1.5 [5] 景公飲酒不恤天災致能歌者晏子諫

齊景公飲酒作樂不撫恤遭受天災的百姓而羅致能歌善舞的人，晏子進諫

【原文】

景公之時，霖雨十有七日。公飲酒，日夜相繼。晏子請發粟于民，三請，不見許。公命柏遽巡國，致能歌者。晏子聞之，不說，遂分家粟于氓，致任器于陌，徒行見公曰：“〔霖雨〕十有七日矣?。☉褜殻矇氖摇赤l有數十，饑氓里有數家，百姓老弱，凍寒不得短褐，饑餓不得糟糠，敝撤無走，四顧無告。而君不恤，日夜飲酒，令國致樂不已，馬食府粟，狗饜芻豢，三保之妾，俱足（梁）〔粱〕肉。狗馬保妾，不已厚乎？民氓百姓，不亦薄乎？故里窮而無告，無樂有上矣；饑餓而無告，無樂有君矣。嬰奉數之?，以隨百官之吏，民饑餓窮約而無告，使上淫湎失本而不恤，嬰之罪大矣?！痹侔莼?，請身而去，遂走而出。公從之，兼于涂而不能逮，令趣駕追晏子，其家，不及。粟米盡于氓，任器存于陌，公驅及之康內。公下車從晏子曰：“寡人有罪，夫子倍棄不援，寡人不足以有約也，夫子不顧社稷百姓乎？愿夫子之幸存寡人，寡人請奉齊國之粟米財貨，委之百姓，多寡輕重，惟夫于之令。”遂拜于途。晏子乃返，命稟巡氓，家有布縷之本而絕食者，使有終月之委；絕本之家，使有期年之食，無委積之氓，與之薪橑，使足以畢霖雨。令柏巡氓，家室不能御者，予之金；巡求氓寡用（財乏）〔乏財〕者（死），三日而畢，后者若不用令之罪。公出舍，損肉撤酒，馬不食府粟，狗不食飦肉，辟拂嗛齊，酒徒減賜。三日，吏告畢上：貧氓萬七千家，用粟九十七萬鐘，薪橑萬三千乘；（懷寶）〔壞室〕二千七百家，用金三千。公然后就內退食，琴瑟不張，鐘鼓不陳。晏子請左右與可令歌舞足以留思虞者退之，辟拂三千，謝于下陳，人待三，士（侍）〔待〕四，出之關外也。

【今譯】

齊景公當政的時候，有一年連續下了十七天雨。景公夜以繼日地飲酒作樂。晏子請求把府庫的糧食分發給受災的百姓，請求了多次，也沒有獲得允許。景公命柏遽在全國巡視，網羅善于唱歌的人。晏子聽說后，很不高興，于是就把自己家中的糧食分給百姓，又把裝運糧食的器具放在路邊，自己步行著去見景公說：“（雨已經下了）十七天了！每個鄉都有數十家房屋損壞，每個里都有數家饑餓之民，年老體弱的百姓，寒冷中沒有粗布短衣可以御寒，饑餓中沒有糟糠之食可以充饑，腿腳不便不能行走的人，四處張望也沒有訴說苦難的地方。然而國君您不體恤百姓，日夜飲酒作樂，命令全國不停地網羅樂人，用府庫的糧食喂馬，用牛羊肉喂狗，后宮的姬妾都有充足的糧食和肉。（您）對待狗馬姬妾是不是太優厚了呢？對待百姓是不是太薄情了呢？鄉里的百姓貧窮無處申訴，就不會喜歡朝廷了；饑餓的百姓無處申訴，也就不會喜歡國君了。我是手捧簡策，百官跟隨的重臣，讓百姓饑餓貧困而無處申訴，讓國君沉湎酒色失去民心而不知體恤，我的罪過太大了。”（晏子說完）拜了兩拜叩首請求辭職，然后快步走出了宮門。景公趕忙去追，因為道路泥濘沒有追上，又命人駕車去追晏子，一直到他家也沒有追上。（景公）見晏子家的糧食已經全部分發給了百姓，裝運糧食的器具放在路邊。景公乘車在大路上追上了晏子，趕忙下車跟在晏子身后說：“我犯了大錯，以致您拋棄我不愿輔佐我，我沒有資格讓您屈尊，但是您不顧國家和百姓了嗎？希望您能留下來繼續輔佐我，我愿意把齊國的糧食和財富拿出來賑濟百姓，至于多少輕重，全都聽您的安排?！庇谑蔷肮诼飞衔侮套犹幚砭葹氖乱?。于是晏子返回朝廷，命令稟去巡視災民，（災民的）家中還有衣物只是斷了糧食的，就給他們一個月的糧食；衣食都斷了的人家，就給他們一年的糧食，沒有柴燒的災民，就給他們柴草，讓他們足以度過霖雨之災。又命令柏去巡視災民，（災民的）房屋不能遮風擋雨的，就給他們錢去修補；巡視中要尋找缺少財物的百姓，限三天內完成，超出時間就按不執行法令治罪。景公也離開后宮，減少肉食，撤去美酒，下令不許再用府庫的糧食喂馬，用肉類養狗，削減近臣的供給，減少酒徒的賞賜。三天期滿，巡視的官員完成任務向上匯報：受災的貧民一萬七千家，發放糧食九十七萬鐘，柴草一萬三千車；房屋損壞的百姓兩千七百家，資助修補花去三千金。景公聽完報告后回到宮中，下令降低飲食標準，不許撫琴弄瑟，敲擊鐘鼓。晏子請求將近侍和足以使景公留戀歌舞的人遣退，結果三千人被裁汰，姬妾三人，近臣四人，全部被遣出宮外。

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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注釋

[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]故鄉里窮約而無告→故里窮而無告 (JS,16/14).

[4]兼→溓 (JS,17/19).

[5]約→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]嗛齊→減資 (JS,20-22/38).

[8]Zhong 鐘,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.