Robber Zhi

正考父一命而傴，再命而僂，三命而俯，循牆而走，孰敢不軌！如而夫者，一命而呂鉅，再命而於車上儛，三命而名諸父。孰協唐許！

Zheng Kaofu at his first appointment stooped, at his second bent over, at his third bowed low, and walked along the wall; who would dare to break the rules! One like that fellow, at his first appointment is arrogant, at his second dances on his carriage, and at his third addresses his uncles by name. Who could compare to Tang Yao and Xu You!

賊莫大乎德有心而心有睫，及其有睫也而內視，內視而敗矣。凶德有五，中德為首。何謂中德？中德也者，有以自好也而吡其所不為者也。

No robber is greater than one whose heart has virtue and whose virtue has eyelashes; once there are eyelashes, one looks inward, and looking inward brings ruin. There are five evil virtues, with the middle virtue as chief. What is called the middle virtue? The middle virtue is liking oneself and criticizing what others do not do.

窮有八極，達有三必，形有六府。美髯長大壯麗勇敢，八者俱過人也，因以是窮。緣循，偃佒，困畏不若人，三者俱通達。知慧外通，勇動多怨，仁義多責，達生之性者傀，達於知者肖；達大命者隨，達小命者遭。

Poverty has eight extremes, success has three musts, and the body has six storehouses. Fine beard, tallness, strength, beauty, courage and boldness: eight things all exceeding others, and therefore from this one is in want. Following circumstances, being retiring, and being timid and unlike others: three things all lead to success. Wisdom reaching outward, courage moving with much resentment, and benevolence and righteousness with much blame. One who understands the nature of life is huge in stature but small in knowledge; one who understands great fate follows, and one who understands small fate meets it.

人有見宋王者，錫車十乘。以其十乘驕穉莊子。

Someone saw the King of Song and was given ten carriages. He used his ten carriages to show off to Zhuangzi.

莊子曰：「河上有家貧恃緯蕭而食者，其子沒於淵，得千金之珠。其父謂其子曰：『取石來鍛之！夫千金之珠，必在九重之淵而驪龍頷下。子能得珠者，必遭其睡也。使驪龍而寤，子尚奚微之有哉！』今宋國之深，非直九重之淵也；宋王之猛，非直驪龍也；子能得車者，必遭其睡也。使宋王而寤，子為齏粉夫。」

Zhuangzi said, "By the river there was a poor family that lived by weaving reed mats, and their son dove into the deep and obtained a pearl worth a thousand pieces of gold. His father said to the son, 'Bring a stone and smash it! A thousand-gold pearl must be in a ninefold abyss under the chin of a black dragon. You were able to get it because you met it asleep. If the black dragon had awakened, what would be left of you!' Now Song is deeper than a ninefold abyss, and the King of Song is fiercer than a black dragon; you were able to get the carriages because you met him asleep. If the King of Song had awakened, you would be ground to dust."

或聘於莊子，莊子應其使曰：「子見夫犧牛乎？衣以文繡，食以芻叔。及其牽而入於大廟，雖欲為孤犢，其可得乎！」

Someone invited Zhuangzi to office, and Zhuangzi answered his envoy, "Have you seen the sacrificial ox? It is dressed in embroidered cloth and fed on hay and beans. When it is led into the great temple, though it may wish to be an orphan calf, can it!"

莊子將死，弟子欲厚葬之。莊子曰：「吾以天地為棺槨，以日月為連璧，星辰為珠璣，萬物為齎送。吾葬具豈不備邪？何以加此！」

When Zhuangzi was about to die, his disciples wished to give him a lavish burial. Zhuangzi said, "I take heaven and earth as my coffin and outer coffin, the sun and moon as my paired jade discs, the stars as my pearls and jewels, and the ten thousand things as my funeral gifts. Are my burial goods not complete? What could be added to this!"

弟子曰：「吾恐烏鳶之食夫子也。」

His disciples said, "We fear the crows and kites will eat the Master."

莊子曰：「在上為烏鳶食，在下為螻蟻食，奪彼與此，何其偏也。」

Zhuangzi said, "Above ground I will be eaten by crows and kites, and below ground by mole crickets and ants; taking from one to give to the other, how partial!"

