Page 259 - 《孟子》（三）中·英对照版
P. 259
告
子
上
11.18
孟子曰：“仁之胜不仁也，犹水胜火。
今之为仁者，犹以一杯水救一车薪之火也；
不熄，则谓之水不胜火，此又与［1］于不仁之
甚者也，亦终必亡而已矣。”
Mencius said, “Benevolence subdues its
opposite just as water subdues fire. Those, however,
who nowadays practise benevolence do it as if with
one cup of water they could save a whole waggon-
load of fuel which was on fire, and when the flames
were not extinguished, were to say that water
cannot subdue fire. This conduct, moreover, greatly
encourages those who are not benevolent. The
final issue will simply be this—the loss of that small
amount of benevolence.”
【注释】［1］与：助。
237
