The whole translation of On People's Basis

On People-oriented:

Mencius said, "People are more important, the country is second, and the monarch is lighter. Therefore, Qiu Min is the son of heaven, the son of heaven is the vassal, and the vassal is the doctor. When a vassal is in danger, it will be changed. Sacrifice is accomplished, prosperity is clean, and sacrifice is timely. However, drought and water overflow will change the country. "

Mencius said, "Jie and Zhou lost the world and their people; He who loses his people loses his heart. There is a saying in the world: if you get your people, you will get the world; There is a way to win the people: win their hearts and win the people; There is a way to get the heart: gather what you want with it, and don't do evil, and you will also.

people return to benevolence, even if the water is still there, the animals will leave. Therefore, for those who drive away fish, otters are also; For those who drive the princes, they are also embarrassed; Those who drive the people away for soup and martial arts are Jie and Zhou. Today, if there are good people in the monarch, then all the princes will drive them. Although you want to have no king, you can't have it. Today, if you want to be king, you still want to be loved for three years after seven years of illness.

if you are not an animal, you will not be allowed for life. If you don't aspire to benevolence, you will be worried and humiliated for life, so that you will die. "Poetry" says: "What can it be? It is loaded with carelessness and drowning. This is also called. "I am in the country, and I am dedicated to it. If Hanoi is fierce, it will move its people to Hedong and its millet to Hanoi. Hedong is also fierce. He who observes the politics of neighboring countries has no intention like my own.

there are not too many people in neighboring countries, and there are not too many people in my country. Why? Mencius said to him, "Wang is belligerent. Please use war as a metaphor. Fill in the drum, the weapon is connected, and the armor is abandoned. Or stop after a hundred steps, or stop after fifty steps. What about pot calling the kettle black? " He said, "No, it's not a hundred paces straight, but it's also a walk."

On the People:

Mencius said: "The people are the most important, and the god of the earth valley is second to the people, and the status of the monarch is even lighter. Therefore, with the support of many people, you can be a son of heaven, a vassal with the trust of the son of heaven, and a doctor with the trust of the vassal. The vassal has harmed the God of Tugu, so make a vassal instead.

The animals used for sacrifice are fat, the grain is clean, and the sacrifice is made on time. However, it is still dry and waterlogged, so make it the god of earth valley. " Mencius said: "Jie and Zhou lost the world because they lost the people;" Losing people is due to losing people's hearts.

there is a way to get the world: if you get the people, you can get the world; The people have a way: win the hearts of the people and you will get the people; There is a way to win the hearts of the people: what they want, they will accumulate it for them; Don't give them what they hate, that's all. People return to benevolence, just as water flows downwards and wild animals run to the wilderness.

So, it's the otter who comes to fish for the deep water; It is a kite that comes to the birds for the trees; It was Xia Jie and Shang Zhou who came to the people for King Tang and King Wu. If the monarch of the world now loves benevolence, then the governors will bring the people here for him. Even if he doesn't want to rule the world, it's impossible.

People who want to rule the world now are like looking for Ai Lai Zhi who has been ill for seven years. If you don't accumulate it at ordinary times, you won't get it for life. If you don't aspire to benevolence, you will be sad and humiliated for life, and even die.

The Book of Songs says, "How can things be done well? Only one of them drowned. Said is this kind of situation. "King Hui of Liang said," I am really devoted to my country. When there was a famine in Hanoi, some people there were moved to Hedong and food was transported to Hanoi for relief. There is a famine in Hedong, so do I.

no monarch can worry about the people like me when inspecting the government affairs of neighboring countries. But the population of neighboring countries has not decreased, and the population of Wei has not increased. What is the reason? "

Mencius replied, "Your Majesty likes to fight. Please let me compare it with war. Drumming the drums, the blades and blades collided, and (there were soldiers) abandoned their helmets and armor and dragged their weapons to escape.

some escaped a hundred steps and stopped, while others escaped fifty steps and stopped. What if you laugh at those who have escaped a hundred steps just because you have only escaped fifty steps? "

King Hui said, "No, it's just that the people behind can't escape by a hundred steps. Is this also an escape?" Mencius said, "If your majesty knows this, you can't expect the people of Wei to be more than those of neighboring countries.

If we don't delay the farming season of the people, we can't finish the food; If the fine fishing net is not put into the pond for fishing, the fish and turtles will not be finished; If the forest is cut in a certain season, the wood will not be used up.

Food, fish and turtles can't be eaten up, and wood can't be used up, which makes people have no regrets to support their families and handle funerals. There is no regret for the people to live, raise, die and mourn. This is the beginning of kingly way. Five acres of land, a variety of mulberry trees, fifty-year-old people can put on silk cotton-padded jackets.

This article comes from the expanded materials of On People's Basis written by Mencius during the Warring States Period.

Writing background:

Around 329 BC, when Song Gongzi became a monarch, Mencius came to Song State. During his stay in the Song Dynasty, Teng Wengong was still a prince, and he met Mencius when he went to Chu and passed through the Song Dynasty. "Mencius' Tao is good, and his words must be called Yao and Shun." He came back from Chu State and met Mencius in Song State. Mencius said: "Do you doubt my words? It' s just a husband' s way. "

It means that Tengguo can be well governed as long as we study the "first king" well. Soon, Mencius accepted a gift of seventy dollars from Song Jun, left Song State and returned to Zou State. Liang Hui Wang Xia recorded that Zou had a conflict with Lu. Zou Mugong asked Mencius: "I have 33 dead people, but the death of the people is also."

if you punish them, you can't defeat them; If you don't punish him, you will see his long-term death and not save him. If so, what can I do? " Mencius replied: "In the fierce year, the people of Jun are old and weak, and the strong are scattered in all directions, and thousands of people are gone;" And your warehouse is solid, the treasury is full, and there is no way to tell you. It is slow and disabled. "

He said, it's just like what Ceng Zi said: As you treat others, they will repay you. Now, your people have a chance to get revenge. Don't blame them! "If you are benevolent, Simin will kiss you and die for a long time." Teng Dinggong died, and Teng Wengong sent his friends to Zou Guolai twice to ask Mencius how to handle the funeral. When Teng Wengong succeeded to the throne, Mencius came to Tengguo.

About the author:

Mencius (about 372 BC-289 BC), Ji surname, Meng family, Ming Ke, Zi Yu, was born in Zouguo (now Zoucheng, Jining, Shandong) during the Warring States Period.

A famous philosopher, thinker, politician and educator in the Warring States period, one of the representatives of Confucianism, was second only to Confucius, and was also called "Confucius and Mencius" with Confucius. Advocating "benevolent government", he first put forward the idea that "the people are more valuable than the monarch".