Rejecting Excess辭過
子墨子曰：古之民，未知爲宮室時，就陵阜而居，穴而處。下潤濕傷民，故聖王作爲宮室，爲宮室之法，曰：高足以辟潤濕，邊足以圉風寒，上足以待雪霜雨露，宮墻之高，足以別男女之禮。謹此則止，凡費財勞力不加利者，不爲也。是故聖王作爲宮室，便於生，不以爲觀樂也。作爲衣服帶履，便於身，不以爲辟怪也。故節於身，誨於民，是以天下之民可得而治，財用可得而足。當今之主，其爲宮室則與此異矣。必厚作斂於百姓，暴奪民衣食之財，以爲宮室臺榭曲直之望、青黃刻鏤之飾。爲宮室若此，故左右皆法象之，是以其財不足以待凶饑，振孤寡，故國貧而民難治也。君實欲天下之治而惡其亂也，當爲宮室不可不節。
Mozi said, "In old times, when the people did not yet know how to make houses, they went up to the hills to live and dwelt in caves dug in the ground. Below, the damp and the wet harmed the people, and so the sage kings made houses.
The rule for making a house is this. Its height is enough to keep off the damp and the wet, its sides are enough to ward off wind and cold, its top is enough to bear snow and frost and rain and dew, and the height of its wall is enough to mark the propriety between man and woman. They were careful of this much and stopped there. Whatever spent wealth and wearied strength without adding any benefit they did not do.
So when the sage kings made houses, it was to make living easy, not to make a show for pleasure. When they made clothes and belts and shoes, it was to make the body easy, not to deck it out strangely. So they set a limit upon themselves and taught the people, and in this way the people of the world could be governed and wealth and goods could be enough.
Now the rulers make their houses otherwise. They lay heavy levies on the common people and violently seize the wealth that should be the people's clothes and food, to raise houses and terraces and pavilions that look out in curves and straight lines and are carved and painted blue and yellow. When houses are made like this, all those around them take it for their pattern, and so their wealth is not enough to wait out a bad year and hunger or to relieve the orphaned and the widowed. So the state is poor and the people are hard to govern.
If a ruler truly wants the world to be governed and hates its disorder, then in making houses he cannot but set a limit."
古之民未知爲衣服時，衣皮帶茭，冬則不輕而溫，夏則不輕而凊。聖王以爲不中人之情，故作誨婦人治絲麻，㨡布絹，以爲民衣。爲衣服之法：冬則練帛之中，足以爲輕且煖；夏則絺綌之中，足以爲輕且凊。謹此則止。故聖人爲衣服，適身體、和肌膚而足矣，非榮耳目而觀愚民也。當是之時，堅車良馬不知貴也，刻鏤文采不知喜也。何則？其所道之然。故民衣食之財，家足以待旱水凶饑者，何也？得其所以自養之情，而不感於外也。是以其民儉而易治，其君用財節而易贍也。府庫實滿，足以待不然；兵革不頓，士民不勞，足以征不服。故霸王之業可行於天下矣。當今之王，其爲衣服則與此異矣。冬則輕煗，夏則輕凊，皆已具矣。必厚作斂於百姓，暴奪民衣食之財，以爲錦繡文采靡曼之衣。鑄金以爲鉤，珠玉以爲珮，女工作文采，男工作刻鏤，以爲身服。此非云益煗之情也，單財勞力，畢歸之於無用也。以此觀之，其爲衣服，非爲身體，皆爲觀好。是以其民淫僻而難治，其君奢侈而難諫也。夫以奢侈之君御好淫僻之民，欲用無亂，不可得也。君實欲天下之治而惡其亂，當爲衣服不可不節。
In old times, when the people did not yet know how to make clothes, they wore skins and belted themselves with straw, which in winter was light but not warm and in summer was light but not cool. The sage kings thought this did not fit what men feel, and so they taught the women to work silk and hemp and to weave cloth and plain silk, and made clothes for the people.
The rule for making clothes is this. In winter, finished silk is enough to be light and warm. In summer, fine and coarse hemp cloth is enough to be light and cool. They were careful of this much and stopped there.
So when the sage made clothes, it was enough that they fit the body and agreed with the skin. It was not to glorify the ear and the eye and make a show before the foolish people. In that time men did not know to prize strong carriages and good horses, and did not know to delight in carving and patterned colors. Why was this? Because of what led them.
So the wealth that was to be the people's clothes and food was, in every household, enough to wait out drought and flood and bad years and hunger. Why was this? They had grasped what it is to nourish themselves, and were not stirred by what lay outside. In this way their people were frugal and easy to govern, and their rulers set a limit on spending and were easily supplied. The storehouses were full and enough to wait out the unexpected. Weapons and armor were not blunted and the officers and the people were not worn out, so that they were enough to punish those who would not submit. Therefore the work of a first lord and of a king could be carried out in the world.
Now the kings make their clothes otherwise. What is light and warm in winter and light and cool in summer is already provided in full, and yet they lay heavy levies on the common people and violently seize the wealth that should be the people's clothes and food, to make flowing robes embroidered and patterned on silk. They cast metal for hooks and make pendants of pearl and jade, and the women lay on the patterns and the men do the carving, to make the clothes they will wear on their bodies.
This is not a matter of adding any warmth. It uses up wealth and wearies strength and turns it all to what is useless. Looking at it in this way, their making of clothes is not for the body but all to make a fine show. In this way their people are excessive and wayward and hard to govern, and their rulers are extravagant and hard to admonish. To drive people who are excessive and wayward with a ruler who is extravagant, and still to want no disorder, cannot be done.
If a ruler truly wants the world to be governed and hates its disorder, then in making clothes he cannot but set a limit.
