3.7 [57] 景公问欲如桓公用管仲以成霸业晏子对以不能

齐景公打算像桓公重用管仲那样重用晏子以成就王霸之业，晏子回答说不可以

【原文】

景公问晏子曰：“昔吾先君桓公，有管仲夷吾保（义）〔乂〕齐国，能遂武功而立文德，（糺）〔纠〕合兄弟，抚存（翌）〔冀〕州，吴越受令，荆楚惛忧，莫不宾服，勤于周室，天子加德。先君昭功，管子之力也。今寡人亦欲存齐国之政于夫子，夫子以佐佑寡人，彰先君之功烈，而继管子之业。”晏子对曰：“昔吾先君桓公，能任用贤，固有什伍，治遍细民，贵不凌贱，富不傲贫，功不遗罢，佞不吐愚，举事不私，听狱不阿，内妾无羡食，外臣无羡禄，鳏寡无饥色；不以饮食之辟害民之财，不以宫室之侈劳人之力；节（耴）〔取〕于民，而普施之，府无藏，仓无粟，上无骄行，下无（謟）〔谄〕德。是以管子能以齐国免于难，而以吾先君参乎天子。今君欲彰先君之功烈，而继管子之业，则无以多辟伤百姓，无以嗜欲玩好怨诸侯，臣孰敢不承善尽力，以顺君意？今君疏远贤人，而任谗谀；使民若不胜，藉敛若不得；厚（耴）〔取〕于民，而薄其施，多求于诸侯，而轻其礼；府藏朽蠹，而礼悖于诸侯，菽粟藏深，而怨积于百姓；君臣交恶，而政刑无常。臣恐国之危失，而公不得享也。又恶能彰先君之功烈而继管子之业乎！”

【今译】

齐景公问晏子道：“以前我们先代的国君桓公，有管仲辅佐治理齐国，能够通过武力建功立业也能通过文治建立德政，联合诸侯，安抚保有冀州，吴国越国都接受他的号令，楚国感到恐惧，诸侯们无不服从归顺，尽力效忠周王室，因此周天子嘉奖他的德行。先君桓公建立显赫的功业，全靠管仲的力量啊。现在我想把齐国的国政交给您，请您辅佐我，以发扬先君的功德，继承管仲的事业。”晏子回答说：“以前我们的先君桓公，能够选贤任能，国家有什五的管理体制，治理遍及百姓，身份尊贵的人不欺凌身份卑贱的人，富有的人不轻视贫穷的人，有功的人不谴责无功的人，有才的人不唾弃愚笨的人，办事不徇私情，断案公平公正，宫内的姬妾没有多余的食物，外朝的臣子没有多余的俸禄，鳏夫寡妇也没有饥饿的面色；先君不因饮食上的偏好损害百姓的财物，不因宫室的奢侈加重百姓的劳役；向百姓索取的少，而普遍施恩于百姓，府库中没有储藏，仓库中也没有粮食，君上没有骄傲的言行，臣下也没有谗佞的品质。因此管仲能让齐国避免灾祸，让先君桓公参决于天子。现在您想发扬先君的功德，继承管仲的事业，那就不要用太多的偏好去损伤百姓，不要放纵欲望纵情享乐和诸侯结怨，大臣们谁敢不秉持为善的理念尽力把事情做好，来顺从君王的心意呢？现在您疏远贤人，而任用谄谀之人；役使百姓唯恐不多，聚敛财物唯恐不得；向百姓索取的太多，而施恩太少，向诸侯们索取的太多，而轻视对他们的礼敬；府库里储藏的东西朽坏生了蛀虫，和诸侯们交往违背了礼仪，粮食储藏了很多，而在百姓中积蓄了怨恨；君臣之间互相怀恨，而政令刑律变化无常。我怕国家有覆亡的危险，而您也不能享有国君之位。又怎么能发扬先君的功德而继承管仲的事业呢！”

