亦有仁義而已矣。
What I am provided with, are counsels to benevolence and righteousness, and these are my only topics.
大夫曰『何以利吾家』?
the great officers will say, "What is to be done to profit our families?"
士庶人曰『何以利吾身』?
and the inferior officers and the common people will say, "What is to be done to profit our persons?"
上下交征利而國危矣。
Superiors and inferiors will try to snatch this profit the one from the other, and the kingdom will be endangered.
萬乘之國弒其君者,必千乘之家;千乘之國弒其君者,必百乘之家。
In the kingdom of ten thousand chariots, the murderer of his sovereign shall be the chief of a family of a thousand chariots.
In the kingdom of a thousand chariots, the murderer of his prince shall be the chief of a family of a hundred chariots.
苟為後義而先利,不奪不饜。
but if righteousness be put last, and profit be put first, they will not be satisfied without snatching all.
未有仁而遺其親者也,未有義而後其君者也。
There never has been a benevolent man who neglected his parents.
There never has been a righteous man who made his sovereign an after consideration.
王亦曰仁義而已矣,何必曰利?」
Let your Majesty also say, "Benevolence and righteousness, and let these be your only themes." Why must you use that word - "profit?"
孟子見梁惠王,王立於沼上,顧鴻鴈麋鹿,曰:「賢者亦樂此乎?」
Mencius, another day, saw King Hui of Liang.
The king went and stood with him by a pond, and, looking round at the large geese and deer, said, 'Do wise and good princes also find pleasure in these things?'
孟子對曰:「賢者而後樂此,不賢者雖有此,不樂也。
Mencius replied, 'Being wise and good, they have pleasure in these things.
If they are not wise and good, though they have these things, they do not find pleasure.
《詩》云:『經始靈臺,經之營之,庶民攻之,不日成之。
It is said in the Book of Poetry, "He measured out and commenced his marvellous tower; He measured it out and planned it.
The people addressed themselves to it, And in less than a day completed it.
經始勿亟,庶民子來。
When he measured and began it, he said to them - Be not so earnest: But the multitudes came as if they had been his children.
王在靈囿,麀鹿攸伏,麀鹿濯濯,白鳥鶴鶴。
The king was in his marvellous park; The does reposed about, The does so sleek and fat: And the white birds came glistening.
王在靈沼,於牣魚躍。』
The king was by his marvellous pond; How full was it of fishes leaping about!"
文王以民力為臺為沼。
King Wen used the strength of the people to make his tower and his pond,
而民歡樂之,謂其臺曰靈臺,謂其沼曰靈沼,樂其有麋鹿魚鼈。
and yet the people rejoiced to do the work, calling the tower "the marvellous tower," calling the pond "the marvellous pond," and rejoicing that he had his large deer, his fishes, and turtles.
古之人與民偕樂,故能樂也。
The ancients caused the people to have pleasure as well as themselves, and therefore they could enjoy it.
《湯誓》曰:『時日害喪?
In the Declaration of Tang it is said, "O sun, when wilt thou expire?
予及女偕亡。』
We will die together with thee."
民欲與之偕亡,雖有臺池鳥獸,豈能獨樂哉?」
The people wished for Jie's death, though they should die with him.
Although he had towers, ponds, birds, and animals, how could he have pleasure alone?'
梁惠王曰:「寡人之於國也,盡心焉耳矣。
King Hui of Liang said, 'Small as my virtue is, in the government of my kingdom, I do indeed exert my mind to the utmost.
河內凶,則移其民於河東,移其粟於河內。
If the year be bad on the inside of the river, I remove as many of the people as I can to the east of the river, and convey grain to the country in the inside.
河東凶亦然。
When the year is bad on the east of the river, I act on the same plan.
察鄰國之政,無如寡人之用心者。
On examining the government of the neighboring kingdoms, I do not find that there is any prince who exerts his mind as I do.