以不平平，其平也不平；以不徵徵，其徵也不徵。明者唯為之使，神者徵之。夫明之不勝神也久矣，而愚者恃其所見入於人，其功外也，不亦悲乎！

Using what is unequal to make equal, that equality too is not equal; using what is not verified to verify, that verification too is not verified. The clear-sighted are only used by others, while the spiritual verifies. That the clear-sighted do not overcome the spiritual has long been so, yet the foolish rely on what they see to enter into people, and their achievement lies outside; is this not sad!

天下之治方術者多矣，皆以其有為不可加矣。古之所謂道術者，果惡乎在？曰：「無乎不在。」曰：「神何由降？明何由出？」「聖有所生，王有所成，皆原於一。」

Those in the world who study techniques are many, and all think that what they have cannot be improved. What the ancients called the arts of the Way, where in fact are they? It is said: "Everywhere." It is asked: "Where does the spirit descend from? Where does brightness come out of?" "The sage is born from something, the king is accomplished from something; all originate in the One."

不離於宗，謂之天人。不離於精，謂之神人。不離於真，謂之至人。以天為宗，以德為本，以道為門，兆於變化，謂之聖人。以仁為恩，以義為理，以禮為行，以樂為和，薰然慈仁，謂之君子。以法為分，以名為表，以參為驗，以稽為決，其數一二三四是也，百官以此相齒，以事為常，以衣食為主，蕃息畜藏，老弱孤寡為意，皆有以養，民之理也。

One who does not depart from the source is called a Heavenly person. One who does not depart from the essence is called a spiritual person. One who does not depart from the truth is called a perfect person. One who takes Heaven as his source, virtue as his root and the Way as his gate, and shows signs in change and transformation, is called a sage. One who takes benevolence as grace, righteousness as principle, ritual as conduct and music as harmony, and is warmly kind and benevolent, is called a gentleman. One who takes law as division, names as markers, comparison as verification and examination as decision, whose numbers are one, two, three, four, is this; the hundred officials rank each other by this, taking affairs as constant, clothing and food as chief concern, breeding and storing, and caring for the old, weak, orphans and widows so that all are nourished; this is the principle of the people.

古之人其備乎！配神明，醇天地，育萬物，和天下，澤及百姓，明於本數，係於末度，六通四辟，小大精粗，其運無乎不在。其明而在數度者，舊法世傳之史尚多有之。其在於《詩》、《書》、《禮》、《樂》者，鄒魯之士搢紳先生多能明之。《詩》以道志，《書》以道事，《禮》以道行，《樂》以道和，《易》以道陰陽，《春秋》以道名分。其數散於天下而設於中國者，百家之學時或稱而道之。

The ancients were complete indeed! They matched spirit and brightness, were pure as Heaven and Earth, nurtured the ten thousand things, harmonized the world, and their grace reached the common people. They understood the basic principles and were tied to the lesser measures; the six directions penetrated and the four quarters opened; small and great, fine and coarse, their operation was present everywhere. What was clear in numbers and measures was still often preserved in the old laws handed down through generations by the historians. What was in the Odes, Documents, Rites and Music was mostly understood by the gentlemen and scholars of Zou and Lu who tucked the tablets into their belts. The Odes express aims, the Documents express affairs, the Rites express conduct, Music expresses harmony, the Changes express yin and yang, and the Spring and Autumn expresses names and divisions. Their numbers scattered throughout the world and were set out in the Central States, and the hundred schools sometimes cited and discussed them.

天下大亂，賢聖不明，道德不一，天下多得一察焉以自好。譬如耳目鼻口，皆有所明，不能相通。猶百家眾技也，皆有所長，時有所用。雖然，不該不徧，一曲之士也。判天地之美，析萬物之理，察古人之全，寡能備於天地之美，稱神明之容。是故內聖外王之道，闇而不明，鬱而不發，天下之人各為其所欲焉以自為方。悲夫，百家往而不反，必不合矣！後世之學者，不幸不見天地之純，古人之大體，道術將為天下裂。

