1.24 [24] 景公欲诛骇鸟野人晏子谏

齐景公打算杀掉把鸟吓飞的乡下人，晏子进谏

【原文】

景公射鸟，野人骇之。公怒，令吏诛之。晏子曰：“野人不知也。臣闻赏无功谓之乱，罪不知谓之虐。两者，先王之禁也，以飞鸟犯先王之禁，不可！今君不明先王之制，而无仁义之心，是以从欲而轻诛。夫鸟兽，固人之（飬）〔养〕也，野人骇之，不亦宜乎？”公曰：“善！自今已（后）〔来〕，弛鸟兽之禁，无以苛民也。”

【今译】

景公射鸟时，一个乡下人把鸟吓飞了。景公很生气，命令官吏把这个人杀掉。晏子说：“这个乡下人不知道您在射鸟啊。我听说赏赐无功的人叫作乱，惩罚不知情的人叫作虐。这两件事都是先王禁止去做的，因为射鸟的缘故去触犯先王的禁令，这是不可以的！现在您既不明悉先王的制度，也没有慈爱百姓的仁义之心，所以放纵欲望轻易杀人。鸟兽本来就是人豢养的，乡下人把它吓飞了，不也是很正常的事吗？”景公说：“好！从今以后解除捕杀鸟兽的禁令，不要因此而苛待百姓。”

Duke Jing was shooting birds when a peasant frightened them away. The Duke was furious and ordered an official to execute him.

Yanzi said: “The peasant is ignorant. I have heard that to reward those w ithout merit is called ‘fomenting disorder’ and to punish the ignorant is called ‘tyrannical oppression.’ Both were prohibited by the former kings. It would not be right to transgress the prohibitions of the former kings simply because of birds. But now you,my Lord,fail to understand the regulations of the former kings and you lack the mind of humaneness and righteousness. For this reason,you indulge your desires and you execute capriciously. As for birds and animals,people certainly depend on them for support; so was it not fitting that the peasant frightened them away?”

The Duke said: “Well argued. From now on,the prohibition regarding birds and animals should be relaxed,eliminating the need to be harsh to the people.”