Mencius’ famous sayings and their translations are as follows:

1. Benevolence brings honor, while unkindness brings disgrace. Translation: If the princes and ministers practice benevolent government, they will have glory; if they practice unbenevolent government, they will suffer humiliation.

2. The wise are in office and the capable are in office. Translation: Let virtuous people occupy appropriate official positions, and talented people hold certain positions.

3. Respect the virtuous and empower the capable, and keep the heroes in charge. Translation: Respect moral people and use capable people. Outstanding people have official positions.

4. If you don’t follow the rules, you won’t be able to form a circle. Translation: Without compasses and rulers, squares and circles cannot be drawn correctly.

5. Those who have permanent property have perseverance, and those who do not have perseverance have no perseverance. If you don't have perseverance, you will do everything you can to ward off evil spirits. Translation: Only people with a certain amount of industrial income will have certain moral concepts and codes of conduct. People without a certain amount of industrial income will not have certain moral concepts and codes of conduct. If they do not have certain moral concepts and codes of conduct, they will act recklessly. , break the law and discipline, and can do anything.

6. Fight for land and kill people to fill the fields; fight for cities and kill people to fill the city. This so-called taking advantage of the land and eating human flesh is a crime not punishable by death. Translation: Fighting for the land, killing people everywhere; fighting for the city, killing people all over the city, this is leading the land to eat human flesh, and the death penalty is not enough to atone for their sins.

7. If the king regards his ministers as his hands and feet, then his ministers will regard him as his heart. foe. Translation: When the monarch regards his ministers as his own brothers and sisters, the ministers will regard the monarch as their confidant; when the monarch regards his ministers as cattle and horses, the ministers will regard the monarch as the people they meet on the road; when the monarch regards his ministers as dirt or weeds, the ministers will regard them as The king regards him as an enemy.

8. The weather is not as good as the right place, and the right place is not as good as the people. Translation: The fortune given by God is not as good as the geographical advantage, and the geographical advantage is not as good as the unity and cooperation of people.

9. When we are old, we are in harmony with others; when we are young, we are in harmony with others. Translation: Respecting my elders extends to respecting other people’s elders; caring for one’s own juniors extends to caring for other people’s juniors.

10. Those who rebel against benevolence are called "thieves", and those who rebel against righteousness are called "crippling". Those who are crippled thieves are called "one husband". I have heard of the execution of one husband, Zhou, but I have not heard of regicide. Translation: Those who destroy benevolence are called "thieves", and those who destroy morality are called "cruel". We call such a person a "lonely husband". I only heard that King Wu of Zhou killed the only man Yin Zhou, but I never heard that he committed regicide with his ministers.

11. The organ of the heart is thinking. If you think, you can get it. If you don’t think, you can’t get it. Translation: The heart is an organ whose job is to think. Only by thinking can you get it. If you don’t think, you can’t get it.

12. Right, then you know the severity; degree, then you know the length. Translation: Only by weighing something can one know its weight; only by measuring it can one know its length.

13. People do not do anything, and then they can do something. Translation: People have to do something before they can do something.

14. Although there are things that are easy to grow in the world, if they are violent in one day and cold in ten days, nothing can survive. Translation: Even if there is a plant that is the easiest to grow, if you expose it to the sun for one day and freeze it for ten days, nothing will grow again.

15. Those who advance sharply will retreat quickly. Translation: Those who move forward too quickly will retreat too quickly.