Page 66 - 《孟子》（一）中·英对照版
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?孟
子
order to attain to royal sway?”
Mencius answered, “The love and protection
of the people; with this there is no power which can
prevent a ruler from attaining to it.”
The king asked again, “Is such a one as I
competent to love and protect the people?”
Mencius said, “Yes.”
“How do you know that I am competent for
that?”
“I heard the following incident from Hu
He: —‘The king,’ said he, ‘was sitting aloft in
the hall, when a man appeared, leading an ox
past the lower part of it. The king saw him, and
asked, Where is the ox going? The man replied,
We are going to consecrate a bell with its blood.
The king said, Let it go. I cannot bear its frightened
appearance, as if it were an innocent person going to
the place of death. The man answered, Shall we then
omit the consecration of the bell? The king said,
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