1. 家必自毁，而后人毁之。

1. A house must first be destroyed from within before it can be destroyed from without.

2. 道之所在，虽千万人吾往矣！

2. Where there is the way, I will go, even if there are a thousand people against me!

3. 孟子继承并发展了孔子的思想，但较之孔子的思想，他又加入自己对儒术的理解，有些思想也较为偏激。加封为亚圣公，被后世尊称为亚圣。其弟子将孟子的言行记录成《孟子》一书，属语录体散文集，是孟子的言论汇编，由孟子及其弟子共同编写完成。他提倡仁政，提出民贵君轻的民本思想，游历于齐、宋、滕、魏、鲁等诸国，希望追随孔子推行自己的**主张，前后历时二十多年。但孟子的仁政学说被认为是迂远而阔于事情，而没有得到实行。最后他退居讲学，和他的学生一起，序《诗》《书》，述仲尼（即孔子）之意，作《孟子》七篇。

3. Mencius inherited and developed Confucius' thoughts, but he also added his own understanding of Confucianism, with some ideas being more extreme. He was posthumously titled as the "Second Sage," and was respectfully called the "Second Sage" by later generations. His disciples recorded his words and deeds in a book called "The Mencius," which is a collection of dialogues in the form of prose. It is a compilation of Mencius' speeches, jointly compiled by Mencius and his disciples. He advocated for benevolent rule and proposed the people-oriented thought that the people are more important than the ruler. He traveled through the states of Qi, Song,滕, Wei, and Lu, hoping to promote his own ideas by following in the footsteps of Confucius, and this lasted for over twenty years. However, Mencius' theory of benevolent rule was considered to be remote and impractical, and it was not implemented. In the end, he retired to engage in teaching, together with his students, he arranged the "Book of Songs" and "Book of Documents," interpreted the intentions of Zhongni (i.e., Confucius), and wrote the seven chapters of "The Mencius."

4. 虽有智慧，不如乘势；虽有镃基，不如待时。

4. Even with wisdom, it's better to seize the momentum; even with a strong foundation, it's better to wait for the right time.

5. 人若无志，与禽兽同类。

5. If a person has no ambition, he is of the same kind as beasts and birds.

6. 天时不如地利，地利不如人和。

6. Favorable timing is not as good as favorable geography, and favorable geography is not as good as harmonious people.

7. 乐民之乐者，民亦乐其乐；忧民之忧者，民亦忧其忧。

7. He who shares the joy of the people will also experience their joy; he who shares the worries of the people will also share their worries.

8. 劳心者治人，劳力者治于人。

8. Those who toil with their minds govern others, while those who toil with their strength are governed by others.

9. 君子可欺之以方，难罔以非其道。

9. A gentleman can be deceived by means of proper methods, but it is difficult to cheat him through means that are not in line with his principles.

10. 孟子简介

10. Introduction to Mencius

11. 恻隐之心，仁之端也；羞恶之心，义之端也；辞让之心，礼之端也；是非之心，智之端也。

11. The feeling of commiseration is the beginning of benevolence; the feeling of shame and aversion is the beginning of righteousness; the feeling of modesty and deference is the beginning of propriety; the feeling of judgment of right and wrong is the beginning of wisdom.

12. 君子量不极，胸吞百川流。

12. A gentleman's measure is boundless, his chest embraces the flowing rivers a hundredfold.

13. 穷则独善其身，达则兼济天下。

13. When poor, cultivate yourself; when successful, help all of the world.

14. 无恒产而有恒心者，为士为能。若民，则无恒产，因无恒心。

14. One who has a steadfast heart without a permanent possession is a true scholar. But for the common people, without a permanent possession, there is no steadfast heart.

15. 富贵不能淫，贫贱不能移，威武不能屈。

15. Wealth and honor cannot corrupt, poverty and low status cannot sway, and might cannot force submission.

16. 惟孝顺父母，可以解忧。

16. Only filial piety towards one's parents can alleviate worry.

17. 居天下之广居，立天下之正位，行天下之大道；得志与民由之，不得志独行其道；富贵不能淫，贫贱不能移，威武不能屈：此之谓大丈夫。

17. Dwell in the vast abode of the world, occupy the upright position of the world, and walk the great path of the world; when successful, share it with the people; when unsuccessful, walk your own path alone; neither wealth and honor can corrupt you, nor poverty and low status can change you, nor can power and might bend you: this is what is called a great man.

