1. Mencius said,"Ts?ng Seih was fond of sheepdates, and his son, the philosopher Ts?ng, could not bear to eat sheep-dates."
2. Kung-sun Ch＇ow asked, saying, "Which is best,—minced meat and broiled meat, or sheepdates?"Mencius said, "Mince and broiled meat, to be sure."Kung-sun Ch＇ow went on, "Then why did the philosopher Ts?ng eat mince and broiled meat, and would not eat sheep-dates?"Mencius answered,"For mince and broiled meat there is a common liking,
在我者=the things which I esteem.
CHAPTER 35. THE REGULATION OF THE DESIRES IS ESSENTIAL TO THE NOURISHMENT OF THE HEART.
欲 must be taken in a bad, or, at least an inferior sense,= the appetites, while 心 is the heart naturally disposed to all virtue. 虽有不存焉,—"although there are"—virtues of the heart, that is,—"which are not preserved".
CHAPTER 36. THE FILIAL FEELING OF TS?NG-TSZE SEEN IN HIS NOT EATING DATES.1. 羊枣,—"sheep dates", the small black northern date, so called from its resembling sheep＇s dirt. Such is Choo He＇s account of the fruit. The writer of the 四书摭余说, in loc., however, seems to make out a case for 羊枣 being a kind of persimmon. Still, why call it a date?
2. Shih＇s liking for the small dates was peculiar, and therefore the sight of them brought him vividly up to his son,
while that for sheep-dates was peculiar. We avoid the name, but do not avoid the surname. The surname is common; the name is peculiar."