The world fell into great disorder, the worthy and sage were not clear, the Way and virtue were not one, and many in the world obtained one view and took pleasure in themselves. It is like the ears, eyes, nose and mouth, each of which has something it perceives but cannot communicate with the others. It is like the hundred schools and many skills, each having its strength and being used at times. Even so, they are not comprehensive or universal and are the scholars of one corner. They cut up the beauty of Heaven and Earth, split the principles of the ten thousand things, and examine the wholeness of the ancients, so few can embody the beauty of Heaven and Earth and match the appearance of spirit and brightness. So the Way of inner sage and outer king is dark and unclear, stifled and not expressed; people in the world each pursue what they desire and make themselves a method. How sad, the hundred schools go and do not return and surely will not come together! Scholars of later ages, unfortunately, will not see the purity of Heaven and Earth and the great body of the ancients, and the arts of the Way will be torn apart by the world.

不侈於後世，不靡於萬物，不暉於數度，以繩墨自矯而備世之急，古之道術有在於是者。墨翟、禽滑釐聞其風而說之，為之大過，已之大循。作為《非樂》，命之曰《節用》；生不歌，死無服。墨子氾愛兼利而非鬬，其道不怒；又好學而博，不異，不與先王同，毀古之禮樂。

Not extravagant for later ages, not wasteful of the ten thousand things, not showy in measures and numbers, using plumb line and ink to correct oneself and prepare for the world's urgent needs: the ancient arts of the Way were present in this. Mo Di and Qin Guli heard of this way and were pleased, but they did it too much and followed it too strictly. They wrote 'Against Music' and named another essay 'Moderation in Expenditure'; in life no song, in death no mourning dress. Mozi loved universally and benefited all and opposed fighting, and his Way was without anger; he also loved to study and was broad, and did not differ from others, but did not agree with the former kings and tore down the ancient rites and music.

黃帝有《咸池》，堯有《大章》，舜有《大韶》，禹有《大夏》，湯有《大濩》，文王有辟雍之樂，武王周公作《武》。古之喪禮，貴賤有儀，上下有等，天子棺槨七重，諸侯五重，大夫三重，士再重。今墨子獨生不歌，死不服，桐棺三寸而無槨，以為法式。以此教人，恐不愛人；以此自行，固不愛己。未敗墨子道，雖然，歌而非歌，哭而非哭，樂而非樂，是果類乎？其生也勤，其死也薄，其道大觳；使人憂，使人悲，其行難為也，恐其不可以為聖人之道，反天下之心，天下不堪。墨子雖獨能任，柰天下何！離於天下，其去王也遠矣。

The Yellow Emperor had Xianchi, Yao had Dazhang, Shun had Dashao, Yu had Daxia, Tang had Dahu, King Wen had the Biyong music, and King Wu and the Duke of Zhou made Wu. In the mourning rites of the ancients, the noble and humble had different forms and above and below had grades: the Son of Heaven had a coffin and outer coffin of seven layers, lords five, grandees three, and gentlemen two. Now Mozi alone has no song in life and no mourning dress in death, with a three-inch paulownia coffin and no outer coffin, taking this as a standard. Teaching people this, I fear it does not love people; practicing it himself, it certainly does not love himself. It has not yet destroyed the Way of Mozi, but even so, singing that is not singing, weeping that is not weeping, enjoyment that is not enjoyment, is this really of the same kind? His life was toilsome and his death was thin, and his Way was very harsh; it makes people worry and grieve, and his conduct is hard to practice. I fear it cannot be the Way of the sages and goes against the hearts of the world, which the world could not bear. Even if Mozi could bear it alone, what of the world! Separated from the world, he was far from being a king.

墨子稱道曰：「昔禹之湮洪水，決江河而通四夷九州也，名川三百，支川三千，小者無數。禹親自操稾耜而九雜天下之川；腓無胈，脛無毛，沐甚雨，櫛疾風，置萬國。禹大聖也而形勞天下也如此。」使後世之墨者，多以裘褐為衣，以跂蹻為服，日夜不休，以自苦為極，曰：「不能如此，非禹之道也，不足謂墨。」

Mozi praised the Way, saying, "In former times Yu dammed the flood, opened the Yangtze and Yellow rivers and connected the four barbarian regions and nine provinces. There were three hundred famous rivers, three thousand branch rivers, and countless small ones. Yu personally took up the basket and spade and mixed together the world's rivers; his thighs had no flesh and his shins had no hair, he bathed in heavy rain and combed with fierce wind, and established ten thousand states. Yu was a great sage, yet his body toiled for the world like this." He made later Mohists mostly wear fur and coarse cloth as clothes, wear sandals and clogs, and work day and night without rest, taking suffering themselves as the utmost, saying, "If you cannot do so, it is not the Way of Yu and you are not worthy of the name Mohist."

