Chapter 41
經下
Canon II
止，類以行之，說在同。所存與存者，於存與孰存。
Stopping is effected by means of classes. The explanation lies in sameness. / Where someone is, and who it is that is there; where (in what) they are, and who they are. The four are different.
駟異說推，類之難說，在之大小。五行毋常，勝說在宜。
Making inferences about classes is difficult. The explanation lies in their being large or small (in scope). / Among the Five Phases there is not one that constantly overcomes. The explanation lies in the appropriateness.
物盡同名，說在二與鬬，子與愛，食與招，白與視，麗與暴，夫與履。
Things ‘use up’ the same name. (For example,) ‘to be in two minds’ and ‘to contend’, [‘to nurture’ and] ‘to love’, ‘to eat’ and ‘to call’, ‘being white’ and ‘being blind’, ‘being beautiful’ and [‘being cruel’], ‘man’ and ‘sandals’.
一，偏棄之，謂而固是也。
If one of the pair is set aside, in naming it, it is what it inherently is.
說在因不可偏去而二。
The explanation lies in the reason: even where it is not possible to set aside a part, there are two.
說在見與俱一，與二廣，與循無欲惡之為益損也。
The explanation lies in ‘seen and not-seen’, ‘one and two’, ‘length and breadth’. / It is not the case that desiring and detesting are respectively beneficial and harmful.
說在宜不能而不害。
The explanation lies in: not being able and yet not being harmful.
說在害損而不害。
The explanation lies in: there are instances where loss is not harmful.
說在餘異類不吡。
The explanation lies in: different classes are not comparable.
說在量知而不以五路。
The explanation lies in: there is knowing which is not by way of the ‘five roads’ (five senses).
說在久偏去莫加少。
The explanation lies in: in a part going away there is no adding or subtracting.
說在故必熱。
The explanation lies in: fire is necessarily hot.
說在頓假必誖。
The explanation lies in: what is false is certainly erroneous (contradictory).
說在不然知其所不知。
The explanation lies in: knowing what he knows and does not know.
說在以名取物之所以然，與所以知之，與所以使人知之，不必同。
The explanation lies in naming: with respect to a thing, there is how it is so, how it is known and how to cause another to know it. These are not necessarily the same.
說在病無不必待有。
The explanation lies in: not being does not necessarily depend on being.
說在所謂疑。
The explanation lies in what is called doubt.
說在逢、循、遇、過。擢慮不疑。
The explanation lies in ‘coming upon’ (feng), ‘following’ (xun), ‘meeting with’ (yu) and ‘being past’ (guo). In quoting a precedent, in general there is not doubt.
說在有無合與一，或復否。
The explanation lies in: combining joins ones; there is either doubling or there is not.
說在拒且，然不可正，而不害用工。
The explanation lies in: what is about to be so cannot be stopped, yet there is no harm in putting forth effort.
說在宜歐物一體也。
The explanation lies in: demarcated things are one unit.
說在俱一惟是。均之絕不。
The explanation lies in both being one, and specifically this. / Being balanced [determines] whether something breaks or not.
說在所均宇或從。
The explanation lies in what is balanced: space involves movement in location.
說在長宇久，堯之義也，聲於今而處於古，而異時。
The explanation lies in length in terms of both extension and duration. / In the case of Yao’s yi (right conduct, righteousness and justice), it is heard of in the present but is located in the past, and these are different times.
說在所義，二臨鑑而立景，到多而若少。
The explanation lies in what is yi being two. / When something is near a mirror and upright, the image (shadow) is reversed. There are many and yet they are like few.
說在寡區狗犬也，而殺狗非殺犬也，可。
The explanation lies in the duplication: a pup is a dog, yet ‘to kill a pup is not to kill a dog’ is admissible.
說在重鑑位量，一小而易一大，而缶。
The explanation lies in causing. / In a concave mirror there are two images; one is small and changed (inverted) and one is large and upright.
說在中之外，內使殷美。
The explanation lies in whether [the object] is outside or inside the centre [of curvature]. / In causing a servant [to act] there is yi (right action, righteousness and justice).
說在使鑑團景，一不堅白。
The explanation lies in: in a convex mirror the image (shadow) is one. / Not hard and white.
說在荊之大，其沈淺也。
The explanation lies in: [despite] Jing’s (Chu’s) greatness, its [dependency] Shen is weak.
說在具無久，與宇堅白。
The explanation lies in: (no duration and extension). / Hard and white lies in interdependence.
說在因以檻為摶，於以為無知也。
The explanation lies in conceptualizing (conjecturing): to take the pillar to be round is taking it to be what is not known.
說在意。
The explanation lies in the concept.
在諸其所然諸未然，說在於是推之。意未可知，說在可用過仵。
‘Placing’ what is not yet so in relation to what is so. The explanation lies in its being what is so (in this). / The concept of a hammer cannot be known beforehand. The explanation lies in its being possible to use and goes beyond matching.
景不徙，說在改為。一少於二，而多於五，說在建位。
A shadow does not move. The explanation lies in change taking place. / One is less than two and yet more than five. The explanation lies in establishing the position.
景二，說在重。非半弗斫，則不動，說在端。
When a shadow is two the explanation lies in doubleness. / If what is not divisible in half is not divided, then there is not progression. The explanation lies in the point.
景倒，在午有端與景長，說在端。可無也，有之而不可去，說在嘗然。
The image (shadow) being inverted depends on there being an aperture at the cross-over and the image (shadow) being distant. The explanation lies in the aperture. / Not being (non-being) is admissible, but once there is being, it cannot be set aside. The explanation lies in once being so.
