1
自書契之作，先民可得而聞者，經傳所稱，唐虞以上，帝王有號諡。 輔佐不可得而稱矣，而諸子頗言之，雖不考虖孔氏，然猶著在篇籍，歸乎顯善昭惡，勸戒後人，故博采焉。 孔子曰：「若聖與仁，則吾豈敢？」 又曰：「何事於仁，必也聖乎！」 「未知，焉得仁？」 「生而知之者，上也； 學而知之者，次也； 困而學之，又其次也； 困而不學，民斯為下矣。」 又曰：「中人以上，可以語上也。」 「唯上智與下愚不移。」
From the time writing was first made, what we can still know of the ancients through the Classics and their commentaries is this: from the ages of Tang and Yu onward, emperors and kings bore formal titles and posthumous names. The ministers and aides who supported those rulers cannot all be fully identified. Still, the various philosophical writings discuss many of them. Even where these accounts cannot be fully confirmed by the Confucian tradition, they remain preserved in the texts and serve a common purpose: to display virtue, expose wrongdoing, and admonish later generations. For that reason, I have gathered them widely. Confucius said, "As for claiming sagehood and perfect benevolence, how could I dare?" He also said, "Why speak only of benevolence? One would have to reach sagehood." "If one does not truly understand, how could one possess benevolence?" "Those born already knowing stand at the top; those who come to knowledge through study are next; those who are driven by hardship to learn come after them; and those who suffer hardship yet refuse to learn are the lowest of all." He also said, "With people of average ability and above, one can discuss what is higher." "Only the supremely wise and the utterly foolish remain unmoved."
2
傳曰：譬如堯舜，禹、稷、镨與之為善則行，鯀、讙兜欲與為惡則誅。 可與為善，不可與為惡，是謂上智。 桀紂，龍逢、比干欲與之為善則誅，于莘、崇侯與之為惡則行。 可與為惡，不可與為善，是謂下愚。 齊桓公，管仲相之則霸，豎貂輔之則亂。 可與為善，可與為惡，是謂中人。 因茲以列九等之序，究極經傳，繼世相次，總備古今之略要云。
As the Tradition says: take Yao and Shun. When Yu, Ji, and Pu joined them in doing what was right, those policies were put into effect; when Gun and Huan Dou sought to join them in wrongdoing, they were punished to death. To be able to cooperate in good but never in evil - that is what is called highest wisdom. By contrast, with Jie and Zhou, Long Feng and Bi Gan were executed for trying to do what was right with them, while Yuxin and the Marquis of Chong were followed when they proposed evil. To be capable only of joining in evil, never in good - that is what is called utter folly. Duke Huan of Qi became hegemon when advised by Guan Zhong, but fell into disorder when guided by Shu Diao. Those who can join either good or evil are what we call people of the middle rank. On this basis, I set out a sequence of nine grades, tracing the classics and commentaries as far as possible, arranging each generation in order, and providing in sum a concise outline of notable figures from ancient to later times.
| 上上聖人 | 上中仁人 | 上下智人 | 中上 | 中中 | 中下 | 下上 | 下中 | 下下愚人 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 太昊帝宓羲氏 | ||||||||
| 女媧氏 | ||||||||
| 共工氏 | ||||||||
| 容成氏 | ||||||||
| 大廷氏 | ||||||||
| 柏皇氏 | ||||||||
| 中央氏 | ||||||||
| 栗陸氏 | ||||||||
| 驪連氏 | ||||||||
| 赫胥氏 | ||||||||
| 尊盧氏 | ||||||||
| 沌渾氏 | ||||||||
| 昊英氏 | ||||||||
| 有巢氏 | ||||||||
| 朱襄氏 | ||||||||
| 陰康氏 | ||||||||
| 亡懷氏 | ||||||||
| 東扈氏 | ||||||||
| 帝鴻氏 | ||||||||
| 炎帝神農氏 | 悉諸 | |||||||
| 少典 | ||||||||
| 列山氏 | ||||||||
| 歸臧氏 | ||||||||
| 黃帝軒轅氏 | 方雷氏 | |||||||
| 倉頡 | ||||||||
| 絫祖 | ||||||||
| 肜魚氏 | ||||||||
| 𢂳母 | ||||||||
| 封鉅 | ||||||||
| 大填 | ||||||||
| 大山稽 | ||||||||
| 九牧 | ||||||||
| 風后 | ||||||||
| 鬼臾區 | ||||||||
| 封胡 | ||||||||
| 孔甲 | ||||||||
| 岐伯 | ||||||||
| 泠淪氏 | ||||||||
| 少昊帝金天氏 | 五鳥 | |||||||
| 五鳩 | ||||||||
| 昌僕 | ||||||||
| 顓頊帝高陽氏 | 女祿 | |||||||
| 嬌極 | ||||||||
| 吳回 | ||||||||
| 后土 | ||||||||
| 蓐收 | ||||||||
| 玄冥 | ||||||||
| 熙 | ||||||||
| 柱 | ||||||||
| 帥味 | ||||||||
| 允格 | ||||||||
| 臺駘 | ||||||||
| 窮蟬 | ||||||||
| 大款 | ||||||||
| 柏夷亮父 | ||||||||
| 綠圖 | ||||||||
| 僑極 | ||||||||
| 帝嚳高辛氏 | ||||||||
| 姜原 | ||||||||
| 簡逷 | ||||||||
| 陳豐 | ||||||||
| 娵訾 | ||||||||
| 祝融 | ||||||||
| 陸𥿫 | ||||||||
| 女潰 | ||||||||
| 廖叔安 | ||||||||
| 赤松子 | ||||||||
| 柏招 | ||||||||
| 句望 | ||||||||
| 帝摯 | ||||||||
| 陶唐氏 | 女皇 | 朱 | 共工 | |||||
| 羲仲 | 閼伯 | 讙兜 | ||||||
| 羲叔 | ||||||||
| 和仲 | 實沈 | 三苗 | ||||||
| 和叔 | ||||||||
| 倉舒 | 鮌 | |||||||
| 隤敱 | 女志 | |||||||
| 檮㪦 | ||||||||
| 大臨 | ||||||||
| 尨降 | ||||||||
| 咎繇 | ||||||||
| 仲容 | ||||||||
| 叔達 | ||||||||
| 柏奮 | ||||||||
| 仲堪 |
| Highest grade: sages. | Second highest grade: men of benevolence. | Third grade: men of wisdom. | Middle grade, upper tier. | Middle grade, middle tier. | Middle grade, lower tier. | Lower grade, upper tier. | Lower grade, middle tier. | Lowest grade: the foolish. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|