公输 Mozi and Gongshu Ban

公输盘为楚造云梯之械，成，将以攻宋。 gōng shū bān wèi chǔ zào yún tī zhī xiè, chéng, jiāng yǐ gōng sòng.
Gongshu Ban built cloud-ladder siege equipment for Chu. When it was finished, Chu was going to use it to attack Song.

子墨子闻之，起于鲁，行十日十夜而至于郢，见公输盘。 zǐ mò zǐ wén zhī, qǐ yú lǔ, xíng shí rì shí yè ér zhì yú yǐng, jiàn gōng shū bān.
Master Mozi heard of it, set out from Lu and travelled for ten days and ten nights to Ying, where he met Gongshu Ban.

公输盘曰：“夫子何命焉为？” gōng shū bān yuē: “fū zǐ hé mìng yān wéi?”
Gongshu Ban asked, “Master, what instruction have you come to give me?”

子墨子曰：“北方有侮臣者，愿借子杀之。” zǐ mò zǐ yuē: “běi fāng yǒu wǔ chén zhě, yuàn jiè zǐ shā zhī.”
Mozi said, “There is a man in the north who has insulted me. I would like your help to kill him.”

公输盘不说。 gōng shū bān bù yuè.
Gongshu Ban was displeased.

子墨子曰：“请献十金。” zǐ mò zǐ yuē: “qǐng xiàn shí jīn.”
Mozi said, “Allow me to offer ten in gold.”

公输盘曰：“吾义固不杀人。” gōng shū bān yuē: “wú yì gù bù shā rén.”
Gongshu Ban said, “My sense of right certainly forbids me to kill anyone.”

子墨子起，再拜曰：“请说之。 zǐ mò zǐ qǐ, zài bài yuē: “qǐng shuō zhī.
Mozi stood, bowed twice and said, “Let me explain this.

吾从北方闻子为梯，将以攻宋。宋何罪之有？ wú cóng běi fāng wén zǐ wéi tī, jiāng yǐ gōng sòng. sòng hé zuì zhī yǒu?
In the north I heard that you were making ladders for an attack on Song. What crime has Song committed?

荆国有余于地，而不足于民，杀所不足而争所有余，不可谓智。 jīng guó yǒu yú yú dì, ér bù zú yú mín, shā suǒ bù zú ér zhēng suǒ yǒu yú, bù kě wèi zhì.
Chu has more than enough land but too few people. To kill what it lacks in order to fight for what it already has in excess cannot be called wise.

宋无罪而攻之，不可谓仁；知而不争，不可谓忠；争而不得，不可谓强。 sòng wú zuì ér gōng zhī, bù kě wèi rén; zhī ér bù zhēng, bù kě wèi zhōng; zhēng ér bù dé, bù kě wèi qiáng.
To attack innocent Song cannot be called humane. To know this and fail to remonstrate cannot be called loyal. To remonstrate without succeeding cannot be called strong.

义不杀少而杀众，不可谓知类。” yì bù shā shǎo ér shā zhòng, bù kě wèi zhī lèi.”
To claim that right forbids killing a few, yet kill many, cannot be called understanding how cases belong together.”

公输盘服。 gōng shū bān fú.
Gongshu Ban accepted the argument.

子墨子曰：“然，胡不已乎？” zǐ mò zǐ yuē: “rán, hú bù yǐ hū?”
Mozi said, “Then why not stop?”

公输盘曰：“不可，吾既已言之王矣。” gōng shū bān yuē: “bù kě, wú jì yǐ yán zhī wáng yǐ.”
Gongshu Ban said, “I cannot. I have already spoken to the king about it.”

子墨子曰：“胡不见我于王？” zǐ mò zǐ yuē: “hú bù xiàn wǒ yú wáng?”
Mozi said, “Why not introduce me to the king?”

公输盘曰：“诺。” gōng shū bān yuē: “nuò.”
Gongshu Ban said, “Very well.”

子墨子见王，曰：“今有人于此，舍其文轩，邻有敝舆而欲窃之；舍其锦绣，邻有短褐而欲窃之；舍其粱肉，邻有糠糟而欲窃之。此为何若人？” zǐ mò zǐ jiàn wáng, yuē: “jīn yǒu rén yú cǐ, shě qí wén xuān, lín yǒu bì yú ér yù qiè zhī; shě qí jǐn xiù, lín yǒu duǎn hè ér yù qiè zhī; shě qí liáng ròu, lín yǒu kāng zāo ér yù qiè zhī. cǐ wéi hé ruò rén?”
Mozi met the king and said, “Suppose a man leaves his decorated carriage and wants to steal his neighbour's broken cart, leaves his embroidered clothes and wants to steal his neighbour's coarse jacket, leaves his fine grain and meat and wants to steal his neighbour's husks and dregs. What sort of man is this?”

王曰：“必为有窃疾矣。” wáng yuē: “bì wéi yǒu qiè jí yǐ.”
The king said, “He must be afflicted with a compulsion to steal.”

子墨子曰：“荆之地方五千里，宋之地方五百里，此犹文轩之与敝舆也。 zǐ mò zǐ yuē: “jīng zhī dì fāng wǔ qiān lǐ, sòng zhī dì fāng wǔ bǎi lǐ, cǐ yóu wén xuān zhī yǔ bì yú yě.
Mozi said, “Chu extends five thousand li, and Song five hundred. This is like the decorated carriage and the broken cart.

