Mencius Complete Translation

Author: Lu Guoyao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-01-01
Features:
Mencius, named Ke, styled Zi Yu, was a native of Zou in the Warring States period (now southeastern Zouchun County, Shandong Province), and a descendant of the noble Mengsun family of Lu. He was born around 372 BC and died in 289 BC. Orphaned in childhood, he received strict education from his virtuous mother. He moved three times to study near the school, learning the rites and rituals. Later, he studied under the disciples of Zisi, becoming the fourth-generation disciple of Confucius. The Confucian doctrine founded by Confucius became richer and more systematic a hundred years later due to Mencius's inheritance and development, eventually growing into a grand tree with deep roots and lush leaves in the garden of traditional Chinese culture. Mencius is a classic masterpiece of Confucianism and also the most important source for studying Mencius's life and teachings. Many inspiring and time-honored maxims originate from it. The editor's principle for annotation and translation is to extensively gather and compare, selecting the interpretations, words, and sentence structures that the editor believes best convey the original text. The editor focuses on translation, with the main approach being literal translation, minimizing free translation to reduce errors and avoid imposing personal interpretations on the text, while also providing convenience for beginners of classical Chinese. The language is carefully crafted to fit the context, characters, and style of the article, emphasizing conciseness and clarity.