Fa Yan (法言)

學行之，上也；言之，次也；教人，又其次也；鹹無焉，為眾人。

To put what one has learned into practice is the highest; to be able to relate it is next; to be able to teach it to others is next after that; one who has none of these is merely an ordinary person.

或曰：「人羨久生，將以學也，可謂好學已乎？」曰：「未之好也。學不羨。」

Someone said: "People admire long life so that they can use it for study; can that be called loving learning?" Yang Xiong said: "Not yet truly loving learning. One who truly loves learning does not make long life a condition for study."

天之道不在仲尼乎？仲尼駕說者也，不在茲儒乎？如將復駕其所說，則莫若使諸儒金口而木舌。

Is the Way of Heaven not in Confucius? Confucius was the one who carried this Way and handed it down; is it not now in these Confucians? If one wants to carry on what he handed down, it would be better to let the many Confucians be wooden-tongued bells with metal clappers, proclaiming and teaching just as Confucius did.

或曰：「學無益也，如質何？」曰：「未之思矣。夫有刀者礲諸，有玉者錯諸。不礲不錯，焉攸用？礲而錯諸，質在其中矣。否則輟。」

Someone said: "If study brings no benefit, what use is natural endowment?" Yang Xiong said: "That is not thought through. One who has a knife must whet it; one who has jade must polish it. Without whetting and polishing, what use are they? Once whetted and polished, the quality is within them. If one will not do this, then stop."

螟𧕅之子殪而逢，蜾蠃祝之曰：「類我，類我。」久則肖之矣。速哉，七十子之肖仲尼也！

When the young of the mingling moth die and a mud wasp comes upon them, the wasp prays over them: "Be like me, be like me." After a time they become like the wasp. If Confucius' seventy disciples were like Confucius, that would be quick indeed!

學以治之，思以精之，朋友以磨之，名譽以崇之，不倦以終之，可謂好學也已矣。

Use study to govern one's nature and feelings, use thought to refine them, use friends to hone and sharpen oneself, use reputation to elevate it, and use tirelessness to carry it through to the end; only then may one be called loving learning.

孔子習周公者也，顏淵習孔子者也。羿、逄蒙分其弓，良捨其策，般投其斧而習諸，孰曰非也？或曰：「此名也，彼名也，處一焉而已矣。」曰：「川有瀆，山有嶽，高而且大者，眾人所能踰也。」

Confucius was one who learned from the Duke of Zhou, and Yan Yuan was one who learned from Confucius. If Hou Yi and Peng Meng were willing to lay down their bows, Wang Liang to lay down his whip, and Gongshu Ban to cast down his axe, and all came to learn from the Duke of Zhou and Confucius, who could say it was wrong? Someone said: "This is one kind of fame and that is another; being in just one of them is enough." Yang Xiong said: "Among rivers there are great channels, and among hills there are the Five Peaks; those that are lofty and great are just what the multitude can climb and look up to."

或問：「世言鑄金，金可鑄與？」曰：「吾聞覿君子者，問鑄人，不問鑄金。」或曰：「人可鑄與？」曰：「孔子鑄顏淵矣。」或人踧爾曰：「旨哉！問鑄金，得鑄人。」

Someone asked: "The world speaks of casting gold; can gold truly be cast?" Yang Xiong said: "I have heard that those who go to see a gentleman ask how to cast a person, not how to cast gold." Someone said: "Can a person be cast too?" Yang Xiong said: "Confucius has already cast Yan Yuan." The man respectfully marveled: "How meaningful! I asked about casting gold and received an answer about casting a person."

學者，所以修性也。視、聽、言、貌、思，性所有也。學則正，否則邪。

Learning is what is used to cultivate one's nature. Seeing, hearing, speaking, appearance and thought are all part of one's nature. With learning they are upright; without learning they are crooked.

師哉！師哉！桐子之命也。務學不如務求師。師者，人之模範也。模不模，範不範，為不少矣。

Teachers! Teachers! On them the fate of a child hangs. Striving at study is not as good as striving to find a teacher. A teacher is a person's model. Models that do not resemble a model and molds that do not resemble a mold are truly not few.

一閧之市，不勝異意焉；一卷之書，不勝異說焉。一閧之市，必立之平；一卷之書，必立之師。

A single market street cannot hold so many different asking prices; a single scroll of text cannot hold so many different explanations. A single market street must set one fair market price; a single scroll of text must set one teacher.

習乎習！以習非之勝是也，況習是之勝非乎？於戲，學者審其是而已矣！或曰：「焉知是而習之？」曰：「視日月而知眾星之蔑也，仰聖人而知眾說之小也。」

Habit! Habit! The force of habituation to error can overcome what is right, so how much more can habituation to what is right overcome error? Alas, a student need only examine what is right! Someone said: "How can one know what is right so as to become habituated to it?" Yang Xiong said: "When you see the sun and moon, you know how faint the stars are; when you look up at the sage, you know how tiny the various doctrines are."

學之為王者事，其已久矣。堯、舜、禹、湯、文、武汲汲，仲尼皇皇，其已久矣。

Study has been the proper work of a king for a very long time. Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, King Wen and King Wu pursued learning with urgency, and Confucius pursued learning in haste; all of this has been so for a very long time.

或問「進」。曰：「水。」或曰：「為其不捨晝夜與？」曰：「有是哉！滿而後漸者，其水乎？」或問「鴻漸」。曰：「非其往不往，非其居不居，漸猶水乎！」「請問木漸。」曰：「止於下而漸於上者，其木也哉！亦猶水而已矣。」

Someone asked about "advancing". Yang Xiong said: "Like water." Someone said: "Because it does not stop day or night?" Yang Xiong said: "There is something in that! Is it not water that fills up and then soaks forward?" Someone asked about "the wild goose's gradual progress" (in the Book of Changes, the hexagram Jian takes the wild goose as its image). Yang Xiong said: "Not going where it should not go, and not stopping where it should not stop, advancing thus gradually, is still like water!" "May I ask about the gradual growth of trees?" Yang Xiong said: "Is it not trees that are rooted below and grow gradually upward? That too is just like water."

吾未見斧藻其德若斧藻其楶者也。

I have never seen anyone who takes as much trouble to adorn his own virtue as he does to adorn the short posts on the roof beams.

鳥獸觸其情者也，眾人則異乎！賢人則異眾人矣，聖人則異賢人矣。禮義之作，有以矣夫。人而不學，雖無憂，如禽何？

Birds and beasts follow wherever their desires are stirred; ordinary people should be different from them! Worthy persons are again different from ordinary people, and sages again different from worthy persons. Rites (the forms and rules of ceremony) were made for good reason. If a person does not learn, then even without troubles, what difference is there between him and the birds and beasts?

學者，所以求為君子也。求而不得者有矣，夫未有不求而得之者也。

Learning is the means of seeking to be a gentleman. There are those who seek and do not obtain, but there has never been one who obtained without seeking.

睎驥之馬，亦驥之乘也。睎顏之人，亦顏之徒也。或曰：「顏徒易乎？」曰：「睎之則是。」曰：「昔顏嘗睎夫子矣，正考甫嘗睎尹吉甫矣，公子奚斯嘗睎尹吉甫矣。不欲睎則已矣，如欲睎，孰禦焉？」

A horse that looks up to a thousand-mile steed becomes a mount of the thousand-mile kind; a person who looks up to Yan Yuan becomes a person of Yan Yuan's kind. Someone said: "Is it easy to be a disciple of Yan Yuan?" Yang Xiong said: "If one is willing to look up to him, that is it." He also said: "In the past Yan Yuan looked up to Confucius, Zheng Kaofu looked up to Yin Jifu, and Prince Xi Si looked up to Yin Jifu. If you do not wish to look up to someone, so be it; if you do wish to, who can stop you?"

或曰：「書與經同，而世不尚，治之可乎？」曰：「可。」或人啞爾笑曰：「須以發策決科。」曰：「大人之學也為道，小人之學也為利。子為道乎？為利乎？」或曰：「耕不穫，獵不饗，耕獵乎？」曰：「耕道而得道，獵德而得德，是穫饗已，吾不覩參、辰之相比也。」是以君子貴遷善。遷善者，聖人之徒與！百川學海而至於海，丘陵學山不至於山，是故惡夫畫也。

Someone said: "There are some books that agree with the Classics but that the world does not esteem; may one study them?" Yang Xiong said: "One may." The man laughed silently and said: "Surely one must rely on them to pass examinations and obtain a degree." Yang Xiong said: "The learning of the great person is for the sake of the Way; the learning of the small person is for the sake of profit. Are you for the Way, or for profit?" Someone said: "If I plow and get no harvest, hunt and get nothing to eat, should I still plow and hunt?" Yang Xiong said: "Plow the Way and you obtain the Way; hunt for virtue and you obtain virtue; that is already the harvest and the catch. I have never seen the stars Shen and Chen appear side by side (an image meaning that the Way and profit cannot coexist)." Therefore the gentleman values moving toward the good. One who can move toward the good is surely a disciple of the sage! A hundred rivers study the sea and so reach the sea, but hills study the mountains and cannot reach the mountains; so what is most to be disliked is giving up halfway and drawing a line to stop oneself.

頻頻之黨，甚於𪇬斯，亦賊夫糧食而已矣。朋而不心，面朋也；友而不心，面友也。

Those who form cliques and come and go in crowds, worse even than the crows, do no more than waste grain. To be a companion without opening one's heart face to face is only an outward companion; to be a friend without opening one's heart face to face is only an outward friend.

或謂：「子之治產，不如丹圭之富。」曰：「吾聞先生相與言，則以仁與義；市井相與言，則以財與利。如其富，如其富！」或曰：「先生生無以養也，死無以葬也，如之何？」曰：「以其所以養，養之至也；以其所以葬，葬之至也。」

Someone said: "In running a business, you are not as wealthy as Dan Gui." Yang Xiong said: "I have heard that virtuous gentlemen, when together, talk of benevolence (the original heart of loving people and things) and righteousness (each matter getting its due); people of the marketplace, when together, talk of wealth and profit. What of that wealth! What of that wealth!" Someone said: "If, while alive, you cannot provide for yourself, and when dead cannot be buried, what then?" Yang Xiong said: "To provide for oneself with the very principles that ought to be used for providing is the utmost of providing; to bury with the very principles that ought to be used for burying is the utmost of burying."

或曰：「猗頓之富以為孝，不亦至乎？顏其餒矣！」曰：「彼以其粗，顏以其精；彼以其回，顏以其貞。顏其劣乎？顏其劣乎？」

Someone said: "Practicing filial piety with the wealth of a Yi Dun, is that not the utmost? Yan Yuan would go hungry!" Yang Xiong said: "That man uses the coarse, Yan Yuan uses the refined; that man uses the crooked, Yan Yuan uses the straight. Was Yan Yuan lacking? Was Yan Yuan lacking?"

或曰：「使我紆朱懷金，其樂可量也。」曰：「紆朱懷金者之樂，不如顏氏子之樂。顏氏子之樂也內，紆朱懷金者之樂也外。」或曰：「請問屢空之內。」曰：「顏不孔，雖得天下，不足以為樂。」「然亦有苦乎？」曰：「顏苦孔之卓之至也。」或人瞿然曰：「茲苦也，祇其所以為樂也與！」

Someone said: "If I were made to wear a vermilion sash and carry a gold seal in my bosom, the joy would be beyond measure." Yang Xiong said: "The joy of one who wears a vermilion sash and carries a gold seal does not compare with the joy of Yan Yuan. Yan Yuan's joy is within; the joy of one who wears a vermilion sash and carries a gold seal is without." Someone said: "May I ask what that inner joy is, amid repeated poverty?" Yang Xiong said: "If Yan Yuan were not like Confucius, then even if he gained the world it would not be enough for joy." "Then is there also bitterness?" Yang Xiong said: "What Yan Yuan found bitter was that Confucius' excellence reached its utmost and he could not catch up." The man exclaimed in astonishment: "This very bitterness must be the reason for his joy!"

曰：「有教立道，無止仲尼；有學術業，無止顏淵。」或曰：「立道，仲尼不可為思矣。術業，顏淵不可為力矣。」曰：「未之思也，孰禦焉？」

Yang Xiong said: "With teaching in place and the Way established, no one can stop the influence of Confucius; with learning and the practice of one's work, no one can stop Yan Yuan." Someone said: "As to establishing the Way, Confucius cannot be reached by thought; as to practicing one's work, Yan Yuan cannot be reached by strength." Yang Xiong said: "That is because you have not thought about it; who can stop you?"

或問：「吾子少而好賦。」曰：「然。童子彫蟲篆刻。」俄而曰：「壯夫不為也。」或曰：「賦可以諷乎？」曰：「諷乎！諷則已；不已，吾恐不免於勸也。」或曰：「霧縠之組麗。」曰：「女工之蠹矣。」《劒客論》曰：「劒可以愛身。」曰：「狴犴使人多禮乎？」

Someone asked: "In your youth you liked writing rhapsodies." Yang Xiong said: "Yes. That was a child's minor craft, like insect-carving and seal-engraving." After a while he added: "A grown man does not do this." Someone said: "Can a rhapsody be used for remonstrance?" Yang Xiong said: "Remonstrance! If it can serve as remonstrance, well and good; if it cannot stop the thing, I fear it would only end up urging people to take up those very pursuits." Someone said: "Woven as splendidly as misty gauze." Yang Xiong said: "That is the bane of women's work." The Jianke Lun says: "A sword can be used to protect oneself." Yang Xiong said: "Can a prison make a person more courteous?"

或問：「景差、唐勒、宋玉、枚乘之賦也，益乎？」曰：「必也淫。」「淫則柰何？」曰：「詩人之賦麗以則，辭人之賦麗以淫。如孔氏之門用賦也，則賈誼升堂，相如入室矣。如其不用何？」

Someone asked: "Do the rhapsodies of Jing Cha, Tang Le, Song Yu and Mei Cheng bring any benefit?" Yang Xiong said: "They must be excessive in their elaboration." "And what if they are excessive?" Yang Xiong said: "The rhapsodies of the poets are splendid yet orderly; the rhapsodies of the rhetoricians are splendid yet excessive. If rhapsodies had been of use in Confucius' school, then Jia Yi could have ascended the hall and Sima Xiangru could have entered the inner chamber. But they were not used, so what can be done?"

或問蒼蠅紅、紫，曰：「明視。」問鄭、衛之似，曰：「聰聽。」或曰：「朱、曠不世，如之何？」曰：「亦精之而已矣。」

Someone asked about the red and purple of the fly, and Yang Xiong said: "Make your eyesight clear." Asked about the near-right but wrong music of Zheng and Wei, Yang Xiong said: "Make your hearing keen." Someone said: "Li Zhu and Shi Kuang do not appear in every age; what then?" Yang Xiong said: "It is only a matter of using sight and hearing with refinement."

或問：「交五聲、十二律也，或雅或鄭，何也？」曰：「中正則雅，多哇則鄭。」「請問本。」曰：「黃鍾以生之，中正以平之，確乎鄭、衛不能入也！」

Someone asked: "When the five notes and twelve pitch pipes are combined, some become elegant and some become Zheng-style; why?" Yang Xiong said: "What is balanced and upright is elegant; what is excessively licentious is Zheng-style." "May I ask about the root?" Yang Xiong said: "Let it arise from the Huangzhong pipe, and level it with what is balanced and upright, and the music of Zheng and Wei will certainly not get in!"

或曰：「女有色，書亦有色乎？」曰：「有。女惡華丹之亂窈窕也，書惡淫辭之淈法度也。」

Someone said: "Women have beauty; do books also have beauty?" Yang Xiong said: "They do. What a woman most dislikes is white powder and rouge confusing her natural beauty; what a book most dislikes is licentious language confusing its standards."

或問：「屈原智乎？」曰：「如玉如瑩，爰變丹青。如其智！如其智！」

Someone asked: "Was Qu Yuan wise?" Yang Xiong said: "Like jade, like a gem, yet he became red and blue pigment. That wisdom! That wisdom!"

或問：「君子尚辭乎？」曰：「君子事之為尚。事勝辭則伉，辭勝事則賦，事、辭稱則經。足言足容，德之藻矣。」

Someone asked: "Does the gentleman value literary elegance?" Yang Xiong said: "What the gentleman values is substance. When substance outweighs style it is stiff; when style outweighs substance it is like a rhapsody; when substance and style match, it is a classic. When words are full and demeanor is full, that is the literary brilliance of virtue."

或問：「公孫龍詭辭數萬以為法，法與？」曰：「斷木為棊，捖革為鞠，亦皆有法焉。不合乎先王之法者，君子不法也。」

Someone asked: "Gongsun Long used tens of thousands of words of sophistry as his rules; are those rules?" Yang Xiong said: "Cutting wood to make chess pieces and kneading leather to make balls also each have their methods. Whatever does not accord with the ways of the former kings, the gentleman does not take as a rule."

觀書者譬諸觀山及水，升東嶽而知眾山之邐迤也，況介丘乎？浮滄海而知江河之惡沱也，況枯澤乎？舍舟航而濟乎瀆者，末矣；舍五經而濟乎道者，末矣。棄常珍而嗜乎異饌者，惡覩其識味也？委大聖而好乎諸子者，惡覩其識道也？

Reading books is like viewing mountains and rivers: only after climbing the Eastern Peak do you know how the other mountains stretch low and flat, let alone the little hills? Only after floating on the great sea do you know how muddy and cramped the rivers are, let alone dried-up marshes? To abandon the boat to cross a great river is the poor course; to abandon the Five Classics to seek the Way is the poor course. To cast aside everyday delicacies to relish strange dishes, how could anyone tell that he knows flavor? To set aside the great sage and delight in the various masters, how could anyone tell that he knows the Way?

山𡷨之蹊，不可勝由矣；向牆之戶，不可勝入矣。曰：「惡由入？」曰：「孔氏。孔氏者，戶也。」曰：「子戶乎？」曰：「戶哉！戶哉！吾獨有不戶者矣。」

The paths on the mountain are too many to walk, and the doors facing the wall are too many to enter. Someone asked: "By which to walk, by which to enter?" Yang Xiong said: "By Confucius. Confucius is that door." Someone asked: "Have you yourself entered this door?" Yang Xiong said: "The door! The door! I have still got places I have not been able to enter."

或欲學《蒼頡》《史篇》。曰：「史乎！史乎！愈於妄闕也。」

Someone wanted to study the Cang Jie and the Shi Pian. Yang Xiong said: "Histories! Histories! They are still better than baseless guesses, gaps and errors."

或曰：「有人焉，自雲姓孔而字仲尼，入其門，升其堂，伏其幾，襲其裳，則可謂仲尼乎？」曰：「其文是也，其質非也。」「敢問質。」曰：「羊質而虎皮，見草而說，見豺而戰，忘其皮之虎矣。」

Someone said: "Suppose there were a person who called himself surnamed Kong with the courtesy name Zhongni; if one entered his gate, went up his hall, leaned on his table and put on his clothes, could he be called Zhongni?" Yang Xiong said: "In outward form, yes; in substance, no." "May I ask about the substance?" Yang Xiong said: "A sheep's nature wearing a tiger's skin is glad on seeing grass and trembles on seeing a jackal, having quite forgotten that the skin on its body is a tiger's."

聖人虎別，其文炳也。君子豹別，其文蔚也。辯人貍別，其文萃也。貍變則豹，豹變則虎。

The sage is distinct like the tiger, his markings brilliant; the gentleman is distinct like the leopard, his markings lustrous; the debater is distinct like the wildcat, his markings gathered in clusters. The wildcat can change and become a leopard, and the leopard can change and become a tiger.

好書而不要諸仲尼，書肆也。好說而不要諸仲尼，說鈴也。君子言也無擇，聽也無淫。擇則亂，淫則闢。述正道而稍邪哆者有矣，未有述邪哆而稍正也。

One who loves books but does not take Confucius as his refuge is only a bookshop; one who loves debate but does not take Confucius as his refuge is only a ringing bell. The gentleman's speech has no mixture and his listening has no excess. With mixture there is disorder, with excess there is perversity. There are those who speak of the right way and slide slightly into perversity, but I have never seen one who speaks of perversity and turns slightly back toward the right way.

孔子之道，其較且易也。或曰：「童而習之，白紛如也，何其較且易？」曰：「謂其不姦姦、不詐詐也。如姦姦而詐詐，雖有耳目，焉得而正諸？」

The Way of Confucius is clear and easy. Someone said: "One studies from childhood and, when the hair turns white, is still in a tangle; how is it clear and easy?" Yang Xiong said: "It means that it does not treat treachery as treachery or deceit as deceit. If one treated treachery as treachery and deceit as deceit, then even with ears and eyes, how could one set it straight?"

