欲加之罪，何患無辭

See also: 欲加之罪，何患无辞

Chinese

		desire; longing; appetite desire; longing; appetite; wish	to add; plus	's; him/her/it; this	guilt; crime; fault guilt; crime; fault; blame; sin		carry; what; how carry; what; how; why; which	misfortune; suffer (from illness); trouble misfortune; suffer (from illness); trouble; danger; worry; to contract (a disease)	not have	bid farewell; diction; resign bid farewell; diction; resign; say goodbye; take leave; decline
trad. (欲加之罪，何患無辭)		欲	加	之	罪	，	何	患	無	辭
simp. (欲加之罪，何患无辞)		欲	加	之	罪	，	何	患	无	辞
alternative forms		欲加之罪，何患無詞／欲加之罪，何患无词

Etymology

From Zuo Zhuan (《左傳·僖公十年》):

夏，四月，周公忌父、王子黨，會齊隰朋，立晉侯。晉侯殺里克以說。將殺里克，公使謂之曰：「微子則不及此。雖然，子弒二君與一大夫，為子君者，不亦難乎？」對曰：「不有廢也，君何以興？欲加之罪，其無辭乎？臣聞命矣。」伏劍而死。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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夏，四月，周公忌父、王子党，会齐隰朋，立晋侯。晋侯杀里克以说。将杀里克，公使谓之曰：「微子则不及此。虽然，子弑二君与一大夫，为子君者，不亦难乎？」对曰：「不有废也，君何以兴？欲加之罪，其无辞乎？臣闻命矣。」伏剑而死。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Xià, sìyuè, Zhōu Gōng Jìfù, wángzǐ dǎng, huì Qí Xí Péng, lì Jìn Hóu. Jìn Hóu shā Lǐ Kè yǐ shuì. Jiāng shā Lǐ Kè, Gōng shǐ wèi zhī yuē: “Wēi zǐ zé bùjí cǐ. Suīrán, zǐ shì èr jūn yǔ yī dàfū, wéi zǐ jūn zhě, bù yì nán hū?” Duì yuē: “Bù yǒu fèi yě, jūn héyǐ xīng? Yù jiā zhī zuì, qí wú cí hū? Chén wén mìng yǐ.” Fú jiàn ér sǐ. [Pinyin]

In summer, in the 4th month, Jifu, duke of Zhou (w:zh:周公忌父), and Dang, son of king Xi(?), joined Xi Peng (w:zh:隰朋) of Qi in securing the establishment of the marquis of Jin, who put to death Li Ke (里克) to clear himself of any complicity with him in the murders which he had committed. When he was about to put him to death, he sent a message to him, saying, "But for you, I should not have attained to my present position; but considering that you murdered two marquises and one great officer, is it not a difficult thing to be your ruler?" Ke replied, "If others had not been removed, how could you have found room to rise? But if you wish to make out a man's guilt, there is no difficulty in finding ground to do so. I have heard your command." With this he cut his own throat, and died.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yù jiā zhī zuì, hé huàn wú cí

  (Zhuyin): ㄩˋ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄓ ㄗㄨㄟˋ , ㄏㄜˊ ㄏㄨㄢˋ ㄨˊ ㄘˊ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yù jiā zhī zuì, hé huàn wú cí
    • Zhuyin: ㄩˋ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄓ ㄗㄨㄟˋ , ㄏㄜˊ ㄏㄨㄢˋ ㄨˊ ㄘˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yù jia jhih zuèi, hé huàn wú cíh
    • Wade–Giles: yü⁴ chia¹ chih¹ tsui⁴, ho² huan⁴ wu² tzʻŭ²
    • Yale: yù jyā jr̄ dzwèi-, hé hwàn wú tsź
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yuh jia jy tzuey, her huann wu tsyr
    • Palladius: юй цзя чжи цзуй, хэ хуань у цы (juj czja čži czuj, xɛ xuanʹ u cy)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡su̯eɪ̯⁵¹ xɤ³⁵ xu̯än⁵¹ u³⁵ t͡sʰz̩³⁵/

Proverb

欲加之罪，何患無辭

1. If you want to convict someone, there is no need to worry about making a suitable pretext.
2. If you want to find a fault of someone, there is no need to worry about making a suitable pretext.