3.10 [60] 景公问欲令祝史求福晏子病以常辞罪而无求

齐景公打算让祝史祈求福运询问晏子的意见，晏子诟病这种做法，劝景公平常多向神灵谢罪不要祈求福运

【原文】

景公问晏子曰：“寡人意气衰，身病甚。今吾欲具珪（璋）〔璧〕牺牲，令祝宗荐之乎上帝宗（朝）〔庙〕，意者礼可以干福乎？”晏子对曰：“婴闻之，古者先君之干福也，政必合乎民，行必顺乎神；节宫室，不敢大斩伐，〔以〕无逼山林；节饮食，无多畋渔，以无逼川泽；祝宗用事，辞罪而不敢有所求也。是以神民俱顺，而山川纳禄。今君政反乎民，而行悖乎神；大宫室，多斩伐，以逼山林；羡饮食，多畋渔，以逼川泽。是以民神俱怨，而山川〔收〕禄，司过荐罪，而祝宗祈福，意者逆乎！”公曰：“寡人非夫子无所闻此，请革心易行。”于是废公阜之游，止海食之献，斩伐者以时，畋渔者有数，居处饮食，节之勿羡，祝宗用事，辞罪而不敢有所求也。故邻国忌之，百姓亲之，晏子没而后衰。

【今译】

齐景公问晏子道：“我的精气神衰弱，身体病得很厉害。现在我想准备珪璧、牲畜等祭品，让祝宗用它祭祀上帝、宗庙，心中以为用礼可以求福吧？”晏子回答说：“我听闻，古时候的君王求福，政事一定合乎百姓的心愿，行为一定顺从神灵的意志；建造宫室要节俭，不敢大量砍伐树木，以免危害山林；饮食节制，不能过度渔猎，以免危害河流湖泊；祝宗祭祀的时候，只能向神灵谢罪而不敢有所祈求。因此神灵和百姓都很和顺，山林川泽送来福禄。现在您的政事违背百姓的心愿，行为违背神灵的意志；扩建宫室，大量砍伐树木，危害山林；饮食过于丰盛，大量渔猎，危害了河流和湖泊。因此百姓和神灵都心怀怨恨，山林川泽收回福禄，司过之官向神灵告罪，而祝宗又来祈福，恐怕相互矛盾吧！”景公说：“没有您我就不会听到这些，请允许我洗心革面，改变行为。”于是废掉了去公阜游玩的计划，停止了海中食物的进献，按时砍伐树木，适度渔猎，宫室饮食都注重节约而不过多地要求，祝宗祭祀的时候，只是谢罪而不敢有所祈求。因此邻国忌惮，百姓亲附，晏子死后齐国才逐渐衰败。

Duke Jing queried Yanzi as follows: “M y w ill power and vitality are in decline,and I am physically very ill. Now I intend to prepare sacrificial animals,the gui jade baton and the bi jade disk,and assign the Invocator and the ancestral attendant to offer them to God on High and to the spirits in the ancestors’ temple. I hope that through this Rite,I may perhaps seek good fortune.”

Yanzi replied: “I have heard that in ancient times when our former rulers sought to gain good fortune,it was necessary for their government to be in accord w ith the people and to submit to the spirits in their conduct. They were frugal w ith their palaces and did not dare to cut trees excessively and thus avoided encroaching upon the mountain forests. They were sparing in their drinking and eating,and so excessive hunting and fishing did not take place; thus,they avoided encroaching on rivers and lakes. When the Invocator and the ancestral attendant performed their service,they would ask forgiveness for guilt and did not presume to ask for anything more. That is why both the spirits and the people acceded to them,and the mountains and rivers brought blessings. But now your government,my Lord,is directed against the people,and your conduct offends the spirits. Your palaces are vast,and you cut trees excessively and thereby encroach upon the mountain forests. You drink and eat gluttonously,and you hunt and fish excessively,thereby encroaching upon rivers and marshes. Therefore,both the people and the spirits resent you,and the mountains and rivers retract their blessings. The officer in charge of fault-finding proclaims your guilt,yet the Invocator and the ancestral attendant pray for good fortune—I suppose that this is contradictory,is it not?”

The Duke said: “Were it not for you,I would never have heard this. I would like to reform my heart and change my conduct.”

Thereupon,he canceled his excursion to Gong-fu^[3] and suspended the contributions of sea food.^[4] The forests were hewn in accord w ith the seasons,and hunting and fishing was limited to set quotas. Dwellings and eating and drinking were m odest,w ithout excess. When the invocator and the ancestral attendant performed their service,they asked forgiveness for guilt w ithout presum ing to ask for anything m ore. As a result,the neighboring states stood in awe of the Duke,and his people felt kinship to him. A fter Yanzi’s death,however,the state declined.

注释

[1]病→对 (JS,202/1).

[2]常→当 (JS,202/1).

[3]A recreation area of Duke Jing. See above 1.18.

[4]According to the Shuoyuan,1.40/10/4,Duke Jing received a fishing contribution and then loaded it on fifty carriages and gave it as a gift to Xian Zhang.