说苑/孫卿曰：「少事長，賤事貴，不肖事賢，此天下之通義也。

孫卿曰：「少事長，賤事貴，不肖事賢，此天下之通義也。

Eric Henry

Sun Qing said, “The young serve the old, the base serve the noble, and the unworthy serve the worthy.

有人貴而不能為人上，賤而羞為人下，此姦人之心也。

Eric Henry

This is a principle accepted throughout the realm.

身不離姦心，而行不離姦道，然而求見譽於眾，不亦難乎！」

Eric Henry

Some people in high position are unable to fulfill their role as superiors, and some in low position think it discreditable to act as inferiors.

Eric Henry

This is to have the heart of a dishonest person. To remain fixed in dishonest ways of thinking and to act in dishonest ways, and yet to hope to obtain honor in the eyes of all—is not this difficult?