From: Pre-Qin Mencius, from the first section of Mencius Louzhang Sentence.
Original sentence: If there is kindness in the present and the people are not treated by it, you can't punish the later generations and don't go to Wang Zhidao first. Therefore, it is not enough to be good, and the law cannot be self-sufficient. As the poem says, "Never forget, never forget, never forget." Those who followed the laws of the former king failed to do so.
Although some monarchs now have a reputation for kindness, the people have not benefited from it, nor have they been imitated by future generations, just because they have not followed the path of their predecessors. Therefore, benevolence and righteousness alone are not enough to govern the country, and written law alone cannot make it self-fulfilling. The Book of Songs says:' No mistakes and no forgetfulness, everything follows the old rules.' Abide by the statutes of the late king, and there is no such thing as making mistakes.
The extended material Conglou Zhangju is selected from Mencius, which records the thoughts and political strategies of Mencius, a thinker in the Warring States Period, and is compiled by Mencius and his disciples. Mencius occupies a very important position in Confucian classics and is one of the "Four Books".
Mencius' language is clear, plain and simple, and at the same time it is refined and accurate. As an essay, Mencius is good at argument, more artistic and expressive, and has the nature of literary prose. Among them, the argumentative essay skillfully uses the method of logical reasoning, and Mencius skillfully uses analogical reasoning, often playing hard to get, repeatedly asking questions, and winding the other party into his own preset conclusion, such as Hui Liang and Wang Xia.
Momentum is an important style feature of Mencius' prose. This style stems from the strength of Mencius' personality cultivation. People with this lofty spirit can overwhelm each other mentally, despise political power, despise material greed, have extraordinary spirit, be upright, selfless and fearless. Rhetorical devices such as even sentences and overlapping sentences are widely used in Mencius. It is necessary to enhance the momentum of the article and make the style of writing magnificent. If Jiang is determined, it will be unstoppable.