景迎日，說在轉。正而不可擔，說在摶。
The shadow ‘meets’ the sun. The explanation lies in reflection. / Regular (central) and not able to vary. The explanation lies in being spherical.
景之大小，說在杝正遠近。宇進無近，說在敷。
A shadow’s (image’s) being small or large depends on whether (the object) is oblique or upright, far or near. / Going forward in space there is no near. The explanation lies in spreading out.
二，臨鑑而立，景到，多而若少。說在寡區。
When something is near a mirror and upright, the image (shadow) is reversed. There are many and yet they are like few. The explanation lies in the small surface.
鑑立，景一小而易，一大而正，說在中之外內。
In a concave mirror there are two images; one is small and changed (inverted) and one is large and upright. The explanation lies in whether [the object] is outside or inside the centre [of curvature].
鑑團，景一。行脩以久，說在先後。
In a convex mirror the image (shadow) is smaller in one case and larger in the other, but is invariably upright. / Travelling a distance uses (involves) duration. The explanation lies in before and after.
負而不撓，說在勝。一法者之相與也，盡類，若方之相合也，說在方。
Bearing and not inclining. The explanation lies in ‘being equal to’. / When things belong together under one criterion this completes a class – for example, the collecting together of squares. The explanation lies in ‘squareness’.
衡而必正，說在得。
When horizontal, if a weight is added to one of its sides, it necessarily inclines downwards.
挈與收反，說在權。狂舉不可以知異，說在有不可。
Raising and lowering are in opposition. The explanation lies in compelling (force). / ‘Wild raisings’ are inadmissible as a means of knowing differences.
牛馬之非牛，與可之同，說在兼。
The grounds for taking ‘ox-horse is not ox’ being inadmissible and being admissible are the same. The explanation lies in the joining (combination).
倚者不可正，說在梯。循此循此與彼此同，說在異。
What is leaning cannot be straight. The explanation lies in the ladder. / That this, that this and that this are the same. The explanation lies in the differences.
柱之必住，說在廢材。唱和同串，說在功。
In piling up there must be a support. The explanation lies in placing material (a stone base). / Leading and following are linked together. The explanation lies in the merit.
買無貴，說在反其賈。聞所不知，若所知，則兩知之，說在告。
Price does not equate with value. The explanation lies in the reciprocal nature of price (trading). / If you hear that what you don’t know is like what you do know, then you know both (the two). The explanation lies in informing.
賈宜則售，說在盡。以言為盡誖，誖，說在其言。
If the price is appropriate, then sell. The explanation lies in ‘completeness’. / To take words to be completely false is false. The explanation lies in the person’s words.
無說而懼，說在弗心。唯吾謂非名也則不可，說在反。
If there is no explanation, there is fear. The explanation lies in not being certain. / If the response to what I say (call it) is not the name, then it is inadmissible. The explanation lies in the converse.
域，過名也，說在實。無窮不害兼，說在盈否。
Huo (something, someone) is a ‘passing’ name. The explanation lies in the entity. / ‘Without limit’ does not preclude (harm) ‘universal’. The explanation lies in being filled or not.
知知之，否之，足用也。誖。說在無以也。不知其數而知其盡也，說在明者。
With respect to knowing, it is perverse [to take] knowing something and not knowing something to be sufficient for use. The explanation lies in there not being the means. / Not to know their number but to know their ‘exhausting’. The explanation lies in questioning.
謂辯無勝，必不當，說在辯。不知其所處，不害愛之，說在喪子者。
Calling is disputing without overcoming; there is certainly no validity [involved]. The explanation lies in disputing. / Not knowing their whereabouts does not preclude (harm) loving them. The explanation lies in lost sons.
無不讓也，不可，說在殆。仁義之為內外也，罔，說在仵顏。
Not not (always) yielding is not permissible. The explanation lies in proximity. / To take ren (love, kindness, humaneness and benevolence) as being internal and yi (right action, righteousness and justice) as being external is wrong. The explanation lies in matching in the face.
於一有知焉，有不知焉，說在存。學之益也，說在誹者。
In one [thing] there is the known in it and there is the not known in it. The explanation lies in existing. / Learning is of no benefit. The explanation lies in the one criticizing.
有指於二，而不可逃，說在以二參。誹之可否，不以眾寡，說在可非。
There is zhi (representation, pointing out) through two and they cannot be separated. The explanation lies in taking the two and the three. / Whether criticism is admissible or not does not depend on whether it is much or little. The explanation lies in being admissible to negate (deny).
所知而弗能指，說在春也、逃臣、狗犬、貴者。非誹者誖，說在弗非。
There is that which you know but are unable to zhi (represent, point out). The explanation lies in spring, a runaway servant, pup/dog, what is lost. / Negating criticism is perverse. The explanation lies in not negating.
知狗而自謂不知犬，過也，說在重。物甚不甚，說在若是。
To know a pup (gou) yet to say of yourself that you do not know a dog (quan) is a mistake. The explanation lies in duplication. / A thing [may be] extreme or not extreme. The explanation lies in being like ‘this’.
通意後對，說在不知其誰謂也。取下以求上也，說在澤。
Understand the idea (meaning) before replying. The explanation lies in not knowing what it is he is speaking of. / Choosing the low in order to seek the high. The explanation lies in [mountain and] marsh.
不是與是同，說在不州。
Not this and this are the same. The explanation lies in ‘not different’.