Duke Jing queried Yanzi as follow s: “In the past,our form er ruler Duke Huan had Guan Zhong,also known as Yi-wu,^[1] to protect and regulate the state of Qi,and so eventually he was able to achieve military success and establish civil virtues. He allied w ith the fraternal regional princes,^[2] pacifying and protecting Ji Zhou.^[3] Wu and Yue obeyed his orders,and Jing-Chu^[4] dreaded him. A ll obeyed him. He was sedulous in the service to the house of Zhou and the Son of Heaven granted him favor. The brilliant achievements of our former ruler resulted from the strength of Guanzi. Now I too want to entrust the government of Qi to you,Master,so that you,my Master,may help me to display our former ruler’s achievements and continue the enterprise of Guanzi.”

Yanzi replied: “In the past,our former ruler Duke Huan was able to employ the worthy and entrust responsibility to them,and so the state^[5] had the ten and five household divisions.^[6] The adm inistration w as all-inclusive,reaching the common people. The nobles did not hum iliate the low ly,and the rich were not haughty towards the poor. Those w ith accomplishments did not reprimand^[7] the weary,and the eloquent did not scold the foolish. Official undertakings were free of personal preferences,and lawsuits were heard w ithout favoritism. Concubines w ithin the palace did not enjoy expensively abundant food,and ministers outside the palace did not enjoy over-generous,abundant emoluments. Widows and w idowers did not did not have famished faces. The people’s property was not harmed by the m isappropriation of food and drink,and the people’s strength was not exhausted w ith extravagant palaces. He was moderate in taking from the people and bestowed favors extensively. Nothing was hoarded in the warehouses,and grain was not stored in the granaries. Superiors did not exhibit arrogant conduct,and inferiors avoided sycophancy. This is why Guanzi was able to keep the state of Qi free of disasters and allowed our former ruler to take part in the Son of Heaven’s rule. Now if you,M y Lord,want to manifest the achievements of our former ruler and carry on the enterprises of Guanzi,then you should not harm the people w ith your great profligacy,and you should not provoke resentment among the regional princes w ith your desire for fine things and precious objects; and who then,among your ministers,would dare not accept your goodness and not exhaust his strength in order to follow your will? But now you,my Lord,distance yourself from the worthy,and you employ slanderers and flatterers. You over use the people so much that they cannot bear it,and you collect such high taxes that they cannot afford them. You take a great deal from the people,but bestow very little upon them. You demand much from the regional princes,but you think little of the rites due to them. The stores in your warehouse are spoiled by insects,and your attitude to the regional princes is contrary to the rites. Beans and m illet are stored and hidden away, while resentment mounts up among the people. The ruler and his ministers hate each other,and administration and punishments are inconsistent. I fear that the state w ill be endangered and fall to ruin and that you w ill not be able to take pleasure in it. How,then,are you able to manifest our former ruler’s achievements and continue the enterprise of Guanzi?”

注释

[1]I.e.,Guan Zhong. Yiwu was the courtesy name (字) of Guan Zhong.

[2]I.e.,the “princes” (诸侯). The Zuozhuan,B5. 26.3/10723,reads: 桓公是以纠合诸侯 (“For this reason Duke Huan called in the princes”).

[3]Ji Zhou—the Ji Province—located between the two parts of the Yellow River (Lüshi chunqiu,13.1/63/5),which refers to the region that covers the central plains of ancient China.

[4]Jing—荆 was the older name of the state of Chu—楚.

[5]固→国 (YZCQ-ICS,23,n. 5).

[6]For a description of this organizational structure of villages into groups of ten and five households,see Guanzi,1.4/8/7; A llyn W. Rickett,tr. Guanzi: Political,Economic,and Philosophical Essays from Early China. vol. 1,Princeton Library of Asian Translations,Princeton (1985): 103.

[7]遗→遣 (YZCQ-ICS,23,n. 7).