Mencius 2B.14
Mencius (孟子), Book 2, Part II: Gong Sun Chou II 公孫丑下
孟子去齊，居休。公孫丑問曰：「仕而不受祿，古之道乎？」曰：「非也。於崇，吾得見王。退而有去志，不欲變，故不受也。繼而有師命，不可以請。久於齊，非我志也。」
When Mencius left Qi, he dwelt in Xiu.
There Gong Sun Chou asked him, saying, 'Was it the way of the ancients to hold office without receiving salary?'
Mencius replied, 'No; when I first saw the king in Chong, it was my intention, on retiring from the interview, to go away. Because I did not wish to change this intention, I declined to receive any salary. Immediately after, there came orders for the collection of troops, when it would have been improper for me to beg permission to leave. But to remain so long in Qi was not my purpose.'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 去qùto go away, to leave, to depart
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 居jūto live, to reside; to dwell; to sit
- 休xiūto rest; to stop; to retire
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 孫sūngrandchild, descendent; surname
- 丑chǒuugly; shameful; comedian, clown
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 仕shìofficial; to serve in the government
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 受shòuto receive, to get, to accept; to bear
- 祿lùblessing, happiness, prosperity
- 古gǔold, classic, ancient
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 非fēinot, negative, non-; to oppose
- 也yěalso, too
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 崇chónghigh, dignified; to esteem, to honor
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 退tuìto retreat, to step back, to withdraw
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 志zhìdetermination, will; mark, sign; to reco
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 變biànto change, to transform, to alter; rebel
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 繼jìto continue, to carry on; to succeed, to
- 師shīteacher, professional, master
- 命mìnglife; destiny, fate, luck; an order, ins
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 請qǐngto ask, to request; to invite; please
- 久jiǔlong ago; a long time
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Mencius 2B.12
- Mencius 2B.2
- Mencius 2A.2
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.