相里勤之弟子五侯之徒，南方之墨者苦獲、已齒、鄧陵子之屬，俱誦《墨經》，而倍譎不同，相謂別墨；以堅白同異之辯相訾，以觭偶不仵之辭相應；以鉅子為聖人，皆願為之屍，冀得為其後世，至今不決。

The disciples of Xiangli Qin, the followers of Wuhou, and the southern Mohists such as Kuhuo, Yichi and Deng Lingzi all recited the Mohist Canon but differed and contradicted, calling each other 'false Mohists,' criticized each other with arguments about hard and white and sameness and difference, and answered each other with sayings about odd and even not matching; they took the Great Master as the sage and all wished to be his successor, and hoped to be his later generation, and this is still undecided.

墨翟禽滑釐之意則是，其行則非也。將使後世之墨者，必自苦以腓無胈脛無毛相進而已矣。亂之上也，治之下也。雖然，墨子真天下之好也，將求之不得也，雖枯槁不捨也。才士也夫！

The intent of Mo Di and Qin Guli was right, but their conduct was wrong. They would make later Mohists surely torment themselves until thighs had no flesh and shins no hair and compete in that, that is all. At best it is an upper level of disorder and a lower level of order. Even so, Mozi truly loved the world, and sought it without being able to find it, and would not give up though he withered. A talented man!

不累於俗，不飾於物，不苟於人，不忮於眾，願天下之安寧以活民命，人我之養畢足而止，以此白心，古之道術有在於是者。宋鈃尹文聞其風而悅之，作為華山之冠以自表，接萬物以別宥為始；語心之容，命之曰「心之行」，以聏合驩，以調海內，請欲置之以為主。見侮不辱，救民之鬬，禁攻寢兵，救世之戰。以此周行天下，上說下教，雖天下不取，強聒而不捨者也，故曰：上下見厭而強見也。

Not burdened by custom, not decorated by things, not careless of others, not harming the multitude, wishing for the peace of the world to preserve the people's lives, stopping when the nourishment of others and self is fully sufficient, and making his heart plain by this: the ancient arts of the Way were present in this. Song Xing and Yin Wen heard of this way and were pleased, made flower-mountain caps to mark themselves, and began dealing with all things by distinguishing and forgiving; speaking of the appearance of the mind, they named it 'the conduct of the mind,' used gentleness to unite joy and to harmonize within the seas, and asked that it be set up as master. Seeing insults without feeling disgrace, they rescued people's fights, forbade attacks and put down arms, rescuing the world from wars. With this they traveled the whole world, persuading above and teaching below, and though the world did not adopt it, they insisted on pressing it and did not give up. So it is said: though disliked above and below, they insisted on being seen.

雖然，其為人太多，其自為太少；曰：「請欲固置五升之飯足矣，先生恐不得飽，弟子雖飢，不忘天下。」日夜不休，曰：「我必得活哉！」圖傲乎救世之士哉！曰：「君子不為苛察，不以身假物。」以為無益於天下者，明之不如已也，以禁攻寢兵為外，以情慾寡淺為內，其小大精粗，其行適至是而止。

Even so, he did too much for others and too little for himself; he said, "I ask that five pints of rice be enough; I fear the Master will not get his fill, and though the disciples are hungry, they do not forget the world." Working day and night without rest, he said, "Must I surely live!" They were gentlemen who strove to rescue the world with pride! He said, "The gentleman is not harsh in scrutiny and does not lend his body to things." Taking what does not benefit the world, making it clear is not as good as stopping it; taking prohibiting attack and stopping arms as the outer and few and shallow desires as the inner, in all matters small and great, fine and coarse, his conduct simply stopped there.

