Mencius 7B.23
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part II: Jin Xin II 盡心下
齊饑。陳臻曰：「國人皆以夫子將復為發棠，殆不可復。」孟子曰：「是為馮婦也。晉人有馮婦者，善搏虎，卒為善士。則之野，有眾逐虎。虎負嵎，莫之敢攖。望見馮婦，趨而迎之。馮婦攘臂下車。眾皆悅之，其為士者笑之。」
When Qi was suffering from famine, Chen Zhen said to Mencius, 'The people are all thinking that you, Master, will again ask that the granary of Tang be opened for them. I apprehend you will not do so a second time.'
Mencius said, 'To do it would be to act like Feng Fu. There was a man of that name in Jin, famous for his skill in seizing tigers. Afterwards he became a scholar of reputation, and going once out to the wild country, he found the people all in pursuit of a tiger. The tiger took refuge in a corner of a hill, where no one dared to attack him, but when they saw Feng Fu, they ran and met him. Feng Fu immediately bared his arms, and descended from the carriage. The multitude were pleased with him, but those who were scholars laughed at him.'
Character glossary
- 齊qíeven, uniform, of equal length
- 饑jīfamine; to starve, to go hungry
- 陳chénto display, to exhibit; to plead; surnam
- 臻zhēnto reach, to arrive; utmost, superior
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 人rénman, person; people
- 皆jiēall, every, everybody
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 復fùagain, repeatedly; copy, duplicate; to r
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 發fāto issue, to dispatch, to send out; hair
- 棠tángcrabapple tree; wild plum
- 殆dàialmost, probably; danger, peril; to enda
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 馮féngto gallop; by dint of; surname
- 婦fùmarried woman; wife
- 也yěalso, too
- 晉jìnto advance; to increase; to promote
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 搏bócombat; to fight; to strike
- 虎hǔtiger; brave, fierce; surname
- 卒zúsoldier; servant; at last, finally
- 士shìscholar, gentleman; soldier
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 野yěfield, open country; wilderness
- 眾zhòngmultitude, crowd; masses, public
- 逐zhúto pursue; to expel; step by step
- 負fùload, burden; to carry, to bear
- 嵎yúmountain recess; canyon
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 敢gǎnbold, brave; to dare, to venture
- 攖yīngoppose, offend, run counter to
- 望wàngto expect, to hope, to look forward to
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 趨qūto hurry, to hasten; to approach, to be
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 迎yíngto welcome, to receive, to greet
- 攘rǎngto usurp, to seize; to repel
- 臂bìarm
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 車chēcart, vehicle; to move in a cart
- 悅yuècontented, gratified, pleased
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 笑xiàoto smile, to laugh; to giggle; to snicke
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi Hsü Wu Kuei
- Mencius 7B.37
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Mencius 5A.9
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.