Original text

Mencius said: "Three dynasties gained the world with benevolence, and lost the world with benevolence. The same reason why the country was abolished, prospered, survived and perished. The emperor was unbenevolent and could not protect the world; the princes If you are unkind, you will not protect the country; if you are unkind, you will not protect the ancestral temple; if you are unkind, you will not protect the four bodies. Now, if you hate death but enjoy it, you will not be kind, which is like being drunk and strong."

Notes.

① Ancestral temple: This refers to the fief (fief), because the officials first have the fief and then the ancestral temple. ③Strong: Reluctantly.

Translation

Mencius said: "The Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties gained the world because of benevolence, and lost the world because of unkindness. The rise and fall of the princely countries is also due to the same reason. The emperor is unkind, and the emperor is unkind. If the princes are not benevolent, they will not be able to preserve the country; if the ministers are not benevolent, they will not be able to preserve the ancestral temple; if the scholars and common people are not benevolent, they will not be able to preserve the lives of their families. It’s like being afraid of getting drunk but insisting on drinking hard.”

Interpretation

It is still a call for “benevolence”.

The truth will be clear as soon as it is explained, no need to talk more. What interests us is the eloquent sentence structure of Mencius:

“Today, if you hate death but take pleasure in unkindness, it is like hating drunkenness and strong drink.” Today’s people are afraid of death but are happy to do unkind things. , it’s like being afraid of getting drunk but choosing to drink.

“Nowadays, if you hate humiliation and live in an unkind situation, it is like hating wetness and living in a lower position.” ("Gongsun Wushang" 3.4) Today's people hate humiliation but live in an unkind situation. This is It's like he hates humidity but lives in a low-lying place. "Nowadays, if you want to be invincible in the world but do not practice benevolence, it is like holding on to heat and not taking care of yourself." (Li Lou 1)) 7·7) People today want to be invincible in the world but do not practice benevolence. It's like being too hot but not wanting to take a shower.

This type of similar sentence pattern points out the rebellious phenomena in life and uses them to illustrate abstract principles. It is often like carrying it with the palm of your hand, which wakes people up and is especially enlightening.