多聞則守之以約，多見則守之以卓。寡聞則無約也，寡見則無卓也。

When you hear much, guard it with brevity; when you see much, guard it with lofty clarity. If you hear little, there is no brevity to speak of; if you see little, there is no lofty clarity to speak of.

綠衣三百，色如之何矣？紵絮三千，寒如之何矣？

Three hundred green garments, what of their color? Three thousand catties of ramie floss, what of the cold?

君子之道有四易：簡而易，用也；要而易，守也；炳而易，見也；法而易，言也。

The gentleman's Way has four kinds of ease: simplicity makes it easy, because it is close to use; being concise makes it easy, because it is convenient to keep; being bright makes it easy, because it can be seen; having rules makes it easy, because it can be clearly stated.

震風陵雨，然後知夏屋之為帡幪也；虐政虐世，然後知聖人之為郛郭也。

Only after a violent storm do you know that a great house is a covering; only after a tyrannical and chaotic age do you know that the sage is a city wall.

古者楊、墨塞路，孟子辭而闢之，廓如也。後之塞路者有矣，竊自比於孟子。

In the past Yang Zhu and Mo Di blocked the roads, and Mencius wrote to clear them, and the roads were opened wide. Since then there have still been those who block the roads, and I privately compare myself to Mencius.

或曰：「人各是其所是而非其所非，將誰使正之？」曰：「萬物紛錯則懸諸天，眾言淆亂則折諸聖。」或曰：「惡覩乎聖而折諸？」曰：「在則人，亡則書，其統一也。」

Someone said: "Everyone takes what he thinks right as right and what he thinks wrong as wrong; whom shall we have correct them?" Yang Xiong said: "When the ten thousand things are in confusion, they are corrected by hanging them in the sky; when the various doctrines are in confusion, they are reconciled by the sage." Someone said: "Where can one see the sage to reconcile them?" Yang Xiong said: "When the sage is present, rely on the person; when the sage is absent, rely on his books; this has always been the same."

修身以為弓，矯思以為矢，立義以為的，奠而後發，發必中矣。

Take self-cultivation as the bow, correcting one's thoughts as the arrow, and establishing righteousness as the target; shoot once settled, and when you shoot you will surely hit.

人之性也善惡混。修其善則為善人，修其惡則為惡人。氣也者，所以適善惡之馬也與？

A person's nature is a mixture of good and evil. Cultivate the good in it and one becomes a good person; cultivate the evil in it and one becomes an evil person. Qi is perhaps the horse that drives a person toward good or evil?

或曰：「孔子之事多矣，不用，則亦勤且憂乎？」曰：「聖人樂天知命，樂天則不勤，知命則不憂。」

Someone said: "Confucius had so much he ought to do yet was not employed; was he also weary and worried?" Yang Xiong said: "The sage delights in Heaven and knows his fate. Delighting in Heaven, he is not weary; knowing his fate, he is not worried."

或問「銘」。曰：「銘哉！銘哉！有意於慎也。」

Someone asked about "inscriptions". Yang Xiong said: "Inscriptions! Inscriptions! They are the mind's intent to be careful."

聖人之辭，可為也；使人信之，所不可為也。是以君子彊學而力行。

The sage's writing can be learned and imitated; making people believe it cannot be forced. Therefore the gentleman works hard to learn and works hard to practice.

珍其貨而後市，修其身而後交，善其謀而後動成道也。

First cherish your goods and then go to market, first cultivate yourself and then associate with others, first perfect your plans and then act; this is the proper way to accomplish things.

君子之所慎：言、禮、書。

What the gentleman is careful about: speech, ritual, and writing.

上交不諂，下交不驕，則可以有為矣。或曰：「君子自守，奚其交？」曰：「天地交，萬物生；人道交，功勳成，奚其守？」

Associating upward without fawning and downward without arrogance, one can accomplish something. Someone said: "The gentleman need only keep to himself; why associate?" Yang Xiong said: "When heaven and earth meet, the ten thousand things are born; when human relations meet, achievements are made; why merely keep to oneself?"

好大而不為，大不大矣；好高而不為，高不高矣。

If one likes greatness but does not act on it, the great is no longer great; if one likes loftiness but does not act on it, the lofty is no longer lofty.

仰天庭而知天下之居卑也哉！

Only on looking up at the heavenly court do you realize how low the place where people live under heaven is!

公儀子、董仲舒之才之邵也，使見善不明，用心不剛，儔克爾？

The talent and virtue of Gongyi Xiu and Dong Zhongshu were so fine; had they been unclear in seeing the good and not firm in purpose, who could have attained what they did?

或問「仁、義、禮、智、信之用」。曰：「仁，宅也；義，路也；禮，服也；智，燭也；信，符也。處宅，由路，正服，明燭，執符，君子不動，動斯得矣。」

Someone asked about "the uses of benevolence, righteousness, ritual, wisdom and trustworthiness". Yang Xiong said: "Benevolence is the dwelling, righteousness is the road, ritual is the clothing, wisdom is the candle, and trustworthiness is the tally. Living in the dwelling, walking on the road, putting on proper clothing, lighting the candle and holding the tally, the gentleman does not move rashly, and when he moves he is on target."

有意哉！孟子曰：「夫有意而不至者有矣，未有無意而至者也。」

Having an aim! Mencius said: "There are those who have an aim and do not reach it, but I have never seen one without an aim who reached it."

或問「治己」。曰：「治己以仲尼。」或曰：「治己以仲尼，仲尼奚寡也？」曰：「率馬以驥，不亦可乎？」或曰：「田圃田者，莠喬喬；思遠人者，心忉忉。」曰：「日有光，月有明。三年不目日，視必盲；三年不目月，精必矇。熒魂曠枯，糟莩曠沈，擿埴索塗，冥行而已矣。」

Someone asked about "governing oneself". Yang Xiong said: "Govern oneself with Confucius." Someone said: "If one governs oneself with Confucius, why are there so few like Confucius?" Yang Xiong said: "Is it not also acceptable to lead a herd of horses with a thousand-mile steed?" Someone said: "One who tends a field plot finds the weeds grow tall; one who longs for a distant person is grieved at heart." Yang Xiong said: "The sun has light, the moon has brightness. If for three years you do not look at the sun, your eyes will surely go blind; if for three years you do not look at the moon, your sight will surely grow dim. When the spirit has long been parched and the dregs and froth have long been buried, one can only be like a blind man feeling the way with a staff, walking in the dark."

或問：「何如斯謂之人？」曰：「取四重，去四輕，則可謂之人。」曰：「何謂四重？」曰：「重言，重行，重貌，重好。言重則有法，行重則有德，貌重則有威，好重則有觀。」「敢問四輕。」曰：「言輕則招憂，行輕則招辜，貌輕則招辱，好輕則招淫。」

Someone asked: "How can one be called a person?" Yang Xiong said: "Take on four kinds of gravity and drop four kinds of levity, and one can be called a person." Asked: "What are the four kinds of gravity?" Yang Xiong said: "Weighty speech, weighty conduct, weighty appearance and weighty tastes. With weighty speech there is rule; with weighty conduct there is virtue; with weighty appearance there is dignity; with weighty tastes there is something worth seeing." "May I ask about the four kinds of levity?" Yang Xiong said: "Light speech invites trouble, light conduct invites offense, light appearance invites disgrace, and light tastes invite excess."

《禮》多儀。或曰：「日𣅔不食肉，肉必乾；日𣅔不飲酒，酒必酸。賓主百拜而酒三行，不已華乎？」曰：「實無華則野，華無實則賈，華實副則禮。」

The Rites contain many ceremonial details. Someone said: "If the sun has passed its zenith and one still has not eaten the meat, the meat will surely dry out; if the sun has passed its zenith and one still has not drunk the wine, the wine will surely turn sour. For host and guest to bow a hundred times before the three rounds of wine is surely too showy?" Yang Xiong said: "With substance only and no refinement, one is coarse; with refinement only and no substance, one is like a merchant; when refinement and substance match each other, that is ritual."

山雌之肥，其意得乎！或曰：「回之簞瓢，臞如之何？」曰：「明明在上，百官牛羊，亦山雌也；闇闇在上，簞瓢捽茹，亦山雌也，何其臞？千鈞之輕，烏獲力也；簞瓢之樂，顏氏德也。」

The hen pheasant in the mountains is so plump; her heart must be content! Someone said: "Yan Hui, with a single bamboo bowl of rice and a single gourd of water, grew so thin; what of it?" Yang Xiong said: "If the ruler above is enlightened and the hundred officials and the cattle and sheep are all provided, one is still just the mountain hen pheasant; if the ruler above is dim, with only a bamboo bowl, a gourd and wild greens, one is still just the mountain hen pheasant; how could one be thin? To find a thousand jun still light is the strength of Wu Huo; to be able to find joy in a bowl and a gourd is the virtue of the Yan family."

或問：「犂牛之鞹與玄騂之鞹有以異乎？」曰：「同。」「然則何以不犂也？」曰：「將致孝乎鬼神，不敢以其犂也。如刲羊刺豕，罷賓犒師，惡在犂不犂也！」

Someone asked: "Is there a difference between the hide of a mottled ox and that of a black-red ox?" Yang Xiong said: "They are the same." "Then why not use the mottled ox for sacrifice?" Yang Xiong said: "When showing filial devotion to ghosts and spirits, one does not dare use the mottled one. If one is slaughtering sheep and pigs to entertain guests or reward the army, what does it matter whether it is mottled or not!"

有德者好問聖人。或曰：「魯人鮮德，奚其好問仲尼也？」曰：「魯未能好問仲尼故也。如好問仲尼，則魯作東周矣。」

The virtuous like to consult the sage. Someone said: "Few men of Lu have virtue; why do they like to consult Confucius?" Yang Xiong said: "Precisely because Lu has not yet truly liked to consult Confucius. If it did like to consult Confucius, Lu could become the Zhou of the east."

或問：「人有倚孔子之牆，弦鄭、衛之聲，誦韓、莊之書，則引諸門乎？」曰：「在夷貉則引之，倚門牆則麾之，惜乎衣未成而轉為裳也。」

Someone asked: "If a person leans against Confucius's wall, strums the tunes of Zheng and Wei, and recites the books of Han Fei and Zhuangzi, would you still bring him in through the door?" Yang Xiong said: "If he were among the Yi and Mo barbarians, I would bring him in; since he is already leaning against the gate and wall and still does so, I would wave him away. It is a pity that the upper garment is not yet finished, and yet one has first altered it into a lower skirt."

聖人耳不順乎非、口不肄乎善，賢者耳擇、口擇，眾人無擇焉。或問「眾人」。曰：「富貴生。」「賢者」。曰：「義。」「聖人」。曰：「神。」觀乎賢人，則見眾人；觀乎聖人，則見賢人；觀乎天地，則見聖人。天下有三好：眾人好己從，賢人好己正，聖人好己師。天下有三檢：眾人用家檢，賢人用國檢，聖人用天下檢。天下有三門：由於情慾，入自禽門；由於禮義，入自人門；由於獨智，入自聖門。

The sage's ears do not follow error and his mouth does not practice what is unkind; the worthy must be selective in listening and in speaking; the common person is not selective at all. Someone asked about the "common person." Yang Xiong said: "He knows only wealth, rank and staying alive." Asked about the "worthy." Yang Xiong said: "Righteousness." Asked about the "sage." Yang Xiong said: "Spirit." Observe the worthy and one can see the common person; observe the sage and one can see the worthy; observe Heaven and Earth and one can see the sage. There are three kinds of liking under Heaven: the common person likes others to follow him, the worthy likes others to correct him, and the sage likes others to take him as their teacher. There are three kinds of restraint under Heaven: the common person is restrained by his family, the worthy by his state, and the sage by the whole world. There are three gates under Heaven: following passion and desire, one enters the gate of birds and beasts; following ritual and righteousness, one enters the gate of humans; following unique wisdom, one enters the gate of the sage.

或問：「士何如斯可以禔身？」曰：「其為中也弘深，其為外也肅括，則可以禔身矣。」

Someone asked: "How can a scholar-official keep himself secure?" Yang Xiong said: "If within he is broad and deep, and without he is solemn and upright, he can keep himself secure."

君子微慎厥德，悔吝不至，何元憞之有？

A noble person is careful about his virtue in the smallest things, and regret and humiliation do not come to him; how could any great evil arise?

上士之耳訓乎德，下士之耳順乎己。

The ears of a superior scholar listen to virtue for guidance; the ears of an inferior scholar follow only themselves.

言不慙、行不恥者，孔子憚焉。

One who feels no shame in his words and no disgrace in his deeds is feared even by Confucius.

或問「道」。曰：「道也者，通也，無不通也。」或曰：「可以適它與？」曰：「適堯、舜、文王者為正道，非堯、舜、文王者為它道。君子正而不它。」

Someone asked about the "Way." Yang Xiong said: "The Way is passage; there is nowhere it does not reach." Someone said: "May it lead elsewhere?" Yang Xiong said: "What leads to Yao, Shun and King Wen is the right way; what does not lead to Yao, Shun and King Wen is a side road. The noble person takes the right way and not the side road."

或問「道」。曰：「道若塗若川，車航混混，不捨晝夜。」或曰：「焉得直道而由諸？」曰：「塗雖曲而通諸夏則由諸，川雖曲而通諸海則由諸。」或曰：「事雖曲而通諸聖則由諸乎？」

Someone asked about the "Way." Yang Xiong said: "The Way is like a road or a river, with carts and boats rolling along, never stopping day or night." Someone said: "Where can one find a straight way to travel?" Yang Xiong said: "Though the road is winding, if it leads to the central land, take it; though the river is winding, if it leads to the sea, take it." Someone said: "Though matters are twisting, if they lead to the sage, does one take them too?"

道、德、仁、義、禮，譬諸身乎？夫道以導之，德以得之，仁以人之，義以宜之，禮以體之，天也。合則渾，離則散，一人而兼統四體者，其身全乎！

The Way, virtue, benevolence, righteousness and ritual are like the human body, are they not? The Way is for guiding, virtue is for gaining, benevolence is for being human, righteousness is for being fitting, and ritual is for being proper; this is natural. Combined, they form one whole; separated, they fall apart. A person who can govern all four limbs together is whole in body, I suppose!

或問「德表」。曰：「莫知作，上作下。」「請問禮莫知。」曰：「行禮於彼，而民得於此，奚其知！」或曰：「孰若無禮而德？」曰：「禮，體也。人而無禮，焉以為德？」

Someone asked about the "mark of virtue." Yang Xiong said: "When it is done above, those below do not feel who is doing it." "May I ask, is ritual also not to be felt?" Yang Xiong said: "When ritual is performed over there, the people over here receive its benefit; what need is there to know who did it!" Someone said: "How can that compare with having only virtue and no ritual?" Yang Xiong said: "Ritual is the body. If a person has no ritual, with what can he form virtue?"

或問「天」。曰：「吾於天與，見無為之為矣！」或問：「彫刻眾形者匪天與？」曰：「以其不彫刻也。如物刻而彫之，焉得力而給諸？」

Someone asked about "Heaven." Yang Xiong said: "I am in Heaven, and I see action within non-action!" Someone asked: "Is it not Heaven that carves out the forms of the myriad things?" Yang Xiong said: "Precisely because it does not carve. If it carved and engraved thing by thing, where would it get enough strength to supply it all?"

老子之言道德，吾有取焉耳。及搥提仁義，絕滅禮學，吾無取焉耳。

When Laozi speaks of the Way and virtue, there is something I can take from him. But when he attacks benevolence and righteousness and wipes out the learning of ritual, there is nothing I can take.

吾焉開明哉？惟聖人為可以開明，它則苓。大哉，聖人言之至也！開之，廓然見四海；閉之，閛然不覩牆之裡。

How could I open up the light? Only a sage can open up the light; the rest are merely herbs. Great is the sage's word, reaching the utmost! Open it, and it is so broad that one sees the four seas; close it, and it is so dim that one cannot see inside the wall.

聖人之言，似於水火。或問「水火」。曰：「水，測之而益深，窮之而益遠；火，用之而彌明，宿之而彌壯。」

The sage's words are like water and like fire. Someone asked about "water and fire." Yang Xiong said: "Water: the more you measure it, the deeper it gets; the more you probe it, the farther it extends. Fire: the more you use it, the brighter it gets; the more you leave it, the fiercer it gets."

允治天下，不待禮文與五教，則吾以黃帝、堯、舜為疣贅。

If one could truly govern the world without relying on the texts of ritual and the five teachings, then I would regard the Yellow Emperor, Yao and Shun as superfluous growths.

或曰：「太上無法而治，法非所以為治也。」曰：「鴻荒之世，聖人惡之，是以法始乎伏犧而成乎堯。匪伏匪堯，禮義哨哨，聖人不取也。」

Someone said: "The highest is to govern without law, and law is not for governing." Yang Xiong said: "In the age of primeval chaos, the sages loathed it, so law began with Fuxi and was completed by Yao. If it were not Fuxi and not Yao, ritual and righteousness would be empty cries, and the sages would not adopt them."

或問：「八荒之禮，禮也，樂也，孰是？」曰：「殷之以中國。」或曰：「孰為中國？」曰：「五政之所加，七賦之所養，中於天地者為中國。過此而往者，人也哉？」

Someone asked: "The rituals of the remote lands of the eight directions, are they ritual, are they music, which is right?" Yang Xiong said: "Take the central states as the standard." Someone said: "What are the central states?" Yang Xiong said: "Where the five governing measures reach, where the seven levies can support life, and which lie in the middle of Heaven and Earth; those are the central states. Beyond these, going further out, can they still be counted as human?"

聖人之治天下也，礙諸以禮樂。無則禽，異則貉。吾見諸子之小禮樂也，不見聖人之小禮樂也。孰有書不由筆，言不由舌？吾見天常為帝王之筆、舌也。

The sage governs the world by bounding it with ritual and music. Without ritual and music, people are birds and beasts; those different from ritual and music are Yi and Mo barbarians. I have seen the various masters belittle ritual and music; I have not seen the sages belittle them. When has writing not passed through a brush, or speech not passed through a tongue? I look at that constancy of Heaven, and see it is the brush and tongue of emperors and kings.

智也者，知也。夫智用不用，益不益，則不贅虧矣。

Wisdom is knowing. When wisdom is applied to what should and should not be used, and to what should and should not be increased, there is no excess and no lack.

深知器械、舟車、宮室之為，則禮由已。

Understand deeply how tools, boats, carts and palaces are made, and ritual will also come out from oneself.

或問「大聲」。曰：「非雷非霆，隱隱耾耾，久而愈盈，屍諸聖。」

Someone asked about the "great sound." Yang Xiong said: "It is not thunder and not a thunderbolt, but a rumbling that grows fuller the longer it goes on; that sound is lodged in the sage."

或問：「道有因無因乎？」曰：「可則因，否則革。」

Someone asked: "Does the Way follow precedent, and does it not?" Yang Xiong said: "What can be followed, follow; what cannot, change."

或問「無為」。曰：「奚為哉？在昔虞、夏，襲堯之爵，行堯之道，法度彰，禮樂著，垂拱而視天下民之阜也，無為矣。紹桀之後，纂紂之餘，法度廢，禮樂虧，安坐而視天下民之死，無為乎？」

Someone asked about "non-action." Yang Xiong said: "What else is there to do? In the past Yu and Xia inherited Yao's rank and carried out Yao's principles; the laws were clear and ritual and music prominent; with robes hanging and hands folded they watched the people of the world grow prosperous; this is non-action. Succeeding Jie and following on Zhou's remnants, with laws in disuse and ritual and music diminished, to sit calmly and watch the people of the world die, is that still called non-action?"

或問：「太古塗民耳目，惟其見也聞也，見則難蔽，聞則難塞。」曰：「天之肇降生民，使其目見耳聞，是以視之禮，聽之樂。如視不禮，聽不樂，雖有民，焉得而塗諸？」

Someone asked: "In remote antiquity the ears and eyes of the people were stopped up, only because they could see and hear; once they could see, they were hard to deceive again, and once they could hear, they were hard to stop up again." Yang Xiong said: "When Heaven first sent down the people, it made their eyes able to see and their ears able to hear; so they are shown ritual and made to hear music. If what they see is not ritual and what they hear is not music, even with the people, how could they be stopped up?"

