孟子曰：「王之好樂甚，則齊國其庶幾乎！」
Mencius replied, 'If the king's love of music were very great, the kingdom of Qi would be near to a state of good government!'
他日，見於王曰：「王嘗語莊子以好樂，有諸？」
Another day, Mencius, having an interview with the king, said, 'Your Majesty, I have heard, told the officer Zhuang, that you love music - was it so?'
王變乎色，曰：「寡人非能好先王之樂也，直好世俗之樂耳。」
The king changed colour, and said, 'I am unable to love the music of the ancient sovereigns; I only love the music that suits the manners of the present age.'
今之樂猶古之樂也。」
The music of the present day is just like the music of antiquity, as regards effecting that.'
曰：「可得聞與？」
The king said, 'May I hear from you the proof of that?'
曰：「獨樂樂，與人樂樂，孰樂？」
Mencius asked, 'Which is the more pleasant - to enjoy music by yourself alone, or to enjoy it with others?'
曰：「不若與人。」
'To enjoy it with others,' was the reply.
曰：「與少樂樂，與眾樂樂，孰樂？」
'And which is the more pleasant - to enjoy music with a few, or to enjoy it with many?'
「臣請為王言樂：今王鼓樂於此，百姓聞王鐘鼓之聲，管籥之音，舉疾首蹙頞而相告曰：『吾王之好鼓樂，夫何使我至於此極也？
Mencius proceeded, 'Your servant begs to explain what I have said about music to your Majesty.
Now, your Majesty is having music here.
The people hear the noise of your bells and drums, and the notes of your fifes and pipes, and they all, with aching heads, knit their brows, and say to one another, "That's how our king likes his music!
But why does he reduce us to this extremity of distress?
今王田獵於此，百姓聞王車馬之音，見羽旄之美，舉疾首蹙頞而相告曰：『吾王之好田獵，夫何使我至於此極也？
Now, your Majesty is hunting here.
The people hear the noise of your carriages and horses, and see the beauty of your plumes and streamers, and they all, with aching heads, knit their brows, and say to one another, "That's how our king likes his hunting!
父子不相見，兄弟妻子離散。』
But why does he reduce us to this extremity of distress?
Fathers and sons cannot see one another.
Elder brothers and younger brothers, wives and children, are separated and scattered abroad."
此無他，不與民同樂也。」
Their feeling thus is from no other reason but that you do not allow the people to have pleasure as well as yourself.
「今王鼓樂於此，百姓聞王鐘鼓之聲，管籥之音，舉欣欣然有喜色而相告曰：『吾王庶幾無疾病與？
'Now, your Majesty is having music here.
The people hear the noise of your bells and drums, and the notes of your fifes and pipes, and they all, delighted, and with joyful looks, say to one another, "That sounds as if our king were free from all sickness!
今王田獵於此，百姓聞王車馬之音，見羽旄之美，舉欣欣然有喜色而相告曰『吾王庶幾無疾病與？
Now, your Majesty is hunting here.
The people hear the noise of your carriages and horses, and see the beauty of your plumes and streamers, and they all, delighted, and with joyful looks, say to one another, "That looks as if our king were free from all sickness!
此無他，與民同樂也。
Their feeling thus is from no other reason but that you cause them to have their pleasure as you have yours.
今王與百姓同樂，則王矣。」
If your Majesty now will make pleasure a thing common to the people and yourself, the royal sway awaits you.'
齊宣王問曰：「文王之囿方七十里，有諸？」
The king Xuan of Qi asked, 'Was it so, that the park of king Wen contained seventy square li?'
曰：「若是其大乎？」
'Was it so large as that?' exclaimed the king.
曰：「民猶以為小也。」
'The people,' said Mencius, 'still looked on it as small.'
曰：「寡人之囿方四十里，民猶以為大，何也？」
The king added, 'My park contains only forty square li, and the people still look on it as large.
How is this?'
曰：「文王之囿方七十里，芻蕘者往焉，雉兔者往焉，與民同之。
民以為小，不亦宜乎？
'The park of king Wen,' was the reply, 'contained seventy square li, but the grass-cutters and fuel-gatherers had the privilege of entrance into it; so also had the catchers of pheasants and hares.
He shared it with the people, and was it not with reason that they looked on it as small?
臣始至於境，問國之大禁，然後敢入。
臣聞郊關之內有囿方四十里，殺其麋鹿者如殺人之罪。
When I first arrived at the borders of your kingdom, I inquired about the great prohibitory regulations, before I would venture to enter it; and I heard, that inside the barrier-gates there was a park of forty square li, and that he who killed a deer in it, was held guilty of the same crime as if he had killed a man.