Page 200 - 《孟子》（二）中·英对照版

?孟
子

descendants of the sovereigns of the Shang dynasty,
are in number more than hundreds of thousands; but,
God having passed His decree, they are all submissive
to Zhou. They are submissive to Zhou, because the
decree of Heaven is not unchanging. The officers
of Yin, admirable and alert, pour out the libations,
and assist in the capital of Zhou.’ Confucius said, ‘As
against so benevolent a sovereign, they could not be
deemed a multitude.’ Thus, if the prince of a state
love benevolence, he will have no opponent in all the
kingdom. Now they wish to have no opponent in all
the kingdom, but they do not seek to attain this by
being benevolent. This is like a man laying hold of
a heated substance, and not having first dipped it in
water. It is said in the Book of Poetry, ‘Who can take
up a heated substance, without first dipping it(in
water)?’ ”

【 注 释】［1］ 役： 役 使， 听 命。［2］ 绝 物：

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