Page 142 - 《孟子》（一）中·英对照版
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子
lofty trees in it, but that it has ministers sprung from
families which have been noted in it for generations.
Your Majesty has no intimate ministers even. Those
whom you advanced yesterday are gone today, and
you do not know it.”
The king said, “How shall I know that they
have not ability, and so avoid employing them at
all?”
The reply was, “The ruler of a State advances
to office men of talents and virtue only as a matter
of necessity. Since he will thereby cause the low to
overstep the honourable, and distant to overstep his
near relatives, ought he to do so but with caution?
When all those about you say, ‘This is a man of
talents and worth,’ you may not therefore believe it.
When your great officers all say, ‘This is a man of
talents and virtue,’ neither may you for that believe
it. When all the people say, ‘This is a man of talents
and virtue,’ then examine into the case, and when
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