公输Gongshu

公输般为楚造云梯之械成，将以攻宋。子墨子闻之，起于齐，行十日十夜，而至于郢，见公输般。公输般曰：「夫子何命焉为？」子墨子曰：「北方有侮臣者，愿藉子杀之。」公输般不说。子墨子曰：「请献十金。」公输般曰：「吾义固不杀人。」子墨子起，再拜曰：「请说之。吾从北方闻子为梯，将以攻宋。宋何罪之有？荆国有余于地，而不足于民，杀所不足而争所有余，不可谓智。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。义不杀少而杀众，不可谓知类。」公输般服。子墨子曰：「然乎不已乎？」公输般曰：「不可，吾既已言之王矣。」子墨子曰：「胡不见我于王？」公输般曰：「诺。」子墨子见王，曰：「今有人于此，舍其文轩，邻有敝轝而欲窃之；舍其锦绣，邻有短褐而欲窃之；舍其粱肉，邻有穅糟而欲窃之。此为何若人？」王曰：「必为窃疾矣。」子墨子曰：「荆之地方五千里，宋方五百里，此犹文轩之与敝轝也；荆有云梦，犀兕麋鹿满之，江汉之鱼鼈鼋鼍为天下富，宋所为无雉兔狐狸者也，此犹粱肉之与穅糟也；荆有长松文梓楩柟豫章，宋无长木，此犹锦绣之与短褐也。臣以三事之攻宋也，为与此同类。」王曰：「善哉！虽然，公输般为我为云梯，必取宋。」于是见公输般，子墨子解带为城，以牒为械，公输般九设攻城之机变，子墨子九距之，公输般之攻械尽，子墨子之守圉有余。公输般诎，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。」楚王问其故，子墨子曰：「公输子之意，不过欲杀臣，杀臣，宋莫能守，可攻也。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。虽杀臣，不能绝也。」楚王曰：「善哉！吾请无攻宋矣。」子墨子归，过宋，天雨，庇其闾中，守闾者不内也。故曰：治于神者，众人不知其功；争于明者，众人知之。

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.