Page 43 - 《孟子》（二）中·英对照版

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said, ‘For regulating the lands, there is no better
system than that of mutual aid, and none which is
not better than that of taxing. By the tax system,
the regular amount was fixed by taking the average
of several years. In good years, when the grain lies
about in abundance, much might be taken without
its being oppressive, and the actual exaction would
be small. But in bad years, the produce being not
sufficient to repay the manuring of the fields, this
system still requires the taking of the full amount.
When the parent of the people causes the people to
wear looks of distress, and, after the whole year’s
toil, yet not to be able to nourish their parents, so
that they proceed to borrowing to increase their
means, till the old people and children are found
lying in the ditches and water-channels—where, in
such a case, is his parental relation to the people?’ As
to the system of hereditary salaries, that is already
observed in Teng. It is said in the Book of Poetry,

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