公輸Gongshu

公輸般爲楚造雲梯之械成，將以攻宋。子墨子聞之，起於齊，行十日十夜，而至於郢，見公輸般。公輸般曰：「夫子何命焉爲？」子墨子曰：「北方有侮臣者，願藉子殺之。」公輸般不說。子墨子曰：「請獻十金。」公輸般曰：「吾義固不殺人。」子墨子起，再拜曰：「請說之。吾從北方聞子爲梯，將以攻宋。宋何罪之有？荆國有餘於地，而不足於民，殺所不足而爭所有餘，不可謂智。宋無罪而攻之，不可謂仁。知而不爭，不可謂忠。爭而不得，不可謂强。義不殺少而殺衆，不可謂知類。」公輸般服。子墨子曰：「然乎不已乎？」公輸般曰：「不可，吾既已言之王矣。」子墨子曰：「胡不見我於王？」公輸般曰：「諾。」子墨子見王，曰：「今有人於此，舍其文軒，鄰有敝轝而欲竊之；舍其錦繡，鄰有短褐而欲竊之；舍其粱肉，鄰有穅糟而欲竊之。此爲何若人？」王曰：「必爲竊疾矣。」子墨子曰：「荆之地方五千里，宋方五百里，此猶文軒之與敝轝也；荆有雲夢，犀兕麋鹿滿之，江漢之魚鼈黿鼉爲天下富，宋所爲無雉兔狐貍者也，此猶粱肉之與穅糟也；荆有長松文梓楩柟豫章，宋無長木，此猶錦繡之與短褐也。臣以三事之攻宋也，爲與此同類。」王曰：「善哉！雖然，公輸般爲我爲雲梯，必取宋。」於是見公輸般，子墨子解帶爲城，以牒爲械，公輸般九設攻城之機變，子墨子九距之，公輸般之攻械盡，子墨子之守圉有餘。公輸般詘，而曰：「吾知所以距子矣，吾不言。」子墨子亦曰：「吾知子之所以距我，吾不言。」楚王問其故，子墨子曰：「公輸子之意，不過欲殺臣，殺臣，宋莫能守，可攻也。然臣之弟子禽滑釐等三百人，已持臣守圉之器，在宋城上而待楚寇矣。雖殺臣，不能絕也。」楚王曰：「善哉！吾請無攻宋矣。」子墨子歸，過宋，天雨，庇其閭中，守閭者不內也。故曰：治於神者，衆人不知其功；爭於明者，衆人知之。

Gongshu Ban had built cloud ladders for the state of Chu, and when the machines were complete, Chu was about to use them to attack Song. Master Mozi heard of it, set out from Qi, traveled ten days and ten nights, arrived at Ying, and went to see Gongshu Ban. Gongshu Ban said: "What instructions does the master have for me?" Master Mozi said: "There is a man in the north who has insulted me; I would like to borrow your help to kill him." Gongshu Ban was displeased. Master Mozi said: "Allow me to offer you ten measures of gold." Gongshu Ban said: "My principle is that I certainly do not kill people." Master Mozi rose, bowed twice, and said: "Allow me to explain. In the north I heard that you were making ladders and were about to use them to attack Song. What crime has Song committed? The state of Chu has land to spare but not enough people; to kill what it lacks in order to contend for what it has to spare cannot be called wise. Song is without crime, and yet to attack it cannot be called humane. To know this and not to contend against it cannot be called loyal. To contend and not to prevail cannot be called strong. To hold to a principle of not killing a few and yet to kill many cannot be called understanding categories." Gongshu Ban was won over. Master Mozi said: "Then why not stop it?" Gongshu Ban said: "I cannot; I have already spoken of it to the king." Master Mozi said: "Why not present me to the king?" Gongshu Ban said: "Very well." Master Mozi saw the king and said: "Suppose there were a man here who set aside his own ornamented carriage and wished to steal his neighbor's broken-down cart; who set aside his own embroidered brocade and wished to steal his neighbor's coarse jacket; who set aside his own fine grain and meat and wished to steal his neighbor's husks and dregs. What sort of man would this be?" The king said: "He must be afflicted with a mania for stealing." Master Mozi said: "The territory of Chu is five thousand li square; that of Song is five hundred li square. This is like the ornamented carriage beside the broken-down cart. Chu has the marsh of Yunmeng, full of rhinoceros, buffalo, elk and deer, and the fish, turtles, soft-shelled turtles and alligators of the Jiang and Han rivers make it the richest in the world; Song is a place said not to have even pheasants, hares or foxes. This is like fine grain and meat beside husks and dregs. Chu has tall pines, patterned catalpas, nanmu and camphor; Song has no tall timber. This is like embroidered brocade beside a coarse jacket. From these three points I take your attack on Song to be of the same kind as this." The king said: "Well said! Even so, Gongshu Ban has made cloud ladders for me, and I must take Song." Thereupon Gongshu Ban was summoned. Master Mozi undid his belt to make a city wall and used small wooden tablets as the machines. Gongshu Ban set up nine different devices for attacking the city, and nine times Master Mozi repelled them. Gongshu Ban's machines of attack were exhausted, while Master Mozi's means of defense still had more to spare. Gongshu Ban was defeated, but said: "I know how I could repel you, but I will not say it." Master Mozi likewise said: "I know how you would repel me, and I will not say it." The king of Chu asked the reason. Master Mozi said: "Master Gongshu's idea is no more than to kill me; if I am killed, Song has no one who can defend it and can be attacked. But my disciples, Qin Guli and three hundred others, already holding my instruments of defense, are on the walls of Song awaiting the Chu invaders. Though you kill me, you cannot cut them off." The king of Chu said: "Well said! I will not attack Song." Master Mozi returned home and passed through Song. It was raining, and he sought shelter in a village gateway, but the gatekeeper would not let him in. Therefore it is said: those who govern with spirit-like subtlety, the multitude do not recognize their achievement; those who contend in the open, the multitude recognize.