或問「新敝」。曰：「新則襲之，敝則益損之。」

Someone asked about "the new and the old and worn." Yang Xiong said: "What is new, follow it; what is old and worn, add to it or cut from it."

或問：「太古德懷不禮懷，嬰兒慕，駒犢從，焉以禮？」曰：「嬰、犢乎！嬰、犢母懷不父懷。母懷，愛也；父懷，敬也。獨母而不父，未若父母之懿也。」

Someone asked: "In remote antiquity people were cherished with virtue and not with ritual; the infant longs for its mother and the colt and calf follow the mother beast; what need is there for ritual?" Yang Xiong said: "Oh, the infant and the calf! The infant and the calf cherish the mother and not the father. What the mother cherishes is love, and what the father cherishes is respect. Having only the mother and not the father is not as good as having both parents."

狙詐之家曰：「狙詐之計，不戰而屈人兵，堯、舜也。」曰：「不戰而屈人兵，堯、舜也；沾項漸襟，堯、舜乎？衒玉而賈石者，其狙詐乎！」或問：「狙詐與亡孰愈？」曰：「亡愈。」或曰：「子將六師，則誰使？」曰：「御得其道，則天下狙詐鹹作使；御失其道，則天下狙詐鹹作敵。故有天下者，審其御而已矣。」或問：「威震諸侯，須於徵與狙詐之力也，如其亡？」曰：「威震諸侯、須於狙詐可也，未若威震諸侯而不須狙詐也。」或曰：「無狙詐，將何以徵乎？」曰：「縱不得不徵，不有《司馬法》乎？何必狙詐乎！」

A school that plays with trickery said: "With a trickery plan, one can make the enemy army yield without fighting; this is Yao and Shun." Yang Xiong said: "To make the enemy army yield without fighting is Yao and Shun; but if blood stains the neck and soaks the lapel, is that still Yao and Shun? One who sells stone as jade, that is trickery, is it not!" Someone asked: "Between trickery and none, which is better?" Yang Xiong said: "None is better." Someone said: "If you were in command of the six armies, whom would you use?" Yang Xiong said: "If one commands well, all the tricksters of the world are at one's service; if one commands badly, all the tricksters of the world become one's enemies. So one who holds the world need only examine how he commands." Someone asked: "To awe the feudal lords, one must rely on the power of conquest and trickery; what if one has neither?" Yang Xiong said: "To awe the feudal lords by relying on trickery is possible; it is better to awe them without relying on trickery." Someone said: "Without trickery, what will one rely on to conquer?" Yang Xiong said: "Even if one has no choice but to conquer, is there not the Sima's Art of War? Why use trickery!"

申、韓之術，不仁之至矣，若何牛羊之用人也？若牛羊用人，則狐狸、螻螾不膢臘也與？或曰：「刀不利，筆不銛，而獨加諸砥，不亦可乎？」曰：「人砥，則秦尚矣。」

The methods of Shen Buhai and Han Fei are unbenevolent in the extreme; how can one use people as one uses cattle and sheep? If people are used as cattle and sheep, would not foxes and mole crickets also have sacrificial meat to eat? Someone said: "If a knife is not sharp or a brush is not pointed, grind it alone on a whetstone; is that not also acceptable?" Yang Xiong said: "To use people as whetstones, the Qin dynasty can be said to have reached the summit."

或曰：「刑名非道邪？何自然也？」曰：「何必刑名？圍棊、擊劒、反目、眩形，亦皆自然也。由其大者作正道，由其小者作姦道。」

Someone said: "Is the learning of forms and names not the Way? How natural it is." Yang Xiong said: "Why forms and names? Weiqi, sword-play, rolling the eyes and tricks of shape are also quite natural. Taking the large path is the right way; taking the small path is the crooked way."

或曰：「申、韓之法非法與？」曰：「法者，謂唐、虞、成周之法也。如申、韓！如申、韓！」

Someone said: "Are the laws of Shen Buhai and Han Fei not also law?" Yang Xiong said: "What is called law means the law of Tang Yao, Yu Shun and the Zhou. As for Shen and Han! As for Shen and Han!"

莊周、申、韓不乖寡聖人而漸諸篇，則顏氏之子、閔氏之孫其如臺？

If Zhuang Zhou, Shen Buhai and Han Fei had not departed from the sages and gradually composed those essays, then what would become of the son of the Yan family and the grandson of the Min family?

或曰：「莊周有取乎？」曰：「少欲。」「鄒衍有取乎？」曰：「自持。至周罔君臣之義，衍無知於天地之間，雖鄰不覿也。」

Someone said: "Is there anything to take from Zhuang Zhou?" Yang Xiong said: "Few desires." "Is there anything to take from Zou Yan?" Yang Xiong said: "Self-possession. As for Zhuang Zhou, he ignores the principle of ruler and minister, and Zou Yan knows nothing of what lies between Heaven and Earth; even if they were my neighbors, I would not go to see them."

或問「神」。曰：「心。」「請問之。」曰：「潛天而天，潛地而地。天地，神明而不測者也。心之潛也，猶將測之，況於人乎？況於事倫乎？」「敢問潛心於聖。」曰：「昔乎，仲尼潛心於文王矣，達之。顏淵亦潛心於仲尼矣，未達一間耳。神在所潛而已矣。」

Someone asked about "spirit." Yang Xiong said: "The heart." "Please say more." Yang Xiong said: "Immersed in Heaven, it becomes Heaven; immersed in Earth, it becomes Earth. Heaven and Earth are divine and cannot be fathomed. When the heart immerses itself, it will still fathom them; how much more people? How much more the principles of things?" "May I ask about immersing the heart in the sage?" Yang Xiong said: "In the past, Confucius immersed his heart in King Wen, and arrived. Yan Yuan also immersed his heart in Confucius, only a single room away. Spirit is simply in whatever one is immersed in."

天神天明，照知四方；天精天粹，萬物作類。

Heaven's spirit and Heaven's brightness illuminate and know the four directions; Heaven's essence and Heaven's purity let the myriad things each fulfill their kind.

人心其神矣乎？操則存，舍則亡。能常操而存者，其惟聖人乎？

Is not the human heart spirit? Hold it and it remains; let go and it is lost. One who can constantly hold it and keep it, is probably only the sage?

聖人存神索至，成天下之大順，致天下之大利，和同天人之際，使之無間也。

The sage keeps spirit and seeks it to the utmost, brings about the great harmony of the world, attracts the great benefit of the world, and makes Heaven and humanity harmonious and one, without any gap.

龍蟠於泥，蚖其肆矣。蚖哉，蚖哉，惡覩龍之志也與！或曰：「龍必欲飛天乎？」曰：「時飛則飛，時潛則潛，既飛且潛。食其不妄，形其不可得而制也與！」曰：「聖人不制，則何為乎羑里？」曰：「龍以不制為龍，聖人以不手為聖人。」

When the dragon coils in the mud, the salamander grows bold. Salamander, oh salamander, how could you see the dragon's aspiration! Someone said: "Must the dragon want to fly up to the sky?" Yang Xiong said: "When it is time to fly, it flies; when it is time to hide, it hides; it can both fly and hide. It does not take food carelessly, and its form cannot be subdued, I suppose!" Asked: "If the sage cannot be subdued, why was he at Youli?" Yang Xiong said: "The dragon is a dragon because it cannot be subdued, and the sage is a sage because he is not controlled by others."

或曰：「經可損益與？」曰：「《易》始八卦，而文王六十四，其益可知也。《詩》《書》《禮》《春秋》，或因或作，而成於仲尼，其益可知也。故夫道非天然，應時而造者，損益可知也。」

Someone said: "Can the classics be increased or reduced?" Yang Xiong said: "The Changes at first had only eight trigrams, and King Wen expanded them into sixty-four, so the additions can be known. The Songs, the Documents, the Rites and the Spring and Autumn Annals, some were handed down and some created, completed by Confucius, so the additions can be known. So the Way was not so by birth but was made in response to the times, and so increase and reduction can be known."

或曰：「《易》損其一也，雖憃知闕焉。至《書》之不備過半矣，而習者不知。惜乎《書序》之不如《易》也！」曰：「彼數也，可數焉，故也。如《書序》，雖孔子末如之何矣！」

Someone said: "If the Changes lacked one hexagram, even a fool would know something was missing. But the Documents are more than half incomplete, and those who study them do not know. It is a pity that the Preface to the Documents is not like the Changes!" Yang Xiong said: "That is because the hexagrams can be counted, so one knows what is missing. As for the Preface to the Documents, even Confucius could do nothing about it!"

昔之說《書》者，序以百，而《酒誥》之篇俄空焉，今亡夫。

In the past, those who taught the Documents had a preface of a hundred chapters, and the chapter on the Proclamation on Wine suddenly went empty; it is lost now, I suppose.

虞、夏之書渾渾爾，《商書》灝灝爾，《周書》噩噩爾。下週者，其《書》譙乎！

The documents of Yu and Xia are thick and deep, the Documents of Shang are vast and broad, and the Documents of Zhou are stern and upright. From Zhou on down, the Documents become hurried, I suppose!

或問：「聖人之經不可使易知與？」曰：「不可。天俄而可度，則其覆物也淺矣；地俄而可測，則其載物也薄矣。大哉！天地之為萬物郭，五經之為眾說郛。」

Someone asked: "Can the sage's classics not be made easy for people to understand?" Yang Xiong said: "They cannot. If Heaven could be measured all at once, its covering of the myriad things would be shallow; if Earth could be fathomed all at once, its bearing of the myriad things would be thin. Great indeed! Heaven and Earth are the outer wall of the myriad things, and the five classics are the outer city of the many schools."

或問：「聖人之作事，不能昭若日月乎？何後世之訔訔也！」曰：「瞽曠能默，瞽曠不能齊不齊之耳；狄牙能喊，狄牙不能齊不齊之口。」

Someone asked: "Can the sage's deeds not be as clear as the sun and moon? Why is there so much argument in later ages!" Yang Xiong said: "Shi Kuang could be silent, but could not make uneven ears hear evenly; Yi Ya could season food, but could not make uneven mouths taste evenly."

君子之言，幽必有驗乎明，遠必有驗乎近，大必有驗乎小，微必有驗乎著。無驗而言之謂妄。君子妄乎？不妄。

The words of a noble person: what is hidden must be verifiable in what is plain, what is far must be verifiable in what is near, what is great must be verifiable in what is small, and what is subtle must be verifiable in what is evident. To speak without verification is called recklessness. Is the noble person reckless? No.

言不能達其心，書不能達其言，難矣哉！惟聖人得言之解，得書之體，白日以照之，江河以滌之，灝灝乎其莫之禦也。面相之，辭相適，捈中心之所欲，通諸人之嚍嚍者，莫如言。彌綸天下之事，記久明遠，著古昔之㖧㖧，傳千里之忞忞者，莫如書。故言，心聲也；書，心畫也。聲畫形，君子小人見矣。聲畫者，君子小人之所以動情乎！

Words cannot express what is in the heart, and writing cannot express what is spoken; how hard! Only the sage obtains the understanding of speech and the substance of writing, like the bright sun shining on it, like rivers and streams washing it, so vast that no one can block it. Face to face, with words exchanged, to draw out what one wants to say and communicate what others urgently want to express, nothing is better than speech. To embrace all affairs under Heaven, record the distant past and illuminate remote antiquity, making what was dim in ancient times clear and letting what was in confusion a thousand li away be passed on, nothing is better than writing. So speech is the sound of the heart, and writing is the picture of the heart. Once sound and picture take shape, the noble person and the petty person are revealed. Sound and picture are exactly what the noble and the petty use to stir their natures, I suppose!

聖人之辭，渾渾若川。順則便，逆則否者，其惟川乎！

The sage's writing is thick and deep like a great river. What is convenient when followed and impossible when opposed, is it not a river!

或曰：「仲尼聖者與？何不能居世也，曾範、蔡之不若！」曰：「聖人者範、蔡乎？若範、蔡，其如聖何？」

Someone said: "Was Confucius a sage? Why could he not hold his place in the world, and even fall short of Fan Ju and Cai Ze!" Yang Xiong said: "Is a sage Fan Ju or Cai Ze? If he were Fan Ju or Cai Ze, how could he be a sage?"

或曰：「淮南、太史公者，其多知與？曷其雜也！」曰：「雜乎雜！人病以多知為雜，惟聖人為不雜。」

Someone said: "The King of Huainan and the Grand Historian had plenty of knowledge, did they not? Why so miscellaneous!" Yang Xiong said: "Miscellaneous indeed! The fault of people is to mistake much knowledge for being miscellaneous; only the sage is not miscellaneous."

書不經，非書也；言不經，非言也。言、書不經，多多贅矣。

A book that does not accord with the classics is not a book; words that do not accord with the classics are not words. If both words and books fail to accord with the classics, however many there are, they are only superfluous growths.

或曰：「述而不作，《玄》何以作？」曰：「其事則述，其書則作。」

Someone said: "One transmits and does not create; why did you create your Taixuan?" Yang Xiong said: "Events are transmitted, but books are created."

育而不苗者，吾家之童烏乎！九齡而與我《玄》文。

One nurtured who did not grow into a sprout was my Tong Wu, was he not! At nine he could discuss the text of the Taixuan with me.

或曰：「《玄》何為？」曰：「為仁義。」曰：「孰不為仁？孰不為義？」曰：「勿雜也而已矣。」

Someone said: "For what was the Taixuan written?" Yang Xiong said: "For benevolence and righteousness." Asked: "Who is not for benevolence? Who is not for righteousness?" Yang Xiong said: "Only do not be miscellaneous."

或問「經之艱易」。曰：「存亡。」或人不諭。曰：「其人存則易，亡則艱。延陵季子之於樂也，其庶矣乎！如樂弛，雖札末如之何矣。如周之禮樂庶事之備也，每可以為不難矣。如秦之禮樂庶事之不備也，每可以為難矣。」

Someone asked about "the difficulty or ease of the classics." Yang Xiong said: "It lies in survival or loss." The person did not understand. Yang Xiong said: "If the man is still alive it is easy; if not, it is hard. Ji Zha of Yanling, regarding music, was nearly there, I suppose! If music has already fallen into disuse, even Ji Zha could do nothing about it. When the rites, music and many affairs are as complete as in Zhou, one can feel everywhere that it is not hard; when the rites, music and many affairs are as incomplete as in Qin, one can feel everywhere that it is hard."

衣而不裳，未知其可也；裳而不衣，未知其可也。衣裳，其順矣乎！

To have an upper garment and no lower skirt, I do not know if that will do; to have a lower skirt and no upper garment, I do not know if that will do. Only when upper garment and lower skirt are both present is it proper!

或問「文」。曰：「訓。」問「武」。曰：「克。」未達。曰：「事得其序之謂訓，勝己之私之謂克。」

Someone asked about "culture." Yang Xiong said: "Instruction." Asked about "martial valor." Yang Xiong said: "Overcoming." The other did not understand. Yang Xiong said: "When affairs attain their proper order, that is called instruction; to overcome one's own selfish desires is called overcoming."

為之而行，動之而光者，其德乎！或曰：「知德者鮮，何其光？」曰：「我知，為之；不我知，亦為之，厥光大矣。必我知而為之，光亦小矣。」

What, when done, works, and, when set in motion, gives light, is it not virtue! Someone said: "Few understand virtue; how can one speak of light?" Yang Xiong said: "If others know me, I do it; if others do not know me, I also do it, and then the light is great. If I must have others know me before I do it, the light is small."

或曰：「君子病沒世而無名，盍勢諸名卿，可幾也。」曰：「君子德名為幾。梁、齊、趙、楚之君非不富且貴也，惡乎成名？谷口鄭子真，不屈其志，而耕乎巖石之下，名振於京師，豈其卿！豈其卿！」

Someone said: "The noble person worries about having no name after death; why not attach oneself to a famous high minister, and that will nearly do?" Yang Xiong said: "The noble person achieves a name through virtue, which comes close. The lords of Liang, Qi, Zhao and Chu were not lacking in wealth or rank; what name did they achieve? Zheng Zizhen of Gukou, not bending his will, farmed beneath the cliffs, and his name shook the capital; how is it through being a high minister! How is it through being a high minister!"

或問「人」。曰：「艱知也。」曰：「焉難？」曰：「太山之與螘垤，江河之與行潦，非難也；大聖之與大佞，難也。烏呼！能別似者為無難。」

Someone asked about "people." Yang Xiong said: "Hard to know." Asked: "Where is the difficulty?" Yang Xiong said: "Mount Tai and an anthill, or a great river and a puddle on the road, are not hard to tell apart; a great sage and a great flatterer are hard to tell apart. Alas! Only one who can distinguish things that look alike can be said to find it not hard."

或問：「鄒、莊有取乎？」曰：「德則取，愆則否。」「何謂德、愆？」曰：「言天、地、人經，德也；否，愆也。愆語，君子不出諸口。」

Someone asked: "Is there anything to take from Zou Yan and Zhuang Zhou?" Yang Xiong said: "What accords with virtue, take; what has faults, leave." "What is virtue and what is a fault?" Yang Xiong said: "To speak of the constant norms of Heaven, Earth and humans is virtue; to do otherwise is a fault. The noble person does not utter words that are faults."

或問「明」。曰：「微。」或曰：「微何如其明也？」曰：「微而見之，明其誖乎？」

Someone asked about "clarity." Yang Xiong said: "Subtlety." Someone said: "How can subtlety count as clarity?" Yang Xiong said: "One can see from the subtle; if one is not clear, is one not instead led into confusion?"

聰明其至矣乎？不聰，實無耳也；不明，實無目也。「敢問大聰明。」曰：「眩眩乎，惟天為聰，惟天為明。夫能高其目而下其耳者，匪天也夫？」

Is acuity of hearing and sight perhaps the utmost? Without acute hearing, one is in fact without ears; without clear sight, one is in fact without eyes. "May I ask about great acuity?" Yang Xiong said: "Vast and dazzling, only Heaven has acuity of hearing and only Heaven has clarity of sight. One who can raise the eyes high and lower the ears, is that not Heaven?"

或問：「小每知之，可謂師乎？」曰：「是何師與！是何師與！天下小事為不少矣，每知之，是謂師乎？師之貴也，知大知也。小知之師亦賤矣。」

Someone asked: "If one knows every small matter, can one be called a teacher?" Yang Xiong said: "What kind of teacher is that! What kind of teacher is that! There are many small matters in the world; if one knows each of them, is that called a teacher? What is valuable in a teacher is knowing the great knowledge. A teacher who knows only the small is too cheap."

孟子疾過我門而不入我室。或曰：「亦有疾乎？」曰：「摭我華而不食我實。」

Mencius lamented that someone passed my gate but did not enter my room. Someone said: "Do you also have something to lament?" Yang Xiong said: "They pluck only my flowers and do not eat my fruit."

或謂：「仲尼事彌其年，蓋天勞諸病矣夫？」曰：「天非獨勞仲尼，亦自勞也。天病乎哉？天樂天，聖樂聖。」

Someone said: "Confucius filled his years with work; was it perhaps that Heaven wearied him and made him ill?" Yang Xiong said: "Heaven wearies not only Confucius but also itself. Is Heaven ill? Heaven delights in being Heaven, and the sage delights in being a sage."

或問：「鳥有鳳，獸有麟，鳥、獸皆可鳳、麟乎？」曰：「群鳥之於鳳也，群獸之於麟也，形性。豈群人之於聖乎？」

Someone asked: "Among birds there is the phoenix and among beasts the qilin; can any bird or beast become a phoenix or qilin?" Yang Xiong said: "The flocks of birds relative to the phoenix and the herds of beasts relative to the qilin are different in form and nature. Could the multitude relative to the sage also be only like this?"

或曰：「甚矣！聖道無益於庸也。聖讀而庸行，盍去諸？」曰：「甚矣，子之不達也！聖讀而庸行，猶有聞焉。去之，抏也。抏秦者，非斯乎？投諸火。」

Someone said: "Too much! The Way of the sages brings no benefit to the mediocre. One reads the sage but acts as a mediocre person; why not get rid of those books?" Yang Xiong said: "Too much, and you do not understand! To read the sage and act mediocrely, one has still heard a little. Getting rid of them is breaking them. What was broken in Qin, was it not these books? Throw them into the fire."

