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Content created: 2011-03-05;
last modified:
2019-01-21
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| 1. | Lord Línwǔ . said, “ Good.” | 临武君曰：善！ Línwǔ jūn yuē: Shàn! 臨武君曰：善！ |
| 2. | Chén Xiāo 陈嚣 asked a question of the master Xún Qīng, saying, “When you discuss military affairs, you always speak of benevolence (rén 仁) and justice (yì 义) as the roots of action. | 陈嚣问荀卿子曰：先生议兵，常以仁义为本； Chén Xiāo wèn Xún Qīng zǐ yuē: Xiānsheng yì bīng, cháng yǐ rényì wéi běn; 陳囂問荀卿子曰：先生議兵，常以仁義為本； |
| 3. | The benevolent man loves others; the just man follows justice; then why do you speak of military actions? All that armies are good for is to contend and take things from others.” | 仁者爱人，义者循理，然则又何以兵为？凡所为有兵者，为争夺也。 Rénzhě àiren, yì zhě xúnlǐ, ránzé yòu héyǐ bīng wéi? Fán suǒwéi yǒu bīng zhě, wéi zhēngduó yě. 仁者愛人，義者循理，然則又何以兵為？凡所為有兵者，為爭奪也。 |
| 4. | The master Xún Qīng, said, “ It is not as you think. This benevolent man loves others. He loves others, hence he hates whatever injures others. | 荀卿子曰：非汝所知也！彼仁者爱人，爱人故恶人之害之也； Xún Qīng zǐ yuē: Fēi rǔ suǒzhī yě! Bǐ rénzhě àiren, àiren gù èrén zhī hài zhī yě; 荀卿子曰：非汝所知也！彼仁者愛人，愛人故惡人之害之也； |
| 5. | This just man follows principles. He follows principles, hence he hates whatever leads others astray. | 义者循理，循理故恶人之乱之也。 Yì zhě xúnlǐ, xúnlǐ gù èrén zhī luàn zhī yě. 義者循理，循理故惡人之亂之也。 |
| 6. | His armies are for the purpose of stopping tyranny and getting rid of injury, not for contending and taking things from others. | 彼兵者所以禁暴除害也，非争夺也。 Bǐ bīng zhě suǒyǐ jìn bào chúhài yě, fēi zhēngduó yě. 彼兵者所以禁暴除害也，非爭奪也。 |
| 7. | Hence when the armies of the benevolent man remain in a place, it is like a god being there; when they have passed, civilization develops. It was like the falling of a timely rain; no one fails to rejoice. | 故仁者之兵，所存者神，所过者化，若时雨之降，莫不说喜。 Gù rénzhě zhī bīng, suǒcún zhě shén, suǒ guò zhě huà, ruò shíyǔ zhī jiàng, mòbù shuō xǐ. 故仁者之兵，所存者神，所過者化，若時雨之降，莫不說喜。 |
| 8. | This was [what happened] when [the legendary emperor] Yáo 尧 punished Huāndōu 驩兜 or [the legendary emperor] Shùn 舜 punished the ruler of the Miao 苗 tribe, or [the legendary emperor] Yǔ 禹 punished the Minister of Works, or [the legendary emperor] Tāng 汤 punished the lord of Xià 夏, or King Wén 文 punished Chóng 崇 , or King Wǔ 武 punished [Mad King] Zhòu 纣; these four Emperors and two Kings all used benevolent and just armies to gain the empire. | 是以尧伐歡兜，舜伐有苗，禹伐共工，汤伐有夏，文王伐崇，武王伐纣，此四帝两王，皆以仁义之兵，行于天下也。 Shìyǐ Yáo fá Huāndōu, Shùn fá yǒu Miáo, Yǔ fá gòng gōng, Tāng fá yǒu Xià, Wén wáng fá Chóng, Wǔ wáng fá Zhòu, cǐ sì dì liǎng wáng, jiē yǐ rényì zhī bīng, xíng yú tiān xià yě. 是以堯伐驩兜，舜伐有苗，禹伐共工，湯伐有夏，文王伐崇，武王伐紂，此四帝兩王，皆以仁義之兵，行於天下也。 |
| 9. | Therefore those who were near were attached by their goodness; those who were far loved their justice (yì). | 故近者亲其善，远方慕其德， Gù jìn zhě qīn qí shàn, yuǎnfāng mù qí dé, 故近者親其善，遠方慕其德， |
| 10. | Their armies did not bloody their swords, yet distant regions came to submit to them; their virtue was so great that it reached to the four ends of the world. | 兵不血刃，远迩来服，德盛于此，施及四极。 Bīng bù xuè rèn, yuǎn ěrlái fú, dé shèng yúcǐ, shī jí sì jí. 兵不血刃，遠邇來服，德盛於此，施及四極。 |
| 11. | The Book of Odes says (1.14.3.3): “ The virtuous man, my prince, |
《诗》曰：”淑人君子，其仪不忒，其仪不忒，正是四国。” «Shī» yuē: “Shūrén jūnzǐ, qí yí bù tè, qí yí bù tè, zhèng shì sìguó.” 《詩》曰：”淑人君子，其儀不忒，其儀不忒，正是四國。” |
| 12. | This expresses what I mean.’ | 此之谓也。 Cǐ zhī wèi yě. 此之謂也。 |
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