古之民未知爲飲食時，素食而分處。故聖人作誨男耕稼樹藝，以爲民食。其爲食也，足以增氣充虛、彊體適腹而已矣。故其用財節，其自養儉，民富國治。今則不然，厚作斂於百姓，以爲美食芻豢，蒸炙魚鼈，大國累百器，小國累十器，前方丈，目不能徧視，手不能徧操，口不能徧味，冬則凍冰，夏則餲饐。人君爲飲食如此，故左右象之，是以富貴者奢侈，孤寡者凍餒，雖欲無亂，不可得也。君實欲天下治而惡其亂，當爲食飲不可不節。
In old times, when the people did not yet know how to make food and drink, they ate coarse things and dwelt apart from one another. So the sage taught the men to plow and sow and plant and tend, and made food for the people. As for that food, it was enough that it added breath and filled what was empty, made the body strong and suited the belly. So they set a limit on spending wealth and were frugal in nourishing themselves, and the people were rich and the state was governed.
Now it is not so. They lay heavy levies on the common people to prepare fine food and fattened beasts and steamed and roasted fish and turtle. A great state piles up a hundred dishes and a small state piles up ten, until they spread a full ten feet before him. The eye cannot look over them all, the hand cannot take them all, and the mouth cannot taste them all. In winter they freeze, and in summer they go sour.
When the ruler eats and drinks like this, those around him take it for their pattern, and so the rich and the noble are extravagant while the orphaned and the widowed freeze and starve. Though he may want no disorder, it cannot be had.
If a ruler truly wants the world to be governed and hates its disorder, then in eating and drinking he cannot but set a limit.
古之民未知爲舟車時，重任不移，遠道不至。故聖王作爲舟車，以便民之事。其爲舟車也，完固輕利，可以任重致遠。其爲用財少，而爲利多，是以民樂而利之。故法令不急而行，民不勞而上足用，故民歸之。當今之主，其爲舟車與此異矣。完固輕利皆已具，必厚作斂於百姓，以飾舟車，飾車以文采，飾舟以刻鏤。女子廢其紡織而脩文采，故民寒；男子離其耕稼而脩刻鏤，故民飢。人君爲舟車若此，故左右象之。是以其民飢寒並至，故爲姦衺。姦衺多則刑罰深，刑罰深則國亂。君實欲天下之治而惡其亂，當爲舟車不可不節。
In old times, when the people did not yet know how to make boats and carts, heavy loads were not moved and distant roads were not reached. So the sage kings made boats and carts to make the people's work easy. Their boats and carts were whole and firm, light and handy, and could carry a heavy load and reach far. They spent little wealth and brought much benefit, and so the people were glad of them and found them useful. Therefore laws and orders were carried out without being pressed, and the people were not worn out while those above had enough to use, and so the people turned to them.
Now the rulers make their boats and carts otherwise. What is whole and firm and light and handy is already provided in full, and yet they lay heavy levies on the common people to deck out their boats and carts, decking the carts with patterned colors and the boats with carving. The women leave off their weaving to lay on the patterns, and so the people are cold. The men leave their plowing to do the carving, and so the people are hungry.
When the ruler makes boats and carts like this, those around him take it for their pattern, and so hunger and cold come upon his people together. Then they do crooked and wicked things, and when crooked and wicked things are many the punishments grow heavy, and when the punishments grow heavy the state falls into disorder.
If a ruler truly wants the world to be governed and hates its disorder, then in making boats and carts he cannot but set a limit.
凡回於天地之閒，包於四海之內，天壤之情，陰陽之和，莫不有也，雖至聖不能更也。何以知其然？聖人有傳：天地也，則曰上下；四時也，則曰陰陽；人情也，則曰男女；禽獸也，則曰牡牝雄雌也。真天壤之情，雖有先王，不能更也。雖上世至聖，必蓄私不以傷行，故民無怨。宮無拘女，故天下無寡夫。內無拘女，外無寡夫，故天下之民衆。當今之君，其蓄私也，大國拘女累千，小國累百，是以天下之男多寡無妻，女多拘無夫。男女失時，故民少。君實欲民之衆而惡其寡，當蓄私不可不節。
Of all that turns between heaven and earth and all that is held within the four seas, there is nothing that does not have in it the nature of heaven and earth and the harmony of yin and yang, and even the utmost sage cannot change it.
How is this known? The sages handed something down. Of heaven and earth they said above and below. Of the four seasons they said yin and yang. Of what men feel they said man and woman. Of birds and beasts they said male and female. This is truly the nature of heaven and earth, and even the kings of old could not change it.
Even the utmost sages of former ages kept women of their own, but they did not let it harm their conduct, and so the people did not resent it. There were no women shut up in the palace, and so there were no men in the world left without wives. With no women shut up within and no wifeless men without, the people of the world were many.
Now the rulers keep women of their own, and a great state shuts up women by the thousand and a small state by the hundred. In this way, in the world many men are left alone with no wife and many women are shut up with no husband. Man and woman miss their season, and so the people are few.
If a ruler truly wants the people to be many and hates their fewness, then in keeping women of his own he cannot but set a limit.
凡此五者，聖人之所儉節也，小人之所淫佚也。儉節則昌，淫佚則亡。此五者不可不節，夫婦節而天地和，風雨節而五穀孰，衣服節而肌膚和。
These five are what the sage keeps frugal and within limit, and what the small man lets run to excess. To be frugal and within limit is to flourish; to run to excess is to be lost. These five cannot but be held within limit. When husband and wife are within limit, heaven and earth are in harmony. When wind and rain are within limit, the five grains ripen. When clothing is within limit, the skin is at ease.