Mencius 2B.6
Mencius (孟子), Book 2, Part II: Gong Sun Chou II 公孫丑下
孟子為卿於齊，出吊於滕，王使蓋大夫王驩為輔行。王驩朝暮見，反齊滕之路，未嘗與之言行事也。公孫丑曰：「齊卿之位，不為小矣；齊滕之路，不為近矣。反之而未嘗與言行事，何也？」曰：「夫既或治之，予何言哉？」
Mencius, occupying the position of a high dignitary in Qi, went on a mission of condolence to Teng. The king also sent Wang Huan, the governor of Gai, as assistant-commissioner. Wang Huan, morning and evening, waited upon Mencius, who, during all the way to Teng and back, never spoke to him about the business of their mission.
Gong Sun Chou said to Mencius, 'The position of a high dignitary of Qi is not a small one; the road from Qi to Teng is not short. How was it that during all the way there and back, you never spoke to Huan about the matters of your mission?'
Mencius replied, 'There were the proper officers who attended to them. What occasion had I to speak to him about them?'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 卿qīngnoble; minister; thou (poetic)
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 出chūto go out, to send out; stand; produce
- 吊diàoto condole, to mourn, to pity; to hang
- 滕téngan ancient state in Shandong province
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 蓋gàito cover, to hide, to protect
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 驩huānhappy, pleased, glad; joy; to enjoy
- 輔fǔside road; to assist, to coach, to tutor
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 朝cháoto face; direct, facing; dynasty; mornin
- 暮mùdusk, evening, sunset; ending
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 反fǎnreverse, opposite; contrary, anti-
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 路lùroad, path, street; journey
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 嘗chángto taste; to experience, to experiment w
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 也yěalso, too
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 孫sūngrandchild, descendent; surname
- 丑chǒuugly; shameful; comedian, clown
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 位wèiseat, throne; rank, status; position, lo
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 近jìnto approach; near, close; intimate
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 既jìalready, since, then; both; de facto
- 或huòor, either, else; maybe, perhaps, possib
- 治zhìto administer, to govern, to regulate
- 予yǔto give; to award
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 2B.2
- Mencius 3A.2
- Zhuangzi The Old Fisherman
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Mencius 2B.10
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.