1.9 [9] 景公爱嬖妾随其所欲晏子谏

齐景公宠爱嬖妾顺从她的欲望，晏子进谏

【原文】

翟王子羡臣于景公，以重驾，公观之而不说也。嬖人婴子欲观之，公曰：“及晏子寝病也。”居囿中台上以观之，婴子说之，因为之请曰：“厚禄之！”公许诺。晏子起病而见公，公曰：“翟王子羡之驾，寡人甚说之，请使之示乎？”晏子曰：“驾御之事，臣无职焉。”公曰：“寡人一乐之，是欲禄之以万钟，其足乎？”对曰：“昔卫士东野之驾也，公说之，婴子不说，公曰不说，遂不观。今翟王子羡之驾也，公不说，婴子说，公因说之；为请，公许之，则是妇人为制也。且不乐治人，而乐治马，不厚禄贤人，而厚禄御夫。昔者先君桓公之地狭于今，修法治，广政教，以霸诸侯。今君一诸侯无能亲也，岁凶年饥，道途死者相望也。君不此忧耻，而惟图耳目之乐，不修先君之功烈，而惟饰驾御之伎，则公不顾民而忘国甚矣。且《诗》曰：‘载骖载驷，君子所（诫）〔届〕。’夫驾八，固非制也，今又重此，其为非制也，不滋甚乎？且君苟美乐之，国必众为之，田猎则不便，道行致远则不可，然而用马数倍，此非御下之道也。淫于耳目，不当民务，此圣王之所禁也。君苟美乐之，诸侯必或效我，君无厚德善政以被诸侯，而易之以僻，此非所以子民、彰名、致远、亲邻国之道也。且贤良废灭，孤寡不振，而听嬖妾以禄御夫以蓄怨，与民为雠之道也。《诗》曰：‘哲夫成城，哲妇倾城。’今君不思成城之求，而惟倾城之务，国之亡日至矣。君其图之！”公曰：“善。”遂不复观，乃罢归翟王子羡，而疏嬖人婴子。

【今译】

翟王之子羡当了齐景公的臣子，因为用超过礼仪制度规定的马匹数驾车，景公看到后很不高兴。景公的宠妾婴子想看翟王子羡驾车，景公说：“等到晏子卧病在床的时候吧。”（等晏子病倒了）二人在养马的园子的高台上观看翟王子羡驾车，婴子很高兴，因而为翟王子羡请求说：“请您多多增加他的俸禄吧！”景公答应了。晏子病好之后去见景公，景公说：“翟王之子羡驾车，我很喜欢，让他表演给您看看可以吗？”晏子说：“驾御车马的事，不是我的职分。”景公说：“我喜欢他驾车，想给他万钟的俸禄，足够了吗？”晏子说：“从前卫国的东野善于驾车，您喜欢，而婴子不喜欢，您也说不喜欢，就不去观看。现在翟王子羡驾车，您不喜欢，婴子喜欢，您也说喜欢；（婴子）替他求情，您就答应，这是您被妇人挟制了。况且您不热衷于处理百姓的事，而热衷于观看车马，不厚待贤良的人，却厚待驾车的车夫。从前先代国君桓公当政时，（齐国的）疆域比现在小，（但桓公）修订法治，推广政教，从而称霸诸侯。现在您没能让一个诸侯亲附齐国。每年都有天灾，每年都有饥民，道路上饿死的人四处可见。您不为此感到担忧和羞耻，反而只追求娱乐消遣，不效法先代君王的功业，只追求装饰车驾的技艺，您也太不顾百姓的死活和国家的兴衰了。况且《诗经》上说：‘用三匹或者四匹马驾车，君子来临。’用八匹马驾车，本来就不符合古代的制度规定，现在又加倍如此，这种不守古制的做法，不就更严重了吗？况且您如果以重驾为美而乐于这样做，那么国内必然有很多人效仿，这样既不便于打猎，也不便于远行，然而使用的马匹却是以前的几倍，这不是统御臣民的方法。只追求声色消遣，不关注国家和百姓的事务，这是贤明的国君所禁止的。您如果喜欢这样做，诸侯中也一定有人效仿，您没有深厚的德行和良好的政策来惠泽诸侯，却代之以违背礼法的邪僻之行，这不是用来爱护百姓、彰显名声、招延远人、亲善邻国的方法。况且贤良之人停置不用，孤寡之人愈加困苦，却听信姬妾之言厚禄车夫来积蓄怨恨，这是和人民结仇的做法。《诗经》上说：‘有智谋的男人可以安邦定国，聪慧的女人可以使国家倾覆。’现在您不去考虑兴国安邦，却只做取悦姬妾败坏国家的事，国家灭亡的日子就要到了。请您认真考虑啊！”景公说：“好。”于是不再观赏驾车，并遣退了翟王子羡，疏远了爱妾婴子。

Xian,the Prince of Di,^[1] who was serving Duke Jing as a minister,drove a chariot pulled by tw ice the usual number of horses.^[2] The Duke saw the chariot and was displeased. When the Duke’s favorite concubine,Yingzi,expressed her desire to see the chariot,he said: “As long as Yanzi lies ill in bed.” Then they took seats on a terrace inside the park and viewed the chariot from there. Yingzi was pleased and she therefore asked the Duke: “Give the Prince a generous emolument!” The Duke agreed.

