尧曰，咨。尔舜。天之历数在尔躬，允执其中。四海困穷，天禄永终。舜亦以命禹。曰，予小子履，敢用玄牡，敢昭告于皇皇后帝，有罪不敢赦。帝臣不蔽，简在帝心。朕躬有罪，无以万方，万方有罪，罪在朕躬。周有大赉，善人是富。虽有周亲，不如仁人，百姓有过，在予一人。谨权量，审法度，修废官，四方之政行焉。兴灭国，继绝世，举逸民，天下之民归心焉。所重，民，食，丧，祭。宽则得众，信则民任焉，敏则有功，公则说。
Modern Chinese Guide
尧说：好啊，你这位舜。上天的历数落到了你的身上，你要诚实地保持那不偏不倚的中道。倘若天下百姓陷于困苦贫穷，上天赐给你的禄位也就永远终止了。舜后来也把这话嘱咐给了禹。商汤说：我小子履，谨用黑色的公牛作祭品，冒昧地明白禀告至高无上的天帝：有罪的人我不敢擅自赦免。天帝的臣仆善恶我都不敢隐瞒，一切都由天帝的心来明察。我自身若有罪，不要牵连天下万方；天下万方若有罪，罪都归在我一人身上。周朝得到上天的大赏赐，善人特别多。周武王说：我虽然有至亲，都不如有仁德的人。百姓如果有过错，都归在我一人身上。认真检定度量衡，审查修订法度制度，重整废弃的官职，四方的政令就通行了。复兴被灭亡的国家，接续已断绝的世系，起用被遗落的贤才，天下的百姓就都真心归附了。所看重的是：百姓、粮食、丧礼、祭祀。宽厚就能得到众人拥护，诚信就能得到百姓信任，勤敏就能取得功绩，公正就能使人喜悦。
James Legge Translation
1. Yao said, "Oh! you, Shun, the Heaven-determined order of succession now rests in your person. Sincerely hold fast the due Mean. If there shall be distress and want within the four seas, the Heavenly revenue will come to a perpetual end." 2. Shun also used the same language in giving charge to Yu. 3. T'ang said, "I the child Li, presume to use a dark-coloured victim, and presume to announce to Thee, O most great and sovereign God, that the sinner I dare not pardon, and thy ministers, O God, I do not keep in obscurity. The examination of them is by thy mind, O God. If, in my person, I commit offences, they are not to be attributed to you, the people of the myriad regions. If you in the myriad regions commit offences, these offences must rest on my person." 4. Chau conferred great gifts, and the good were enriched. 5. "Although he has his near relatives, they are not equal to my virtuous men. The people are throwing blame upon me, the One man." 6. He carefully attended to the weights and measures, examined the body of the laws, restored the discarded officers, and the good government of the kingdom took its course. 7. He revived States that had been extinguished, restored families whose line of succession had been broken, and called to office those who had retired into obscurity, so that throughout the kingdom the hearts of the people turned towards him. 8. What he attached chief importance to, were the food of the people, the duties of mourning, and sacrifices. 9. By his generosity, he won all. By his sincerity, he made the people repose trust in him. By his earnest activity, his achievements were great. By his justice, all were delighted.
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。