Mencius 7A.29
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part I: Jin Xin I 盡心上
孟子曰：「有為者辟若掘井，掘井九軔而不及泉，猶為棄井也。」
Mencius said, 'A man with definite aims to be accomplished may be compared to one digging a well. To dig the well to a depth of seventy-two cubits, and stop without reaching the spring, is after all throwing away the well.'
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
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 辟pìlaw, rule; to open up, to develop
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 掘juéto dig, to excavate
- 井jǐngwell, mine shaft, pit
- 九jiǔnine
- 軔rènbrake
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 及jíto extend; to reach; and; in time
- 泉quánspring, fountain; wealth, money
- 猶yóusimilar to, just like, as
- 棄qìto abandon, to discard, to reject; to de
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
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.