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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Sign up to join this communityWhat 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"?
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 :)