What is the meaning and function of 使 in the following?
大决所犯，伤人必多，吾不克救也；不如小决使道，不如吾闻而药之也。
道 means 導, meaning "to lead" or "to guide," but how does it combine with 使, meaning "to cause"?
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What's the full article. – Voyager Mar 12 at 17:03
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郑人游于乡校,以论执政.然明谓子产曰：“毁乡校,何如?”子产曰；“何为?夫人朝夕退而游焉,以议执政之善否.其所善者,吾则行之；其所恶者,吾则改之,是吾师也,若之何毁 之?我闻忠善以损怨,不闻作威以防怨.岂不遽止?然犹防川： 大决所犯,伤人必多,吾不克救也；不如小决使道,不如吾闻而 药之也.”然明曰：“蔑也,今而后知吾子之信可事也.小人实 不才.若果行此,其郑国实赖之,岂唯二三臣?” – Apollyon Mar 12 at 17:05
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the origin is 左傳 襄公三十一年:
鄭人游于鄉校，以論執政，然明謂子產曰，毀鄉校何如，子產曰，何為，夫人朝夕退而游焉，以議執政之善否，其所善者，吾則行之，其所惡者，吾則改之，是吾師也，若之何毀之，我聞忠善以損怨，不聞作威以防怨，豈不遽止，然猶防川，大決所犯，傷人必多，吾不克救也，不如小決，使道不如，吾聞而藥之也，然明曰，蔑也今而後知吾子之信可事也，小人實不才，若果行此，其鄭國實賴之，豈唯二三臣，仲尼聞是語也，曰，以是觀之，人謂子產不仁，吾不信也。
the punctuation of the above text is, imo, doubtful :(
anyway, the metaphor is:
people's animosity (民怨) is like water flow
a ruler can built a dam to store water, and stop the flow. but, over times, water would overflow, destroy the dam.
so, 子產's method to handle people's animosity is: don't stop it, let small amount of water flow daily; in which no water would collected large enough to destroy the dam.
大決所犯．傷人必多．吾不克救也．不如小決使道．不如吾聞而藥之也
dam burst (大決) . . .
it would be better to (不如) [let] small amount of (小) [water] flow (決) [pass the dam], as (使) dredge (道 --> 疏導).
it would be better to (不如) [let] me (吾) hear (聞) [people's critic (以論執政) at the school (于鄉校)], and (而) [using such critics] as medicine (藥) to cure the governing (之).
depends on the style of writing, one might interpret "使" differently.
have fun :)
