子zǐ曰yuē，民mín之zhī于yú仁rén也yě，甚shèn于yú水shuǐ火huǒ，水shuǐ火huǒ吾wú见jiàn蹈dǎo而ér死sǐ者zhě矣yǐ，未wèi见jiàn蹈dǎo仁rén而ér死sǐ者zhě也yě。

Modern Chinese Guide

孔子说：百姓对于仁德的需要，比对水火的需要还迫切。水火，我见过有人踏进去而死的；却没见过有人践行仁德而死的。

James Legge Translation

The Master said, "Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue."

Source: James Legge, public domain, 1893.

Notes

底本：Wikisource 整理的 James Legge《The Chinese Classics》公版中英文本（1893–1895）。
简体化：原文由繁体转为简体（OpenCC），与公版英译逐句对应。

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