1.11 [11] 景公欲废嫡子阳生而立荼晏子谏

齐景公打算废掉嫡子阳生而立荼，晏子进谏

【原文】

淳于人纳女于景公，生孺子荼，景公爱之。诸臣谋欲废公子阳生而立荼，公以告晏子。晏子曰：“不可。夫以贱匹贵，国之害也；置（大）〔子〕立少，乱之本也。夫阳生（而长）〔长而〕国人戴之，君其勿易！夫服位有等，故贱不陵贵；立子有礼，故孽不乱宗。愿君教荼以礼而勿陷于邪，导之以义而勿湛于利。长少行其道，宗孽得其伦。夫阳生敢毋使荼餍（梁）〔粱〕肉之味，玩金石之声，而有患乎？废长立少，不可以教下；尊孽卑宗，不可以利所爱。长少无等，宗孽无别，是设贼树奸之本也。君其图之！古之明君，非不知繁乐也，以为乐淫则哀；非不知立爱也，以〔为〕义失则忧。是故制乐以节，立子以道。若夫恃谗谀以事君者，不足以责信。今君用谗人之谋，听乱夫之言也，废长立少；臣恐后人之有因君之过以资其邪，废少而立长以成其利者。君其图之！”公不听。景公没，田氏杀君荼，立阳生；杀阳生，立简公；杀简公而（耴）〔取〕齐国。

【今译】

淳于国送了一个美女给齐景公，生下孺子荼，景公很宠爱他。大臣们谋划打算废掉公子阳生，立荼为世子，景公把这件事告诉了晏子。晏子说：“不行。用低贱匹敌高贵，是国家的大害；废太子而立少子，是动乱的本源。阳生年长，百姓们拥戴他，您还是不要更换吧！服饰职位有等级之别，所以地位低的不能欺凌地位高的；册立世子有礼法规定，所以庶子不能扰乱嫡长。希望您用礼法来教导荼，不要让他陷入邪恶；用大义开导他，不要让他沉迷于私利。年长的和年少的各自遵行自己的道义，嫡子和庶子都摆正自己的位置。阳生怎么敢不让荼饱食粱肉美味，欣赏金石之声，怎么敢让他有所忧虑？废掉长子册立少子，不可以用来教育臣民，尊崇庶子轻视嫡子，并不能对您喜爱的（荼）有利。年长年少没有等差，嫡子庶子没有区别，这是祸乱的根源。请您认真考虑！古时候的贤明君主，不是不知道繁复音乐（的美妙），（但他们）认为过分沉迷音乐就会哀思；不是不知道册立自己宠爱的人，（但他们）认为丧失礼义就会产生忧患。所以制定音乐要有节制，册立世子要遵礼法。至于那些凭借谗言和阿谀来侍奉国君的人，根本不值得信任。现在您采纳谗谀之人的计谋，听信奸乱之人的言语，废长立少；我怕以后有人因为您的过失而滋生了邪念，通过废少立长来成全自己的利益。请您认真考虑！”景公不听。景公死后，大夫田氏杀掉国君荼，拥立阳生；又杀掉阳生，拥立简公；之后又杀掉简公取代了（姜氏）齐国。

A man from the state of Qunyu^[2] gave his daughter as a concubine to Duke Jing and she gave birth to a son^[3] named Tu. The Duke loved him and the m inisters plotted to depose the crown prince Yang Sheng in favor of Tu. The Duke informed Yanzi about it.

Yanzi said: “It would not be proper. Taking the noble as equal to the low ly is harm ful to the state. Setting aside the elder son and installing the younger as a successor is the root of disorder. Yang Sheng is the elder,and the people of the state support him. You,my Lord,should not change this. Clothes and positions have their proper ranks,and therefore the lower do not supersede the higher. There are rites pertaining to the appointment of a son as a successor; therefore,the son of a concubine should not disrupt the family line. I w ish that you,my Lord,would teach Tu the rites,so as not to let him fall into perversity,guide him w ith righteousness and prevent him from sinking into self-interest. When the elder and the younger sons each follow his own proper way,then the w ife’s son and the concubine’s son receive their proper standing. How would Yang Sheng presume not to let Tu appease his hunger w ith the taste of millet and meat,and delight to the sound of bell and stone,when such conduct would lead to such worries? You cannot instruct those below you by deposing the elder and appointing the younger; you cannot benefit those you love by honoring the concubine’s son and degrading the w ife’s son. If no difference in rank exists between the elder and the younger,and no difference exists between the son of the formal wife and the son of the concubine,then this is the root of fostering the w icked and sow ing the seeds of evil. You,my Lord,should give this your careful consideration. It is not that the enlightened rulers of antiquity did not know various pleasures; but rather,they were of the opinion that excessive pleasures result in misery. It is not that they did not know how to install their cherished ones as their successors,but rather,they thought that the loss of righteousness results in troubles. For these reasons,they tempered enjoyment with proper measure and installed sons as successors in accordance w ith the Way. If people serve you,my Lord,w ith slanders and flattery,then they are not qualified to be charged w ith responsibility and trust. But now you,my Lord,make use of the advice of slanderers and you pay heed to the words of those who create disorder,deposing the elder and appointing the younger. I fear that in the future,there w ill be people who w ill use your m istakes,my Lord,to support their ow n perversities. They w ill depose your younger son and reappoint your elder in order to attain profit for themselves. M y Lord,you should give this your careful consideration.”

The Duke,however,paid him no heed. A fter Duke Jing’s death,the Tian^[4] clan killed Lord Tu and reinstalled Yang Sheng. They then killed Yang Sheng and installed Duke Jian as his successor. They then killed Duke Jian and seized control of the state of Qi.

注释

[1]Item–1.11 [11] ↔ Chunqiu Gongyangzhuan 春秋公羊传,12.6.8/153/22.

[2]A minor state in the Chunqiu period located in present-day Shandong.

[3]Om it ru 孺 (JS,40/4).

[4]YZCQ’s “Tian lineage” (田氏) is identical w ith the Zuozhuan’s “Chen lineage” (陈氏). For a discussion of the interchangeability of these two lineages’ names,see Legge,V,840. See also Item 4.17 [97].