Mencius 3B.6
Mencius (孟子), Book 3, Part II: Teng Wen Gong II 滕文公下
孟子謂戴不勝曰：「子欲子之王之善與？我明告子。有楚大夫於此，欲其子之齊語也，則使齊人傅諸？使楚人傅諸？」曰：「使齊人傅之。」曰：「一齊人傅之，眾楚人咻之，雖日撻而求其齊也，不可得矣；引而置之莊嶽之間數年，雖日撻而求其楚，亦不可得矣。子謂薛居州，善士也。使之居於王所。在於王所者，長幼卑尊，皆薛居州也，王誰與為不善？在王所者，長幼卑尊，皆非薛居州也，王誰與為善？一薛居州，獨如宋王何？」
Mencius said to Dai Bu Sheng, 'I see that you are desiring your king to be virtuous, and will plainly tell you how he may be made so. Suppose that there is a great officer of Chu here, who wishes his son to learn the speech of Qi. Will he in that case employ a man of Qi as his tutor, or a man of Chu?'
'He will employ a man of Qi to teach him,' said Bu Sheng.
Mencius went on, 'If but one man of Qi be teaching him, and there be a multitude of men of Chu continually shouting out about him, although his father beat him every day, wishing him to learn the speech of Qi, it will be impossible for him to do so. But in the same way, if he were to be taken and placed for several years in Zhuang or Yue, though his father should beat him, wishing him to speak the language of Chu, it would be impossible for him to do so. You supposed that Xue Ju Zhou was a scholar of virtue, and you have got him placed in attendance on the king. Suppose that all in attendance on the king, old and young, high and low, were Xue Ju Zhous, whom would the king have to do evil with? And suppose that all in attendance on the king, old and young, high and low, are not Xue Ju Zhous, whom will the king gave to do good with? What can one Xue Ju Zhou do alone for the king of Song?'
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
- 戴dàito support; to respect; to put on, to we
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimph
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 明míngbright, clear; to explain, to understand
- 告gàoto tell, to inform, to announce; to accu
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 楚chǔclear, distinct; pain, suffering; surnam
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 此cǐthis, these; in this case, then
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 語yǔwords, language; saying, expression
- 也yěalso, too
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 人rénman, person; people
- 傅fùtutor, teacher; to assist; surname
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 一yīone; a, an; alone
- 眾zhòngmultitude, crowd; masses, public
- 咻xiūto shout; to jeer at
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 日rìsun; day; daytime
- 撻tàto whip, to flog, to chastise
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 引yǐnto pull, to stretch; to draw; to attract
- 置zhìto lay out, to place, to set aside
- 莊zhuāngvillage, hamlet; villa, manor
- 嶽yuèmountain peak, summit
- 間jiānbetween, among; midpoint; space, place,
- 數shùcount, number, several
- 年niányear; anniversary; a person's age
- 亦yìalso, too; likewise
- 薛xuēwormwood, marsh grass; a feudal state
- 居jūto live, to reside; to dwell; to sit
- 州zhōustate, province, prefecture
- 士shìscholar, gentleman; soldier
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 在zàiat, in, on; to exist; used to indicate t
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 長zhǎnglong, lasting; to excel in
- 幼yòuinfant, young child; immature
- 卑bēihumble, low, inferior; to despise
- 尊zūnto honor, to respect, to venerate
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Zhuangzi Lieh Tzŭ
- Mencius 1A.7
- Zhuangzi The Empire
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
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.