或問：「人何尚？」曰：「尚智。」曰：「多以智殺身者，何其尚？」曰：「昔乎皋陶以其智為帝謨，殺身者遠矣；箕子以其智為武王陳《洪範》，殺身者遠矣。」

Someone asked: "What do people esteem?" Yang Xiong said: "Wisdom." Asked: "Many lose their lives because of wisdom; why still esteem it?" Yang Xiong said: "In the past, Gao Yao used his wisdom to make plans for the emperor, and was far from losing his life; Jizi used his wisdom to expound the Great Plan to King Wu, and was far from losing his life."

仲尼，聖人也，或者劣諸子貢。子貢辭而精之，然後廓如也。於戲！觀書者違子貢，雖多亦何以為？

Confucius was a sage, yet some regarded him as inferior to Zigong. Only after Zigong argued his case and explained it carefully did people become broad-minded and clear. Alas! If readers of books go against Zigong's attitude, what use is it to read however much?

「盛哉！成湯丕承也，文王淵懿也。」或問「丕承」。曰：「由小致大，不亦丕乎？革夏以天，不亦承乎？」「淵懿」。曰：「重《易》六爻，不亦淵乎？浸以光大，不亦懿乎？」

"Grand indeed! Cheng Tang greatly received Heaven's mandate, and King Wen was deep and fine." Someone asked about "greatly received." Yang Xiong said: "To go from small to grand, is that not great? To use Heaven's mandate to overturn Xia, is that not receiving?" Asked about "deep and fine." Yang Xiong said: "To double the six lines of the Changes, is that not deep? To grow gradually brighter, is that not fine?"

或問「命」。曰：「命者，天之命也，非人為也。人為不為命。」「請問人為。」曰：「可以存亡，可以死生，非命也。命不可避也。」或曰：「顏氏之子，冉氏之孫。」曰：「以其無避也。若立巖牆之下，動而徵病，行而招死，命乎！命乎！」

Someone asked about "fate." Yang Xiong said: "Fate is Heaven's fate, not made by people. What people make is not called fate." "May I ask about what people make?" Yang Xiong said: "What can be made to stay or to perish, made to die or to live, is not fate. Fate cannot be evaded." Someone said: "What of Yan Yuan and Ran Boniu (who died young)?" Yang Xiong said: "Precisely because they had no way to evade it. If one stands beneath a toppling wall, falls ill at the slightest move and seeks death at the slightest step, is that still called fate! Is that still called fate!"

吉人兇其吉，兇人吉其兇。

The fortunate person sees his own fortune as misfortune (and so stays alert); the unfortunate person sees his own misfortune as fortune (and so lets himself go).

辰乎辰，曷來之遲，去之速也！君子兢諸。

Time, oh time, why does it come so slowly and go so fast! The noble person is anxious and diligent before it.

謣言敗俗，謣好敗則，姑息敗德。君子謹於言，慎於好，亟於時。

Absurd talk ruins customs, absurd tastes ruin standards, and indulgence ruins virtue. The noble person is careful in speech, cautious in tastes, and urgent about time.

吾不見震風之能動聾聵也。

I have never seen a gale able to move one who is both deaf and dim.

或問「君子」。「在治曰若鳳，在亂曰若鳳。」或人不諭。曰：「未之思矣。」曰：「治則見，亂則隱。鴻飛冥冥，弋人何慕焉？鷦明遴集，食其絜者矣！鳳鳥蹌蹌，匪堯之庭。」

Someone asked about the "noble person." Yang Xiong said: "In a well-ordered age, he is said to be like the phoenix; in a disordered age, he is also said to be like the phoenix." The person did not understand. Yang Xiong said: "You have not thought it through." He added: "In a well-ordered age he appears; in a disordered age he withdraws. When the wild goose flies into the far dim sky, what is there left for the archer to envy? The jiaoming bird chooses where it perches, and eats what is clean! The phoenix walks with measured steps; if it is not the court of Yao, it does not come."

亨龍潛升，其貞利乎？或曰：「龍何如可以貞利而亨？」曰：「時未可而潛，不亦貞乎？時可而升，不亦利乎？潛升在己，用之以時，不亦亨乎？」

The dragon who has attained penetration can hide and can rise; is it not about steadfastness and benefit? Someone said: "How can the dragon be both steadfast and beneficial and also penetrating?" Yang Xiong said: "To hide when the time is not right, is that not steadfastness? To rise when the time is right, is that not benefit? Hiding and rising lie in oneself, and using them in accord with the time, is that not penetration?"

或問「活身」。曰：「明哲。」或曰：「童蒙則活，何乃明哲乎？」曰：「君子所貴，亦越用明保慎其身也。如庸行翳路，沖沖而活，君子不貴也。」

Someone asked about "staying alive." Yang Xiong said: "Clear-sighted wisdom." Someone said: "Even a child in ignorance can stay alive; why need clear-sighted wisdom?" Yang Xiong said: "What the noble person values is using clear wisdom to preserve and take care of his own person. Mediocre conduct blocking the road, living in a hurry and a rush, the noble person does not value."

楚兩龔之絜，其清矣乎！蜀莊沈冥，蜀莊之才之珍也，不作苟見，不治苟得，久幽而不改其操，雖隨、和何以加諸？舉茲以旃，不亦珍乎！吾珍莊也，居難為也。不慕由，即夷矣，何毚欲之有？

The two Gongs of Chu who kept themselves pure can be called clear, can they not! Yan Junping of Shu commandery lived hidden and obscure, and Yan Junping's is the truly rare: not seeking recognition carelessly, not seeking gain carelessly, remaining long secluded without changing his principles; even the Pearl of Marquis Sui or the jade of Mr. He, how could they surpass him? Raising him as a banner, is that not rare! I treasure Yan Junping, whose circumstances are hard to match. If one does not envy Xu You, one comes close to Boyi; where is the greedy desire then?

或問：「堯將讓天下於許由，由恥，有諸？」曰：「好大者為之也。顧由無求於世而已矣。允喆堯儃舜之重，則不輕於由矣。好大累克，巢父灑耳，不亦宜乎？靈場之威，宜夜矣乎！」

Someone asked: "Yao wanted to hand the world over to Xu You, and Xu You felt ashamed; was there such a thing?" Yang Xiong said: "That was made up by those who like to exaggerate. Xu You simply sought nothing from the world. If one truly understands the weight of Yao's yielding to Shun, one would not think so lightly of the world as to hand it to Xu You. Those who like to exaggerate pile up stories of deference; Chao Fu washing his ears, is that not just right? The solemnity of a sacred site is meant for the night, I suppose!"

朱鳥翾翾，歸其肆矣。或曰：「奚取於朱鳥哉？」曰：「時來則來，時往則往。能來能往者，朱鳥之謂與？」

The red bird flutters, returning to its own free place. Someone said: "What is there to take from the red bird?" Yang Xiong said: "It comes when it is time to come and goes when it is time to go. One who can come and can go, is that not what is said of the red bird?"

或問：「韓非作《說難》之書，而卒死乎說難，敢問何反也？」曰：「說難蓋其所以死乎？」曰：「何也？」曰：「君子以禮動，以義止，合則進，否則退，確乎不憂其不合也。夫說人而憂其不合，則亦無所不至矣。」或曰：「說之不合，非憂邪？」曰：「說不由道，憂也；由道而不合，非憂也。」

Someone asked: "Han Fei wrote 'The Difficulties of Persuasion,' and ended up dying of those difficulties; may I ask why it turned out the opposite?" Yang Xiong said: "'The Difficulties of Persuasion' was probably the very reason he died, was it not?" Asked: "Why?" Yang Xiong said: "The noble person moves according to ritual and stops according to righteousness; when in accord, he advances, and when not, he withdraws, so firm that he does not worry about not being in accord. To persuade others and worry about not being in accord, then there is nothing one would not do." Someone said: "If one persuades and is not in accord, should one not worry?" Yang Xiong said: "If one's persuasion does not go through the Way, one should worry; if it goes through the Way and is not in accord, there is no need to worry."

或問「哲」。曰：「旁明厥思。」問「行」。曰：「旁通厥德。」

Someone asked about "wisdom." Yang Xiong said: "Universally illuminating one's own thought." Asked about "conduct." Yang Xiong said: "Universally connecting one's own virtue."

吾寡見人之好徦者也。邇文之視，邇言之聽，徦則偭焉。或曰：「曷若茲之甚也？先王之道滿門。」曰：「不得已也，得已則已矣。得已而不已者，寡哉！」

I have rarely seen people who truly love what is far-reaching. Nearby writings they read, nearby words they heed, and the far-reaching they turn their backs on. Someone said: "Why would it come to this? Is the Way of the former kings not found in every household?" Yang Xiong said: "That is because one has no choice. When one can stop, one stops. Those who can stop and do not stop are very few!"

好盡其心於聖人之道者，君子也。人亦有好盡其心矣，未必聖人之道也。

One who likes to devote his full mind to the Way of the sages is a noble person. There are also people who like to devote their full mind, but not necessarily to the Way of the sages.

多聞見而識乎至道者，至識也；多聞見而識乎邪道者，迷識也。

One who hears much and sees much and recognizes the supreme Way has supreme knowledge; one who hears much and sees much and recognizes a crooked way has deluded knowledge.

如賢人謀之美也，詘人而從道；如小人謀之不美也，詘道而從人。

The fine plans of a worthy person bend people to follow the Way; the poor plans of a petty person bend the Way to follow people.

或問：「五經有辯乎？」曰：「惟五經為辯。說天者莫辯乎《易》，說事者莫辯乎《書》，說體者莫辯乎《禮》，說志者莫辯乎《詩》，說理者莫辯乎《春秋》。捨斯，辯亦小矣。」

Someone asked: "Is there eloquence in the five classics?" Yang Xiong said: "Only the five classics are truly eloquent. In speaking of Heaven, none is more eloquent than the Changes; in speaking of affairs, none more than the Documents; in speaking of form, none more than the Rites; in speaking of aspiration, none more than the Songs; in speaking of principle, none more than the Spring and Autumn Annals. Leave these aside, and eloquence becomes small."

春木之芚兮，援我手之鶉兮。去之五百歲，其人若存兮。或曰：「譊譊者天下皆說也，奚其存？」曰：「曼是為也，天下之亡聖也久矣。呱呱之子，各識其親；譊譊之學，各習其師。精而精之，是在其中矣。」

The spring wood sprouts, oh, so gentle as to clasp my hand. Five hundred years have passed since he left, yet it seems as if the man were still here. Someone said: "There is a hubbub and the whole world is talking; where is he still here?" Yang Xiong said: "Do not look at it so. The world has been without a sage for a long time. Wailing infants each recognize their own kin; the bustling scholars each study under their own teachers. Refine and refine again, and the sage is in it."

或曰：「良玉不彫，美言不文，何謂也？」曰：「玉不彫，璵璠不作器；言不文，典謨不作經。」

Someone said: "'Fine jade is not carved, fine words are not embellished'; what does this mean?" Yang Xiong said: "If jade is not carved, even yu-fan jade cannot become a vessel; if words are not embellished, even the Canon and Counsels cannot become classics."

或問：「司馬子長有言，曰五經不如《老子》之約也，當年不能極其變，終身不能究其業。」曰：「若是，則周公惑，孔子賊。古者之學耕且養，三年通一。今之學也，非獨為之華藻也，又從而繡其鞶帨，惡在《老》不《老》也？」或曰：「學者之說可約邪？」曰：「可約解科。」

Someone asked: "Sima Zichang said the five classics are not as concise as the Laozi, and in a year one cannot exhaust its changes, and in a lifetime one cannot exhaust its learning." Yang Xiong said: "If so, the Duke of Zhou was deluded and Confucius was a destroyer. The learning of antiquity was farming while nurturing, and mastering one classic in three years. The learning of today not only adds ornament to it but further embroiders its great sash and pendant cloth; why would one care whether it is the Laozi or not?" Someone said: "May scholars' accounts be made concise?" Yang Xiong said: "They may be made concise enough to explain the statutes."

或曰：「君子聽聲乎？」曰：「君子惟正之聽。荒乎淫，拂乎正，沈而樂者，君子不聽也。」

Someone said: "Does the noble person listen to music?" Yang Xiong said: "The noble person listens only to what is pure and proper. What is licentious, contrary to what is pure and proper, or indulged in as pleasure, the noble person does not listen to."

或問：「侍君子以博乎？」曰：「侍坐則聽言，有酒則觀禮，焉事博乎！」或曰：「不有博弈者乎？」曰：「為之猶賢於已耳。侍君子者賢於已乎？君子不可得而侍也。侍君子，晦斯光，窒斯通，亡斯有，辱斯榮，敗斯成。如之何賢於已也！」

Someone asked: "In serving a noble person, does one need games of chance?" Yang Xiong said: "When sitting in attendance, listen to his talk; when there is wine, observe the ceremonies; what need is there of games!" Someone said: "Is there not boxing and chess?" Yang Xiong said: "Doing that is only a little better than idling. Is one who serves a noble person better than idling? A noble person is not something one can simply serve. In serving a noble person, what is dim thereby becomes bright, what is blocked thereby becomes open, what is lacking thereby has, what is disgraced thereby is honored, and what has failed thereby succeeds. How can one say it is only a little better than idling!"

鷦明沖天，不在六翮乎？拔而傅屍鳩，其累矣夫。

The jiaoming bird soars into the sky; is it not by means of its six strong feathers? Pull them out and attach them to a cuckoo, and they become a burden.

雷震乎天，風薄乎山，雲徂乎方，雨流乎淵，其事矣乎？

Thunder shakes in the sky, wind presses near the mountains, clouds move to the four directions, and rain flows into the deep pools; each is doing its own work, is it not?

魏武侯與吳起浮於西河，寶河山之固，起曰：「在德不在固。」曰：「美哉言乎！」使起之固兵每如斯，則太公何以加諸？

Marquis Wu of Wei and Wu Qi were floating on the Western River, treating the river's and mountains' strategic strength as treasure; Wu Qi said: "It lies in virtue, not in strategic strength." Yang Xiong said: "How well said!" If Wu Qi had always been able to consolidate the army like this, how could Taigong have surpassed him?

或問：「周寶九鼎，寶乎？」曰：「器寶也。器寶，待人而後寶。」

Someone asked: "Zhou treated the nine tripods as treasure; do they count as treasure?" Yang Xiong said: "That is the treasure of an object. The treasure of an object must await the right person before it becomes a treasure."

齊桓、晉文以下，至於秦兼，其無觀已。或曰：「秦無觀，奚其兼？」曰：「所謂觀，觀德也。如觀兵，開闢以來，未有秦也。」

From Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin on down to when Qin annexed the world, there was nothing worth admiring. Someone said: "If Qin was not worth admiring, why could it annex the world?" Yang Xiong said: "What is called worth admiring is admired for virtue. If it is admired for soldiers, since the opening of heaven and earth none has matched Qin."

或問：「魯用儒而削，何也？」曰：「魯不用儒也。昔在姬公用於周，而四海皇皇，奠枕於京。孔子用於魯，齊人章章，歸其侵疆。魯不用真儒故也。如用真儒，無敵於天下，安得削？」

Someone asked: "Lu used Confucians and yet was weakened; why?" Yang Xiong said: "Lu did not actually use Confucians. In the past, the Duke of Zhou was employed in Zhou, and the four seas turned toward it with urgency, and he slept peacefully in the capital. Confucius was employed in Lu, the men of Qi were frightened and returned the territory they had seized. Lu failed to use a true Confucian. If it had used a true Confucian, it would have been without rival under Heaven; how could it have been weakened?"

灝灝之海濟，樓航之力也。航人無楫，如航何？

That the vast sea can be crossed is the power of the tower ships. A boatman without oars, what use is the boat?

或曰：「奔壘之車，沈流之航，可乎？」曰：「否。」或曰：「焉用智？」曰：「用智於未奔沈。大寒而後索衣裘，不亦晚乎？」

Someone said: "A chariot that has already charged into the enemy camp, a boat that has already sunk in the rapids; is there still hope?" Yang Xiong said: "No." Someone said: "Then where is wisdom to be used?" Yang Xiong said: "Wisdom must be used before the charge, before the sinking. To go looking for fur coats only after the great cold, is that not too late?"

乘國者，其如乘航乎？航安，則人斯安矣。

One who steers a state is like one steering a boat, is he not? When the boat is safe, the people are safe.

惠以厚下，民忘其死；忠以衛上，君念其賞。自後者，人先之；自下者，人高之。誠哉，是言也！

If you treat those below you generously with kindness, the people will forget their own deaths; if you guard those above with loyalty, the ruler will think of rewards. One who places himself behind is put in front by others; one who places himself below is raised up by others. These words are sincere!

或曰：「弘羊榷利而國用足，盍榷諸？」曰：「譬諸父子，為其父而榷其子，縱利，如子何？卜式之云，不亦匡乎！」

Someone said: "Sang Hongyang monopolized trade and the state's funds were ample; why not monopolize too?" Yang Xiong said: "It is like father and son: to monopolize the son for the father's sake, even if there is profit, what becomes of the son? What Bu Shi said, is it not very upright!"

或曰：「因秦之法，清而行之，亦可以致平乎？」曰：「譬諸琴瑟鄭、衛調，俾夔因之，亦不可以致《簫韶》矣。」

Someone said: "If one follows Qin's laws and applies them calmly, can one also reach peace?" Yang Xiong said: "It is like tuning a zither and lute to the tunes of Zheng and Wei; even if one had Kui follow along and play, it would be impossible to produce the Xiaoshao."

或問：「處秦之世，抱周之書，益乎？」曰：「舉世寒，貂、狐不亦燠乎？」或曰：「炎之以火，沃之以湯，燠亦燠矣！」曰：「燠哉！燠哉！時亦有寒者矣。」

Someone asked: "Living in the age of Qin and holding the books of Zhou, is there any benefit?" Yang Xiong said: "When the whole world is cold, are sable and fox furs not warm?" Someone said: "If one roasts oneself over fire or pours hot water over oneself, one gets warm all right!" Yang Xiong said: "Warm! Warm! Even then there were people who were cold."

非其時而望之，非其道而行之，亦不可以至矣。

To hope for a time that is not that time, or to practice a way that is not that way, one will not arrive.

秦之有司負秦之法度，秦之法度負聖人之法度。秦弘違天地之道，而天地違秦亦弘矣。

Qin's officials failed Qin's laws, and Qin's laws failed the sages' laws. Qin greatly went against the Way of Heaven and Earth, and Heaven and Earth turned against Qin greatly too.

或問：「五百歲而聖人出，有諸？」曰：「堯、舜、禹，君臣也而竝；文、武、周公，父子也而處。湯、孔子數百歲而生。因往以推來，雖千一不可知也。」

Someone asked: "Is it true that a sage appears every five hundred years?" Yang Xiong said: "Yao, Shun and Yu were ruler and ministers yet existed at the same time; King Wen, King Wu and the Duke of Zhou were father and sons yet lived in the same age. Tang and Confucius were born several hundred years apart. Projecting from the past to the future, even one in a thousand years cannot be foretold."

聖人有以擬天地而參諸身乎！

The sage has that by which he matches Heaven and Earth and which he verifies in his own person, I suppose!

或問：「聖人有詘乎？」曰：「有。」曰：「焉詘乎？」曰：「仲尼於南子，所不欲見也；陽虎，所不欲敬也。見所不見，敬所不敬，不詘如何？」曰：「衛靈公問陳，則何以不詘？」曰：「詘身，將以信道也。如詘道而信身，雖天下不為也。」

Someone asked: "Does the sage ever yield?" Yang Xiong said: "Yes." Asked: "How does he yield?" Yang Xiong said: "Confucius, regarding Nanzi, did not want to see her; regarding Yang Hu, did not want to pay respect. To go see one he did not want to see and pay respect to one he did not want to respect, what is that if not yielding?" Asked: "When Duke Ling of Wei asked about battle formations, why did he not yield then?" Yang Xiong said: "To yield oneself is to extend the Way. If one were to yield the Way to extend oneself, he would not do it even for the whole world."

聖人重其道而輕其祿，眾人重其祿而輕其道。聖人曰：「於道行與？」眾人曰：「於祿殖與？」

The sage values the Way and treats salary lightly; the common person values salary and treats the Way lightly. The sage says: "Can the Way be carried out?" The common person says: "Can salary be increased?"