When Yanzi rose from his sick bed,he went for an audience w ith the Duke. The Duke said: “I was very pleased w ith the chariot of Xian,prince of Di. Shall I ask him to display it for you?”

Yanzi said: “The business of driving a chariot does not pertain to my duties.”

The Duke said: “I considered it praiseworthy and took pleasure in it^[3] and so I would like to grant him an emolument of ten-thousand zhong of grain. Is this enough?”

Yanzi answered: “Formerly,you were pleased w ith the chariot of Dongye,an officer from Wei,but Yingzi was displeased. For this reason,^[4] my Lord,you said that you were displeased w ith it too,and therefore did not look at it any longer. Just recently you were displeased w ith the chariot of Xian,Prince of Di,but Yingzi was pleased with it. For this reason,you too are now pleased w ith it,and you have approved her request. This means that a woman is making the rules. Moreover,you do not enjoy ruling people but you enjoy ruling horses. You do not grant generous emoluments to the worthy,you grant it to a charioteer. In the days of our former ruler,Duke Huan’s domain^[5] was smaller than it is today. He instituted a system of laws and extended political order and moral cultivation,thereby becoming the overlord of all the regional princes. But now you,my Lord,have failed to cultivate a close relationship with even a single regional prince; it is a year of natural catastrophes and famine,and the roads are covered w ith corpses staring at each other. Yet you,my Lord,are not worried,nor do you feel shame about this,but you only seek titillation of the eye and ear. You do not promote our former ruler’s outstanding accomplishments,but rather are preoccupied only w ith the skill of charioteering. Hence,you have not paid attention to the people,and you have exceeded in neglecting the interests of the state. As it says in the Odes:

Driving teams of three,teams of four,

The princes are coming.^[6]

Driving a chariot of eight horses certainly violates this rule; now,is not doubling this number of horses an even greater violation of that rule? Furthermore,if you,my Lord,really consider this beautiful and enjoy it,then certainly there w ill be numerous others in the state who w ill do the same. Hunting w ill therefore be difficult,and it w ill be impossible to come from afar via the roads. Under such circumstances,the number of horses needed for your service w ill be multiplied several times. This is certainly the w rong way to hold the reins of power. The sage-kings prohibited indulging in excessive sensual pleasure and not addressing the affairs of the people. If you,my Lord,indeed consider the chariot beautiful and enjoy it,then certainly some among the regional princes will follow our example. M y Lord,trying to benefit the regional princes while lacking substantial virtues and good government yourself,and then substituting such virtues for depraved actions is not the way to tend to people as if they were your children,nor the way to earn yourself a glow ing reputation,nor the way to make people come from afar to your country,nor the way to promote close ties w ith the neighboring states. Moreover,the worthy and the good have been abandoned and have perished,w idow s and orphans have not been supported,yet on advice of your favorite concubine you give a charioteer a generous emolument; so that resentment accumulates. This is the way to make the people your enemies. As it says in the Odes:

A clever man rears a city wall;

A clever woman brings it down.^[7]

Now you,my Lord,do not apply yourself to prom oting^[8] the construction of the city wall,but rather are preoccupied only w ith its destruction. The day of the downfall of your state is at hand. M y Lord,give it your careful consideration!”

The Duke said: “Well argued.” Thereupon,he did not look at the chariot again. He dismissed Xian,Prince of Di,sending him back home,and distanced himself from his favorite concubine,Yingzi.

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注释

[1]Di 翟 is identical with Di 狄–i.e.,the Di people in the North.

[2]I.e.,16 horses,as indicated later in this item.

[3]一→美 (JS,34/5).

[4]曰→因 (YZCQ-ICS,4,n. 4).

[5]Duke Huan (桓公) reigned in Qi between 685 and 643 BCE. He was the first among the regional princes of the Chunqiu period w ho became a Ba 霸–“Overlord,”“Hegemon,” or “Lord Protector.” For a detailed analysis of Ba 霸,see Taeko A. Brooks,“Evolution of the Ba 霸 ‘Hegemon’ Theory;” Warring States Papers,1 (2010): 220-26; John Knoblock,Xunzi: A Translation and Study of the Complete Works. Stanford: Stanford University Press,(1990): vol. 2,140-146; John S. Major,et al.,trs. The Huainanzi: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Government in Early Han China. Translations from the Asian Classics. New York: Columbia University Press (2010): 869-870.

[6]Shijing,222/109/24.

[7]Shijing,264/140/31.

[8]免→勉 (JS,37/21).