Page 167 - 《孟子》（一）中·英对照版

梁
惠
王
下

do not put them to death, then there is the crime
unpunished of their looking angrily on at the death
of their officers, and not saving them. How is the
exigency of the case to be met?”

Mencius replied, “In calamitous years and
years of famine, the old and weak of your people,
who have been found lying in the ditches and water
channels, and the able-bodied who have been
scattered about to the four quarters, have amounted
to several thousands. All the while, your granaries,
O prince, have been stored with grain, and your
treasuries and arsenals have been full, and not one
of your officers has told you of the distress. Thus
negligent have the superiors in your State been, and
cruel to their inferiors. The philosopher Zeng said,
‘Beware, beware. What proceeds from you, will
return to you again.’ Now at length the people have
paid back the conduct of their officers to them. Do
not you, O prince, blame them. If you will put in

145