Mencius 7B.34
Mencius (孟子), Book 7, Part II: Jin Xin II 盡心下
孟子曰：「說大人，則藐之，勿視其巍巍然。堂高數仞，榱題數尺，我得志弗為也；食前方丈，侍妾數百人，我得志弗為也；般樂飲酒，驅騁田獵，後車千乘，我得志弗為也。在彼者，皆我所不為也；在我者，皆古之制也，吾何畏彼哉？」
Mencius said, 'Those who give counsel to the great should despise them, and not look at their pomp and display. Halls several times eight cubits high, with beams projecting several cubits; these, if my wishes were to be realized, I would not have. Food spread before me over ten cubits square, and attendants and concubines to the amount of hundreds; these, though my wishes were realized, I would not have. Pleasure and wine, and the dash of hunting, with thousands of chariots following after me; these, though my wishes were realized, I would not have. What they esteem are what I would have nothing to do with; what I esteem are the rules of the ancients. Why should I stand in awe of them?'
Character glossary
- 孟mèngfirst in a series; great, eminent
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 說shuōto speak, to say; to scold, to upbraid
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 人rénman, person; people
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 藐miǎoto despise, to disdain; to disregard, to
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 勿wùmust not, do not; without, never
- 視shìto look at, to inspect, to observe, to r
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 巍wēihigh, lofty; eminent, majestic
- 然ráncertainly; naturally; suddenly
- 堂tánghall, large room; government office; cou
- 高gāotall, lofty; high, elevated
- 數shùcount, number, several
- 仞rènancient unit of measure (about 8 feet);
- 榱cuīrafter
- 題tíforehead; headline, title; theme
- 尺chǐruler, tape-measure; unit of length, abo
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 志zhìdetermination, will; mark, sign; to reco
- 弗fúnot, negative
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 也yěalso, too
- 食shífood; to eat
- 前qiánin front, forward; former, preceding
- 方fāngsquare, rectangle; side; region; flag
- 丈zhànggentleman, man, husband; unit of length
- 侍shìto serve, to attend upon; servant, atten
- 妾qièconcubine
- 百bǎione hundred; numerous, many
- 般bānsort, manner, kind, class
- 樂lècheerful, happy, laughing; music
- 飲yǐnto swallow, to drink; a kind of drink
- 酒jiǔwine, spirits, liquor, alcohol
- 驅qūto spur a horse on; to expel, to drive a
- 騁chěngto gallop, to hasten, to hurry
- 田tiánfield, farm, arable land; cultivated
- 獵lièhunting; field sports
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 車chēcart, vehicle; to move in a cart
- 千qiānthousand; many, numerous; very
- 乘chéngride, mount; to make use of; to ascend;
- 在zàiat, in, on; to exist; used to indicate t
- 彼bǐthat, those, the other
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 皆jiēall, every, everybody
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 古gǔold, classic, ancient
- 制zhìsystem; to establish; to manufacture; to
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 何héwhat, why, where, which, how
- 畏wèifear, dread, awe, reverence
- 哉zāifinal exclamatory particle
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.