昔者齊、魯有大臣，史失其名。曰：「何如其大也？」曰：「叔孫通欲制君臣之儀，徵先生於齊、魯，所不能致者二人。」曰：「若是，則仲尼之開跡諸侯也，非邪？」曰：「仲尼開跡，將以自用也。如委己而從人，雖有規矩準繩，焉得而用之？」

In the past, Qi and Lu had great ministers whose names the historians lost. Asked: "What makes one great?" Yang Xiong said: "Shusun Tong wanted to establish the ceremonies between ruler and ministers and went to Qi and Lu to summon scholars; two of them could not be summoned." Asked: "If so, was Confucius wrong to open new ground among the feudal lords?" Yang Xiong said: "Confucius opened new ground so that he could be of use. If he bent himself to follow others, even with compass and plumb line, how could he be used?"

或問：「孔子之時，諸侯有知其聖者與？」曰：「知之。」「知之則曷為不用？」曰：「不能。」曰：「知聖而不能用也，可得聞乎？」曰：「用之，則宜從之；從之，則棄其所習，逆其所順，彊其所劣，捐其所能，沖沖如也。非天下之至，孰能用之？」

Someone asked: "In Confucius's time, did any feudal lord know he was a sage?" Yang Xiong said: "They knew." "If they knew, why did they not use him?" Yang Xiong said: "They could not." Asked: "They knew he was a sage and could not use him; can you explain?" Yang Xiong said: "To use him, one must follow him; to follow him, one must abandon what one is used to, go against what one has complied with, force oneself in one's weak points, and drop what one is able to do, in a rush. Who but one utterly impartial to the world could use him?"

或問：「孔子知其道之不用也，則載而惡乎之？」曰：「之後世君子。」曰：「賈如是，不亦鈍乎？」曰：「眾人愈利而後鈍，聖人愈鈍而後利。關百聖而不慙，蔽天地而不恥，能言之類，莫能加也。貴無敵，富無倫，利孰大焉？」

Someone asked: "Confucius knew his Way would not be used; so where did he carry it?" Yang Xiong said: "To the noble persons of later ages." Asked: "Peddling it like this, is that not too slow?" Yang Xiong said: "Common people grow slower the more they seek profit, but the sage grows more profitable the slower he is. To connect with the sages of a hundred generations without shame, to cover Heaven and Earth without embarrassment, none among those who can speak surpasses him. In honor he has no rival, in wealth he has no equal; is there any profit greater than this?"

或曰：「孔子之道不可小與？」曰：「小則敗聖，如何！」曰：「若是，則何為去乎？」曰：「愛日。」曰：「愛日而去，何也？」曰：「由群婢之故也，不聽正，諫而不用。噫者！吾於觀庸邪？無為飽食安坐而厭觀也。由此觀之，夫子之日亦愛矣。」或曰：「君子愛日乎？」曰：「君子仕則欲行其義，居則欲彰其道。事不厭，教不倦，焉得日？」

Someone said: "Could Confucius's Way not have been made smaller?" Yang Xiong said: "To make it smaller would ruin the sage; how could that do!" Asked: "If so, why did he leave the state of Lu?" Yang Xiong said: "He cherished his days." Asked: "He cherished his days yet left; why?" Yang Xiong said: "It was because of that crowd of maids and concubines, who did not listen to right words, and his remonstrance was not used. Alas! Was I going to watch the mediocre? One need not eat one's fill and sit at ease while watching wearily. Seen this way, the Master also cherished his days." Someone said: "Does the noble person cherish his days?" Yang Xiong said: "The noble person in office wants to practice righteousness, and in retirement wants to make the Way clear. Not tiring of his work and not wearying in teaching, where would he find spare days?"

或問：「其有繼周者，雖百世可知也。秦已繼周矣，不待夏禮而治者，其不驗乎？」曰：「聖人之言天也，天妄乎？繼周者未欲太平也，如欲太平也，捨之而用它道，亦無由至矣。」

Someone asked: "'If any succeed Zhou, even a hundred generations hence can be foreseen.' Qin has already succeeded Zhou, and governed without waiting for the rites of Xia; are Confucius's words not borne out?" Yang Xiong said: "The sage's words are Heaven; would Heaven be false? Those who succeeded Zhou did not yet want peace; if they had wanted peace, leaving it aside and using other ways would also not have reached it."

赫赫乎日之光，群目之用也；渾渾乎聖人之道，群心之用也。

The brilliant light of the sun is what the many eyes use; the thick and deep Way of the sages is what the many hearts use.

或問：「天地簡易，而聖人法之，何五經之支離？」曰：「支離蓋其所以為簡易也。已簡已易，焉支焉離？」

Someone asked: "Heaven and Earth are simple and easy, and the sage models himself on them; why are the five classics so fragmented?" Yang Xiong said: "Fragmentation is precisely why they are simple and easy. Already simple and already easy, where is there fragmenting or splitting?"

或曰：「聖人無益於庸也。」曰：「世人之益者，倉廩也，取之如單。仲尼，神明也，小以成小，大以成大，雖山川、丘陵、草木、鳥獸，裕如也。如不用也，神明亦末如之何矣！」

Someone said: "The sage is of no benefit to ordinary people." Yang Xiong said: "What the world calls benefit is a granary: take from it and it is emptied. Confucius was a divine intelligence; for small purposes he achieved small things, and for great purposes great things, and even mountains and rivers, hills, plants and trees, birds and beasts were treated with more than enough generosity. If people do not use him, even a divine intelligence cannot do anything about it!"

或問：「聖人占天乎？」曰：「占天地。」「若此，則史也何異？」曰：「史以天占人，聖人以人占天。」

Someone asked: "Does the sage observe the heavens?" Yang Xiong said: "He observes heaven and earth." "If so, how is he different from the court historian?" Yang Xiong said: "The historian uses heaven to observe humans, while the sage uses humans to observe heaven."

或問：「星有甘、石，何如？」曰：「在德不在星。德隆則晷星，星隆則晷德也。」

Someone asked: "What about the astronomers Gan De and Shi Shen?" Yang Xiong said: "It lies in virtue, not in the stars. When virtue flourishes, one measures the stars by the sun's shadow; when the stars flourish, one measures virtue by the stars."

或問「大人」。曰：「無事從小為大人。」「請問小。」曰：「事非禮義為小。」

Someone asked about the "great person." Yang Xiong said: "One who does not start from small matters is a great person." "May I ask what is small?" Yang Xiong said: "When a matter is not in accord with ritual and righteousness, that is small."

聖人之言遠如天，賢人之言近如地。

The words of the sage are as far as heaven; the words of the worthy are as near as earth.

瓏玲其聲者，其質玉乎？

A sound that rings clear and fine: is its substance jade, perhaps?

聖人矢口而成言，肆筆而成書。言可聞而不可殫，書可觀而不可盡。

The sage's casual speech becomes words, and his brush becomes a book. His words can be listened to but never listened to in full, and his books can be read but never read to the end.

周之人多行，秦之人多病。行有之也，病曼之也。周之士也貴，秦之士也賤；周之士也肆，秦之士也拘。

The people of Zhou mostly practiced, while the people of Qin mostly had faults. They practiced because they had something, and had faults because they lacked something. The scholars of Zhou were esteemed and those of Qin were despised; the scholars of Zhou were relaxed and those of Qin were constrained.

月未望則載魄於西，既望則終魄於東，其遡於日乎？

When the moon is not yet full, its dark part grows from the west; once full, the dark part ends in the east. Is that not facing the sun?

彤弓盧矢，不為有矣。

A red bow and black arrows do not count as true possession.

聆聽前世，清視在下，鑑莫近於斯矣。

Listen to the previous dynasty and look clearly at what is below; no warning is nearer than this.

或問：「何如動而見畏？」曰：「畏人。」「何如動而見侮？」曰：「侮人。」夫見畏與見侮，無不由己。

Someone asked: "How should one act in order to be held in awe?" Yang Xiong said: "Hold others in awe." "How should one act in order to be insulted?" Yang Xiong said: "Insult others." Being held in awe and being insulted both come from oneself without exception.

或問「禮難以彊世」。曰：「難故彊世。如夷俟居肆，羈角之哺果而啗之，奚其彊？或性或彊，及其名一也。」

Someone asked about "ritual being hard to urge upon people." Yang Xiong said: "It is hard, and that is why people must be urged. Like the barbarians who squat when sitting, or a child who swallows fruit held in his mouth, what need is there to urge them? Some act from their nature and some act from being urged, but once they reach renown they are the same."

見弓之張兮，弛而不失其良兮。或曰：「何謂也？」曰：「㯳之而已矣。」

See the bow drawn; when released it does not lose its fine quality. Someone said: "What does this mean?" Yang Xiong said: "It is enough to prop the bow up with a bow-frame."

川有防，器有範，見禮教之至也。

Rivers have embankments and vessels have molds; from this one sees the utmost of ritual teaching.

經營然後知幹、楨之克立也。

Only after the planning is done does one know that the skeleton can stand.

莊、楊蕩而不法，墨、晏儉而廢禮，申、韓險而無化，鄒衍迂而不信。

Zhuangzi and Yang Zhu were unrestrained and out of keeping with rules; Mozi and Yanzi were frugal and did away with ritual; Shen Buhai and Han Fei were severe and had no teaching; Zou Yan was fanciful and not to be believed.

聖人之材，天地也；次，山陵川泉也；次，鳥獸草木也。

The material of the sage is heaven and earth; next come mountains, hills, rivers and springs; after that come birds, beasts, grasses and trees.

「先知其幾於神乎！敢問先知。」曰：「不知。知其道者其如視，忽、眇、緜作昞。」

"Foreknowledge is surely nearly divine! May I ask about foreknowledge." Yang Xiong said: "I do not know. One who understands that Way looks at affairs as at objects, and the slight, the tiny and the far-reaching all become clear."

先甲一日易，後甲一日難。

The day before a jia day is easy; the day after a jia day is difficult.

或問：「何以治國？」曰：「立政。」曰：「何以立政？」曰：「政之本，身也，身立則政立矣。」

Someone asked: "By what does one govern a state?" Yang Xiong said: "By establishing government." Asked: "By what does one establish government?" Yang Xiong said: "The root of government is one's own person; when one's own person is established, government is established."

或問：「為政有幾？」曰：「思斁。」或問「思斁」。曰：「昔在周公，徵於東方，四國是王；召伯述職，蔽芾甘棠，其思矣夫！齊桓欲徑陳，陳不果內，執袁濤塗，其斁矣夫！於戲，從政者審其思斁而已矣！」或問：「何思？何斁？」曰：「老人老、孤人孤、病者養、死者葬、男子畝、婦人桑之謂思。若汙人老、屈人孤、病者獨、死者逋、田畝荒、杼軸空之謂斁。」

Someone asked: "Does government have a pivot?" Yang Xiong said: "Longing and loathing (being longed for by people and being loathed by people)." Someone asked about "longing and loathing." Yang Xiong said: "In the past, when the Duke of Zhou campaigned in the east, the states in all four directions turned to him; when the Earl of Shao made his tours of duty, people still protected the shade of the sweet pear tree: that was longing! When Duke Huan of Qi wanted to take a shortcut through Chen, Chen would not let him in, and he seized Yuan Taotu: that was loathing! Ah, those who govern need only examine longing and loathing!" Someone asked: "What is longing, and what is loathing?" Yang Xiong said: "Treating the old as the old and supporting them, treating orphans as orphans and caring for them, having the sick provided for and the dead properly buried, men plowing the fields and women raising silkworms on mulberry: this is called longing. Ruining the old, wronging orphans, leaving the sick alone, giving the dead no burial, leaving fields overgrown and looms empty: this is called loathing."

為政日新。或人：「敢問日新。」曰：「使之利其仁，樂其義，厲之以名，引之以美，使之陶陶然之謂日新。」

Government should be renewed daily. Someone said: "May I ask about daily renewal." Yang Xiong said: "Make the people feel that humaneness benefits them and be glad to practice righteousness, spur them on with reputation, lead them with what is good, and make them content and joyful; this is called daily renewal."

或問「民所勤」。曰：「民有三勤。」曰：「何哉所謂三勤？」曰：「政善而吏惡，一勤也；吏善而政惡，二勤也；政、吏駢惡，三勤也。禽獸食人之食，土木衣人之帛，穀人不足於晝，絲人不足於夜之謂惡政。」

Someone asked about "what the people grieve and toil over." Yang Xiong said: "The people have three kinds of toil." Asked: "What are the three toils?" Yang Xiong said: "Good government but bad officials is the first toil; good officials but bad government is the second; government and officials both bad is the third. When beasts eat people's grain, and earth and wood are clothed in people's silk, farmers have not enough daylight and silk-reelers have not enough night, this is called bad government."

聖人，文質者也。車服以彰之，藻色以明之，聲音以揚之，《詩》《書》以光之。籩豆不陳，玉帛不分，琴瑟不鏗，鍾鼓不抎，則吾無以見聖人矣。

The sage is a person in whom refinement and substance complete each other. He is made manifest through carriages and robes, marked out through colored patterns, spread abroad through sound, and glorified through the Odes and the Documents. If the bian and dou vessels are not set out, jade and silk are not distinguished, the zithers are not sounded, and the bells and drums are not stirred, I have no way of seeing the sage.

或曰：「以往聖人之法治將來，譬猶膠柱而調瑟，有諸？」曰：「有之。」曰：「聖君少而庸君多，如獨守仲尼之道，是漆也。」曰：「聖人之法，未嘗不關盛衰焉。昔者堯有天下，舉大綱，命舜、禹；夏、殷、周屬其子，不膠者卓矣！唐、虞象刑惟明，夏後肉闢三千，不膠者卓矣！堯親九族，協和萬國；湯、武桓桓，征伐四克。由是言之，不膠者卓矣！禮樂征伐自天子所出，春秋之時，齊、晉實與，不膠者卓矣！」

Someone said: "To govern the future with the laws of past sages is like gluing the bridges of a zither and then tuning the strings; is there such a thing?" Yang Xiong said: "There is." Asked: "Sage rulers are few and mediocre ones many; if one only clings to the Way of Confucius, that is like being lacquered shut." Yang Xiong said: "The laws of the sages have never been unrelated to rise and decline. In the past, when Yao held the world, he raised the great outline and appointed Shun and Yu; the Xia, Yin and Zhou passed the world on to their sons; those who do not glue themselves in place are the outstanding ones! The symbolic punishments of Tang and Yu merely made things clear, while the Xia sovereigns had three thousand articles of corporal punishment; those who do not glue themselves in place are the outstanding ones! Yao made the nine clans affectionate and harmonized the myriad states; Tang and Wu were martial and won every campaign in the four directions. From this it follows that those who do not glue themselves in place are the outstanding ones! Rites, music and punitive expeditions came from the Son of Heaven, but in the Spring and Autumn period Qi and Jin actually took part; those who do not glue themselves in place are the outstanding ones!"

或曰：「人君不可不學《律》《令》。」曰：「君子為國，張其綱紀，謹其教化。導之以仁，則下不相賊；蒞之以廉，則下不相盜；臨之以正，則下不相詐；修之以禮義，則下多德讓。此君子所當學也。如有犯法，則司獄在。」

Someone said: "A ruler cannot do without studying the Statutes and Ordinances." Yang Xiong said: "The exemplary person governs a state by stretching out the main cords and threads of order and being careful with teaching. Lead with humaneness, and those below will not harm one another; oversee with integrity, and those below will not steal from one another; face them with uprightness, and those below will not cheat one another; cultivate them with ritual and righteousness, and those below will abound in virtue and deference. This is what the exemplary person should study. If someone breaks the law, there are prison officials for that."

或苦亂。曰：「綱紀。」曰：「惡在於綱紀？」曰：「大作綱，小作紀。如綱不綱，紀不紀，雖有羅網，惡得一目而正諸？」

Someone was distressed by an age of chaos. Yang Xiong said: "Rely on the main cords and threads of order." Asked: "Where do the cords and threads work?" Yang Xiong said: "The large ones serve as the main cords and the small ones as the threads. If the main cords are not like main cords and the threads are not like threads, even if there is a net, how could one use a single mesh to set it right?"

或曰：「齊得夷吾而霸，仲尼曰小器。請問大器。」曰：「大器其猶規矩準繩乎？先自治而後治人之謂大器。」

Someone said: "Qi obtained Guan Zhong and became hegemon, yet Confucius called him a person of small capacity. May I ask what a person of great capacity is?" Yang Xiong said: "A person of great capacity is perhaps like the compass, square and plumb line. One who first governs himself and then governs others is called a person of great capacity."

或曰：「正國何先？」曰：「躬工人績。」

Someone said: "In setting a state right, what comes first?" Yang Xiong said: "Act on one's own person, and achievements follow."

或曰：「為政先殺後教。」曰：「於乎！天先秋而後春乎？將先春而後秋乎？」

Someone said: "In government, first execute and then teach." Yang Xiong said: "Ah! Does Heaven put autumn before spring, or spring before autumn?"

吾見玄駒之步，雉之晨雊也，化其可以已矣哉！

I see the black ants moving and the pheasants crowing at dawn; how could teaching ever be stopped!

民可使覿德，不可使覿刑。覿德則純，覿刑則亂。

One may let the people see virtue, but one may not let the people see punishment. Seeing virtue makes them pure; seeing punishment makes them disorderly.

象龍之致雨也，難矣哉！曰：「龍乎！龍乎！」

Praying for rain with an earthen dragon is hard! One says: "Dragon! Dragon!"

或問「政核」。曰：「真偽。真偽則政核。如真不真，偽不偽，則政不核。」

Someone asked about "how government is made solid." Yang Xiong said: "Tell the true from the false. When the true and false are distinguished, government is solid. If the true is not like the true and the false is not like the false, government is not solid."

鼓舞萬物者，雷風乎！鼓舞萬民者，號令乎！雷不一，風不再。

What stirs all things is thunder and wind! What stirs the myriad people is commands and orders! Thunder does not sound only once, and the wind does not come again a second time.

聖人樂陶成天下之化，使人有士君子之器者也，故不遁於世，不離於群。遁離者，是聖人乎？

The sage delights in molding and completing the teaching of the world, giving people the capacity of the scholar and exemplary person, and so he does not flee from the human world or leave the crowd. One who flees and leaves, is he still a sage?

雌之不才，其卵毈矣；君之不才，其民野矣。

If a hen has no ability, the egg will not hatch; if a ruler has no ability, the people will be coarse.

或問曰：「載使子草律。」曰：「吾不如弘恭。」「草奏。」曰：「吾不如陳湯。」曰：「何為？」曰：「必也律不犯，奏不剡。」

Someone asked: "Suppose you were asked to draft laws." Yang Xiong said: "I am no match for Hong Gong." "Drafting memorials." Yang Xiong said: "I am no match for Chen Tang." Asked: "Then what would you do?" Yang Xiong said: "I would make sure that no one breaks the laws and the memorials need no further trimming or revision."

甄陶天下者，其在和乎？剛則甈，柔則壞。

The key to molding the world lies in harmonizing, does it not? Too hard and it cracks; too soft and it spoils.

龍之潛亢，不獲其中矣。是以過中則惕，不及中則躍，其近於中乎！

The dragon's submerged and its soaring states both fail to attain the mean. Therefore when one has passed the mean one should be on guard, and when one has not reached the mean one should leap up; this is perhaps close to the mean!

聖人之道，譬猶日之中矣。不及則未，過則𣅔。

The Way of the sage is like the sun exactly at its zenith. Not reaching it is not yet arriving; passing it is slanting off.

什一，天下之中正也。多則桀，寡則貉。

Taking one part in ten is the right measure for the world. Taking more is the tyrant Jie, and taking less is the Mo barbarians.

井田之田，田也；肉刑之刑，刑也。田也者，與眾田之；刑也者，與眾棄之。

Only fields like the well-field system are truly fields, and only punishments like corporal punishments are truly punishments. What is called a field is one plowed together with the multitude, and what is called punishment is something the multitude cast out together.

法無限，則庶人田侯田，處侯宅，食侯食，服侯服，人亦多不足矣。

If the law has no limit, commoners will till the fields of marquises, live in the houses of marquises, eat the food of marquises and wear the clothes of marquises, and then most people will not have enough.

為國不迪其法，而望其效，譬諸算乎？

To govern a state without following the law and yet hope for its effects, is that like doing arithmetic?

或問：「南正重司天，北正黎司地，今何僚也？」曰：「近羲，近和。」「孰重？孰黎？」曰：「羲近重，和近黎。」

Someone asked: "Chong, the Southern Director, was in charge of heaven, and Li, the Northern Director, was in charge of earth; what office is that today?" Yang Xiong said: "Close to the Xi and close to the He." "Who is Chong? Who is Li?" Yang Xiong said: "Xi is close to Chong, and He is close to Li."

