents,andtherehasneverbeenajustmanwhoputhisprincelastinhispriorities.King,can'twelimitourconversationtohumanenessanddue-giving?Whymustwediscussprofit?梁惠王曰：「寡人之於國也，盡心焉耳矣！河內凶，則移其民於河東，移其粟於河內；河東凶亦然。察鄰國之政，無如寡人之用心者；鄰國之民不加少，寡人之民不加多：何也？」孟子對曰：「王好戰，請以戰喩。填然鼓之，兵刃旣接，棄甲曳兵而走，或百歩而後止，或五十歩而後止；以五十歩笑百歩，則何如？」曰：「不可。直不百歩耳，是亦走也！」曰：「王如知此，則無望民之多於鄰國也。」「不違農時，穀不可勝食也；數罟不入洿池，魚鼈不可勝食也；斧斤以時入山林，材木不可勝用也；穀與魚鼈不可勝食，材木不可勝用，是使民養生喪死無憾也；養生喪死無憾，王道之始也。」「五畝之宅，樹之以桑，五十者可以衣帛矣；雞豚狗彘之畜，無失其時，七十者可以食肉矣；百畝之田，勿奪於時，數口之家可以無饑矣；謹庠序之教，申之以孝悌之義，頒白者不負戴於道路矣；七十者衣帛食肉，黎民不饑不寒；然而不王者，未之有也！」「狗彘食人食而不知檢，塗有餓莩而不知發；人死，則曰：『非我也，歳也。』是何異於刺人而殺之，曰：『非我也，兵也！』王無罪歳，斯天下之民至焉。」[1A:3]KingHuiofLiangsaid:Iexertmywholeconsciousnesstowardsmypeople.WhenthereisdisasterinHe-nei,ImovethepeopletoHe-dongandbringgraintoHe-nei.WhenthereisdisasterinHe-dong,Idolikewise.2Now,ifyoulookatthegovernmentinneighboringkingdoms,thereisnoonewhoisasdedicatedtohispeopleasI.Yetwhyisitthatthepeopledon'tmovefromotherstatesandcometomine?Menciusreplied:Yourmajesty,youlikewar,don'tyou?Letmemakeanexamplewithwar:Thedrummershavepsychedthesoldiersintothebattlefieldandthebattleisengaged.Somesoldiersthrowofftheirheavyarmorandflee,draggingtheirweapons.Onefellowrunsahundredpacesandstops.Anotherrunsfiftypacesandstops.Whatwouldyouthinkiftheonewhoranfiftypaceslaughsattheonewhoranahundred?TheKingsaid:Noway.Eventhoughhedidn'trunahundredpaces,hestillran.Menciussaid:Ifyourealizethis,thenyoushouldn'texpectpeopletomovetoyourkingdom.Ifyoudon'tinterferewiththetimingofthefarmers,therewillbemoregrainthancanbeeaten.Iffine-meshnetsarekeptoutofthepondsandlakes,therewillbemorefishandturtlesthanyoucaneat.Ifloggersareregulatedintheirwoodcutting,therewillbemorewoodthancanbeused.Whenthereismoregrain,morefishandturtlesthancanbeeaten,andmorewoodthancanbeused,thepeoplewillnourishthelivingandmournthedeadwithoutresentment.Nourishingthelivingandmourningthedeadwithoutresentmentisthebeginningoftheroadtotruekingship.Ifmulberrytreesareplantedaroundhomesteadsofanacre,thenpeoplefiftyyearsoldcanbeclothedinsilk.If,intheraisingoffowl,pigs,dogsandswine,theirbreedingtimesarenotmissed,thenpeopleseventyyearsoldcaneatmeat.Ifyoudonotupsetthefarmingscheduleinafarmoftwentyacres,thenalargeclanwillneverbehungry.Paycarefulattentiontoeducation,basingitontheRightnessoffilialpietyandrespectforelders,andthegray-hairedpeoplewillnotbeinthestreetscarryingheavyburdensontheirbacks.Therehasneverbeenacasewherethepeopleofseventywereeatingmeatandtheblack-hairedpeoplewerefreefromcoldandhunger,wherethekingwasnotwellregarded.But[inyourkingdom],dogsandswineeatmen'sfood,andyoudon'tcontrolit.Peoplearedyingofstarvationinthestreetsanditdoesn'toccurtoyoutodistributegrainfromthestorehouses.Peopledie,andyousay:'It'snotmyfault;itwasabadharvest.'Howisthisdifferentfromstabbingamantodeathandsaying,'Itwasn'tme,itwastheknife.'Ifyouwouldstopplacingtheblameonbadharvests,allofthepeopleinthecountrywouldcometoyou.梁惠王曰：「寡人願安承教。」孟子對曰：「殺人以梃與刃，有以異乎？」曰：「無以異也。」「以刃與政有以異乎？」曰：「無以異也。」曰：庖有肥肉，廏有肥馬，民有飢色，野有餓莩，此率獸而食人也。獸相食，且人惡之；爲民父母行政，不免於率獸而食人，惡在其爲民父母也！仲尼曰：『始作俑者，其無後乎！』爲其象人而用之也，如之何其使斯民饑而死也。」[1A:4]KingHuiofLiangsaid:Iwouldliketoquietlyreceiveyourinstruction.Menciussaid:Isthereanydifferencebetweenkillingamanwithastickorasword?TheKingreplied:Nodifference.Menciussaid:Isthereanydifferencebetweendoingitwithaswordanddoingitwithgovernment?Nodifferencewasthereply.Menciussaid:Thereareloadsoffatmeatinyourkitchenwhilethepeopleinthecountrysidearedyingofstarvation.Animalsareeveneatingpeople.Now,mendespiseanimalswhofeedoneachother.Andyousayyouwanttobe'theparentofthepeople.'Butintheactualhandlingofyourgovernment,youcannotevenpreventanimalsfromfeedingonmen.Howcanyouberegardedasa'parentofthepeople?'Confuciussaid:'Wasn'tthefirstfellowwhomadewoodenimagesforburialwiththedeadrememberedforever?'Thisisbecausehemadeimagesofmenandusedthemforsuchapurpose.Whatmemoryshalltherebeofthemanwhomadehispeopledieofstarvation?梁惠王曰：「普國，天下莫強焉，叟之所知也。及寡人之身，東敗於齊，長子死焉；西喪地於