1.5 [5] 景公饮酒不恤天灾致能歌者晏子谏

齐景公饮酒作乐不抚恤遭受天灾的百姓而罗致能歌善舞的人，晏子进谏

【原文】

景公之时，霖雨十有七日。公饮酒，日夜相继。晏子请发粟于民，三请，不见许。公命柏遽巡国，致能歌者。晏子闻之，不说，遂分家粟于氓，致任器于陌，徒行见公曰：“〔霖雨〕十有七日矣！（怀宝）〔坏室〕乡有数十，饥氓里有数家，百姓老弱，冻寒不得短褐，饥饿不得糟糠，敝撤无走，四顾无告。而君不恤，日夜饮酒，令国致乐不已，马食府粟，狗餍刍豢，三保之妾，俱足（梁）〔粱〕肉。狗马保妾，不已厚乎？民氓百姓，不亦薄乎？故里穷而无告，无乐有上矣；饥饿而无告，无乐有君矣。婴奉数之䇲，以随百官之吏，民饥饿穷约而无告，使上淫湎失本而不恤，婴之罪大矣。”再拜稽首，请身而去，遂走而出。公从之，兼于涂而不能逮，令趣驾追晏子，其家，不及。粟米尽于氓，任器存于陌，公驱及之康内。公下车从晏子曰：“寡人有罪，夫子倍弃不援，寡人不足以有约也，夫子不顾社稷百姓乎？愿夫子之幸存寡人，寡人请奉齐国之粟米财货，委之百姓，多寡轻重，惟夫于之令。”遂拜于途。晏子乃返，命禀巡氓，家有布缕之本而绝食者，使有终月之委；绝本之家，使有期年之食，无委积之氓，与之薪橑，使足以毕霖雨。令柏巡氓，家室不能御者，予之金；巡求氓寡用（财乏）〔乏财〕者（死），三日而毕，后者若不用令之罪。公出舍，损肉撤酒，马不食府粟，狗不食飦肉，辟拂嗛齐，酒徒减赐。三日，吏告毕上：贫氓万七千家，用粟九十七万钟，薪橑万三千乘；（怀宝）〔坏室〕二千七百家，用金三千。公然后就内退食，琴瑟不张，钟鼓不陈。晏子请左右与可令歌舞足以留思虞者退之，辟拂三千，谢于下陈，人待三，士（侍）〔待〕四，出之关外也。

【今译】

齐景公当政的时候，有一年连续下了十七天雨。景公夜以继日地饮酒作乐。晏子请求把府库的粮食分发给受灾的百姓，请求了多次，也没有获得允许。景公命柏遽在全国巡视，网罗善于唱歌的人。晏子听说后，很不高兴，于是就把自己家中的粮食分给百姓，又把装运粮食的器具放在路边，自己步行着去见景公说：“（雨已经下了）十七天了！每个乡都有数十家房屋损坏，每个里都有数家饥饿之民，年老体弱的百姓，寒冷中没有粗布短衣可以御寒，饥饿中没有糟糠之食可以充饥，腿脚不便不能行走的人，四处张望也没有诉说苦难的地方。然而国君您不体恤百姓，日夜饮酒作乐，命令全国不停地网罗乐人，用府库的粮食喂马，用牛羊肉喂狗，后宫的姬妾都有充足的粮食和肉。（您）对待狗马姬妾是不是太优厚了呢？对待百姓是不是太薄情了呢？乡里的百姓贫穷无处申诉，就不会喜欢朝廷了；饥饿的百姓无处申诉，也就不会喜欢国君了。我是手捧简策，百官跟随的重臣，让百姓饥饿贫困而无处申诉，让国君沉湎酒色失去民心而不知体恤，我的罪过太大了。”（晏子说完）拜了两拜叩首请求辞职，然后快步走出了宫门。景公赶忙去追，因为道路泥泞没有追上，又命人驾车去追晏子，一直到他家也没有追上。（景公）见晏子家的粮食已经全部分发给了百姓，装运粮食的器具放在路边。景公乘车在大路上追上了晏子，赶忙下车跟在晏子身后说：“我犯了大错，以致您抛弃我不愿辅佐我，我没有资格让您屈尊，但是您不顾国家和百姓了吗？希望您能留下来继续辅佐我，我愿意把齐国的粮食和财富拿出来赈济百姓，至于多少轻重，全都听您的安排。”于是景公在路上委任晏子处理救灾事宜。于是晏子返回朝廷，命令禀去巡视灾民，（灾民的）家中还有衣物只是断了粮食的，就给他们一个月的粮食；衣食都断了的人家，就给他们一年的粮食，没有柴烧的灾民，就给他们柴草，让他们足以度过霖雨之灾。又命令柏去巡视灾民，（灾民的）房屋不能遮风挡雨的，就给他们钱去修补；巡视中要寻找缺少财物的百姓，限三天内完成，超出时间就按不执行法令治罪。景公也离开后宫，减少肉食，撤去美酒，下令不许再用府库的粮食喂马，用肉类养狗，削减近臣的供给，减少酒徒的赏赐。三天期满，巡视的官员完成任务向上汇报：受灾的贫民一万七千家，发放粮食九十七万钟，柴草一万三千车；房屋损坏的百姓两千七百家，资助修补花去三千金。景公听完报告后回到宫中，下令降低饮食标准，不许抚琴弄瑟，敲击钟鼓。晏子请求将近侍和足以使景公留恋歌舞的人遣退，结果三千人被裁汰，姬妾三人，近臣四人，全部被遣出宫外。

