Ancient Chinese Prose "Fifty Steps, Laughing at a Hundred Steps"

Original text

King Hui of Liang said: "I only care about my country with all my heart and ears. If there is danger in the river, move the people to the east of the river, and move the millet to the east of the river. If there is danger in the east of the river, The same is true. Looking at the government of neighboring countries, it is not as good as the people of the neighboring countries. If the people of the neighboring countries are not reduced, why not increase the people of the country?" Mencius said to him: "The king is warlike. , please use it as a metaphor for war. After receiving the weapon, you may abandon your armor and stop after a hundred steps, or you may stop at fifty steps and laugh at a hundred steps."

He said: "No. If it is not a hundred steps straight, it is still walking."

He said: "King knows this, there is no hope that the people will be more than those of neighboring countries. It does not violate the farming season. The grain cannot be eaten. The fish and turtles cannot be eaten even if the grains are not brought into the pond. The axes and turtles cannot be eaten in time. The grain and the fish and turtles cannot be used. There is no regret in losing one's life. This is the beginning of the king's way. "

"A five-acre house with mulberry trees can feed chickens, dolphins, dogs and pigs. If you don't lose the time, you can eat meat if you are seventy. If you don't take away the land of a hundred acres, you can have a family of several people without starvation. Pay attention to the teachings of Itch and show the meaning of filial piety and brotherhood. Don't give it to those who are white. It is worn on the road. The seventy-year-old wears silk and eats meat, and the people are neither hungry nor cold. However, there is no such thing as a king. "

"A dog eats human food without knowing it, and is covered with starvation. But if someone dies, he will say: "It's not me, it's Sui." How is it different from stabbing someone and killing him, saying, "It's not me, it's a soldier"? "

Translation

King Hui of Liang was good at driving his people to fight against neighboring countries. Once, King Hui of Liang summoned Mencius and asked: "While I was in office, I could be said to have devoted my whole heart and soul to the governance of the country. Hanoi (now the north bank of the Yellow River in Henan Province) suffered from famine all year round and the harvest was not good, so I took care of it there. Some of the people moved to Hedong, where the harvest was better, and some of the grain from the Hedong area, where the harvest was better, was transported to Hanoi, so that the people in the famine-stricken areas in Hanoi would not starve to death. I am also like this, transporting food from other places to the east of the river to solve the problem of people's lack of food. I have also seen the practices of the leaders of neighboring countries. No one is as dedicated as I am to the interests of their own people. "My people have not decreased, and my people have not increased. What is the reason?"

Mencius replied: "The king likes to fight, so I will use fighting as an analogy." On the battlefield, the two armies faced each other. As soon as the battle started, the war drums were beating loudly. Both sides fought hand to hand, each fighting bravely to assassinate the other. They abandoned their armor and ran away, dragging their weapons. Some of the fleeing soldiers ran fast and stopped after running a hundred steps; some ran slowly and stopped after running fifty steps. The soldiers who ran only fifty steps laughed at the soldiers who ran a hundred steps as cowards. Do you think this kind of ridicule is right?" King Hui of Liang said: "No, They just didn't run a hundred steps, but this is also running away."

Mencius said: "If the king understands the truth, then there is no need to hope that the people of your country will live next to each other! "There are too many countries."

If military service does not harm the agricultural production season, there will be more food to eat; if fine fishing nets are not used to catch fish in deep swamps, there will be too much fish and turtles to eat; If you go into the mountains with an ax and cut down trees according to the seasons, the wood will not be used up. If there is not enough food, fish and turtles to eat, and there is not enough wood to use up, then the people will have no regrets about life, death and burial. The people have no regrets about life, death and burial, which is the beginning of the kingly way

"Fifty Steps to Laugh at a Hundred Steps" not only expresses Mencius's political philosophy of advocating the kingly way, advocating etiquette and music, opposing tyranny and war, but also It reflects Mencius' ingenious argumentation skills and superb argumentation level. In the article, when faced with the "warlike" King Hui of Liang, he "asked for a metaphor for war" and finally proposed that "warlike" means "there are more hopeless people than neighboring countries". It can be said that he used his spear to attack his shield, which made the listener laugh. After that, you will surely sink into deep reflection.

King Hui of Liang did not adopt any substantial good policies in governing the country. Of course, he could not expect to achieve the goal of bringing the world back to its center.

King Hui of Liang claimed to be "dedicated", but in Mencius' view, the measures he adopted were only temporary measures to "love the people", and the governance of neighboring countries was actually a fifty-step and a hundred-step step away. Compare. Mencius believed that the fundamental way to govern a country is to implement "benevolent government". He proposed that people should not use war or labor to delay the farming season, do not catch fish indiscriminately, do not cut down trees, and allow the people to recuperate and live a more stable life. This is the "kingly way". the beginning of. Mencius was good at debating and making good use of metaphors. The metaphor of "taking fifty steps to laugh at a hundred steps" in the article pointedly pointed out the essence of King Hui of Liang's "dedication", and his reasoning was vivid and convincing.