Mencius 3A.1
Mencius (孟子), Book 3, Part I: Teng Wen Gong I 滕文公上
滕文公為世子，將之楚，過宋而見孟子。孟子道性善，言必稱堯舜。世子自楚反，復見孟子。孟子曰：「世子疑吾言乎？夫道一而已矣。成覸謂齊景公曰：『彼丈夫也，我丈夫也，吾何畏彼哉？』顏淵曰：『舜何人也？予何人也？有為者亦若是。』公明儀曰：『文王我師也，周公豈欺我哉？』今滕，絕長補短，將五十里也，猶可以為善國。《書》曰：『若藥不瞑眩，厥疾不瘳。』」
When the prince, afterwards duke Wen of Teng, had to go to Chu, he went by way of Song, and visited Mencius. Mencius discoursed to him how the nature of man is good, and when speaking, always made laudatory reference to Yao and Shun.
When the prince was returning from Chu, he again visited Mencius. Mencius said to him, 'Prince, do you doubt my words? The path is one, and only one. Cheng Gan said to duke Jing of Qi, "They were men. I am a man. Why should I stand in awe of them?" Yan Yuan said, "What kind of man was Shun? What kind of man am I? He who exerts himself will also become such as he was." Gong Ming Yi said, "King Wen is my teacher. How should the duke of Zhou deceive me by those words?" Now, Teng, taking its length with its breadth, will amount, I suppose, to fifty li. It is small, but still sufficient to make a good State. It is said in the Book of History, "If medicine do not raise a commotion in the patient, his disease will not be cured by it."'
Character glossary
- 滕téngan ancient state in Shandong province
- 文wénculture, literature, writing
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 世shìgeneration, era, age; world
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 楚chǔclear, distinct; pain, suffering; surnam
- 過guòpass; to go across, to pass through
- 宋sòngthe Song dynasty; surname
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 性xìngsex, nature, character; suffix convertin
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
- 稱chēngbalanced; name, brand; to say, to call
- 堯yáoa legendary ancient emperor-sage
- 舜shùnlegendary ruler
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 反fǎnreverse, opposite; contrary, anti-
- 復fùagain, repeatedly; copy, duplicate; to r
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 疑yíto doubt, to question, to suspect
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 乎hūinterrogative or exclamatory final parti
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 已yǐalready; finished; to stop; then, afterw
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 成chéngto accomplish; to become; to complete, t
- 覸jiānsteal look; peep at; spy on
- 謂wèito call, to say, to tell; name, title; m
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 景jǐngscenery, view; conditions, circumstances
- 彼bǐthat, those, the other
- 丈zhànggentleman, man, husband; unit of length
- 也yěalso, too
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 畏wèifear, dread, awe, reverence
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
- 顏yánface, facial appearance
- 淵yuānabyss, depth; to surge up, to bubble up
- 人rénman, person; people
- 予yǔto give; to award
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 明míngbright, clear; to explain, to understand
- 儀yíinstrument, apparatus; ceremony, rites
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 師shīteacher, professional, master
- 周zhōuZhou dynasty; circumference
- 豈qǐwhat; how
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Mencius 3A.4
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Mencius 7B.34
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Mencius 3B.9
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.