Mencius 7A.34
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part I: Jin Xin I 盡心上
孟子曰：「仲子，不義與之齊國而弗受，人皆信之，是舍簞食豆羹之義也。人莫大焉亡親戚、君臣、上下。以其小者信其大者，奚可哉？」
Mencius said, 'Supposing that the kingdom of Qi were offered, contrary to righteousness, to Chen Zhong, he would not receive it, and all people believe in him, as a man of the highest worth. But this is only the righteousness which declines a dish of rice or a plate of soup. A man can have no greater crimes than to disown his parents and relatives, and the relations of sovereign and minister, superiors and inferiors. How can it be allowed to give a man credit for the great excellences because he possesses a small one?'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 仲zhòngmiddle brother; go between, mediator; su
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 義yìright conduct, propriety; justice
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 弗fúnot, negative
- 受shòuto receive, to get, to accept; to bear
- 人rénman, person; people
- 皆jiēall, every, everybody
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 舍shěhouse, dwelling; to reside, to dwell; to
- 簞dāna small bamboo basket for rice
- 食shífood; to eat
- 豆dòubeans, peas; bean-shaped
- 羹gēngsoup, broth
- 也yěalso, too
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 焉yānwhy? where? how?; strange; thereupon, th
- 亡wángdeath, destruction; to lose; to perish
- 親qīnrelatives, parents; intimate; the hazeln
- 戚qīashamed, grieving; related to; relative
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 臣chénminister, statesman, official, vassal
- 上shàngabove, on top, superior; to go up; to at
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 奚xīwhere, what, why, how
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Mencius 2B.2
- Mencius 7B.11
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Mencius 6A.10
- Zhuangzi On Swords
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.