Sunday, May 30, 2010

A translation from the Mencius (《孟子 · 盡心下》)

I’m bored tonight, so why not translate something?


萬章問曰:“孔子在陳曰:‘盍歸乎來!吾黨之士狂簡,不忘其初。’孔子在陳,何思魯之狂士?”
Wan Zhang asked, “When Confucius was in Chen, he said, ‘Why should I not return! The scholars of my hometown are ambitious and simplistic, for they cannot forget their old ways.’ When Confucius was in Chen, why did he think of the ambitious scholars of Lu?”

孟子曰:“孔子‘不得中道而與之,必也狂獧乎。狂者進取,獧者有所不爲也。’孔子豈不欲中道哉?不可必得,故思其次也。”
Mencius said, “Confucius ‘could not find and be with those who had attained the Middle Way, so it was necessary to seek out the ambitious and the narrow-minded. The ambitious rush out to seize it; while there is that which the narrow-minded will not do.’ Did Confucius not want to find those who had attained the Middle Way? He could not be certain of finding them, and so he thought of their inferiors.”

“敢問何如斯可謂狂矣?”
“May I ask what sort of man is called ambitious?”

曰:“如琴張曾皙牧皮者,孔子之所謂狂矣。”
Mencius answered, “Men like Qin Zhang, Zeng Xi, and Du Pi were those whom Confucius called ambitious.”

“何以謂之狂也?”
“Why did he call them ambitious?”

曰:“其志嘐嘐然,曰:‘古之人!古之人!’夷考其行而不掩焉者也。
Mencius answered, “Their aim was to be grandiloquent; they said, ‘The men of old! The men of old!’ But if one considers their behavior, it did not match their words.

“狂者又不可得,欲得不屑不潔之士而與之。是獧也,是又其次也。孔子曰:‘過我門而不入我室,我不憾焉者,其惟鄉原乎。鄉原,德之賊也。’”
“And when Confucius could not find even the ambitious, he wished to find and be with scholars who would have nothing to do with the impure. These are the narrow-minded, and they are again inferior. Confucius said, ‘When they pass my door but do not enter my house, I do not regret it. They are only the village worthies. The village worthies are the thieves of virtue.’”

曰:“何如斯可謂鄉原矣?”
Wan Zhang asked, “Why did he call them village worthies?”

曰:“‘何以是嘐嘐然?言不顧行,行不顧言,則曰“古之人!古之人!”行,何爲踽踽涼涼?生斯世也,爲斯世也。善斯可矣。’閹然媚於世也者,是鄉原也。”
Mencius said, “[They are those who say] ‘Why all this grandiloquence? Their words do not accord with their actions; their actions do not accord with their words, and they say, “The men of old! The men of old!” Why is their behavior so cold and distant? We live in this age, let us act according to this age. It is enough to be a good person.’ Eunuch-like, they flatter their age. These are the village worthies.”

萬子曰:“一鄉皆稱原人焉,無所往而不爲原人。孔子以爲德之賊何哉?”
Wan Zhang said, “The whole village calls them honest men, and wherever they go, they act worthily. Why is it that Confucius saw them as thieves of virtue?”

曰:“非之無舉也,刺之無刺也。同乎流俗,合乎汙世。居之似忠信,行之似廉潔。眾皆悅之,自以爲是。而不可與入堯舜之道。故曰德之賊也。
Mencius replied, “If you would condemn them, there is nothing you could point out; if you would criticize them, you could find nothing to criticize. They go along with the prevailing customs; they are suited to a polluted age. Their habits seem to be loyal and honest; their behavior seems to be upright and pure. The masses all delight in them; and they themselves think they are correct. But one cannot enter with them into the way of Yao and Shun. Therefore are they called the thieves of virtue.

“孔子曰:‘惡似而非者。惡莠,恐其亂苗也。惡佞,恐其亂義也。惡利口,恐其亂信也。惡鄭聲,恐其亂樂也。惡紫,恐其亂朱也。惡鄉原,恐其亂德也。君子反經而已矣。經正,則庶民興。庶民興,斯無邪慝矣。’”
“Confucius said, ‘I hate that which appears to be, but is not. I hate the tares, for they may be confused for wheat. I hate smooth talk, for it may be confused for righteousness. I hate eloquence, for it may be confused for honesty. I hate the tones of Zheng, for they may be confused for music. I hate purple, for it may be confused for red. I hate the village worthies, for they may be confused for virtuous men. The Superior Man seeks only to restore the standard. When the standard is correct, then the common people will be inspired [to virtue]. When the common people are inspired, then public evil and private vice will be no more. ’”