4B.3  Mengzi said to King Xuan of Qi: If a ruler regards his ministers as his hands and feet, then his ministers will regard him as their heart and mind. If a ruler regards his ministers as dogs and horses, his ministers will regard him as any other man. If a ruler regards his ministers as dirt and grass, his ministers will regard him as a bandit and an enemy.

孟子告齊宣王曰：「君之視臣如手足，則臣視君如腹心；君之視臣如犬馬，則臣視君如國人；君之視臣如土芥，則臣視君如寇讎。」

4B.10  Mengzi said: Master Kong never did anything that went too far.

孟子曰：「仲尼不為已甚者。」

4B.11  Mengzi said: The great man does not insist that his words be necessarily truthful [at all times and under circumstances] or his actions be necessarily resolute. He acts only according to righteousness.

孟子曰：「大人者，言不必信，行不必果，惟義所在。」

4B.12  Mengzi said: The great man is one who does not lose his [originally good] child’s heart.

孟子曰：「大人者，不失其赤子之心者也。」

4B.26 Mengzi said: All who talk about the nature of things need only [reason from] facts¹ [and principles will be clear]. The fundamental principle [of reasoning] from facts is to follow [their natural tendencies]. What I dislike in your wise men is their forced reasoning. If those wise men would only act as Yu² did when he diverted the water to the sea, there would be nothing to dislike in their wisdom. Yu diverted the waters as if he were acting without any special effort [for he followed the natural tendencies]. If wise men would act without any special effort [such as forced reasoning], their wisdom would also be great. Heaven is high and the stars are far away. But if we investigate the facts, we may go back to the solstice of a thousand years while we sit.

孟子曰：「天下之言性也，則故而已矣。故者以利為本。所惡於智者，為其鑿也。如智者若禹之行水也，則無惡於智矣。禹之行水也，行其所無事也。如智者亦行其所無事，則智亦大矣。天之高也，星辰之遠也，苟求其故，千歲之日至，可坐而致也。」

4B.28  Mengzi said: The reason why the superior man is different from other men is because of what he preserves in his mind. He preserves humanity and propriety. The man of humanity loves others. The man of propriety respects others. He who loves others is always loved by others, and he who respects others is always respected by them.

孟子曰：「君子所以異於人者，以其存心也。君子以仁存心，以禮存心。仁者愛人，有禮者敬人。愛人者人恆愛之，敬人者人恆敬之。 · · · 」

4B.30  Mengzi said: There are five things which in common practice are considered unfilial. The first is laziness in the use of one’s body without attending to the support and care of one’s parents. The second is chess-playing and fondness for wine, without attending to the support and care of one’s parents. The third is love of things and money and being exclusively attached to one’s wife and children, without attending to the support and care of one’s parents. The fourth is following the desires of one’s ears and eyes, thus bringing his parents to disgrace. And the fifth is being fond of bravery, fighting, and quarreling, thus endangering one’s parents.

孟子曰：「世俗所謂不孝者五：惰其四支，不顧父母之養，一不孝也；博弈好飲酒，不顧父母之養，二不孝也；好貨財，私妻子，不顧父母之養，三不孝也；從耳目之欲，以為父母戮，四不孝也；好勇鬥很，以危父母，五不孝也。 · · · 」

4B.32  Master Chu³ said: The king sends people to spy on you and see whether you are really different from others.

Mengzi said: How should I be different from others? Yao and Shun were the same as other men.

儲子曰：「王使人瞷夫子，果有以異於人乎？」孟子曰：「何以異於人哉？堯舜與人同耳。」