或問乎曾西曰；『吾子與子路孰賢？』
Some one asked Zeng Xi, saying, "Sir, to which do you give the superiority, to yourself or to Zi Lu?"
曾西蹴然曰：『吾先子之所畏也。』
Zeng Zi looked uneasy, and said, "He was an object of veneration to my grandfather."
曰：『然則吾子與管仲孰賢？』
Then, pursued the other, "Do you give the superiority to yourself or to Guan Zhong?"
管仲得君，如彼其專也；行乎國政，如彼其久也；功烈，如彼其卑也。
爾何曾比予於是？』」
Considering how entirely Guan Zhong possessed the confidence of his prince, how long he enjoyed the direction of the government of the State, and how low, after all, was what he accomplished - how is it that you liken me to him?"
曰：「管仲以其君霸，晏子以其君顯。
管仲、晏子猶不足為與？」
Gong Sun Chou said, 'Guan Zhong raised his prince to be the leader of all the other princes, and Yan made his prince illustrious, and do you still think it would not be enough for you to do what they did?'
曰：「以齊王，由反手也。」
Mencius answered, 'To raise Qi to the royal dignity would be as easy as it is to turn round the hand.'
曰：「若是，則弟子之惑滋甚。
'So!' returned the other. 'The perplexity of your disciple is hereby very much increased.
且以文王之德，百年而後崩，猶未洽於天下；武王、周公繼之，然後大行。
There was king Wen, moreover, with all the virtue which belonged to him; and who did not die till he had reached a hundred years - and still his influence had not penetrated throughout the kingdom.
It required king Wu and the duke of Zhou to continue his course, before that influence greatly prevailed.
今言王若易然，則文王不足法與？」
Now you say that the royal dignity might be so easily obtained - is king Wen then not a sufficient object for imitation?'
由湯至於武丁，賢聖之君六七作。
From Tang to Wu Ding there had appeared six or seven worthy and sage sovereigns.
天下歸殷久矣，久則難變也。
The kingdom had been attached to Yin for a long time, and this length of time made a change difficult.
武丁朝諸侯有天下，猶運之掌也。
Wu Ding had all the princes coming to his court, and possessed the kingdom as if it had been a thing which he moved round in his palm.
紂之去武丁未久也，其故家遺俗，流風善政，猶有存者；又有微子、微仲、王子比干、箕子、膠鬲皆賢人也，相與輔相之，故久而後失之也。
Then, Zhou was removed from Wu Ding by no great interval of time.
There were still remaining some of the ancient families and of the old manners, of the influence also which had emanated from the earlier sovereigns, and of their good government.
Moreover, there were the viscount of Wei and his second son, their Royal Highnesses Bi Gan and the viscount of Qi, and Jiao Ge, all men of ability and virtue, who gave their joint assistance to Zhou in his government.
In consequence of these things, it took a long time for him to lose the throne.
尺地莫非其有也，一民莫非其臣也，然而文王猶方百里起，是以難也。
There was not a foot of ground which he did not possess.
There was not one of all the people who was not his subject.
So it was on his side, and king Wen at his beginning had only a territory of one hundred square li.
On all these accounts, it was difficult for him immediately to attain to the royal dignity.
齊人有言曰：『雖有智慧，不如乘勢；雖有鎡基，不如待時。』
The people of Qi have a saying - "A man may have wisdom and discernment, but that is not like embracing the favourable opportunity.
A man may have instruments of husbandry, but that is not like waiting for the farming seasons."
「今時則易然也。
The present time is one in which the royal dignity may be easily attained.
夏后、殷、周之盛，地未有過千里者也，而齊有其地矣；雞鳴狗吠相聞，而達乎四境，而齊有其民矣。
In the flourishing periods of the Xia, Yin, and Zhou dynasties, the royal domain did not exceed a thousand li, and Qi embraces so much territory.
Cocks crow and dogs bark to one another, all the way to the four borders of the State - so Qi possesses the people.
地不改辟矣，民不改聚矣，行仁政而王，莫之能禦也。
No change is needed for the enlarging of its territory; no change is needed for the collecting of a population.
If its ruler will put in practice a benevolent government, no power will be able to prevent his becoming sovereign.
且王者之不作，未有疏於此時者也；民之憔悴於虐政，未有甚於此時者也。
Moreover, never was there a time farther removed than the present from the rise of a true sovereign: never was there a time when the sufferings of the people from tyrannical government were more intense than the present.
飢者易為食，渴者易為飲。
The hungry readily partake of any food, and the thirsty of any drink.
孔子曰：『德之流行，速於置郵而傳命。』
Confucius said, "The flowing progress of virtue is more rapid than the transmission of royal orders by stages and couriers."
當今之時，萬乘之國行仁政，民之悅之，猶解倒懸也。
At the present time, in a country of ten thousand chariots, let benevolent government be put in practice, and the people will be delighted with it, as if they were relieved from hanging by the heels.