Mencius 7A.41
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part I: Jin Xin I 盡心上
公孫丑曰：「道則高矣，美矣，宜若登天然，似不可及也。何不使彼為可幾及而日孳孳也？」孟子曰：「大匠不為拙工改廢繩墨，羿不為拙射變其彀率。君子引而不發，躍如也。中道而立，能者從之。」
Gong Sun Chou said, 'Lofty are your principles and admirable, but to learn them may well be likened to ascending the heavens - something which cannot be reached. Why not adapt your teaching so as to cause learners to consider them attainable, and so daily exert themselves!'
Mencius said, 'A great artificer does not, for the sake of a stupid workman, alter or do away with the marking-line. Yi did not, for the sake of a stupid archer, charge his rule for drawing the bow. The superior man draws the bow, but does not discharge the arrow, having seemed to leap with it to the mark; and he there stands exactly in the middle of the path. Those who are able, follow him.'
Character glossary
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 孫sūngrandchild, descendent; surname
- 丑chǒuugly; shameful; comedian, clown
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 高gāotall, lofty; high, elevated
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
- 美měibeautiful, pretty; pleasing
- 宜yífitting, proper, right; what one should
- 若ruòif, supposing, assuming; similar
- 登dēngto rise, to mount, to board, to climb
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 似shìresembling, similar to; as if, to seem
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 及jíto extend; to reach; and; in time
- 也yěalso, too
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 彼bǐthat, those, the other
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 幾jǐsmall table; how many; a few, some
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 日rìsun; day; daytime
- 孳zīto breed; to produce, to bear; to grow r
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 匠jiàngartisan, craftsman, workman
- 拙zhuōawkward, clumsy; dull, stupid
- 工gōnglabor, work; laborer, worker
- 改gǎito alter, to change, to improve, to remo
- 廢fèito terminate; to discard; to abgrogate
- 繩shéngstring, rope, cord; to control
- 墨mòink; writing; Mexico
- 羿yìa legendary archer
- 射shèto shoot, to eject, to emit
- 變biànto change, to transform, to alter; rebel
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 彀gòuenough; quite
- 率lǜto command, to lead; rate, ratio, propor
- 君jūnsovereign, ruler, prince, monarch, chief
- 引yǐnto pull, to stretch; to draw; to attract
- 發fāto issue, to dispatch, to send out; hair
- 躍yuèto skip, to jump, to frolic
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 中zhōngcentral; center, middle; amidst; to hit
- 立lìto stand; to establish, to set up
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Zhuangzi Lieh Tzŭ
- Zhuangzi Transcendental Bliss
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Mencius 2B.2
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.