3.9 [59] 景公問治國何患晏子對以社鼠猛狗

齊景公問治理國家憂患的是什么，晏子回答說土地廟里的老鼠和兇猛的狗

【原文】

景公問于晏子曰：“治國〔何〕患？”晏子對曰：“患夫社鼠。”公曰：“何謂也？”對曰：“夫社，束木而涂之，鼠因往托焉，熏之則恐燒其木，灌之則恐敗其途，此鼠所以不可得殺者，以社故也。夫國亦有焉，人主左右是也。內則蔽善惡于君上，外則賣權重于百姓，不誅之則為亂，誅之則為人主所案據，腹而有之，此亦國之社鼠也。人有酤酒者，為器甚潔清，置表甚長，而酒酸不售，問之里人其故，里人云：‘公（狗之）〔之狗〕猛，人挈器而入，且酤公酒，狗迎而噬之，此酒所以酸而不售也。’夫國亦有猛狗，用事者是也。有道術之士，欲干萬乘之主，而用事者迎而龁之，此亦國之猛狗也。左右為社鼠，用事者為猛狗，（主安得無壅），（國安得無患乎）？〔則道術之士不得用矣〕，〔此治國之所患也〕。”

【今譯】

齊景公問晏子說：“治理國家的人憂患什么？”晏子回答說：“憂患是藏身于土地廟中的老鼠。”景公說：“為什么這樣說呢？”晏子回答說：“土地廟是用捆綁好的木材涂抹上泥土修成的，老鼠藏身在其中，用火熏烤怕燒毀木材，用水澆灌又怕沖毀泥土，這些老鼠之所以不能被殺死，就是因為土地廟的緣故。國家也有這種老鼠，就是國君左右的近臣。他們對內混淆善惡，蒙蔽國君，對外玩弄威權，欺壓百姓，不誅殺他們國家就會混亂，誅殺他們國君又堅持不從，或平反其獄以宥其辜，這些人就是國家的社鼠。有個賣酒的人，他用來裝酒的器皿非常整潔，店鋪外掛著高高的酒幌，但他的酒放酸了也賣不出去，他問鄉里的人這是什么原因，鄉里人說：‘你養的狗太兇猛，別人拿著酒器進了你的店，要買你的酒，你的狗迎面沖上來就咬人，這就是酒放酸了也賣不出去的原因。’國家也有兇猛的狗，就是那些當權的人。懂得治國方略的人，想要見萬乘之國的國君，但這些人迎上來就咬人，他們就是國家的猛狗。國君左右的近臣是社鼠，當權的人是猛狗，懂得治國方略的人得不到任用，這就是治理國家的憂患。”

Duke Jing queried Yanzi as follows: “What should one be concerned about in governing the state?”

Yanzi replied: “One should be concerned about the rats in the A ltar of the Soil.”

The Duke said: “What do you mean?”

Yanzi replied: “The A ltar of the Soil consists of pieces of wood that are tied together and plastered. Hence,rats can go inside and find shelter in it. If you wanted to smoke them out,there would be the fear of setting the A ltar’s wood on fire. If you flooded them out,there would be the fear of damaging its plaster.^[2] That is why these rats cannot be killed for the sake of the Altar of the Soil. States also have rats,which are the entourage surrounding the ruler. Internally,they conceal good and evil from their rulers; externally,they sell their excess power to the people.^[3] If you do not punish them,they w ill w reak havoc; if you punish them,then they are given shelter by the ruler,who fosters and preserves them. These are the altar rats of the state.

There was a wine merchant who cleaned his w ine container thoroughly and set up a very long banner,but the w ine did not sell and it soured. He asked the people of his village why this was,and they said: ‘Your dog,sir,is ferocious; when people enter your shop with containers to buy your w ine, your dog comes out and bites them. This is why your w ine soured and did not sell.’ States,too,have ferocious dogs—these are the functionaries. Officers who practice the arts of the Way seek out a ruler of ten-thousand chariots,but the functionaries come out and bite them. These,too,are the ferocious dogs of the state. When the entourage is composed of rats of the A ltar of the Soil and the functionaries are ‘ferocious dogs,’ then officers practicing the arts of the way of ruling are not put to good use. These are a source of concern w ith regard to putting the state in order.”

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注釋

[1]Item 3.9 [59] ? Hanshi waizhuan 7.9/51/21. In the parallel texts of the Shuoyuan,7.35/54/22 and Hanfeizi,34/103/3-13,this dialogue takes place between Duke Huan and Guan Zhong.

[2]途→塗 (YZCQ-ICS,24,n. 5).

[3]The Hanshi waizhuan,7.9/51/23,has: 賣君以要利 “They sell you,my Lord,for profit.”