Mencius 1B.13
Mencius (孟子), Book 1, Part II: Liang Hui Wang II 梁惠王下
滕文公問曰：「滕，小國也，間於齊楚。事齊乎？事楚乎？」孟子對曰：「是謀非吾所能及也。無已，則有一焉：鑿斯池也，築斯城也，與民守之，效死而民弗去，則是可為也。」
The duke Wen of Teng asked Mencius, saying, 'Teng is a small kingdom, and lies between Qi and Chu. Shall I serve Qi? Or shall I serve Chu?'
Mencius replied, 'This plan which you propose is beyond me. If you will have me counsel you, there is one thing I can suggest. Dig deeper your moats; build higher your walls; guard them as well as your people. In case of attack, be prepared to die in your defence, and have the people so that they will not leave you - this is a proper course.'
Character glossary
- 滕téngan ancient state in Shandong province
- 文wénculture, literature, writing
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 也yěalso, too
- 間jiānbetween, among; midpoint; space, place,
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 楚chǔclear, distinct; pain, suffering; surnam
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 對duìcorrect, right; facing, opposed
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 謀móuto plan, to scheme; strategem
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 及jíto extend; to reach; and; in time
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 鑿záochisel; to bore, to pierce
- 斯sīthis, thus, such; emphatic particle; use
- 池chípool, pond; moat; cistern
- 築zhùbuilding; a five-string lute
- 城chéngcastle, city, town; municipality
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 守shǒuto defend, to guard, to protect; to cons
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 效xiàoresult, effect; effective
- 死sǐdead; death; impassable, inflexible
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 弗fúnot, negative
- 去qùto go away, to leave, to depart
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.