Page 186 - 《孟子》(三)中·英对照版
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and not external; righteousness is external and not
internal.”
Mencius asked him, “What is the ground
of your saying that benevolence is internal and
righteousness external?”
He replied, “There is a man older than I, and
I give honour to his age. It is not that there is first
in me a principle of such reverence to age. It is just
as when there is a white man, and I consider him
white; —according as he is so externally to me. On
this account, I pronounce of righteousness that it is
external.”
Mencius said, “There is no difference between
our pronouncing a white horse to be white and our
pronouncing a white man to be white. But is there
no difference between the regard with which we
acknowledge the age of an old horse and that with
which we acknowledge the age of an old man? And
what is it which is called righteousness? The fact of
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