3.2 [52] 庄公问伐晋晏子对以不可若不济国之福

齐庄公问讨伐晋国的事，晏子回答说不可以，如果不成功是齐国的福气

【原文】

庄公将伐晋，问于晏子，晏子对曰：“不可。君得合而欲多，（飬）〔养〕欲而意骄。得合而欲多者危，（飬）〔养〕欲而意骄者困。今君任勇力之士，以伐明主，若不济，国之福也，不德而有功，忧必及君。”公作色不说。晏子辞不为臣，退而穷处，堂下生（蓼藿）〔藜藋〕，门外生荆棘。庄公终任勇力之士，西伐晋，（耴）〔取〕朝歌，及太行、孟门，兹于兑，期而民散，身灭于崔氏。崔氏之期，逐群公〔子〕，及庆氏亡。

【今译】

齐庄公将要讨伐晋国，向晏子征求意见，晏子回答说：“不行。您应该得到的已经得到了却还想要更多，欲望增长就会意气骄横。应得的已经得到却想要更多就会危险，欲望增长而意气骄横就会陷入困境。现在您任用勇武有力的猛士去攻打贤明的君主，如果不胜，则是国家的福气，没有仁德而有战功，忧患一定会殃及到您身上。”庄公变了脸色，很不高兴。晏子辞去官职不再做大臣，退出宫廷过着穷困的生活，院子里长满了野草，门外长满了荆棘。庄公最终还是任用勇武有力的猛士向西攻打晋国，夺取了朝歌，到达了太行、孟门，进入兹于隧道，一年之后百姓离散，庄公被崔杼所杀。崔杼执政时，驱逐了齐国王室诸公子，直到庆封逃亡。

Duke Zhuang was about to launch an attack on Jin and consulted Yanzi about it.

Yanzi replied: “It would not be appropriate. M y Lord,what you possess is sufficient,and yet you w ish to possess more. You indulge your desires,and your intentions are arrogant. He who possesses what is sufficient and wishes for more imperils himself. He who indulges his desires and whose intentions are arrogant meets difficulties. But now you,my Lord,are employing officers for their courage and strength in order to launch an attack on the covenant chief.^[2] If you do not succeed,it w ill be fortunate for the state. For if you achieve success w ithout virtue,distress w ill surely fall upon you,my Lord.”

The Duke’s face flushed in anger; he was displeased. Yanzi resigned and stopped serving as minister. He w ithdrew and lived in dire straits. Pigweed and goosefoot grew beneath his hom e and thorny scrubs grew outside his gate. Duke Zhuang did appoint officers for their courage and strength after all,and marched westward to launch an attack on Jin. He conquered Chaoge and got as far as Taihang,Mengmen,and the Chieyu tunnel gate.^[3] A year later,his population was scattered and the Duke himself lost his life to Cui Zhu. During the period of unrest initiated by Cui Zhu,all the sons of the Duke were expelled and also Qing Feng^[4] was driven into exile.^[5]

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注释

[1]Item 3.2 [52] ↔ Zuozhuan,B9.23.4/276/28.

[2]明→盟 according to the Zuozhuan,ibid. The alliance was led by the state of Jin. For a discussion of the interchangeability between 盟 and 霸,see Taeko A. Brooks,“Evolution of the Ba 霸 ‘Hegemon’ Theory;” Warring States Papers,1 (2010): 220-2. For a detailed discussion of the system of alliances in the period under consideration,see Yuri Pines,Foundations of Confucian Thought: Intellectual Life in the Chunqiu Period,722–453 BCE Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press (2002): 119-125.

[3]兑→隧 (YZCQ-ICS,21,n. 5).

[4]Qing Feng,庆封,was a m inister of great wealth and influence at the Qi court. He was Cui Zhu’s ally in the revolt against and the assassination of Duke Zhuang in 548 BCE. He later exterm inated the Cui Zhu’s lineage and eventually was forced to flee into exile in 545 BCE and was executed in 538 BCE by King Ling of Chu 楚灵王(r. 540-529 BCE). For Qing Feng’s forced exile and execution see,Lüshi chunqiu,22.1/144/18.

[5]At this point,the text of Item 3.2 [52] abruptly comes to its end. However,the Zuozhuan’s version of Cui Zhu’s revolt,B9. 28.11/299/10,adds the follow ing three characters 皆召之 after 及庆氏亡,which make the ending of this item more intelligible: “By the time that Qing Feng was driven into exile,the Duke’s sons were all summoned back to the capital.”