公而不當，易而無私，決然無主，趣物而不兩，不顧於慮，不謀於知，於物無擇，與之俱往，古之道術有在於是者。彭蒙田駢慎到聞其風而悅之，齊萬物以為首，曰：「天能覆之而不能載之，地能載之而不能覆之，大道能包之而不能辯之，知萬物皆有所可，有所不可，故曰選則不徧，教則不至，道則無遺者矣。」

Being impartial without party, easygoing without selfishness, decisive without a master, following things without being double-minded, not looking ahead in thought and not planning with knowledge, not choosing among things and going along with them: the ancient arts of the Way were present in this. Peng Meng, Tian Pian and Shen Dao heard of this way and were pleased, and took equalizing all things as their principle, saying, "Heaven can cover but cannot bear; Earth can bear but cannot cover; the great Way can embrace but cannot distinguish; one knows that all things have what is possible and what is not possible. So if one chooses, it is not universal; if one teaches, it does not reach; but the Way leaves nothing out."

是故慎到棄知去己而緣不得已，泠汰於物以為道理，曰知不知，將薄知而後鄰傷之者也，謑髁無任而笑天下之尚賢也，縱脫無行而非天下之大聖，椎拍輐斷，與物宛轉，舍是與非，苟可以免，不師知慮，不知前後，魏然而已矣。推而後行，曳而後往，若飄風之還，若羽之旋，若磨石之隧，全而無非，動靜無過，未嘗有罪。是何故？夫無知之物，無建己之患，無用知之累，動靜不離於理，是以終身無譽。故曰至於若無知之物而已，無用賢聖，夫塊不失道。豪桀相與笑之曰：「慎到之道，非生人之行而至死人之理，適得怪焉」。

Thus Shen Dao abandoned knowledge and discarded self and followed what could not be avoided, drifting along with things as his principle, saying that knowing is not knowing, and he would slight knowledge and then be hurt by those close to it; with scornful and unreliable ways he laughed at the world's exaltation of the worthy, and with unrestrained and conduct-free ways he condemned the world's great sages, striking, patting, rounding off, and cutting, turning with things, setting aside right and wrong, if only he could avoid trouble, not taking knowledge and deliberation as teacher, not knowing before or after, simply being imposing and alone. Pushed, he moved; pulled, he went, like a whirlwind returning, like a feather spinning, like a millstone turning, complete and without fault, his motion and stillness without error, never guilty of any offense. Why is this? A thing without knowledge has no trouble of establishing itself, no burden of using knowledge, and its motion and stillness never leave principle, and so it has no praise all its life. So he said that one should simply be like a thing without knowledge, with no use for the worthy and sage, for a clod of earth does not lose the Way. The heroes laughed at him together and said: "Shen Dao's Way is not the conduct of the living but the principle of the dead, and it is truly strange."

田駢亦然，學於彭蒙，得不教焉。彭蒙之師曰：「古之道人，至於莫之是莫之非而已矣。其風窢然，惡可而言。」常反人，不見觀，而不免於魭斷。其所謂道非道，而所言之韙不免於非。彭蒙田駢慎到不知道。雖然，概乎皆嘗有聞者也。

Tian Pian was also like this, having studied with Peng Meng and obtained non-teaching. Peng Meng's teacher said: "The men of the Way in ancient times reached the point of neither affirming nor denying anything. Their manner was serene; how could it be spoken of." He always went against others and was not looked at, and could not escape being rounded off and cut. What he called the Way was not the Way, and what he said was right could not escape being wrong. Peng Meng, Tian Pian, and Shen Dao did not know the Way. Even so, they had all roughly heard something of it.

以本為精，以物為粗，以有積為不足，澹然獨與神明居。古之道術有在於是者，關尹老耼聞其風而悅之。建之以常無有，主之以太一，以濡弱謙下為表，以空虛不毀萬物為實。

They took the root as fine and things as coarse, took accumulation as insufficient, and dwelt quietly alone with the spirits and the bright. Some of the ancient arts of the Way lay here, and Guan Yin and Lao Dan heard of their manner and were delighted. They established it with constant non-being and being, took the Great One as its master, took softness, weakness, humility, and lowliness as its outward appearance, and took emptiness and not harming the ten thousand things as its reality.