During the time of Duke Jing there was a long,seventeen-day spell of incessant rain,through which the Duke drank w ine continuously,day and night. Three times,Yanzi asked that grain be distributed to the people,but his request was denied. At that time the Duke sent Bo Ju^[1] on a nationw ide tour in search of talented singers. Upon hearing this,Yanzi was displeased and thereupon distributed grain from his own household to the displaced people and abandoned the loading tools along the paths of the fields. ^[2]

He then walked on foot for an audience w ith the Duke and said: “It has been raining for seventeen days; there are dozens of ruined houses in every district and several hungry families in every village. The old and weak among the people do not have even short hemp garments to protect them against the cold,nor dregs and bran to fight their hunger. If those whose houses were destroyed seek escape,they have no place to turn,and,though they are looking all over,they find no one to address their complaint to. But you,my Lord,have not been concerned,all this time,w ith all these and have been occupied in drinking day and night,having issued statew ide orders to provide you w ith music continuously. Your horses eat the grain of the public granaries; your dogs gorge upon fine meats of pastured and grainfed animals; and the concubines of the three palaces are well provided with millet and meats. Is this not excessive for dogs,horses,and concubines,and paltry for people in general? It is because of this that the districts and the villages are exhausted,^[3] and no authority exists to complain to—subjects lack the com forting presence of a superior. The people are starving and have no one to complain to—they do not enjoy the com forting presence of a ruler. Holding bamboo counting sticks,I follow the minor officials from the various public offices and learn that the people are starving,suffering hardship and destitution,but have no one to whom to complain. For allow ing my superior to be beguiled by drink,leading him to lose his grip and not be concerned w ith the afflicted—my guilt is great.” He bowed tw ice w ith his forehead touching the ground,asked to be dismissed from office and quickly ran out from the palace.

The Duke followed him but since the streets were extremely muddy^[4] he could not catch up to him. He gave orders to the charioteer to chase after Yanzi to his house,but there,too,he did not catch up to him. The Duke saw that grain had been completely distributed among the displaced people and that the loading tools were abandoned along the paths of the fields. He then pursued Yanzi and caught up to him at the crossroads.

He stepped down from the chariot,followed Yanzi,and said: “I am guilty,you abandoned me and offer no help. But if I am not worthy to have you defer^[5] to me,then w ill you not be neglecting the altars of soils and grain and the people? I hope to be fortunate enough to have you saving me. Now I would like to propose that the grain and the wealth of Qi be turned over to the people. Your command alone w ill determ ine the measures and weights of distribution.” Then,in the middle of the road,he made obeisance to Yanzi,and Yanzi then returned and sent Bing^[6] on a tour of inspection amongst the displaced people,to give fam ilies that had supplies of cloth but lacked food a portion equaling a month’s share of grain; and to fam ilies that lacked both these resources,a share of food sufficient for a full year. And to displaced people who had nothing stored at all,he gave sufficient firewood to last until the end of rains. He ordered Bo Ju to tour amongst the displaced people and distribute money to fam ilies whose roof could not provide shelter. The mission of traveling and locating displaced people who did not have money and materials was to be completed in three days. Whoever was late would be punished as if he had disregarded order. The Duke left the capital and occupied a hut on the outskirts. He ate less meat and abstained from w ine. His horses did not eat the grain of the public granaries and his dogs did not eat gruel m ixed w ith meat. The budget for attendants was reduced^[7] and gifts were held back from those who were given to drink. A fter three days,the scribes reported to their superiors that the work was completed: seventeen thousand impoverished households of displaced people had been found,nine-hundred and seventy thousand zhong^[8] of grain and thirteen thousand carts of firewood had been distributed. Twenty-seven hundred destroyed households had been found and three thousand pieces of gold had been expended. A fterwards,the Duke returned to court and ate a scanty meal while the string instruments of the qin and the se were not made taut and the bells and drums were not displayed. Yanzi asked the Duke to dism iss members of the entourage,as well as those who sang and danced so expertly that their presence could entice the Duke w ith entertainment. Three thousand attendants were dism issed from the lesser palaces. Three concubines and four officers whom the Duke favored were expelled from the palace.^[9]

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注释

[1]An unidentified figure.

[2]The grain loading tools used to distribute the food were left abandoned by Yanzi in order to indicate that all his reserves of grain were exhausted.

[3]故乡里穷约而无告→故里穷而无告 (JS,16/14).

[4]兼→溓 (JS,17/19).

[5]约→屈 (JS 18/24).

[6]The JS (18/32) replaces the personal names of Bing and then of Bo 柏 w ith the official titles 廩–Granary Master and 伯–Earl. This interpretation seems very unlikely at least in the case of Bo,who is mentioned in the beginning of this item by his full name 柏遽.

[7]嗛齐→减资 (JS,20-22/38).

[8]Zhong 钟,a measure of grain in the state of Qi,consisted of six-hundred and forty liters.

[9]The “inundated world” of the present items brings to m ind a rhetorical device in Mencius (Mencius,7.17/38.20). Chunyu Kun 淳于髡 used the gloomy metaphor of a “drowning world—天下溺” to portray the devastation of his time. In that context,he pleaded w ith M encius to extend a personal hand to help save the world,w hich he compared to a “drowning sister-in-law.” However,Mencius rejected the analogy,insisting that the world could be helped only by means of the Way. In other words,Mencius argued that the only help he was prepared to give to save the world from drowning was of a “philosophical” kind,meaning that he could rescue the world only by repairing and transform ing it into an alternative,utopian reality. In contrast,Yanzi’s understanding of the role a philosopher should play in a dystopian society on verge of total ruin is not abstract,like that of Mencius,but rather concrete,like that of Chunyu Kun.