Mencius 4B.7
Mencius (孟子), Book 4, Part II: Li Lou II 離婁下
孟子曰：「中也養不中，才也養不才，故人樂有賢父兄也。如中也棄不中，才也棄不才，則賢不肖之相去，其閒不能以寸。」
Mencius said, 'Those who keep the Mean, train up those who do not, and those who have abilities, train up those who have not, and hence men rejoice in having fathers and elder brothers who are possessed of virtue and talent. If they who keep the Mean spurn those who do not, and they who have abilities spurn those who have not, then the space between them - those so gifted and the ungifted - will not admit an inch.'
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
- 中zhōngcentral; center, middle; amidst; to hit
- 也yěalso, too
- 養yǎngto raise, to rear, to bring up; to suppo
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 才cáiability, talent, gift; just, only
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 人rénman, person; people
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 賢xiánvirtuous, worthy; good, able
- 父fùfather, dad
- 兄xiōngelder brother
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 棄qìto abandon, to discard, to reject; to de
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 肖xiàoto resemble, to look like; to be like
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 相xiāngmutual, reciprocal; equal; each other
- 去qùto go away, to leave, to depart
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 閒xiánleisure, idle time; tranquil, peaceful,
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 寸cùninch; small, tiny
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Mencius 1B.1
- Zhuangzi Opening Trunks
- 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.