關尹曰：「在己無居，形物自著。其動若水，其靜若鏡，其應若響。芴乎若亡，寂乎若清，同焉者和，得焉者失。未嘗先人而常隨人。」

Guan Yin said: "In oneself, have no fixed dwelling, and the forms of things reveal themselves. Moving like water, still like a mirror, responding like an echo. Vague as if lost, still as if clear; those who are the same as it are in harmony, those who grasp it lose it. Never ahead of others and always following others."

老耼曰：「知其雄，守其雌，為天下谿；知其白，守其辱，為天下谷。」人皆取先，己獨取後，曰受天下之垢；人皆取實，己獨取虛，無藏也故有餘，巋然而有餘。其行身也，徐而不費，無為也而笑巧；人皆求福，己獨曲全，曰苟免於咎。以深為根，以約為紀，曰堅則毀矣，銳則挫矣。常寬容於物，不削於人，可謂至極。

Lao Dan said: "Know the male, hold to the female, and be a stream of the world; know the white, hold to the disgrace, and be a valley of the world." All others take the first place, he alone takes the last, saying he bears the world's filth; all others take what is full, he alone takes what is empty, having no store and so having a surplus, towering and in surplus. In conducting himself, he was slow and unwasteful, did nothing and laughed at cleverness; all others seek blessing, he alone bends and preserves wholeness, saying he is just avoiding fault. He took depth as root and brevity as guide, saying that what is hard is broken and what is sharp is blunted. He was always tolerant toward things and did not cut into others, and may be called perfect.

關尹老耼乎！古之博大真人哉！

Guan Yin and Lao Dan! Great and true men of old!

芴漠無形，變化無常，死與生與，天地並與，神明往與！芒乎何之，忽乎何適，萬物畢羅，莫足以歸，古之道術有在於是者。莊周聞其風而悅之，以謬悠之說，荒唐之言，無端崖之辭，時恣縱而不儻，不以觭見之也。以天下為沈濁，不可與莊語，以巵言為曼衍，以重言為真，以寓言為廣。獨與天地精神往來而不敖倪於萬物，不譴是非，以與世俗處。其書雖瓌瑋而連犿無傷也。其辭雖參差而諔詭可觀。彼其充實不可以已，上與造物者遊，而下與外死生無終始者為友。其於本也，弘大而闢，深閎而肆，其於宗也，可謂稠適而上遂矣。雖然，其應於化而解於物也，其理不竭，其來不蛻，芒乎昧乎，未之盡者。

Vague and silent without form, changing without constancy, death and life, together with heaven and earth, going with the spirits and the bright! Dim, where does he go; sudden, where does he turn; the ten thousand things are all gathered, and not enough to return to; some of the ancient arts of the Way lay here. Zhuang Zhou heard of their manner and was delighted. With absurd and far-off teachings, wild and unbounded words, and speech without limits, he was at times unrestrained but not partisan, and did not show himself by oddity. He took the world as sunk in muddy turbidity, not fit to be spoken to in earnest words; he used goblet words to flow endlessly, used weighty words to be true, and used allegories to be broad. He alone went back and forth with the spirit of heaven and earth without looking down on the ten thousand things, did not blame right and wrong, and so lived with the vulgar world. His book, though magnificent, is winding without harm. His words, though uneven, are strange and worth looking at. His fullness cannot be stopped; above he roams with the maker of things, and below he befriends those who put aside death and life and have no end or beginning. As to the root, he is vast and open, deep and expansive; as to the source, he may be called dense and fitting and going up to the highest. Even so, in responding to transformation and resolving things, his principles are inexhaustible, his coming does not slough off, and in dimness and obscurity, he has never been fully exhausted.

惠施多方，其書五車，其道舛駁，其言也不中。厤物之意，曰：「至大無外，謂之大一；至小無內，謂之小一。無厚，不可積也，其大千裡。天與地卑，山與澤平。日方中方睨，物方生方死。大同而與小同異，此之謂小同異；萬物畢同畢異，此之謂大同異。南方無窮而有窮，今日適越而昔來。連環可解也。我知天之中央，燕之北越之南是也。氾愛萬物，天地一體也。」

Huishi had many methods, his books filled five carts, his Way was mixed and conflicting, and his words did not hit the mark. His examination of things said: "The utmost great has nothing outside it, and is called the Great One; the utmost small has nothing within it, and is called the Small One. What has no thickness cannot be piled up, yet its size is a thousand li. Heaven is as low as earth, and mountains are level with marshes. The sun at noon is at its decline; things born are dying. The great same differs from the small same, and this is called the small sameness-difference; the ten thousand things are all the same and all different, and this is called the great sameness-difference. The south has no limit yet has a limit; I set out for Yue today and arrived yesterday. Linked rings can be undone. I know the center of the world: it is north of Yan and south of Yue. Love the ten thousand things universally; heaven and earth are one body."

