Ancient Chinese Book 2 (Revised and Reprinted Edition)

Author: Wang Li
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-01-01
Features:
Fragment: [1] "Fei Gong" consists of three parts: upper, middle, and lower. Here, the upper part is selected. [2] The place where trees are planted is called a garden, and the place where vegetables are planted is called a vegetable plot. Here, "garden and vegetable plot" is a disyllabic compound word with a biased meaning, where the character "vegetable plot" has no independent meaning. [3] "Fei" means to criticize or reproach. [4] "For the ruler" refers to the person in power. "Get" here means to capture. [5] "Yi" means because. [6] "Zhi" means up to or even. "Rang" is explained in the notes to "Mencius·Rang Chicken." "Tun" refers to a young pig. [7] "Zi" is synonymous with "zi," meaning more. [8] "Hou" here means "heavy." [9] "Lan" refers to the ancient term for a pen for cattle and horses. "Ju" refers to a stable. Here, "lan ju" broadly refers to a pen for cattle and horses. [10] "Gou" means if or suppose. [11] "Gu" means a crime. "Ye" is an interjection that introduces the following context. [12] "Tu" is synonymous with "tu," meaning to drag or pull down. [13] "Dang ci" means in this situation. [14] "Wei" is a verb. "Attack a country" is a verb-object phrase used as the object. To kill one person is called injustice, and there must be one capital crime. [1] If this reasoning is applied [2] to killing ten people, it would be ten times more unjust, and there must be ten capital crimes. To kill a hundred people, it would be a hundred times more unjust, and there must be a hundred capital crimes. In this situation, all the gentlemen in the world know and criticize it as unjust. Now, if the greatest injustice is to attack a country, and people do not know to criticize it but instead praise it, calling it just. They do not truly understand its injustice [4], so they record their words to pass them on to future generations [5]; if they knew it was unjust, how could they explain recording such an unjust act to pass it on to future generations [6]? [1] "Yi" means one time (chong). [2] If this reasoning is extended. "Ruo" means if. "This reasoning" refers to the principle that "to kill one person, there must be one capital crime." "Wang" here is just a customary expression and does not have the meaning of "go," but only indicates an extension. [3] "Shi chong" means ten times. [4] "Qing cheng" means truly. [5] Therefore, they record the words praising the attack on a country to pass them on to future generations. [6] "Xi she" means how to explain. If there is a person here who has seen black days rarely and white days often, then we can conclude that this person does not know the difference between black and white [1]. If they have tasted bitterness rarely and sweetness often, then we must conclude that this person does not know the difference between bitterness and sweetness. Now, if a small injustice is committed, people know and criticize it; but if a great injustice occurs, such as attacking a country, and people do not know to criticize it but instead praise it, calling it just, can this be said to know the difference between justice and injustice? Therefore, it is clear that the gentlemen in the world are confused about the distinction between justice and injustice [2]. [1] "Bian" is synonymous with "bian," as in the following. [2] "Luan" means confusion, referring to confusing them as the same.