Page 339 - 《孟子》（二）中·英对照版
P. 339
离
娄
下
8.26
孟子曰：“天下之言性也，则故［1］而已矣。
故者以利［2］为本。所恶于智者［3］，为其凿也。
如智者若禹之行水也，则无恶于智矣。禹之
行水也，行其所无事也。如智者亦行其所无事，
则智亦大矣。天之高也，星辰之远也，苟求
其故，千岁之日至［4］，可坐而致也。”
Mencius said, “All who speak about the
natures of things, have in fact only their phenomena
to reason from, and the value of a phenomenon is in
its being natural. What I dislike in your wise men
is their boring out their conclusions. If those wise
men would only act as Yu did when he conveyed
away the waters, there would be nothing to dislike
in their wisdom. The manner in which Yu conveyed
away the waters was by doing what gave him no
trouble. If your wise men would also do that which
317
