Page 44 - 《孟子》（二）中·英对照版

?孟
子

‘May the rain come down on our public field, And
then upon our private fields!’ It is only in the system
of mutual aid that there is a public field, and from
this passage we perceive that even in the Zhou
dynasty this system has been recognised.

“Establish Xiang, Xu, Xue, and Xiao, —all
those educational institutions, —for the instruction
of the people. The name Xiang indicates nourishing
as its object; Xiao, indicates teaching; and Xu
indicates archery. By the Xia dynasty the name Xiao
was used; by the Yin, that of Xu; and by the Zhou,
that of Xiang. As to the Xue, they belonged to the
three dynasties, and by that name. The object of
them all is to illustrate the human relations. When
those are thus illustrated by superiors, kindly feeling
will prevail among the inferior people below. Should
a real sovereign arise, he will certainly come and
take an example from you; and thus you will be the
teacher of the true sovereign. It is said in the Book

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