Page 67 - 《孟子》(二)中·英对照版
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was the not getting Yu and Gaoyao. But he whose
anxiety is about his hundred mu not being properly
cultivated, is a mere husbandman. The imparting by
a man to others of his wealth, is called ‘kindness.’
The teaching others what is good, is called ‘the
exercise of fidelity.’ The finding a man who shall
benefit the kingdom, is called ‘benevolence.’ Hence
to give the throne to another man would be easy;
to find a man who shall benefit the kingdom is
difficult. Confucius said, ‘Great indeed was Yao as a
sovereign. It is only Heaven that is great, and only
Yao corresponded to it. How vast was his virtue!
The people could find no name for it. Princely indeed
was Shun! How majestic was he, having possession
of the kingdom, and yet seeming as if it were nothing
to him!’ In their governing the kingdom, were there
no subjects on which Yao and Shun employed their
minds? There were subjects, only they did not
employ their minds on the cultivation of the ground.
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