事不師古而能長久者﹒非所聞也
事 : working, you may shortcut it to governing in this context
不 : not
師 : learn, or imitate
古 : past
而 : and
能 : can be
長久 : long time
非: not
所聞: heard, maybe recorded
so, the verse is roughly:
[if the] governing (事) is not (不) imitate (師) to the past (古), and (而)[such governing] can (能) [last] long time (長久), it's unheard (非所聞).
that 淳于越 suggested that nations not using feudalism, would not last long.
some underlying asumptions:
in ancient china, both 商 dynasty (bc 1571 - 1046) and 周 dynasty (bc 1046 - 770) used feudalism. compare to spring and autumn period (春秋), and warring states (戰國) period, these two dynasties lasted 400-500 years, which was a long time.
the related text in 秦始皇本紀, would started from "始皇置酒咸陽宮"
仆射周青臣進頌曰:「他時秦地不過千里,賴陛下神靈明聖,平定海內,放逐蠻夷,日月所照,莫不賓服。以諸侯為郡縣,人人自安樂,無戰爭之患,傳之萬世。自上古不及陛下威德。」
then one of the master 淳于越 refuted:
博士齊人淳于越進曰:「臣聞殷周之王千餘歲,封子弟功臣,自為枝輔。今陛下有海內,而子弟為匹夫,卒有田常、六卿之臣,無輔拂,何以相救哉?事不師古而能長久者,非所聞也。今青臣又面諛以重陛下之過,非忠臣。」
last, the prime minister 李斯 suggested:
丞相李斯曰:「五帝不相復,三代不相襲,各以治,非其相反,時變異也。今陛下創大業,建萬世之功,固非愚儒所知。且越言乃三代之事,何足法也?異時諸侯并爭,厚招游學。今天下已定,法令出一,百姓當家則力農工,士則學習法令辟禁。今諸生不師今而學古,以非當世,惑亂黔首。丞相臣斯昧死言:古者天下散亂,莫之能一,是以諸侯并作,語皆道古以害今,飾虛言以亂實,人善其所私學,以非上之所建立。今皇帝并有天下,別黑白而定一尊。私學而相與非法教,人聞令下,則各以其學議之,入則心非,出則巷議,夸主以為名,異取以為高,率群下以造謗。如此弗禁,則主勢降乎上,黨與成乎下。禁之便。臣請史官非秦記皆燒之。非博士官所職,天下敢有藏詩、書、百家語者,悉詣守、尉雜燒之。有敢偶語詩書者棄市。以古非今者族。吏見知不舉者與同罪。令下三十日不燒,黥為城旦。所不去者,醫藥卜筮種樹之書。若欲有學法令,以吏為師。」
you may treat the text as argument of "feudalism" vs "totalitarianism"
the text maybe further elaborated, if you need :)
have fun :)