3.11 [61] 景公問古之盛君其行如何晏子對以問道者更正

齊景公問古時候的圣明君主的德行是什么樣的，晏子回答說詢問道義的人都改行正道

【原文】

景公問晏子曰：“古之盛君，其行如何？”晏子對曰：“薄于身而厚于民，約于身而廣于世；其處上也，足以明政行教，不以威天下；其取財也，權(quán)有無，均貧富，不以養(yǎng)嗜欲；誅不避貴，賞不遺賤；不淫于樂，不遁于哀；盡智導民而不伐焉，勞力（歲事）〔事民〕而不責焉；（為）政尚相利，故下不以相害〔為〕行；教尚相愛，故民不以相惡為名。刑罰中于法，廢罪順于民。是以賢者處上而不華，不肖者處下而不怨，四海之內(nèi)，社稷之中，粒食之民，一意同欲。若夫私家之政，生有〔厚利〕，〔死有〕遺教，此盛君之行也。”（公不圖），晏子曰：“臣聞問道者更正，聞道者更容。今君稅斂重，故民心離；市買悖，故（啇）〔商〕旅絕；玩好充，故家貨殫。積邪在于上，蓄怨藏于民，嗜欲備于側(cè)，毀非滿于國，而公不圖。”公曰：“善。”于是令玩好不御，公市不豫，宮室不飾，業(yè)土不成，止役輕稅，上下行之，而百姓相親。

【今譯】

齊景公問晏子說：“古時候的圣君，他們的行為是什么樣的？”晏子回答說：“他們薄待自己但厚待百姓，約束自身但寬待天下；他們居于國君之位，足以澄明政治推行教化，不用靠武力威懾天下；他們征收財物，權(quán)衡有無，均勻貧富，不以此滿足自己的嗜好和欲望；誅罰不避權(quán)貴，恩賞不忘貧賤；不過度沉迷于享樂，不過分沉浸于哀痛；竭盡智慧教導百姓而不自我夸耀，勞心費力治理百姓而不胡亂責罰；治國理政崇尚互利，因此百姓之間以不相互損害為行為準則；推行教化崇尚相愛，因此百姓之間不以惡名相加。刑罰適度而且符合法律，廢刑和問罪都要順應民意。因此賢能的人居于上層而不嘩眾取寵，沒有才能的人居于下層而沒有怨言，四海之內(nèi)，全國之中，平民百姓同心同德。像這樣仿佛處理家事的政事，活著的時候?qū)Π傩沼泻窭篮筮€遺留下教化，這就是圣君的德行。”（景公不想這樣做）晏子說：“我聽聞詢問道義的人是要更改正道，聽到道義的人要更改儀容。現(xiàn)在您賦稅聚斂過重，因此民心離散；買賣貿(mào)易混亂，因此商旅斷絕；國君的玩好之物充盈，因此百姓家中財貨竭盡。邪僻累積隱藏于朝堂，怨恨滋生隱藏于民間，嗜欲之物放在身邊，誹謗非議遍布全國，而您卻不去考慮。”景公說：“好。”于是下令玩好之物不再使用，市場貿(mào)易不許欺詐，宮室不再裝飾，未完成的工程不再修建，停止勞役減輕稅賦，上下一起行動，而百姓相親相愛。

Duke Jing queried Yanzi as follows: “What characterized the conduct of the great rulers of ancient times?”

Yanzi replied: “They restricted themselves,but were generous to the people. As for themselves,they were restrained,but towards the world,they were generous. In their position as superiors,they were fit to practice enlightened rule and moral instructions. They did not use their position to intimidate the world. In collecting money and goods,they balanced the weight of the haves and the have-nots; they treated the poor and the rich w ith equity; and they did not use their positions to indulge their own desires. When they applied punishments,they did not shy away from the nobles,and when they gave rewards,they did not neglect the low ly. They were not extravagant in their pleasures,and they did not get mired in grief. They used their w isdom to the fullest in guiding the people,but they were not boastful in doing so. They worked extremely hard to serve the people and did not find fault w ith them. Their government promoted mutual benefit; therefore,their subjects did not consider mutual harm to be acceptable conduct. Their m oral teaching promoted mutual love; therefore,the people did not regard mutual hatred as a way to gain fame. Punishments followed the law precisely,and dismissals and indictments were made in accordance w ith the circumstances of the people. Therefore,the worthy occupied superior positions w ithout ostentation,and the unworthy occupied inferior positions w ithout resentment. Within the Four Seas and the domain of the altars of soil and grain,the people who lived on grain^[2] shared a common purpose and identical desires. This was like the managing of a private family: during their lifetime,they had large benefits; when they died,they left their moral teaching. Such was the conduct of the mighty rulers. I have heard that those who ask about the Way change their hearts,^[3] and those who hear about the Way change their countenance. But now,your tax collections,my Lord,are heavy; therefore,the hearts of the people turn away from you. Market conditions are adverse,and therefore tradesmen and traveling merchants abandon you. Fine things and precious objects abound,and therefore the wealth of households is exhausted. Those in superior positions amass w ickedness,and the people horde up resentments. You have all that you desire w ithin your palace,while slander and defamation spread throughout your capital,yet you still do not try to resolve all this.”

The Duke said: “Well argued.”

Thereupon,he prohibited the carrying of fine things and precious objects,inflated prices in the market,decoration of palaces,and completion of the earthworks for construction. He stopped compulsory labor and lowered taxes. Superiors and inferiors followed these decrees,and the people felt kinship w ith one another.

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注釋

[1]正→心 (JS,206/13).

[2]I.e.,the Chinese,as opposed to tribes surrounding China.

[3]正→心 (JS,206/13).