Mencius 1B.6
Mencius (孟子), Book 1, Part II: Liang Hui Wang II 梁惠王下
孟子謂齊宣王曰：「王之臣有託其妻子於其友，而之楚遊者。比其反也，則凍餒其妻子，則如之何？」曰：「士師不能治士，則如之何？」曰：「四境之內不治，則如之何？」王顧左右而言他。
Mencius said to the king Xuan of Qi, 'Suppose that one of your Majesty's ministers were to entrust his wife and children to the care of his friend, while he himself went into Chu to travel, and that, on his return, he should find that the friend had let his wife and children suffer from cold and hunger - how ought he to deal with him?'
王曰：「棄之。」
The king said, 'He should cast him off.'
Mencius proceeded, 'Suppose that the chief criminal judge could not regulate the officers under him, how would you deal with him?'
王曰：「已之。」
The king said, 'Dismiss him.'
Mencius again said, 'If within the four borders of your kingdom there is not good government, what is to be done?'
The king looked to the right and left, and spoke of other matters.
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 宣xuānto proclaim, to declare, to announce; su
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 臣chénminister, statesman, official, vassal
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 託tuōto commission, to entrust, to rely on
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 妻qīwife
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 友yǒufriend, companion; fraternity
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 楚chǔclear, distinct; pain, suffering; surnam
- 遊yóusto wander, to travel, to roam
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 比bǐto compare, liken; comparison; than
- 反fǎnreverse, opposite; contrary, anti-
- 也yěalso, too
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 凍dòngcold; to freeze, to congeal; jelly
- 餒něifamished, hungry, starving
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 士shìscholar, gentleman; soldier
- 師shīteacher, professional, master
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 治zhìto administer, to govern, to regulate
- 四sìfour
- 境jìngboundary, frontier; area, region
- 內nèiinside
- 顧gùto look back; to look at; to look after
- 左zuǒleft; unorthodox, improper
- 右yòuright; right-wing
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 他tāother, another; he, she, it
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi Opening Trunks
- Zhuangzi Perfect Happiness
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
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.