2.24 [49] 景公养勇士三人无君臣之义晏子谏

齐景公豢养的三个勇士没有君臣之义，晏子进谏

【原文】

公孙接、田开疆、古冶子事景公，以勇力搏虎闻。晏子过而趋，三子者不起，晏子入见公曰：“臣闻明君之蓄勇力之士也，上有君臣之义，下有长率之伦，内可以禁暴，外可以威敌，上利其功，下服其勇，故尊其位，重其禄。今君之蓄勇（士）〔力〕之（力）〔士〕也，上无君臣之义，下无长率之伦，内不〔可〕以禁暴，外不可〔以〕威敌，此危国之器也，不若去之。”公曰：“三子者，搏之恐不得，刺之恐不中也。”晏子曰：“此皆力攻勍敌之人也，无长幼之礼。”因请公使人少馈之二桃，曰：“三子何不计功而食桃？”公孙接仰天而叹曰：“晏子，智人也！夫使公之计吾功者，不受桃，是无勇也，士众而桃寡，何不计功而食桃矣。接一搏豜而再搏乳虎，若接之功，可以食桃而无与人同矣。”援桃而起。田开疆曰：“吾（伏）〔仗〕兵而却三军者再，若开疆之功，亦可以食桃，而无与人同矣。”援桃而起。古冶子曰：“吾尝从君济于河，鼋（御）〔衔〕左骖以入砥柱之流。当是时也，冶少不能游，潜行逆流百步，顺流九里，得鼋而杀之，左操骖尾，右挈鼋头，鹤跃而出。津人皆曰：‘河伯也！’若冶视之，则大鼋之首。若冶之功，亦可以食桃而无与人同矣。二子何不反桃！”抽剑而起。公孙接、田开疆曰：“吾勇不子若，功不子逮，（耴）〔取〕桃不让，是贪也；然而不死，无勇也。”皆反其桃，挈领而死。古冶子曰：“二子死之，冶独生之，不仁；耻人以言，而夸其声，不义；恨乎所行，不死，无勇。虽然，二子同桃而节，冶专〔其〕桃而宜。”亦反其桃，挈领而死。使者复曰：“已死矣。”公殓之以服，葬之以士礼焉。

【今译】

公孙接、田开疆和古冶子一块儿侍奉齐景公，因为勇猛有力能和猛虎搏斗而闻名。有一次晏子从他们面前快步走过，三人没有起来行礼，晏子进见景公说：“我听闻贤明的君主蓄养的勇士，上能遵守君臣之间的道义，下能遵守长幼之间的伦理，对内可以制止凶暴，对外可以威慑敌人，君主因为他们的功劳而获利，臣民因为他们的勇武而服膺，因此尊崇他们的地位，增加他们的俸禄。现在您蓄养的勇士，上不能遵守君臣之间的道义，下不能遵守长幼之间的伦理，对内不能制止凶暴，对外不能威慑敌人，这是危害国家的人，不如除掉他们。”景公说：“这三个人，靠搏斗来击败他们恐怕做不到，派人刺杀他们又怕刺不中。”晏子说：“他们都是些靠蛮力攻打强敌之人，不懂得长幼尊卑之礼。”于是请景公派人送去两个桃子给他们，说：“三位勇士为什么不按功劳大小来吃桃子呢？”公孙接仰天叹息道：“晏子真是个聪明人啊！他让景公用这种办法来计算我们的功劳，不能得到桃子，就是没有勇力，人多而桃少，怎能不按功劳大小来吃桃呢？我公孙接曾经搏杀了一只体大力强的野猪，又搏杀了一只正在哺乳的老虎，像我公孙接这样的功劳，可以吃桃子而且不用和别人同享了。”于是拿了个桃子站起来。田开疆说：“我手持兵器击退敌军两次，像我田开疆这样的功劳，也可以吃桃，不必和他人同享（桃子）。”于是拿了另一个桃子站起来。古冶子说：“我曾经跟随国君渡黄河，有一只大鼋咬住左边拉车的马潜入砥柱激流之中。那时候，我年纪还小不会游泳，可我潜入水中逆流行进百步，又顺流行进九里，找到大鼋杀了它，我左手拿着马尾，右手拿着鼋头，像仙鹤一样从水中跃出。渡口的人都说：‘河神！’在我看来，他们说的河神就是大鼋的头。像我古冶子这样的功劳，也可以吃桃子而不用和他人共享。二位为何不把桃子还回来！”说完拔剑而起。公孙接和田开疆说：“我们不如您勇武，不如您功高，没有谦让就先拿了桃，这是贪婪；这样还不去死，就是不勇敢。”于是二人都将桃子还回去，自刎而死。古冶子说：“二人因桃而死，只有我还活着，这是不仁；用言语羞辱人，而夸耀自己的名声，这是不义；怨恨自己的行为，而不赴死，这是不勇敢。即便如此，但还是他们二人同吃一个桃子，我独自吃一个桃子最合适。”于是也还回桃子，自刎而死。送桃的使者回报景公：“三人都已经死了。”于是景公命人给他们穿官服入殓，用安葬士的礼节埋葬了他们。

