Page 198 - 《孟子》（一）中·英对照版

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子

of Wei and his second son, their Royal Highnesses
Bi Gan and the viscount of Qi, and Jiao Ge, all men
of ability and virtue, who gave their joint assistance
to Zhou in his government. In consequence of
these things, it took a long time for him to lose the
throne. There was not a foot of ground which he
did not possess. There was not one of all the people
who was not his subject. So it was on his side, and
king Wen at his beginning had only a territory of
one hundred square li. On all these accounts, it
was difficult for him immediately to attain to the
royal dignity. The people of Qi have a saying—‘A
man may have wisdom and discernment, but that
is not like embracing the favourable opportunity. A
man may have instruments of husbandry, but that
is not like waiting for the farming seasons.’ The
present time is one in which the royal dignity may
be easily attained. In the flourishing periods of the
Xia, Yin, and Zhou dynasties, the royal domain did

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