English Original
Upon learning that sixteen women had committed suicide following the death of her son, Gongfu Wenbo—a high official of the state of Lu—his mother did not shed a single tear.
She said, "My son was not a virtuous man. When Confucius was expelled from Lu, he did not follow him in pursuit of truth. Now that he is dead, sixteen women have killed themselves for him. This clearly shows he treated his elders harshly but was exceedingly lenient towards women. Therefore, I shall no longer consider him my son."
Spoken by a mother, these words demonstrate her virtue. Had they been uttered by a wife, she would have been deemed jealous. The same words, coming from different people, can produce entirely different effects.
中文翻译
公甫文伯的母亲得知，在鲁国做官的儿子去世后，有十六个妇人为他自杀，她没有流下一滴眼泪。
她说：“我的这个儿子品行不端。当年孔子被鲁国驱逐，他没有追随孔子去追求真理；如今他死了，却有十六个女人为他自杀。可见他对长辈非常刻薄，而对妇人却过分宽厚。这样的儿子，我不再认他了。”
这些话出自母亲之口，足以彰显她的贤德；倘若出自妻子之口，则必定会被认为是妒妇。同样的话，从不同人的口中说出来，产生的效果截然不同。