或問「黃帝終始」。曰：「託也。昔者姒氏治水土，而巫步多禹；扁鵲，盧人也，而醫多盧。夫欲讎偽者必假真。禹乎？盧乎？終始乎？」

Someone asked about "the beginning and end of the Yellow Emperor." Yang Xiong said: "It is a false attribution. In the past, when the Si clan managed the waters and lands, shamans mostly learned the Yu step in their walking; Bian Que was a man of Lu, and doctors mostly call themselves Lu. Those who want to sell what is fake must borrow from what is genuine. Is it Yu? Is it Lu? Is it the beginning and end?"

或問「渾天」。曰：「下閎營之，鮮於妄人度之，耿中丞象之，幾乎！幾乎！莫之能違也。」「請問蓋天。」曰：「蓋哉！蓋哉！應難未幾也。」

Someone asked about the "Hun Tian" (celestial sphere) theory. Yang Xiong said: "Luoxia Hong built it, Xianyu Wangren measured it, and Vice Censor Geng modeled it; nearly there! Nearly there! No one can go against it." "May I ask about the Gai Tian" (canopy heaven) theory. Yang Xiong said: "Canopy! Canopy! It falls far short of answering objections."

或問：「趙世多神，何也？」曰：「神怪茫茫，若存若亡，聖人曼雲。」

Someone asked: "The age of Zhao had many spiritual marvels; why is that?" Yang Xiong said: "Spirits and strange things are vague, seeming to exist and seeming not to; the sage does not speak of them."

或問：「子胥、種、蠡孰賢？」曰：「胥也，俾吳作亂，破楚入郢，鞭屍藉館，皆不由德。謀越諫齊不式，不能去，卒眼之。種、蠡不彊諫而山棲，俾其君詘社稷之靈而童僕，又終弊吳。賢皆不足卲也。至蠡策種而遁，肥矣哉！」

Someone asked: "Among Wu Zixu, Wen Zhong and Fan Li, who was worthy?" Yang Xiong said: "Zixu stirred Wu into turmoil, broke Chu and entered Ying, whipped the corpse and slept in the Chu palace, none of which came through virtue. His plans against Yue and his advice to attack Qi had no effect, and yet he could not leave, and in the end his eyes were gouged out. Wen Zhong and Fan Li could not remonstrate strongly and let their lord live on a mountain, making him demean the spirits of the altars of state to serve as a mere servant, and in the end brought harm to Wu as well. Neither is worthy enough to be called lofty. As for Fan Li, who devised the plan for Wen Zhong and then fled himself, that was truly fat and fine!"

或問「陳勝、吳廣」。曰：「亂。」曰：「不若是則秦不亡。」曰：「亡秦乎？恐秦未亡而先亡矣。」

Someone asked about "Chen Sheng and Wu Guang." Yang Xiong said: "Chaos." Asked: "Without this, Qin would not have fallen." Yang Xiong said: "Bring down Qin? I fear that before Qin fell, they themselves had fallen first."

或問：「六國竝，其已久矣。一病一瘳，迄始皇三載而鹹。時激、地保、人事乎？」曰：「具。」「請問事。」曰：「孝公以下，彊兵力農，以蠶食六國，事也。」「保。」曰：「東溝大河，南阻高山，西採雍、梁，北鹵涇垠，便則申，否則蟠，保也。」「激。」曰：「始皇方斧，將相方刀，六國方木，將相方肉，激也。」

Someone asked: "The six states had stood side by side for a long time. Now ill, now recovering, until the third year of the First Emperor, they were all pacified. Was it the stirring of the times, the protection of the terrain, or human effort?" Yang Xiong said: "All of them." "May I ask about human effort." Yang Xiong said: "From Duke Xiao on, strengthening the army and promoting agriculture so as to nibble away at the six states, that was human effort." "Protection." Yang Xiong said: "On the east, the great river served as a moat; on the south, high mountains blocked the way; on the west, they drew resources from Yong and Liang; on the north, salt flats reached to the bank of the Jing; when advantageous they extended, and when not they coiled up; that was protection." "Stirring." Yang Xiong said: "The First Emperor was like an axe, and his generals and ministers like knives; the six states were like wood, and their generals and ministers like flesh; that was stirring."

或問：「秦伯列為侯衛，卒吞天下，而赧曾無以制乎？」曰：「天子制公、侯、伯、子、男也，庸節。節莫差於僭，僭莫重於祭，祭莫重於地，地莫重於天，則襄、文、宣、靈其兆也。昔者襄公始僭，西畤以祭白帝；文、宣、靈宗，興鄜、密、上、下，用事四帝，而天王不匡，反致文、武胙。是以四疆之內各以其力來侵，攘肌及骨，而赧獨何以制秦乎？」

Someone asked: "The Earl of Qin was ranked as a guardian marquis and in the end swallowed up the whole world; was King Nan of Zhou really unable to stop it?" Yang Xiong said: "The Son of Heaven controls dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts and barons by regulation. No regulation is violated worse than by usurpation, no usurpation is graver than in sacrifice, no sacrifice is graver than over land, and no land is graver than heaven; so Dukes Xiang, Wen, Xuan and Ling were already the omens. In the past Duke Xiang began the usurpation, building the Western Altar to sacrifice to the White Emperor; Wen, Xuan and Ling honored it, setting up the altars of Fu, Mi, Shang and Xia, performing rites to the four emperors, and the Heavenly King did not correct them but instead bestowed on them the sacrificial meat of Wen and Wu. So within the four borders each invaded with its own strength, seizing from the flesh to the bone, and how could King Nan alone have stopped Qin?"

或問：「嬴政二十六載，天下擅秦。秦十五載而楚，楚五載而漢。五十載之際，而天下三擅，天邪？人邪？」曰：「具。周建子弟，列名城，班五爵，流之十二，當時雖欲漢，得乎？六國蚩蚩，為嬴弱姬，卒之屏營。嬴擅其政，故天下擅秦。秦失其猷，罷侯置守，守失其微，天下孤睽。項氏暴強，改宰侯王，故天下擅楚。擅楚之月，有漢創業山南，發跡三秦，追項山東，故天下擅漢，天也。」「人。」曰：「兼才尚權，右計左數，動謹於時，人也。天不人不因，人不天不成。」

Someone asked: "In the twenty-sixth year of Ying Zheng, the world belonged solely to Qin. Qin lasted fifteen years and passed to Chu, and Chu lasted five years and passed to Han. In fifty years, the world belonged exclusively to three powers in turn; was it Heaven or humans?" Yang Xiong said: "Both. Zhou enfeoffed its sons and brothers, setting them in famous cities, handing out the five ranks of nobility, and it lasted for twelve generations; at that time, even if one wanted the Han, could one have gotten it? The six states were dim and muddled, and weakened the house of Ji of Zhou for Ying; in the end they were left fearful and without support. Ying alone held the government, and so the world belonged solely to Qin. Qin lost its strategy, abolished the feudal lords and set up commanderies, and the commandery governors lost control, so the world became isolated and estranged. Xiang Yu was violent and strong and re-enfeoffed kings and marquises, and so the world belonged solely to Chu. In the very month it belonged to Chu, Han had already begun its enterprise south of the mountains, rose from the Three Qin, and pursued Xiang Yu east of the mountains; so the world belonged solely to Han, and that was Heaven." "Humans." Yang Xiong said: "Combining ability, honoring adaptability, having calculations on every side, acting carefully in keeping with the times: that is human effort. Heaven without humans has nothing to rely on; humans without Heaven cannot accomplish anything."

或問：「楚敗垓下，方死，曰：『天也。』諒乎？」曰：「漢屈群策，群策屈群力。楚憞群策而自屈其力。屈人者克，自屈者負。天曷故焉？」

Someone asked: "When Chu was defeated at Gaixia, as he was about to die he said: 'It is Heaven.' Was he right?" Yang Xiong said: "Han made the multitude of plans submit, and the multitude of plans made the multitude of forces submit. Chu loathed the multitude of plans and so made its own strength submit. One who makes others submit wins, and one who makes himself submit loses. What has Heaven got to do with it?"

或問：「秦、楚既為天典命矣，秦縊灞上，楚分江西，興廢何速乎？」曰：「天胙光德而隕明忒。昔在有熊、高陽、高辛、唐、虞、三代，鹹有顯懿，故天胙之，為神明主，且著在天庭，是生民之願也，厥饗國久長。若秦、楚彊鬩震撲，胎藉三正，播其虐於黎苗，子弟且欲喪之，況於民乎？況於鬼神乎？廢未速也！」

Someone asked: "Since Qin and Chu had both been given the mandate by Heaven, Qin hanged itself at Bashang and Chu was divided west of the river; why was their rise and fall so swift?" Yang Xiong said: "Heaven blesses bright virtue and brings down clear errors. In the past, the lords of Youxiong, Gaoyang, Gaoxin, Tang, Yu and the Three Dynasties all had conspicuous fine virtue, and so Heaven blessed them to be lords of the spirits and wrote this up in the court of Heaven, which was the wish of the living people, and so they held their states long. As for Qin and Chu, they fought each other violently, striking and striking back, trampling the three correct principles, and spreading cruelty to the common people and their descendants; even their own sons and brothers wanted them to perish, so how much more the common people? How much more the spirits? Their abolition was not even swift enough!"

或問：「仲尼大聖，則天曷不胙？」曰：「無土。」「然則舜、禹有土乎？」曰：「舜以堯作土，禹以舜作土。」

Someone asked: "Confucius was a great sage; why did Heaven not bless him?" Yang Xiong said: "He had no land." "Then did Shun and Yu have land?" Yang Xiong said: "Shun took Yao as his land, and Yu took Shun as his land."

或問「聖人表裡」。曰：「威儀文辭，表也；德行忠信，裡也。」

Someone asked about "the outside and inside of the sage." Yang Xiong said: "Dignified bearing and refined language are the outside; virtuous conduct, loyalty and trustworthiness are the inside."

或問：「義帝初矯，劉龕南陽，項救河北。二方分崩，一離一合。設秦得人，如何？」曰：「人無為秦也，喪其靈久矣。」

Someone asked: "When the Righteous Emperor was newly honored and enthroned, Liu Bang took Nanyang and Xiang Yu relieved the north of the river. The two sides split apart, one separating and one joining. If Qin had gained talented men, what would have happened?" Yang Xiong said: "People would no longer have served Qin; Qin had lost its spirits long since."

韓信、黥布皆劒立，南面稱孤，卒窮時戮，無乃勿乎？或曰：「勿則無名，如何？」曰：「名者，謂令名也。忠不終而躬逆，焉攸令？」

Han Xin and Ying Bu both took their swords and made themselves independent, facing south and calling themselves lords, and in the end were put to death in their time; were they not muddled? Someone said: "If one is muddled, one has no name; so what then?" Yang Xiong said: "By 'name' I mean a good name. Loyalty that could not be carried through to the end and then turning rebel oneself, how can one speak of any good in that?"

或問「淳于越」。曰：「伎曲。」「請問。」曰：「始皇方虎挒而梟磔，噬士猶臘肉也。越與亢眉，終無撓辭，可謂伎矣。仕無妄之國，食無妄之粟，分無妄之橈，自令之間而不違，可謂曲矣。」

Someone asked about "Chunyu Yue." Yang Xiong said: "Upright and yet bending." "Please say more." Yang Xiong said: "The First Emperor was exactly like a tiger pouncing or an owl tearing, biting at scholars as if eating dried meat. Chunyu Yue faced him brow to brow and never yielded; he can be called upright. Serving in an unfathomable state, eating unfathomable grain, sharing in unfathomable crookedness, placing himself in the gaps and yet not leaving: he can be called bending."

或問：「茅焦歷井幹之死，使始皇奉虛左之乘。蔡生欲安項鹹陽，不能移，又亨之，其者未辯與？」曰：「生捨其木侯而謂人木侯，亨不亦宜乎？焦逆訐而順守之，雖辯，劘虎牙矣。」

Someone asked: "Mao Jiao, having lived through a row of people killed like the rim of a well, still got the First Emperor to leave the left seat of his carriage empty to welcome the Empress Dowager. Cai Sheng wanted Xiang Yu to make Xianyang his capital, could not move him, and was boiled alive; was it perhaps that he was not a good debater?" Yang Xiong said: "Cai Sheng threw away his own puppet and called others puppets; was being boiled not just right for him? Mao Jiao went against the grain to expose the faults, but followed along to hold his ground; even if he was a good debater, he was sharpening a tiger's teeth."

或問：「甘羅之悟呂不韋，張闢彊之覺平、勃，皆以十二齡，戊、良乎？」曰：「才也戊、良，不必父祖。」

Someone asked: "Gan Luo enlightened Lü Buwei, and Zhang Pijiang reminded Chen Ping and Zhou Bo, both at the age of twelve; are they of the same kind as Xiang Tuo and Zhang Liang?" Yang Xiong said: "If one's ability is like Xiang Tuo and Zhang Liang, one does not need to rely on one's father or grandfather."

或問：「酈食其說陳留，下敖倉；說齊，罷歷下軍，何辯也？韓信襲齊，以身脂鼎，何訥也？」曰：「夫辯也者，自辯也。如辯人，幾矣！」

Someone asked: "Li Yiji persuaded Chenliu and took the Ao granary; he persuaded Qi and had the garrison at Lixia withdrawn; how skilled a debater he was! Han Xin attacked Qi, and Li Yiji himself became grease in the cauldron; how tongue-tied he then was!" Yang Xiong said: "What is called debate is debating oneself. If one debates others, it is dangerous!"

或問：「蒯通抵韓信，不能下，又狂之。」曰：「方遭信閉，如其抵！」曰：「巇可抵乎？」曰：「賢者司禮，小人司巇，況拊鍵乎？」

Someone asked: "Kuai Tong looked for an opening to persuade Han Xin, could not convince him, and then feigned madness." Yang Xiong said: "He happened upon Han Xin shutting him out; what use is looking for an opening!" Asked: "Can one find an opening?" Yang Xiong said: "The worthy keep ritual, and petty people keep to the gaps; and what of one who is also holding the door bar?"

或問：「李斯盡忠，胡亥極刑，忠乎？」曰：「斯以留客至作相，用狂人之言，從浮大海，立趙高之邪說，廢沙丘之正，阿意督責，焉用忠？」「霍？」曰：「始元之初，擁少帝之微，摧燕、上官之鋒，處廢興之分，堂堂乎忠，難矣哉！至顯，不終矣。」

Someone asked: "Li Si was loyal to the end, and Huhai put him to a cruel death; was that loyalty?" Yang Xiong said: "Li Si rose from being a retained guest-minister to chancellor, listened to the words of a madman, went along to cross the great sea, set up Zhao Gao's heterodox doctrine, abolished the rightful mandate at Shaqiu, and flattered and urged; what need is there for loyalty?" "What about Huo Guang?" Yang Xiong said: "In the early Shiyuan years, he protected the young emperor, blunted the edge of the Prince of Yan and of Shangguan, and stood at the juncture of abolition and revival; such grand loyalty is difficult! By the time of Huo Xian, it could not be carried through to the end."

或問：「馮唐面文帝得廉頗、李牧不能用也，諒乎？」曰：「彼將有激也。親屈帝尊，信亞夫之軍，至頗、牧，曷不用哉？」「德？」曰：「罪不孥，宮不女，館不新，陵不墳。」

Someone asked: "Feng Tang told Emperor Wen to his face that even if he had Lian Po and Li Mu he could not use them; was he right?" Yang Xiong said: "He wished to stir him. Emperor Wen could personally condescend and trusted the camp of Zhou Yafu; as for Lian Po and Li Mu, how would he not have used them?" "And Emperor Wen's virtue?" Yang Xiong said: "Crimes did not extend to descendants, the palace was not crowded with women, lodgings did not seek novelty, and tombs were not heaped into high mounds."

或問「交」。曰：「仁。」問「餘、耳」。曰：「光初。」「竇、灌」。曰：「兇終。」

Someone asked about "friendship." Yang Xiong said: "Humaneness." Asked about "Chen Yu and Zhang Er." Yang Xiong said: "Bright at the start." "Dou Ying and Guan Fu." Yang Xiong said: "Dire at the end."

或問「信」。曰：「不食其言。」「請人。」曰：「晉荀息、趙程嬰、公子杵臼，秦大夫鑿穆公之側。」問「義」。曰：「事得其宜之謂義。」

Someone asked about "trustworthiness." Yang Xiong said: "Not swallowing one's own words." "Please give examples." Yang Xiong said: "Xun Xi of Jin, Cheng Ying and Gongsun Chujiu of Zhao, and the grandees of Qin who died beside Duke Mu." Asked about "righteousness." Yang Xiong said: "When a matter gets the appropriateness it should have, that is righteousness."

或問：「季布忍焉，可為也？」曰：「能者為之，明哲不為也。」或曰：「當布之急，雖明哲之如何？」曰：「明哲不終項仕。如終項仕，焉攸避？」

Someone asked: "Ji Bu could endure; can one learn from him?" Yang Xiong said: "Those with ability do it; the wise do not." Someone said: "When Ji Bu was in danger, what could even a wise man have done?" Yang Xiong said: "A wise man would not have gone on serving in Xiang Yu's office to the end. If he had served in Xiang Yu's office to the end, where could he have hidden?"

或問「賢」。曰：「為人所不能。」「請人。」曰：「顏淵、黔婁、四皓、韋玄。」問「長者」。曰：「藺相如申秦而屈廉頗，欒布之不倍，朱家之不德，直不疑之不校，韓安國之通使。」

Someone asked about "the worthy." Yang Xiong said: "One who does what others cannot do." "Please give examples." Yang Xiong said: "Yan Yuan, Qian Lou, the Four Hoary Elders and Wei Xuancheng." Asked about "elders of good character." Yang Xiong said: "Lin Xiangru, who was firm toward Qin but yielding to Lian Po; Luan Bu, who did not abandon Peng Yue; Zhu Jia, who did not claim to have virtue; Zhi Buyi, who did not quarrel with people; and Han Anguo, who smoothed relations between people."

或問「臣自得」。曰：「石太僕之對，金將軍之謹，張衛將軍之慎，丙大夫之不伐善。」「請問臣自失。」曰：「李貳師之執貳，田祁連之濫帥，韓馮翊之愬蕭，趙京兆之犯魏。」

Someone asked about "what ministers have gained by themselves." Yang Xiong said: "The replies of the Grand Coachman Shi, the caution of General Jin, the prudence of General Zhang Wei, and Grandee Bing, who did not boast of his own merits." "May I ask about what ministers have lost by themselves." Yang Xiong said: "Li Ershi's harboring of divided loyalties, Tian Qilian's excess in being commander, Han Fengyi's false accusation of Xiao Wangzhi, and Zhao Jingzhao's offense against Wei Xiang."

或問「持滿」。曰：「扼欹。」

Someone asked about "keeping what is full." Yang Xiong said: "Steady the tilting vessel."

揚王孫倮葬以矯世。曰：「矯世以禮，倮乎？如矯世，則葛溝尚矣。」

Yang Wangsun was buried naked in order to correct the customs of his time. Yang Xiong said: "To correct the customs one should use ritual; is it naked burial? If one wanted to correct the customs, wrapping the body in kudzu cloth and throwing it into a ditch would be even earlier."

或問「《周官》」。曰：「立事。」「《左氏》」。曰：「品藻。」「太史遷。」曰：「實錄。」

Someone asked about the "Rites of Zhou." Yang Xiong said: "It sets up official duties." "The Zuo Commentary." Yang Xiong said: "It appraises and embellishes." "The Grand Historian Qian." Yang Xiong said: "He records according to the facts."

或問：「淵、騫之徒惡乎在？」曰：「寢。」或曰：「淵、騫曷不寢？」曰：「攀龍鱗，附鳳翼，巽以揚之，勃勃乎其不可及也。如其寢！如其寢！」

Someone asked: "Where are the disciples of Yan Yuan and Min Ziqian?" Yang Xiong said: "Buried in obscurity." Someone said: "Why were Yan Yuan and Min Ziqian not buried in obscurity?" Yang Xiong said: "They clung to the dragon's scales and attached themselves to the phoenix's wings, rising with the wind, so vigorous that one could not catch up. How could they be buried in obscurity! How could they be buried in obscurity!"

七十子之於仲尼也，日聞所不聞，見所不見，文章亦不足為矣。

For the seventy disciples, each day with Confucius they heard what they had never heard and saw what they had never seen, and writing essays was no longer worth doing.

