Mencius 2B.8
Mencius (孟子), Book 2, Part II: Gong Sun Chou II 公孫丑下
沈同以其私問曰：「燕可伐與？」孟子曰：「可。子噲不得與人燕，子之不得受燕於子噲。有仕於此，而子悅之，不告於王而私與之吾子之祿爵；夫士也，亦無王命而私受之於子，則可乎？何以異於是？」齊人伐燕。或問曰：「勸齊伐燕，有諸？」曰：「未也。沈同問『燕可伐與』？吾應之曰『可』，彼然而伐之也。彼如曰『孰可以伐之』？則將應之曰：『為天吏，則可以伐之。』今有殺人者，或問之曰『人可殺與』？則將應之曰『可』。彼如曰『孰可以殺之』？則將應之曰：『為士師，則可以殺之。』今以燕伐燕，何為勸之哉？」
Shen Tong, on his own impulse, asked Mencius, saying, 'May Yan be smitten?'
Mencius replied, 'It may. Zi Kuai had no right to give Yan to another man, and Zi Zhi had no right to receive Yan from Zi Kuai. Suppose there were an officer here, with whom you, Sir, were pleased, and that, without informing the king, you were privately to give to him your salary and rank; and suppose that this officer, also without the king's orders, were privately to receive them from you - would such a transaction be allowable? And where is the difference between the case of Yan and this?'
The people of Qi smote Yan. Some one asked Mencius, saying, 'Is it really the case that you advised Qi to smite Yan?'
He replied, 'No. Shen Tong asked me whether Yan might be smitten, and I answered him, "It may." They accordingly went and smote it. If he had asked me, "Who may smite it?" I would have answered him, "He who is the minister of Heaven may smite it." Suppose the case of a murderer, and that one asks me, "May this man be put to death?" I will answer him, "He may." If he ask me, "Who may put him to death?" I will answer him, "The chief criminal judge may put him to death." But now with one Yan to smite another Yan - how should I have advised this?'
Character glossary
- 沈chénto sink, to submerge; addicted; surname
- 同tóngsame, similar; together with, alike
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 私sīpersonal, private, secret; selfish
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 燕yànlovebird, swallow
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 伐fácut down, subjugate, attack
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 噲kuàito swallow, to gulp down; greedy
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 人rénman, person; people
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 受shòuto receive, to get, to accept; to bear
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 仕shìofficial; to serve in the government
- 此cǐthis, these; in this case, then
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 悅yuècontented, gratified, pleased
- 告gàoto tell, to inform, to announce; to accu
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 祿lùblessing, happiness, prosperity
- 爵juénoble; a feudal rank or title
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 士shìscholar, gentleman; soldier
- 也yěalso, too
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 命mìnglife; destiny, fate, luck; an order, ins
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 異yìdifferent, strange, unusual; foreign; su
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 或huòor, either, else; maybe, perhaps, possib
- 勸quànto recommend, to advise; to urge, to exh
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 未wèinot yet; 8th terrestrial branch
- 應yīngshould, must; to respond, to handle; to
- 彼bǐthat, those, the other
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 孰shúwho? which? what? which one?
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 吏lìgovernment official, magistrate
- 今jīnmodern, current; today, now
- 殺shāto kill, to murder, to slaughter; to hur
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 師shīteacher, professional, master
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Zhuangzi On Swords
- Zhuangzi Kêng Sang Ch’u
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.