萬章曰：「父母愛之，喜而不忘；父母惡之，勞而不怨。
Now, Gong Ming Gao supposed that the heart of the filial son could not be so free of sorrow.
Shun would say, "I exert my strength to cultivate the fields, but I am thereby only discharging my office as a son.
What can there be in me that my parents do not love me?"
然則舜怨乎？」
The Di caused his own children, nine sons and two daughters, the various officers, oxen and sheep, storehouses and granaries, all to be prepared, to serve Shun amid the channelled fields.
曰：「長息問於公明高曰：『舜往于田，則吾既得聞命矣；號泣于旻天，于父母，則吾不知也。』
Of the scholars of the kingdom there were multitudes who flocked to him.
The sovereign designed that Shun should superintend the kingdom along with him, and then to transfer it to him entirely.
夫公明高以孝子之心，為不若是恝，我竭力耕田，共為子職而已矣，父母之不我愛，於我何哉？
To be delighted in by all the scholars of the kingdom, is what men desire, but it was not sufficient to remove the sorrow of Shun.
The possession of beauty is what men desire, and Shun had for his wives the two daughters of the Di, but this was not sufficient to remove his sorrow.
Riches are what men desire, and the kingdom was the rich property of Shun, but this was not sufficient to remove his sorrow.
Honours are what men desire, and Shun had the dignity of being sovereign, but this was not sufficient to remove his sorrow.
帝使其子九男二女，百官牛羊倉廩備，以事舜於畎畝之中。
The reason why the being the object of men's delight, with the possession of beauty, riches, and honours were not sufficient to remove his sorrow, was that it could be removed only by his getting his parents to be in accord with him.
天下之士多就之者，帝將胥天下而遷之焉。
The desire of the child is towards his father and mother.
When he becomes conscious of the attractions of beauty, his desire is towards young and beautiful women.
When he comes to have a wife and children, his desire is towards them.
When he obtains office, his desire is towards his sovereign - if he cannot get the regard of his sovereign, he burns within.
為不順於父母，如窮人無所歸。
But the man of great filial piety, to the end of his life, has his desire towards his parents.
天下之士悅之，人之所欲也，而不足以解憂；好色，人之所欲，妻帝之二女，而不足以解憂；富，人之所欲，富有天下，而不足以解憂；貴，人之所欲，貴為天子，而不足以解憂。
In the great Shun I see the case of one whose desire at fifty year's was towards them.'
人悅之、好色、富貴，無足以解憂者，惟順於父母，可以解憂。
Wan Zhang asked Mencius, saying, 'It is said in the Book of Poetry, "In marrying a wife, how ought a man to proceed?
He must inform his parents."
人少，則慕父母；知好色，則慕少艾；有妻子，則慕妻子；仕則慕君，不得於君則熱中。
If the rule be indeed as here expressed, no man ought to have illustrated it so well as Shun.
五十而慕者，予於大舜見之矣。」
Mencius replied, 'If he had informed them, he would not have been able to marry.
萬章問曰：「《詩》云：『娶妻如之何？
必告父母。』
That male and female should dwell together, is the greatest of human relations.
信斯言也，宜莫如舜。
If Shun had informed his parents, he must have made void this greatest of human relations, thereby incurring their resentment.
On this account, he did not inform them!'
舜之不告而娶，何也？」
Wan Zhang said, 'As to Shun's marrying without informing his parents, I have heard your instructions; but how was it that the Di Yao gave him his daughters as wives without informing Shun's parents?'
孟子曰：「告則不得娶。
Mencius said, 'The Di also knew that if he informed them, he could not marry his daughters to him.'
男女居室，人之大倫也。
Wan Zhang said, 'His parents set Shun to repair a granary, to which, the ladder having been removed, Gu Sou set fire.
如告，則廢人之大倫，以懟父母，是以不告也。」
They also made him dig a well.
He got out, but they, not knowing that, proceeded to cover him up.
萬章曰：「舜之不告而娶，則吾既得聞命矣；帝之妻舜而不告，何也？」
Xiang said, "Of the scheme to cover up the city-forming prince, the merit is all mine.
曰：「帝亦知告焉則不得妻也。」
Let my parents have his oxen and sheep.
Let them have his storehouses and granaries.
His shield and spear shall be mine.
His lute shall be mine.
His bow shall be mine.
His two wives I shall make attend for me to my bed."
萬章曰：「父母使舜完廩，捐階，瞽瞍焚廩。
Xiang then went away into Shun's palace, and there was Shun on his couch playing on his lute.
使浚井，出，從而揜之。
Xiang said, "I am come simply because I was thinking anxiously about you." At the same time, he blushed deeply.
象曰：『謨蓋都君咸我績。
Shun said to him, "There are all my officers - do you undertake the government of them for me."
牛羊父母，倉廩父母，干戈朕，琴朕，弤朕，二嫂使治朕棲。』
I do not know whether Shun was ignorant of Xiang's wishing to kill him.'