18. 失天下者，失其民也；失其民者，失其心也。

18. He who loses the world loses his people; he who loses his people loses his heart.

19. 达则兼济天下，穷则独善其身。

19. When prosperous, benefit all under heaven; when in straits, cultivate oneself.

20. 道在迩，而求诸远；事在易，而求诸难。人人亲其亲，长其长，而天下平。

20. The Way is near, yet people seek it in the distant; what is easy is sought in the difficult. When everyone cherishes their own parents and respects their own elders, then the world will be at peace.

21. 不以规矩，无以成方圆。

21. Without rules, there can be no proper square or circle.

22. 顺天者存，逆天者亡。

22. He who conforms to the Way of Heaven survives; he who resists it perishes.

23. 仰不愧于天，俯不怍于人。

23. Look up and do not feel ashamed before heaven, look down and do not feel embarrassed before people.

24. 人恒过，然后能改；困于心，衡于虑，而后作；征于色，发于声，而后喻。

24. People are often prone to mistakes, and it is through this that they can make improvements; when the mind is troubled, and the thoughts are weighed, then action is taken; when it is reflected in one's expression, and expressed in one's voice, then others can understand.

25. 志士不忘在沟壑，勇士不忘在其元。

25. The hero does not forget his roots in the ravines, the warrior does not forget his origin.

26. 责难于君谓之恭，陈善闭邪谓之敬，吾君不能谓之贼。

26. To censure the ruler is called respect, to speak of good and close evil is called reverence, and if my ruler cannot be called a traitor.

27. 生于忧患，死于安乐。

27. A blessing in disguise; born amidst trouble, die in comfort.

28. 天下有道，以道殉身。天下无道，以身殉道。

28. If the world is governed by the Way, one dedicates oneself to the Way. If the world is not governed by the Way, one dedicates oneself to the pursuit of the Way.

29. 乡为身死而不受，今为宫室之美为之；乡为身死而不受，今为妻妾之奉为之；乡为身死而不受，今为所识穷乏者得我而为之：是亦不可以已乎？此之谓失其本心。

29. In the past, he would rather die than accept it, but now he does so for the beauty of the palace; in the past, he would rather die than accept it, but now he does so for the comfort of his concubines; in the past, he would rather die than accept it, but now he does so for the sake of those who are poor and know him. Can this not be considered a failure to maintain his original intentions? This is what is called losing one's fundamental heart.

30. 鱼与熊掌不可兼得，则舍鱼而取熊掌者也。义与利不可兼得，则舍生取义者也！

30. If one cannot have both fish and bear's paw, then one would give up the fish to take the bear's paw. If one cannot have both righteousness and profit, then one would give up life to pursue righteousness!

31. 入则无法家拂士，出则无敌国外患者，国恒亡。

31. If there are no loyal and upright scholars within, and no formidable foreign enemies without, the state will inevitably perish.

32. 言近而指远者，善言也。

32. One who speaks near but points to the distant is a master of speech.

33. 天下之本在国，国之本在家，家之本在身。

33. The root of the world is in the country, the root of the country is in the home, and the root of the home is in the individual self.

34. 爱人者，人恒爱之。敬人者，人恒敬之。

34. He who loves will be loved in return. He who respects will be respected in return.

35. 生于忧患而死于安乐。

35. A person is born in troubles but dies in ease and comfort.

36. 人之相识，贵在相知；人之相知，贵在知心。

36. The value of knowing a person lies in understanding them; the value of understanding a person lies in knowing their heart.

37. 权，然后知轻重；度，然后知长短。

37. Exercise power, and then you will know the weight of it; measure, and then you will know the length of it.

38. 民为贵，社稷次之，君为轻。

38. The people are most important, the state is next, and the ruler is of lesser importance.