Gongsun Jie,Tian Kaijiang and Gu Yezi served Duke Jing and were famous for having the courage and strength to capture tigers. When Yanzi respectfully hastened by them,they did not rise. Yanzi entered the Duke’s audience and said: “I have heard that when the enlightened ruler cultivates courageous,strong officers and superiors observe norms of righteousness between ruler and ministers,and inferiors maintain the norm of following the lead of their elders. Thereby,violence is prevented inside the state while external enemies are intimidated. Superiors benefit from their achievements,and inferiors submit to their courageous deeds. Hence,the ruler elevates them to an honored position and gives them a large emolument. But now,the way you,my Lord,cultivate courageous,strong officers is the follow ing: superiors do not observe norms of righteousness between a ruler and ministers,and inferiors do not maintain the norm of follow ing the lead of their elders. Violence is not prevented inside the state,and external enem ies are not intim idated. These three officers are instrum ents for the endangerment of the state. There is no better course than to get rid of them.”

The Duke said: “I am afraid that if I try to capture these three I w ill fail,while if I try to kill them,the strike might miss.”

Yanzi said: “They are all men who attack and overpower their enemies w ith strength; they lack the proper rites between senior and junior.”

And so he asked the Duke to send someone to offer them a small present of two peaches,w ith the follow ing words: “Why don’t the three of you eat from these peaches,each an amount relating to his respective achievements?” Gongsun Jie looked up,sighed and said: “Yanzi is a clever man. It was he who made the Duke have us assess our relative achievements. Refusing to accept a peach would indicate a lack of courage: too many officers; too few peaches. Why don’t we measure our respective achievements and then each eat from the peaches in accordance with that amount? Once I captured a fully grown w ild boar,and another time a nursing tigress. For such an achievement I can eat a peach w ithout sharing it w ith anyone else.” He grabbed a peach and stood up.

Tian Kaijiang said: “Tw ice I held a weapon and made the Three Armies^[1] withdraw. For such achievements,I should also eat a peach without sharing it with someone else.” He grabbed a peach and stood up.

Gu Yezi said: “Once,when I follow ed m y ruler across the Yellow River,a giant turtle seized the left outer horse of the carriage in his jaws and plunged w ith it into a strong current as strong as that of the Polished Pillar stream.^[2] At that time I was still young and could not sw im,so I waded in the water against the current a hundred paces,and then floated w ith the current nine li downstream. There,I overtook the turtle and killed it. I held the tail of the horse tightly w ith my left hand and seized the head of the turtle in my right hand. I jumped out of the water high-stepping like a crane and all the ferrymen said: ‘This is Hebo,’^[3] but as I saw it,it was the head of the giant turtle. For such an achievement,I can also eat a peach without sharing it w ith others. Why don’t you two gentlemen return the peaches?”He drew his sword and stood up. Gongsun Jie and Tian Kaijiang said: “Our courage is not as good as yours,nor do our achievements equal to yours. To take the peaches and not to yield precedence would be greedy. However,choosing not to die under such circumstances would be a lack of courage. So both men returned their peaches,cut their own throats and died.

Gu Yezi said: “For this,these two died,and,for this,only I am still alive. This is not humaneness. To shame others w ith one’s words and to show off with one’s own fame is not righteous. To regret what you did and not to die is to lack courage. Nevertheless,if these two would have been modest and shared one peach,or if I alone had taken one peach,it would have been appropriate.” Then he too returned the peach,cut his own throat,and died. The messenger,who reported this,said: “They are dead.” The Duke had them clad in shrouds and buried them w ith the rites ordained for officers.

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注释

[1]I.e.,the joint military forces of a large state.

[2]The Polished Pillar 砥柱 is a name of a boulder in the m idd le of the Yellow River. It was not located in Qi but in the m inor state of Guo 虢,in the present-day province of Henan.

[3]Hebo 河伯,the River God.