Mencius 4B.23
Mencius (孟子), Book 4, Part II: Li Lou II 離婁下
孟子曰：「可以取，可以無取，取傷廉；可以與，可以無與，與傷惠；可以死，可以無死，死傷勇。」
Mencius said, 'When it appears proper to take a thing, and afterwards not proper, to take it is contrary to moderation. When it appears proper to give a thing and afterwards not proper, to give it is contrary to kindness. When it appears proper to sacrifice one's life, and afterwards not proper, to sacrifice it is contrary to bravery.'
James Legge (1861), The Works of Mencius, The Chinese Classics vol. 2 (1861; 2nd ed. 1895); romanization modernized on Wikisource — public domain.
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 取qǔto take, to receive, to obtain; to selec
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 傷shāngto injure, to harm; wound, injury; to fa
- 廉liánupright, honorable, honest
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 惠huìfavor, benefit, blessing, kindness
- 死sǐdead; death; impassable, inflexible
- 勇yǒngbrave, courageous, fierce
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 50
- Zhuangzi On Swords
- Mencius 4B.33
- Analects 10.2
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
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.