Can Yan Be Attacked?
Text
English translation
Original Chinese text
沈同以其私问曰:「燕可伐与?」
English translation
Shen Tong asked in a private capacity: “May Yan be attacked?”
Original Chinese text
孟子曰:「可。子哙不得与人燕,子之不得受燕于子哙。有仕于此,而子悦之,不告于王,而私与之吾子之禄爵;夫士也,亦无王命而私受之于子,则可乎?何以异于是?」
English translation
Mencius said: “Yes. Zi Kuai may not give Yan to another, and Zi Zhi may not receive Yan from Zi Kuai. Suppose there is a person serving here, and you like him; without reporting it to the king, you privately give him your salary and rank. That officer, likewise without the king’s command, privately receives it from you—would that be permissible? How is that different from this?”
Original Chinese text
齐人伐燕。或问曰:「劝齐伐燕,有诸?」
English translation
The people of Qi attacked Yan. Someone asked: “You urged Qi to attack Yan—was there such a thing?”
Original Chinese text
曰:「未也。沈同问:『燕可伐与?』吾应之曰:『可。』彼然而伐之也。彼如曰:『孰可以伐之?』则将应之曰:『为天吏则可以伐之。』今有杀人者,或问之曰:『人可杀与?』则将应之曰:『可。』彼如曰:『孰可以杀之?』则将应之曰:『为士师则可以杀之。』今以燕伐燕,何为劝之哉?」
English translation
(Mencius) said, “No. Shen Tong asked me, ‘Can Yan be attacked?’ I replied to him, ‘It can.’ He considered it so and attacked it. If he had asked, ‘Who can attack it?’ I would have replied to him, ‘One who is an officer of Heaven can attack it.’ Now there is a man who has killed someone, and someone asks, ‘Can a person be killed?’ I would reply to him, ‘It can.’ If he asked, ‘Who can kill him?’ I would reply to him, ‘One who is a magistrate can kill him.’ Now, using Yan to attack Yan, why would I have encouraged it?”