Floodwaters and Neighboring States
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English translation
Original Chinese text
白圭曰:“丹之治水也愈于禹。”孟子曰:“子过矣。禹之治水,水之道也。是故禹以四海为壑。今吾子以邻国为壑。水逆行,谓之洚水;洚水者,洪水也,仁人之所恶也。吾子过矣。”
English translation
Bai Gui said, “My flood-control works are better than Yu’s.” Mencius replied, “You are mistaken. Yu governed the waters by following their natural courses; he made the four seas their destination. You, however, use neighboring states as your drainage ditch. Water flowing backward is called a flood, and floods are what benevolent people abhor. You are mistaken.”