Page 349 - 《孟子》（三）中·英对照版

告
子
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Heaven is about to confer a great office on any man,
it first exercises his mind with suffering, and his
sinews and bones with toil. It extreme poverty. It
confounds his undertakings. By all these methods it
stimalates his mind, hardens his nature, and supplies
his incompetencies. Men for the most part err, and
are afterwards able to reform. They are distressed
in mind and perplexed in their thoughts, and then
they arise to vigorous reformation. When things
have been evidenced in men’s looks, and set forth in
their words, then they understand them. If a prince
have not about his court families attached to the
laws and worthy counsellors, and if abroad there
are not hostile states or other external calamities,
his kingdom will generally come to ruin. From these
things we see how life springs from sorrow and
calamity, and death from ease and pleasure.”

【注释】［1］畎（qu2n）亩：田间，农田。［2］

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