English Original
Believing that to govern a country well one must depend on others, Marquis Wen of Wei asked Gu Juanzi, "Can I depend on my father, son, brother, and liegemen, who all possess virtues and talents?"
Gu Juanzi answered negatively and explained: "Yao was noted as a good father, yet his son was exiled. Shun was noted as a filial son, but his father Gu Shou could not distinguish good from evil, and his younger brother was arrogant. The Duke of Zhou was a sage, yet he ordered the execution of his elder brother. Shang Tang and King Wu of Zhou were able liegemen, but they overthrew their monarchs, Jie of Xia and Zhou of Shang, respectively. Those who depend on others can never achieve their goals and will not endure. If a ruler wishes to govern his country well, he must depend on himself."
中文翻译
魏文侯认为治理好国家必须依靠他人，便问孤卷子：“我是否可以信赖有德有才的父亲、儿子、兄弟和臣下？”
孤卷子予以否定并解释道：“尧是有名的好父亲，可他的儿子丹朱却被流放；舜是有名的孝子，但他的父亲瞽叟却分不清善恶，他的弟弟也十分傲慢；周公是贤人，却下令处死了他的哥哥管叔；商汤和周武王都是能臣，却分别推翻了他们的君主夏桀和商纣。依赖他人的人绝不可能实现目标，也无法长久。君主若想治理好国家，只能依靠自己。”