Page 288 - 《孟子》（三）中·英对照版

?孟
子

Keng answered, “I will tell them how
unprofitable their course is to them.”

“Master,” said Mencius, “your aim is great,
but your argument is not good. If you, starting from
the point of profit, offer your persuasive counsels
to the kings of Qin and Chu, and if those kings are
pleased with the consideration of profit so as to stop
the movements of their armies, then all belonging to
those armies will rejoice in the cessation of war, and
find their pleasure in the pursuit of profit. Ministers
will serve their sovereign for the profit of which they
cherish the thought; sons will serve their fathers, and
younger brothers will serve their elder brothers, from
the same consideration—and the issue will be, that,
abandoning benevolence and righteousness, sovereign
and minister, father and son, younger brother and
elder, will carry on all their intercourse with this
thought of profit cherished in their breasts. But never
has there been such a state of society, without ruin

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