惠施以此為大，觀於天下而曉辯者，天下之辯者相與樂之。卵有毛，雞三足，郢有天下，犬可以為羊，馬有卵，丁子有尾，火不熱，山出口，輪不蹍地，目不見，指不至，至不絕，龜長於蛇，矩不方，規不可以為圓，鑿不圍枘，飛鳥之景未嘗動也，鏃矢之疾而有不行不止之時，狗非犬，黃馬驪牛三，白狗黑，孤駒未嘗有母，一尺之捶，日取其半，萬世不竭。辯者以此與惠施相應，終身無窮。

Huishi took this as great and displayed it to the world to enlighten the debaters, and the debaters of the world enjoyed this with one another. An egg has feathers; a chicken has three legs; Ying has the world; a dog may be a sheep; a horse has eggs; a frog has a tail; fire is not hot; mountains give forth sounds; a wheel does not touch the ground; the eye does not see; a pointer does not arrive; arrival does not cease; a tortoise is longer than a snake; a square is not square; a compass cannot make a circle; a chisel does not enclose its handle; the shadow of a flying bird has never moved; the speed of an arrow has times when it neither moves nor stops; a dog is not a hound; a yellow horse and a black ox make three; a white dog is black; an orphan colt has never had a mother; a one-foot rod, take half each day, and in ten thousand generations it is not exhausted. The debaters answered Huishi with these, without end all their lives.

桓團公孫龍辯者之徒，飾人之心，易人之意，能勝人之口，不能服人之心，辯者之囿也。惠施日以其知與人之辯，特與天下之辯者為怪，此其柢也。

Huan Tuan, Gongsun Long, and the other debaters adorned people's minds and altered people's intentions, were able to defeat people's mouths but could not win their hearts, and were the pen of the debaters. Huishi day after day used his knowledge to debate with others, and especially made himself strange with the debaters of the world; this was his base.

然惠施之口談，自以為最賢，曰天地其壯乎！施存雄而無術。南方有倚人焉曰黃繚，問天地所以不墜不陷，風雨雷霆之故。惠施不辭而應，不慮而對，遍徧為萬物說，說而不休，多而無已，猶以為寡，益之以怪。以反人為實而欲以勝人為名，是以與眾不適也。弱於德，強於物，其塗隩矣。由天地之道觀惠施之能，其猶一蚉一䖟之勞者也。其於物也何庸！夫充一尚可，曰愈貴道，幾矣！惠施不能以此自寧，散於萬物而不厭，卒以善辯為名。惜乎！惠施之才，駘蕩而不得，逐萬物而不反，是窮響以聲，形與影競走也，悲夫！

But Huishi in his speaking took himself as most worthy and said: "Heaven and earth are grand indeed!" Shi had power but lacked art. In the south there was a leaning man called Huang Liao, who asked why heaven and earth do not fall or sink and about the causes of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. Huishi answered without declining and replied without thinking, speaking of all the ten thousand things, speaking without rest, endlessly many, and still thinking it little, adding to it with strange things. He took going against others as reality and hoped to take defeating others as fame, and thus did not fit with the multitude. Weak in virtue and strong in things, his path was obscure. Viewed from the Way of heaven and earth, Huishi's ability was like the toil of a mosquito or gadfly. What use was it to things! One may stretch it to one, and say it is more noble the closer it comes to the Way; that is nearly right! Huishi could not bring himself peace with this, but dispersed among the ten thousand things without tiring, and in the end became known for being good at debate. What a pity! Huishi's talent, expansive but without attainment, chasing after the ten thousand things and not returning, is like exhausting the echo with sound, or the form racing with its shadow; how sad!