King Hui of Liang said, The widow is also to the country. Translation

Translation: King Hui of Liang said: "I have really worked hard to govern the kingdom of Liang.

When there was a famine in Hanoi, I moved the people to the east of the river, and at the same time transported the grain from the east of the river to Hanoi. The famine in Hedong did the same. I have examined the politics of my neighbors, and no one has done as much as I do.

But why is it that the people of the neighbouring countries are not reduced by this, and my people are not multiplied by them? ”

Mencius said, "The king loves war, so let me use war as an analogy." As soon as the war drums sounded, and as soon as the tip of the spear and blade touched, some soldiers threw down their armor and fled backwards with their weapons.

Some people ran a hundred steps and stopped, and some people ran fifty steps and stopped. Is it okay for the soldiers who ran fifty paces to laugh at the soldiers who ran a hundred paces? King Hui said

No. It's just that they didn't run a hundred steps, but this is also an escape. Mencius said:

If the king understands this, then he should not want his people to be more numerous than his neighbors. If military service does not jeopardize the season of agricultural production, food will not be eaten; If the fine nets are not used to catch fish in deep ponds and marshes, the fish and turtles will not be able to eat them all; If you go into the mountains with an axe to cut down trees according to the season, the wood will run out. If the grain, fish and turtles are not exhausted, and the wood is inexhaustible, then the people have no regrets about life, raising, death and burial.

The people have no regrets about birth, raising, death and burial, which is the beginning of the royal road. Distribute five acres of mansions to the people, plant mulberry trees, and then anyone over fifty years old can wear silk. Chickens, dogs, pigs and other domestic animals, if the people can raise them at the right time, then the elderly over 70 years old can eat meat.

Each family has 100 acres of arable land, and if the government does not interfere with their production season, then a family of several people can not go hungry. If we conscientiously run schools well and repeatedly teach the common people the great principles of filial piety to our parents and respect for our brothers, then the gray-haired elderly will not be able to carry or carry heavy loads on the road by themselves. It has never been the case that people over the age of seventy have silk to wear and meat to eat, and ordinary people cannot go hungry or freeze.

As for the current Liang State, the pigs and dogs of the rich and noble families have eaten the food of the people, but they do not restrain and stop it; There were people dying of hunger on the roads, but they didn't open the granaries to help them. When the common people died, they said, 'It is not my sin, but because of a bad year.'

What is the difference between saying that you have killed someone with a knife and saying, 'I didn't kill you, you killed it with a weapon'? If the king does not blame Niancheng, then the common people of the world will defect to the Liang Kingdom. ”

The annotations for the translation of "The Widow to the Country" are as follows:

Translation: Liang Huiwang said: I am very dedicated to the country!

When there was a famine in Hanoi, they moved the people there to Hedong and transferred grain from Hedong to Hanoi. When there is a famine in the east of the river, do the same, and look at the monarchs of neighboring countries who preside over political affairs, and there is no one who is as dedicated as me. Why is it that the people of the neighbouring countries are not decreasing, and my people are not increasing?

Mencius said: The king likes to fight, so let me use war as an analogy.

The drums of war were beating, the battle was fierce, the defeated soldiers threw away their armor and dragged the ** to escape, some ran hundreds of steps before stopping, and some ran fifty steps before stopping. What about laughing at others for running a hundred steps because they only ran fifty steps? King Liang Hui said:

No, he just didn't run away to a hundred paces, but this is also a run! Mencius said, "If the king understands this, he does not need to expect more people in your country than in his neighbors."

Note: King Hui of Liang: The monarch of Wei during the Warring States Period, surnamed Wei, and named Gang.

The capital of Wei is in Daliang, northwest of Kaifeng City, Henan Province, so King Wei Hui is also known as King Liang Hui. Widow: A person of widowhood is the humble name given to himself by ancient kings.

Yan Er: Yan, Er, and 矣 are all particles at the end of the sentence, which are used overlapping to accentuate the tone.

Appreciation of "The Widow in the Country".

This article is a slippery account of Mencius's conversation with King Hui of Liang, at that time, in order to increase the production of grain and expand the number of soldiers, all countries were suffering from a shortage of labor, so King Hui of Liang wanted to compete with his neighbors for the people, and took measures that he thought he was dedicated, but the goal was not achieved. Mencius seized on this contradiction, pointing out that King Hui of Liang's dedication could not convert the people to obedience, and at the same time put forward his own claim. Only by practicing the royal road and exercising benevolent government can we govern the country fundamentally.

Discuss the problem of how to implement benevolent government and unify the world with the royal road, no regrets about health and death, the beginning of the royal road, the seventy people eat meat in clothes, and the people are not hungry or cold, but those who are not kings are also the finishing touch to the article and highlight the theme of the article.

The above content reference: Encyclopedia - "The Widow to the Country".