君子絕德，小人絕力。或問「絕德」。曰：「舜以孝，禹以功，皋陶以謨，非絕德邪？」「力」。「秦悼武、烏獲、任鄙扛鼎抃牛，非絕力邪？」

The exemplary person is unsurpassed in virtue, and the petty person is unsurpassed in strength. Someone asked about "unsurpassed virtue." Yang Xiong said: "Shun through filial piety, Yu through achievement, and Gao Yao through counsel; is that not unsurpassed virtue?" Asked about "strength." Yang Xiong said: "King Dao Wu of Qin, Wu Huo and Ren Bi, who lifted tripods and wrestled oxen; is that not unsurpassed strength?"

或問「勇」。曰：「軻也。」曰：「何軻也？」曰：「軻也者，謂孟軻也。若荊軻，君子盜諸。」「請問孟軻之勇。」曰：「勇於義而果於德，不以貧富、貴賤、死生動其心，於勇也，其庶乎！」

Someone asked about "courage." Yang Xiong said: "Ke." Asked: "Which Ke?" Yang Xiong said: "Ke means Meng Ke (Mencius). As for Jing Ke, the exemplary person regards him as a bandit." "May I ask about the courage of Meng Ke." Yang Xiong said: "Courageous in righteousness and resolute in virtue, not shaken in his original heart by poverty or wealth, noble or humble status, or life and death; as for courage, that is almost it!"

魯仲連𠎯而不制，藺相如制而不𠎯。

Lu Zhonglian was bold and unrestrained and not held by limits; Lin Xiangru was restrained and not bold.

或問「鄒陽」。曰：「未信而分疑，忼辭免罿，幾矣哉！」

Someone asked about "Zou Yang." Yang Xiong said: "Before he was even trusted, he could discern suspicions, and with stirring words he saved himself from the net; dangerous!"

或問：「信陵、平原、孟嘗、春申益乎？」曰：「上失其政，姦臣竊國命，何其益乎！」

Someone asked: "Were the lords of Xinling, Pingyuan, Mengchang and Chunshen of benefit?" Yang Xiong said: "Above, the reins of government were lost, and treacherous ministers stole the mandate of the state; where is the benefit!"

樗裡子之知也，使知國如葬，則吾以疾為蓍龜。

As for the wisdom of Chuli Zi, if he had known the state as he knew burial sites, I would take illness as my yarrow and tortoise shell.

「周之順、赧，以成周而西傾；秦之惠文、昭襄，以西山而東並，孰愈？」曰：「周也羊，秦也狼。」「然則狼愈與？」曰：「羊、狼一也。」

"Kings Shun and Nan of Zhou, relying on Chengzhou, toppled westward; Kings Huiwen and Zhaoxiang of Qin, relying on the western mountains, annexed eastward; which was better?" Yang Xiong said: "Zhou was a sheep and Qin was a wolf." "Then was the wolf better?" Yang Xiong said: "A sheep and a wolf are the same."

或問：「蒙恬忠而被誅，忠奚可為也？」曰：「壍山堙谷，起臨洮，擊遼水，力不足而死有餘，忠不足相也。」

Someone asked: "Meng Tian was loyal and yet was killed; what is there left for loyalty to do?" Yang Xiong said: "He dug through mountains and filled valleys, building from Lintao and connecting to the Liao River; his strength fell short and his death was more than enough; his loyalty did not even reach the point of being an adequate aide."

或問：「呂不韋其智矣乎？以人易貨。」曰：「誰謂不韋智者與？以國易宗。不韋之盜，穿窬之雄乎？穿窬也者，吾見擔石矣，未見雒陽也。」

Someone asked: "Was Lü Buwei wise enough? He traded a person for goods." Yang Xiong said: "Who says Buwei was wise? He traded a state for his own clan. Buwei's theft was perhaps the champion among wall-piercing thieves? Among wall-piercing thieves, I have seen those who stole a dou or a dan of grain, but I have never seen one who stole Luoyang."

「秦將白起不仁，奚用為也？」「長平之戰，四十萬人死，蚩尤之亂，不過於此矣。原野猒人之肉，川穀流人之血，將不仁，奚用為！」「翦？」曰：「始皇方獵六國，而翦牙欸。」

"The Qin general Bai Qi was inhumane; what was the use of employing him?" "At the battle of Changping, four hundred thousand people died, and the disaster of Chiyou was no worse than this. The wilds were sated with human flesh, and rivers and valleys ran with human blood; the commander was inhumane, so what was the use of employing him!" "And Wang Jian?" Yang Xiong said: "The First Emperor was hunting down the six states, and Wang Jian was only a claw and fang catching his breath."

或問：「要離非義者與？不以家辭國。」曰：「離也，火妻灰子，以求反於慶忌，實蛛蝥之靡也，焉可謂之義也？」「政？」「為嚴氏犯韓，刺相俠累，曼面為姊，實壯士之靡也，焉可謂之義也？」「軻？」「為丹奉於期之首、燕督亢之圖，入不測之秦，實刺客之靡也，焉可謂之義也？」

Someone asked: "Was Yao Li not a righteous man? He did not use his family as an excuse for the sake of the state." Yang Xiong said: "Yao Li burned his wife and reduced his son to ashes to seek a return strike against Qingji; he was in fact a kind of spider, how can he be called righteous?" "And Nie Zheng?" "For Yan Zhongzi, he offended the state of Han and assassinated the chancellor Xia Lei, and disfigured his face for the sake of his sister; he was in fact a kind of stout fellow, how can he be called righteous?" "And Jing Ke?" "For Prince Dan of Yan, he presented the head of Fan Yuqi and the map of Dukang in Yan, and entered the unfathomable Qin; he was in fact a kind of assassin, how can he be called righteous?"

或問：「儀、秦學乎鬼谷術，而習乎縱橫言，安中國者各十餘年，是夫？」曰：「詐人也，聖人惡諸。」曰：「孔子讀而儀、秦行，何如也？」曰：「甚矣！鳳鳴而鷙翰也。」「然則子貢不為與？」曰：「亂而不解，子貢恥諸；說而不富貴，儀、秦恥諸。」

Someone asked: "Zhang Yi and Su Qin studied the art of Guiguzi and were practiced in the words of the Vertical and Horizontal Alliances, each keeping China at peace for more than ten years; is that so?" Yang Xiong said: "They were deceivers, and the sages loathed them." Asked: "Confucius read the classics while Yi and Qin put them into practice; how about that?" Yang Xiong said: "That goes too far! The call of a phoenix on the wings of a bird of prey." "Then did Zigong not do this kind of thing?" Yang Xiong said: "Zigong was ashamed when disorder could not be resolved; Yi and Qin were ashamed when their persuasion did not bring wealth and rank."

或曰：「儀、秦其才矣乎？跡不蹈已。」曰：「昔在任人，帝曰難之，亦才矣。才乎才，非吾徒之才也。」

Someone said: "Yi and Qin were talented enough, were they not? Their footsteps did not tread their old paths." Yang Xiong said: "In the past, when the emperor spoke of employing such men he said it was very hard; it was talent of a kind. Talent, indeed talent, but not talent of our kind."

美行：園公、綺裡季、夏黃公、角里先生。言辭：婁敬、陸賈。執正：王陵、申屠嘉。折節：周昌、汲黯。守儒：轅固、申公。菑異：董相、夏侯勝、京房。

Fine conduct: Yuangong, Qiliji, Xiahuanggong and Luli Xiansheng. Eloquence: Lou Jing and Lu Jia. Holding to the correct way: Wang Ling and Shentu Jia. Bending one's principles: Zhou Chang and Ji An. Preserving Confucianism: Yuan Gu and Shen Gong. Portents and anomalies: Dong Zhongshu, Xiahou Sheng and Jing Fang.

或問「蕭、曹」。曰：「蕭也規，曹也隨。」「滕、灌、樊、酈」。曰：「俠介。」「叔孫通」。曰：「槧人也。」「爰盎」。曰：「忠不足而談有餘。」「晁錯」。曰：「愚。」「酷吏」。曰：「虎哉！虎哉！角而翼者也。」「貨殖」。曰：「蚊。」曰：「血國三千，使捋踈、飲水、褐博，沒齒無愁也。」或問「循吏」。曰：「吏也。」「遊俠」。曰：「竊國靈也。」「佞幸」。曰：「不料而已。」

Someone asked about "Xiao He and Cao Can." Yang Xiong said: "Xiao He planned and Cao Can followed." "Lord Teng, Guan Ying, Fan Kuai and Li Shang." Yang Xiong said: "Assistants and supporters." "Shusun Tong." Yang Xiong said: "A man of documents." "Yuan Ang." Yang Xiong said: "Not enough loyalty and too much talk." "Chao Cuo." Yang Xiong said: "Foolish." "Harsh officials." Yang Xiong said: "Tigers! Tigers! With horns and wings besides." "Merchants." Yang Xiong said: "Mosquitoes." He added: "They suck the blood of three thousand states, yet leave people to glean ears of grain, drink water and wear coarse brown cloth, with no grief or resentment until death." Someone asked about "upright officials." Yang Xiong said: "Those are the real officials." "Wandering knights." Yang Xiong said: "They steal the majesty of the state." "Flatterers and favorites." Yang Xiong said: "Not worth counting."

或問「近世社稷之臣」。曰：「若張子房之智，陳平之無悟，絳侯勃之果，霍將軍之勇，終之以禮樂，則可謂社稷之臣矣。」或問：「公孫弘、董仲舒孰邇？」曰：「仲舒欲為而不可得者也，弘容而已矣。」

Someone asked about "ministers who were pillars of the state in recent times." Yang Xiong said: "Like Zhang Zifang's wisdom, Chen Ping's freedom from disorder, the Marquis of Jiang Zhou Bo's decisiveness and General Huo's courage, and then completing it with ritual and music, one may be called a pillar of the state." Someone asked: "Between Gongsun Hong and Dong Zhongshu, who is closer?" Yang Xiong said: "Zhongshu was one who wanted to act but could not; Gongsun Hong merely found a place for himself."

或問「近世名卿」。曰：「若張廷尉之平，雋京兆之見，尹扶風之絜，王子貢之介，斯近世名卿矣。」「將」。曰：「若條侯之守，長平、冠軍之徵伐，博陸之持重，可謂近世名將矣。」「請問古。」曰：「鼓之以道德，徵之以仁義，輿屍、血刃，皆所不為也。」

Someone asked about "famous ministers of recent times." Yang Xiong said: "Like the fairness of Commandant of Justice Zhang, the insight of Jun, Governor of the Capital, the integrity of Yin, Governor of Fufeng, and the integrity of Wang Zigong; these are the famous ministers of recent times." "Generals." Yang Xiong said: "Like the steadfast defense of the Marquis of Tiao, the campaigns of Changping and Guanjun, and the gravity of Bolu, they may be called famous generals of recent times." "May I ask about antiquity." Yang Xiong said: "They inspired with moral virtue and campaigned with humaneness and righteousness; returning with corpses on the carts and blood on the blades was something they did not do."

張騫、蘇武之奉使也，執節沒身，不屈王命，雖古之膚使，其猶劣諸！

Zhang Qian and Su Wu, as envoys, kept their integrity until death and did not bend the king's command; even the excellent envoys of antiquity could not match them!

世稱東方生之盛也，言不純師，行不純表，其流風遺書，蔑如也。或曰：「隱者也。」曰：「昔之隱者，吾聞其語矣，又聞其行矣。」或曰：「隱道多端。」曰：「固也！聖言聖行，不逢其時，聖人隱也。賢言賢行，不逢其時，賢者隱也。談言談行，而不逢其時，談者隱也。昔者箕子之漆其身也，狂接輿之被其髮也，欲去而恐罹害者也。箕子之《洪範》，接輿之歌鳳也哉！」或問：「東方生名過實者，何也？」曰：「應諧、不窮、正諫、穢德。應諧似優，不窮似哲，正諫似直，穢德似隱。」「請問名。」曰：「詼達。」「惡比？」曰：「非夷尚容，依隱玩世，其滑稽之雄乎！」或問：「柳下惠非朝隱者與？」曰：「君子謂之不恭。古者高餓顯，下祿隱。」

The world praises the greatness of Dongfang Shuo, but his words did not take the pure as their teacher, and his conduct did not take the pure as its model, so his lingering influence and surviving writings are negligible. Someone said: "He was a recluse." Yang Xiong said: "The recluses of old, I have heard their words and also heard of their conduct." Someone said: "There are many paths of reclusion." Yang Xiong said: "Indeed! If the words and conduct of a sage do not meet their time, that is a sage in reclusion. If the words and conduct of a worthy do not meet their time, that is a worthy in reclusion. If the words and conduct of a talker do not meet their time, that is a talker in reclusion. In the past Jizi lacquered his body and the madman Jieyu let down his hair; they were those who wanted to leave but feared harm. Jizi had the Great Plan, and Jieyu had the phoenix song!" Someone asked: "Dongfang Shuo's fame exceeded his substance; why?" Yang Xiong said: "His replies were witty, his eloquence was inexhaustible, he could remonstrate directly, and his conduct was mixed. His witty replies were like an entertainer's, his inexhaustible eloquence like a sage's, his direct remonstrance like an upright man's, and his mixed conduct like a recluse's." "May I ask what his name should be called." Yang Xiong said: "Witty and broad-minded." "Who is he compared to?" Yang Xiong said: "Not learning from Boyi but esteeming finding a place for oneself, playing with the world by relying on reclusion; he is perhaps the champion among jesters!" Someone asked: "Was Liuxia Hui not a recluse at court?" Yang Xiong said: "The exemplary person says he was not respectful. In ancient times, being hungry yet prominent was valued highly, and taking a salary yet living in reclusion was valued lowly."

妄譽，仁之賊也；妄毀，義之賊也。賊仁近鄉原，賊義近鄉訕。

Excessive praise is a thief of humaneness; excessive slander is a thief of righteousness. Robbing humaneness comes close to the village hypocrite, and robbing righteousness comes close to village slander.

或問：「子，蜀人也，請人。」曰：「有李仲元者，人也。」「其為人也奈何？」曰：「不屈其意，不累其身。」曰：「是夷、惠之徒與？」曰：「不夷不惠，可否之間也。」「如是，則奚名之不彰也？」曰：「無仲尼，則西山之餓夫與東國之絀臣惡乎聞？」曰：「王陽、貢禹遇仲尼乎？」曰：「明星皓皓，華藻之力也與！」曰：「若是，則奚為不自高？」曰：「皓皓者，己也；引而高之者，天也。子欲自高邪？仲元，世之師也。見其貌者，肅如也；聞其言者，愀如也；觀其行者，穆如也。鄲聞以德詘人矣，未聞以德詘於人也。仲元，畏人也。」或曰：「育、賁。」曰：「育、賁也，人畏其力，而侮其德。」「請條。」曰：「非正不視，非正不聽，非正不言，非正不行。夫能正其視聽言行者，昔吾先師之所畏也。如視不視，聽不聽，言不言，行不行，雖有育、賁，其猶侮諸！」

Someone asked: "You are a man of Shu; please name a man of Shu." Yang Xiong said: "There is a man named Li Zhongyuan, who is a talented man." "What is he like as a person?" Yang Xiong said: "He does not bend his own will and does not burden his own body." Asked: "Is he of the kind of Boyi and Liuxia Hui?" Yang Xiong said: "He is neither like Boyi nor like Liuxia Hui, but between permissible and not permissible." "If so, why is his name not widely known?" Yang Xiong said: "Without Confucius, how could the starving man of the western mountain and the demoted minister of the eastern state have been known to people?" Asked: "Did Wang Yang and Gong Yu meet Confucius?" Yang Xiong said: "The bright star shines brilliantly; is it the power of ornamentation!" Asked: "If so, why does he not raise himself?" Yang Xiong said: "The brilliance is his own, but it is Heaven that lifts it high. Do you want to raise yourself? Zhongyuan is a teacher for the age. Those who see his countenance become solemn, those who hear his words become sober, those who observe his conduct become reverent. I have only heard of making people submit through virtue, and have never heard of one who has virtue being made to submit by others. Zhongyuan is one who inspires awe." Someone said: "Xia Yu and Meng Ben." Yang Xiong said: "Xia Yu and Meng Ben, people fear their strength but disdain their virtue." "Please go through it point by point." Yang Xiong said: "Do not look at what is not right, do not listen to what is not right, do not speak what is not right, do not do what is not right. One who can set right his seeing, hearing, speaking and doing was one my former teacher also held in awe. If one does not look at what one should look at, does not listen to what one should listen to, does not speak what one should speak, and does not do what one should do, then even with Xia Yu and Meng Ben, one would still be disdained!"

或問：「君子言則成文，動則成德，何以也？」曰：「以其弸中而彪外也。般之揮斤，羿之激矢，君子不言，言必有中也；不行，行必有稱也。」

Someone asked: "When the exemplary person speaks, it becomes literature, and when he acts, it becomes virtue; by what means?" Yang Xiong said: "Because he is substantial within and radiant without. When Gongshu Ban swings his axe and Hou Yi looses his arrow, the exemplary person either does not speak, or when he speaks he surely hits the mark; he either does not act, or when he acts he surely fits."

或問「君子之柔剛」。曰：「君子於仁也柔，於義也剛。」

Someone asked about "the exemplary person's softness and hardness." Yang Xiong said: "The exemplary person is soft toward humaneness and hard toward righteousness."

或問：「航不漿，沖不薺，有諸？」曰：「有之。」或曰：「大器固不周於小乎？」曰：「斯械也，君子不械。」

Someone asked: "A great ship is not used to hold broth, and a battering ram is not used to cut shepherd's purse; is that so?" Yang Xiong said: "It is." Someone said: "Is a great vessel by nature not suited to small uses?" Yang Xiong said: "That applies to implements; the exemplary person is not an implement."

或問「孟子知言之要，知德之奧」。曰：「非苟知之，亦允蹈之。」或曰：「子小諸子，孟子非諸子乎？」曰：「諸子者，以其知異於孔子也。孟子異乎？不異。」

Someone asked about "Mencius understanding the essentials of words and the depths of virtue." Yang Xiong said: "He not only knew but also sincerely put it into practice." Someone said: "You regard the various masters as small; was Mencius not also one of the various masters?" Yang Xiong said: "By 'the various masters' I mean those whose knowledge differs from that of Confucius. Is Mencius different? He is not different."

或曰：「孫卿非數家之書，侻也；至於子思、孟軻，詭哉！」曰：「吾於孫卿，與見同門而異戶也，惟聖人為不異。」

Someone said: "Xunzi's criticisms of several schools' books are still fairly simple; but when it comes to Zisi and Mencius, they are strange!" Yang Xiong said: "As for Xunzi, I see him like one from the same school but a different door; only the sages have no differences."

牛玄騂白，睟而角，其升諸廟乎？是以君子全其德。

An ox, whether black, red or white, if its coat is pure and it has horns, can it not be offered up in the ancestral temple? So the exemplary person keeps his virtue intact.

或問「君子似玉」。曰：「純淪溫潤，柔而堅，玩而廉，隊乎其不可形也。」

Someone asked about "the exemplary person being like jade." Yang Xiong said: "Pure and mellow, soft yet firm, pleasant to handle yet with edges, and if it falls it cannot be described."

或曰：「仲尼之術，周而不泰，大而不小，用之猶牛鼠也。」曰：「仲尼之道，猶四瀆也，經營中國，終入大海。它人之道者，西北之流也，綱紀夷貉，或入於沱，或淪於漢。」

Someone said: "Confucius's art is all-encompassing but not at ease, great but not small, and in use is like an ox and a mouse." Yang Xiong said: "The Way of Confucius is like the Four Great Rivers, ordering China and in the end flowing into the sea. The ways of others are thin streams of the northwest, running through the Yi and Mo lands, some flowing into the Tuo, some sinking into the Han."

淮南說之用，不如太史公之用也。太史公，聖人將有取焉；淮南，鮮取焉爾。必也，儒乎！乍出乍人，淮南也；文麗用寡，長卿也；多愛不忍，子長也。仲尼多愛，愛義也；子長多愛，愛奇也。

The use of the learning of Huainan is not as great as the use of the Grand Historian. In the Grand Historian there is much that a sage would find worth taking; in Huainan there is little worth taking. If one must say, it is still Confucian! One who suddenly comes out and suddenly goes in is Huainan; one whose literary style is splendid but of little use is Sima Changqing; one who loves many things and cannot bear to cut them is Sima Qian. Confucius loved many things, and what he loved was righteousness; Sima Qian loved many things, and what he loved was the extraordinary.

