Neither Mencius said the two sentence options a and b given in the question.

1. "Water can carry a boat but also capsize it"

Interpretation: Rulers are like boats, and people are like water. Water can both make the boat sail smoothly and overturn it. Swallowed, sunk in water. It means that if something is used properly, it will be beneficial, and if it is used inappropriately, it will be harmful.

Pronunciation: shuǐnéngzǎizhōu,yìnéngfùzhōu

Source:

(1) From the chapter "Xunzi. Ai Gong", it is a conversation between Confucius and Lu Ai Gong narrated by Xunzi . Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius: "I was born in a deep palace and am longer than a woman's hand. I don't know sorrow, worry, labor, fear, or danger." Confucius He said: "What you ask is a question asked by a sage. How can a humble man like Qiu know it?" He said: "It is not because my son has heard nothing about it." Confucius said: "When you enter the temple gate, go to the right and climb up. On the stairs, looking up at the banquet, you can see several banquets. The utensils are still there, but the people are dead. You are mourning for this. How can you mourn the general and not come? , At the beginning of chaos, if you think about it, will you worry about it? If you go out of the four gates of Lu to look at the surrounding suburbs of Lu, you will surely lose your country. If you are afraid of this, will you be afraid that the general will not come? And Qiu heard about it. The king is the boat; the common man is the water. The water carries the boat, and the water overturns the boat. If the king thinks of danger, will the danger not come? "

(2) " There is such a passage in Xunzi Wang Zhi Pian.

(3) Wei Zheng and Tang Taizong in the early Tang Dynasty also cited this view many times.

(4) "Ten Thoughts on Admonishing Taizong" by Wei Zheng of the Tang Dynasty.

2. Worry before the world, and be happy after the world is happy

Explanation: Worry before the world is worried, and be happy after the world is happy

Source: A passage from Fan Zhongyan's "Yueyang Tower": Lament! I try to seek the benevolent heart of the ancients, or do it differently from the two. Why? Don't be happy with things, don't be sad with yourself; if you live high in a temple, you worry about its people; if you live far away in the rivers and lakes, you worry about your king. It means that you are worried when you advance, and you are also worried when you retreat. But when will you be happy? It must be said: "Be worried about the world's worries first, and be happy after the world's happiness." Alas! People from Weisi, who can I return to? Definition: Alas! I once explored the thoughts and feelings of people with noble moral character in ancient times. They may be different from the moods of the two people (above). Why is this? (Because) one does not feel happy or sad based on the quality of external objects and one's own gains and losses. When he was an official in the court, he was worried about the people; when he was not an official in the world, he was worried about the king. In this way, I am worried about being an official in the imperial court, and I am also worried about being in a remote world. In this case, when will they feel happy? They will definitely say: "Be worried before the world is worried, and be happy after the world is happy."

well! Without such people, who should I go with?