荆有云梦，犀兕麋鹿满之，江汉之鱼鳖鼋鼍为天下富，宋所谓无雉兔鲋鱼者也，此犹粱肉之与糠糟也。 jīng yǒu yún mèng, xī sì mí lù mǎn zhī, jiāng hàn zhī yú biē yuán tuó wéi tiān xià fù, sòng suǒ wèi wú zhì tù fù yú zhě yě, cǐ yóu liáng ròu zhī yǔ kāng zāo yě.
Chu has Yunmeng, full of rhinoceroses and deer; the Yangtze and Han abound in fish and turtles, great soft-shelled turtles and alligators. Song is said to lack even pheasants, hares and carp. This is like fine grain and meat compared with husks and dregs.

荆有长松、文梓、楩楠、豫章，宋无长木，此犹锦绣之与短褐也。 jīng yǒu cháng sōng, wén zǐ, pián nán, yù zhāng, sòng wú cháng mù, cǐ yóu jǐn xiù zhī yǔ duǎn hè yě.
Chu has tall pines, patterned catalpas, hardwoods and camphor trees; Song has no tall timber. This is like embroidered clothes compared with a coarse jacket.

臣以王吏之攻宋也，为与此同类。” chén yǐ wáng lì zhī gōng sòng yě, wéi yǔ cǐ tóng lèi.”
I consider Your Majesty's officers' attack on Song to belong to the same kind of case.”

王曰：“善哉！虽然，公输盘为我为云梯，必取宋。” wáng yuē: “shàn zāi! suī rán, gōng shū bān wèi wǒ wéi yún tī, bì qǔ sòng.”
The king said, “Well said! Even so, Gongshu Ban is making cloud ladders for me. I shall certainly take Song.”

于是见公输盘。 yú shì jiàn gōng shū bān.
The king then summoned Gongshu Ban.

子墨子解带为城，以牒为械。 zǐ mò zǐ jiě dài wéi chéng, yǐ dié wéi xiè.
Mozi took off his belt to mark a city wall and used wooden slips as equipment.

公输盘九设攻城之机变，子墨子九距之。 gōng shū bān jiǔ shè gōng chéng zhī jī biàn, zǐ mò zǐ jiǔ jù zhī.
Gongshu Ban tried nine different methods of attacking the city, and Mozi countered them nine times.

公输盘之攻械尽，子墨子之守圉有余。 gōng shū bān zhī gōng xiè jìn, zǐ mò zǐ zhī shǒu yǔ yǒu yú.
Gongshu Ban's attacking equipment was exhausted, while Mozi still had defences to spare.

公输盘诎，而曰：“吾知所以距子矣，吾不言。” gōng shū bān qū, ér yuē: “wú zhī suǒ yǐ jù zǐ yǐ, wú bù yán.”
Gongshu Ban was defeated, but said, “I know how to overcome you, though I will not say it.”

子墨子亦曰：“吾知子之所以距我，吾不言。” zǐ mò zǐ yì yuē: “wú zhī zǐ zhī suǒ yǐ jù wǒ, wú bù yán.”
Mozi replied in turn, “I know how you mean to overcome me, though I will not say it.”

楚王问其故。 chǔ wáng wèn qí gù.
The king of Chu asked why.

子墨子曰：“公输子之意，不过欲杀臣。 zǐ mò zǐ yuē: “gōng shū zǐ zhī yì, bù guò yù shā chén.
Mozi said, “Master Gongshu's intention is simply to kill me.

杀臣，宋莫能守，乃可攻也。 shā chén, sòng mò néng shǒu, nǎi kě gōng yě.
Kill me, and nobody will be able to defend Song, so it can be attacked.

然臣之弟子禽滑厘等三百人，已持臣守圉之器，在宋城上而待楚寇矣。 rán chén zhī dì zǐ qín gǔ lí děng sān bǎi rén, yǐ chí chén shǒu yǔ zhī qì, zài sòng chéng shàng ér dài chǔ kòu yǐ.
But three hundred of my disciples, including Qin Guli, already hold my defensive equipment on the walls of Song, awaiting the attackers from Chu.

虽杀臣，不能绝也。” suī shā chén, bù néng jué yě.”
Even if you kill me, you cannot put an end to them.”

楚王曰：“善哉！吾请无攻宋矣。” chǔ wáng yuē: “shàn zāi! wú qǐng wú gōng sòng yǐ.”
The king of Chu said, “Very well! I shall abandon the attack on Song.”

子墨子归，过宋，天雨，庇其闾中，守闾者不内也。 zǐ mò zǐ guī, guò sòng, tiān yù, bì qí lǘ zhōng, shǒu lǘ zhě bù nà yě.
Mozi went home by way of Song. It rained, and he sought shelter in a neighbourhood gateway, but its keeper would not admit him.

故曰：“治于神者，众人不知其功；争于明者，众人知之。” gù yuē: “zhì yú shén zhě, zhòng rén bù zhī qí gōng; zhēng yú míng zhě, zhòng rén zhī zhī.”
So it is said: “When a matter is settled unseen, people do not know the achievement; when it is fought out in the open, people know it.”