或曰：「甚矣，傳書之不果也！」曰：「不果則不果矣，又以巫鼓。」

Someone said: "Too much! The books of biographies are not solid!" Yang Xiong said: "If they are not solid, so be it, but then shamans and ritualists add their drumbeating on top."

或問：「聖人之言，炳若丹青，有諸？」曰：「籲！是何言與？丹青初則炳，久則渝。渝乎哉？」

Someone asked: "The sage's words are as bright as cinnabar and azurite; is there such a thing?" Yang Xiong said: "Ah! What kind of talk is that? Cinnabar and azurite are bright at first, but over time they change. Do they change?"

或曰：「聖人之道若天，天則有常矣，奚聖人之多變也？」曰：「聖人固多變。子游、子夏得其書矣，未得其所以書也；宰我、子貢得其言矣，未得其所以言也；顏淵、閔子騫得其行矣，未得其所以行也。聖人之書、言、行，天也。天其少變乎？」

Someone said: "The Way of the sage is like Heaven, and Heaven is constant; why is the sage so changeable?" Yang Xiong said: "The sage is indeed changeable. Ziyou and Zixia obtained his writings but did not obtain the reasons why he wrote them so; Zai Wo and Zigong obtained his words but did not obtain the reasons why he said them so; Yan Yuan and Min Ziqian obtained his conduct but did not obtain the reasons why he acted so. The sage's writings, words and conduct are Heaven. Does Heaven change little?"

或曰：「聖人自恣與？何言之多端也！」曰：「子未覩禹之行水與？一東一北，行之無礙也。君子之行，獨無礙乎？如何直往也！水避礙則通於海，君子避礙則通於理。」

Someone said: "Does the sage indulge himself? Why are his words so varied!" Yang Xiong said: "Have you not seen Yu control the floods? Now east, now north, and he moved without hindrance. In the exemplary person's conduct of affairs, is it only he who has no obstacles? How could he just go straight ahead! Water avoids obstacles and reaches the sea; the exemplary person avoids obstacles and reaches principle."

君子好人之好，而忘己之好；小人好己之惡，而忘人之好。

The exemplary person likes the good in others and forgets his own good; the petty person likes his own bad and forgets the good of others.

或曰：「子於天下則誰與？」曰：「與夫進者乎！」或曰：「貪夫位也，慕夫祿也，何其與？」曰：「此貪也，非進也。夫進也者，進於道，慕於德，殷之以仁義，進而進，退而退，日孳孳而不自知勌者也。」或曰：「進進則聞命矣，請問退進。」曰：「昔乎，顏淵以退為進，天下鮮儷焉。」或曰：「若此，則何少於必退也？」曰：「必進易儷，必退易儷也。進以禮，退以義，難儷也。」

Someone said: "On whose side do you stand in the world?" Yang Xiong said: "With those who strive to advance!" Someone said: "They covet that seat and admire that salary; why stand with them?" Yang Xiong said: "That is greed, not advancement. What I call advancement is advancing in the Way, aspiring to virtue, filling oneself with humaneness and righteousness, advancing when one should advance and retreating when one should retreat, diligent day after day and never aware of weariness." Someone said: "Advancing in advancing I have already been taught; may I ask about retreating and yet still advancing." Yang Xiong said: "In the past, Yan Yuan advanced by retreating, and few in the world could compare with him." Someone said: "If so, why do few insist on retreating?" Yang Xiong said: "Always advancing is easy to match, and always retreating is also easy to match. Advancing in accord with ritual and retreating in accord with righteousness is what is hard to match."

或曰：「人有齊死生，同貧富，等貴賤，何如？」曰：「作此者，其有懼乎？信死生齊，貧富同，貴賤等，則吾以聖人為囂囂。」

Someone said: "Some regard life and death as equal, wealth and poverty as the same, and nobility and baseness as alike; what about that?" Yang Xiong said: "Those who make such statements perhaps have fear in their hearts? If life and death were truly equal, wealth and poverty the same, and nobility and baseness alike, then I would regard the sage as someone who simply makes a commotion."

通天、地、人曰儒，通天、地而不通人曰伎。

One who comprehends heaven, earth and humanity is called a Confucian; one who comprehends heaven and earth but not humanity is called a technician.

人必先作，然後人名之；先求，然後人與之。人必其自愛也，而後人愛諸；人必其自敬也，而後人敬諸。自愛，仁之至也；自敬，禮之至也。未有不自愛敬而人愛敬之者也。

A person must first do it himself, and then others call him by that name; he must first seek it himself, and then others give it to him. A person must first love himself, and then others love him; a person must first respect himself, and then others respect him. Self-love is the utmost of humaneness, and self-respect is the utmost of ritual. There has never been one who did not love and respect himself and yet was loved and respected by others.

或問：「龍、龜、鴻、鵠不亦壽乎？」曰：「壽。」曰：「人可壽乎？」曰：「物以其性，人以其仁。」

Someone asked: "Are dragons, turtles, swans and cranes not long-lived?" Yang Xiong said: "They are long-lived." Asked: "Can a person be long-lived?" Yang Xiong said: "Things depend on their nature, and people depend on their humaneness."

或問：「人言仙者，有諸乎？」「籲！吾聞虙羲、神農歿，黃帝、堯、舜殂落而死。文王，畢；孔子，魯城之北。獨子愛其死乎？非人之所及也。仙亦無益子之彙矣！」或曰：「聖人不師仙，厥術異也。聖人之於天下，恥一物之不知；仙人之於天下，恥一日之不生。」曰：「生乎！生乎！名生而實死也。」或曰：「世無仙，則焉得斯語？」曰：「語乎者，非囂囂也與？惟囂囂為能使無為有。」或問「仙之實」。曰：「無以為也，有與無，非問也。問也者，忠孝之問也。忠臣孝子，偟乎不偟。」

Someone asked: "People say there are immortals; is there such a thing?" Yang Xiong said: "Ah! I have heard that Fuxi and Shennong died, and that the Yellow Emperor, Yao and Shun passed away and died. King Wen was buried at Bi, and Confucius was buried north of the city of Lu. Is it only you who cherish your own death? That is not something people can catch up with. Immortality does no good for people of your kind!" Someone said: "The sage does not study immortality because their arts differ. In regard to the world, the sage is ashamed to be ignorant of a single thing; in regard to the world, the immortal is ashamed not to live a single day." Yang Xiong said: "Live! Live! In name alive, in fact dead." Someone said: "If there were no immortals in the world, where would such talk come from?" Yang Xiong said: "Those who say such things are none other than people who make a commotion. Only by making a commotion can one turn non-being into being." Someone asked about "the substance of immortality." Yang Xiong said: "There is no need to bother with it. Whether it exists or not is not the question to ask. What should be asked is the question of loyalty and filial piety. Loyal ministers and filial sons are too hurried to attend to such things."

或問：「壽可益乎？」曰：「德。」曰：「回、牛之行德矣，曷壽之不益也？」曰：「德，故爾。如回之殘，牛之賊也，焉得爾？」曰：「殘、賊或壽。」曰：「彼妄也，君子不妄。」

Someone asked: “Can one’s life span be increased?” Yang Xiong said: “By virtue.” The questioner said: “Yan Hui and Ran Boniu were virtuous in conduct, so why was their life span not increased?” Yang Xiong said: “It was precisely because they had virtue that it was so. If Yan Hui had been cruel and Ran Boniu had been a villain, how could it have been so for them?” The questioner said: “Some cruel and villainous people also live long.” Yang Xiong said: “That is illusory, and the superior person does not take what is illusory.”

有生者必有死，有始者必有終，自然之道也。

What has life must have death, and what has a beginning must have an end; this is the Way of nature.

君子忠人，況己乎？小人欺己，況人乎？

The superior person is loyal even to others, so how much more to himself? The petty person deceives even himself, so how much more others?

孝，至矣乎！一言而該，聖人不加焉。

Filial piety, it reaches the utmost! One word covers it all, and even a sage could add nothing to it.

父母，子之天地與？無天何生？無地何形？天地裕於萬物乎？萬物裕於天地乎？裕父母之裕，不裕矣。事父母自知不足者，其舜乎？

Are parents not the heaven and earth of their children? Without heaven, how would one be born? Without earth, how would one take form? Is heaven and earth more generous than the myriad things, or are the myriad things more generous than heaven and earth? To seek generosity beyond the generosity of one’s parents is no longer generosity. Is it not Shun who served his parents and yet felt that he had still not done enough?

不可得而久者，事親之謂也。孝子愛日。

What cannot be obtained and made to last is the serving of one’s parents. The filial son cherishes the days.

孝子有祭乎？有齊乎？夫能存亡形，屬荒絕者，惟齊也。故孝子之於齊，見父母之存也，是以祭不賓。人而不祭，豺獺乎！

Does the filial son have sacrifices? Does he have fasting? What can make a vanished form exist again and join what has been cut off is only fasting. So in fasting the filial son sees his parents still present, and for this reason in sacrifice he does not treat them as guests. If a person does not sacrifice, he is worse than the jackal and the otter!

或問「子」。曰：「死生盡禮，可謂能子乎！」

Someone asked about “being a son.” Yang Xiong said: “One who fulfills ritual in both death and life can be called able to be a son!”

曰：「石奮、石建，父子之美也。無是父，無是子；無是子，無是父。」或曰：「必也，兩乎？」曰：「與堯無子，舜無父，不如堯父舜子也。」

Yang Xiong said: “Shi Fen and Shi Jian were fine examples of father and son. Without such a father there would not be such a son; without such a son there would not be such a father.” Someone said: “Must both be present?” Yang Xiong said: “Rather than Yao having no such son and Shun having no such father, it is better to have a father like Yao and a son like Shun.”

「子有含菽縕絮而致滋美其親，將以求孝也。人曰偽，如之何？」曰：「假儒衣書，服而讀之，三月不歸，孰曰非儒也？」或曰：「何以處偽？」曰：「有人則作，無人則輟之謂偽。觀人者，審其作輟而已矣。」

“There are sons who eat bean leaves and wear old cotton, yet offer the sweetest food to their parents, hoping to seek filial reputation by it. Others call this hypocrisy; what is to be done?” Yang Xiong said: “If someone borrows a Confucian’s robe and books, and wears and reads them for three months without returning them, who could say he is not a Confucian?” The questioner said: “How does one tell hypocrisy?” Yang Xiong said: “One who acts when seen and stops when unseen is called a hypocrite. To observe a person, it is enough to examine his acting and stopping.”

不為名之名，其至矣乎！為名之名，其次也。

A name gained without seeking a name is the highest! A name gained by seeking a name is a rank lower.

或問「忠言嘉謀」。曰：「言合稷、契之謂忠，謀合皋陶之謂嘉。」或曰：「邵如之何？」曰：「亦勗之而已。庳則秦、儀、鞅、斯亦忠嘉矣。」

Someone asked about “loyal words and excellent counsel.” Yang Xiong said: “Words that accord with Hou Ji and Xie are called loyal, and counsel that accords with Gao Yao is called excellent.” The questioner said: “What of the lower sort?” Yang Xiong said: “That is only a matter of encouragement. If we go lower, then Zhang Yi, Su Qin, Shang Yang, and Li Si would count as loyal and excellent too.”

堯、舜之道皇兮，夏、殷、周之道將兮，而以延其光兮。或曰：「何謂也？」曰：「堯、舜以其讓，夏以其功，殷、周以其伐。」

The Way of Yao and Shun is magnificent, the Way of the Xia, Yin, and Zhou is grand and flourishing, and thereby their glory was prolonged. Someone said: “What does that mean?” Yang Xiong said: “Yao and Shun relied on their abdication, the Xia on its achievements, and the Yin and Zhou on their punitive campaigns.”

或曰：「食如螘，衣如華，朱輪駟馬，金朱煌煌，無已泰乎？」曰：「由其德，舜、禹受天下不為泰。不由其德，五兩之綸，半通之銅，亦泰矣。」

Someone said: “To eat as little as an ant, to dress as beautifully as flowers, to ride a vermilion-wheeled carriage with four horses, with a gold seal and a bright vermilion ribbon gleaming, is this not excessive?” Yang Xiong said: “If it comes through virtue, even Shun and Yu receiving the world was not excessive. If it does not come through virtue, even a ribbon of five liang of silk and a half-sized bronze seal are excessive.”

天下通道五，所以行之一，曰勉。

There are five roads that run through the world, but only one thing is used to travel them, and it is called effort.

或曰：「力有扛洪鼎，揭華旗。知、德亦有之乎？」曰：「百人矣。德諧頑嚚，讓萬國；知情天地，形不測，百人乎？」

Someone said: “In strength, there are those who can carry a great cauldron and lift a great banner. Are there such feats in wisdom and virtue?” Yang Xiong said: “Those feats only match a hundred men. Virtue can harmonize the stubborn and the quarrelsome and let the ten thousand states be passed on by abdication; wisdom can know heaven and earth and shape unfathomable transformations; is that only a hundred men?”

或問「君」。曰：「明光。」問「臣」。曰：「若禔。」「敢問何謂也？」曰：「君子在上，則明而光其下；在下，則順而安其上。」

Someone asked about “the ruler.” Yang Xiong said: “Brightness.” Asked about “the minister,” Yang Xiong said: “Compliant and steadying.” “May I ask what this means?” Yang Xiong said: “When the superior person is above, he is bright and illuminates those below; when he is below, he is compliant and steadies those above.”

或曰：「聖人事異乎？」曰：「聖人德之為事，異亞之。故常修德者，本也；見異而修德者，末也。本末不修而存者，未之有也。」

Someone said: “Does the sage concern himself with calamities and anomalies?” Yang Xiong said: “The sage makes virtue his concern, and calamities and anomalies come second. So constantly cultivating virtue is the root, and cultivating virtue only on seeing calamities and anomalies is the branch. That anyone who cultivates neither root nor branch should nevertheless survive has never happened.”

天地之得，斯民也；斯民之得，一人也；一人之得，心矣。

What heaven and earth obtain is these common people; what these common people obtain is one man; what one man obtains is the heart.

吾聞諸傳，老則戒之在得。年彌高而德彌邵者，是孔子之徒與？

I have heard from the records that what one must guard against in old age is covetousness. Those whose virtue grows finer as their years increase, are they not the disciples of Confucius?

或問：「德有始而無終，與有終而無始也，孰寧？」曰：「寧先病而後瘳乎？寧先瘳而後病乎？」

Someone asked: “Virtue that has a beginning but no end, or one that has an end but no beginning; which would you prefer?” Yang Xiong said: “Would you prefer to be ill first and recover afterward, or to recover first and fall ill afterward?”

或問「大」。曰：「小。」問「遠」。曰「邇。」未達。曰：「天下為大，治之在道，不亦小乎？四海為遠，治之在心，不亦邇乎？」

Someone asked about “the great.” Yang Xiong said: “The small.” Asked about “the far,” Yang Xiong said: “The near.” The questioner did not understand. Yang Xiong said: “The world counts as great, yet governing it lies in the Way; is that not small? The four seas count as far, yet governing them lies in the heart; is that not near?”

或問「俊哲、洪秀」。曰：「知哲聖人之謂俊，秀穎德行之謂洪。」

Someone asked about “the outstanding and the brilliant, the vast and the elegant.” Yang Xiong said: “Wisdom enough to discern the sage is called outstanding; virtue in conduct that is elegant and distinguished is called vast.”

君子動則擬諸事，事則擬諸禮。

The superior person, whenever he moves, takes affairs as his measure, and affairs take ritual as their measure.

或問「群言之長，群行之宗」。曰：「群言之長，德言也；群行之宗，德行也。」

Someone asked about “the chief of all speech and the foundation of all conduct.” Yang Xiong said: “The chief of all speech is virtuous speech; the foundation of all conduct is virtuous conduct.”

或問「泰和」。曰：「其在唐、虞、成周乎？觀《書》及《詩》溫溫乎，其和可知也。」

Someone asked about “great harmony.” Yang Xiong said: “Probably it was in the times of Tang, Yu, and the Zhou at Cheng? Look at how mild the Documents and the Songs are; from that one can know that harmony.”

周康之時，頌聲作乎下，《關雎》作乎上，習治也。齊桓之時縕，而《春秋》美邵陵，習亂也。故習治則傷始亂也，習亂則好始治也。

In the time of King Kang of Zhou, songs of praise rose from below and the “Guan Ju” was composed from above, for people were accustomed to order. In the time of Duke Huan of Qi, disorder had accumulated, and yet the Spring and Autumn Annals praised the meeting at Shaoling, for people were accustomed to disorder. So those accustomed to order grieve at the beginning of disorder, and those accustomed to disorder rejoice at the beginning of order.

漢德其可謂允懷矣。黃支之南，大夏之西，東鞮、北女，來貢其珍。漢德其可謂允懷矣，世鮮焉。

The virtue of the Han can truly be said to have won people’s allegiance. South of Huangzhi, west of Daxia, Dongdi in the east and the Nu in the north all came to offer rare goods in tribute. The virtue of the Han can truly be said to have won people’s allegiance, and it is rare in the world.

芒芒聖德，遠人鹹慕，上也；武義璜璜，兵徵四方，次也；宗夷猾夏，蠢迪王人，屈國喪師，無次也。

Vast sage virtue, to which distant peoples look up with admiration, is the highest; martial righteousness, imposing and grand, using troops to campaign in the four quarters, is the second; when foreign tribes disturb China, stir and invade the king’s people, humiliating the state and destroying its armies, then it is not ranked at all.

麟之儀儀，鳳之師師，其至矣乎！螭虎桓桓，鷹隼䎒䎒，未至也。

The qilin’s bearing is stately and the phoenix’s ranks are orderly, and that reaches the utmost! The hornless dragon and the tiger are mighty, and the hawk and falcon swift in flight, but that does not yet reach it.

或曰：「訩訩北夷，被我純繢，帶我金犀，珍膳寧餬，不亦享乎？」曰：「昔在高、文、武，實為兵主。今稽首來臣，稱為北蕃，是為宗廟之神，社稷之靈也，可不享？」

Someone said: “The clamorous northern barbarians wrap themselves in our colored silks, wear our gold and rhinoceros hide, and live in peace on fine dishes; should they not be feasted?” Yang Xiong said: “In the past, Emperor Gao, Emperor Wen, and Emperor Wu were in fact lords of war. Now these people kowtow and call themselves subjects, and are called the northern vassal; this is the work of the spirits of the ancestral temple and the divinities of the altars of earth and grain; how could they not be feasted?”

龍堆以西，大漠以北，鳥夷、獸夷，郡勞王師，漢家不為也。

West of the White Dragon Mounds and north of the great desert are the bird barbarians and the beast barbarians; to make the commanderies trouble the royal armies over them is something the Han house will not do.

朱崖之絕，捐之之力也，否則介鱗易我衣裳。

The abandonment of Zhuya was the work of Jia Juanzhi; otherwise the scaly and shelled people would have changed our clothing.

君人者，務在殷民阜財，明道信義，致帝者之用，成天地之化，使粒食之民粲也，晏也。享於鬼神，不亦饗乎？

A ruler of people must make the common people prosperous and goods abundant, make clear the Way and extend righteousness, reach the efficacy of an emperor and king, accomplish the transforming and nurturing of heaven and earth, and make the grain-eating people bright and at ease. If sacrifices to ghosts and spirits are made like this, would they not truly enjoy them?

天道勞功。或問「勞功」。曰：「日一曰勞，考載曰功。」或曰：「君逸臣勞，何天之勞？」曰：「於事則逸，於道則勞。」

The Way of Heaven has toil and achievement. Someone asked about “toil and achievement.” Yang Xiong said: “Day after day is called toil, and what the records of assessment set down is called achievement.” Someone said: “The ruler is at ease and the ministers toil; why does Heaven still toil?” Yang Xiong said: “Toward affairs it is at ease; toward the Way it toils.”

周公以來，未有漢公之懿也，勤勞則過於阿衡。

Since the Duke of Zhou, there has been none as excellent as the Duke of Han (Wang Mang), and in diligence he even exceeds Yi Yin.

漢興二百一十載而中天，其庶矣乎！辟廱以本之，校學以教之，禮樂以容之，輿服以表之，服其井、刑，勉人役，唐矣夫！

With the Han having risen for two hundred and ten years and now like the sun at midday, it is nearly there! The Biyong as its root, schools used for teaching, ritual and music used for adornment, carriages and robes used to honor, the restoration of the well-field system and corporal punishments, and encouragement of those who serve in labor, it is like Tang Yao’s age!