1.2 [2] 景公飲酒酣愿諸大夫無為禮晏子諫

齊景公飲酒興起希望諸位大夫不在乎禮法，晏子進諫

【原文】

景公飲酒酣，曰：“今日愿與諸大夫為樂飲，請無為禮。”晏子蹴然改容曰：“君之言過矣！群臣固欲君之無禮也。力多足以勝其長，勇多足以弒君，而禮不使也。禽獸（矣）〔以〕力為政，強者犯弱，故（曰）〔日〕日易主；今君去禮，則是禽獸也。群臣以力為政，強者犯弱，而日易主，君將安立矣！凡人之所以貴于禽獸者，以有禮也；故《詩》曰：‘人而無禮，胡不遄死！’禮不可無也。”公湎而不聽。少間，公出，晏子不起，公入，不起；交舉則先飲。公怒，色變，抑手疾視曰：“向者夫子之教寡人無禮之不可也，寡人出入不起，交舉則先飲，禮也？”晏子避席再拜稽首而請曰：“嬰敢與君言而忘之乎？臣以致無禮之實也。君若欲無禮，此是已！”公曰：“（若）〔善〕。是孤之罪也。夫子就席，寡人聞命矣。”觴三行，遂罷酒。蓋是后也，飭法修禮以治國政，而百姓肅也。

【今譯】

齊景公和大臣們喝酒喝到高興的時候說：“今天我想和各位大夫開懷暢飲，請不必在乎禮法。”晏子聽后臉色一變，道：“您這話說得不對。大臣們固然希望君主不拘禮法。力氣大的人足以勝過他的長輩，勇猛的人足以弒殺他的君主，但禮法（的存在）使他們不能這樣做。禽獸以勇力為政教，強者侵犯弱者，所以每天都在更新首領；現在您拋棄禮法，就是禽獸（的行為）了。（倘若）大臣們以勇力為政教，強者侵犯弱者，每天變換國君，那您將置身何地呢！人之所以比禽獸高貴，就是因為人有禮法；所以《詩經》說：‘人而無禮，胡不遄死！’禮法是不可以拋棄的。”齊景公背過身去不聽（晏子的話）。過了一會兒，齊景公起身出去，晏子不站起來；景公回來，晏子也不站起來；（景公和群臣）相互舉杯的時候晏子先把酒喝掉。景公很生氣，臉色變得很難看，按住手瞪著晏子說：“以前您教我不能不重視禮法，（現在）我出入您不起身，共飲時您先我而飲，（這難道是）禮法嗎？”晏子站起來離開座席，拜了兩拜，叩首（對景公）恭敬地說：“我怎么敢把和您說過的話忘記呢？我只是想表達拋棄禮法之后的結果。您如果想拋棄禮法，結果就是這樣！”景公說：“您說得對，這是我的過失。請您回到座位上，我聽您的建議就是了。”酒過三巡，（景公）于是就結束宴飲。從此以后，（景公）整頓法紀、治理國家，百姓也恭敬守禮了。

Duke Jing,in his cups,declared: “Today I w ish to enjoy myself drinking in the company of all my high officers. Let us therefore dispense w ith the rites.”^[3]

Yanzi squirmed,changed expression,and said: “My Lord,what you say is mistaken. A ll your ministers,in fact,w ish that you dispense w ith the rites. It would be easy enough for anyone w ith great strength to subdue his superior; it would be easy enough for anyone w ith great courage to commit regicide–but the rites prevent such occurrences. Wild beasts gain dominion by means of force; the strong assault the weak,and as a result,their leaders are replaced day after day. If you,my Lord,now dispense w ith the rites,then this situation will be akin to that of the w ild beasts.^[4] If all your ministers gain dominion by means of force,if the strong assault the weak and the leader is replaced day after day,how would you,my Lord,keep your position as a leader? It is a general principle that humans’ superiority over wild beasts derives from people’s possession of the rites. As it says in the Odes:

A man w ithout the rites,

Why should he not die quickly?^[5]

It is impossible to dispense w ith the rites.”

But the Duke steeped himself in w ine and paid no heed. Shortly afterwards,when the Duke left the room,Yanzi did not rise to his feet,and when the Duke returned to the room,once again Yanzi did not rise. Then,when they raised their goblets in a toast to each other,Yanzi was the first to drink.

The Duke was furious; he changed color,pressed his hands against the table,stared fiercely at Yanzi,and said: “A while ago you,Master,taught me that it would not be right for people to dispense w ith the rites. Nevertheless,when I left the room and when I reentered it,you did not rise. When we raised our goblets in a toast to each other,you were the first one to drink. A re these proper rites?”

Yanzi w ithdrew from his mat and bowed tw ice w ith his forehead touching the ground and addressed the Duke,saying: “Do you,my Lord,think that I would presume to forget what has been said during this audience? I merely wanted to show you what it would actually be like w ithout the rites. If you,my Lord,wish to dispense with the rites,then this is how things would be.”

The Duke said: “Well said; it is my fault. Return to your mat,Master,and I w ill receive your instruction.”

Three more rounds of drinking took place,and then no more drinks were served. From that day onwards,the Duke restored law and cultivated rites,thereby putting the governance of his state in order. And the people were reverential.^[6]

---

注釋

[1]For a detailed discussion of the concept of Li 禮 (“the rites”) in the YZCQ,see Masayuki Sato,The Confucian Quest for Order: The Origin and Formation of the Political Thought of Xun Zi. Sinica Leidensia 58. Leiden: Brill (2003): 211-217.

[2]Item 1.2 [2] ? 7.1 [171]; Hanshi waizhuan 韓詩外傳,9.8/66/20; Xinxu 新序6.7/33/30.

[3]For a discussion of the use of w ine in ritual and the attitudes towards w ine-drinking in ancient China,see Mu-chou Poo,“The Use and Abuse of Wine in Ancient China.”Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 42.2 (1999): 123-51; Roel Sterckx,ed. O f Tripod and Palate: Food,Politics,and Religion in Traditional China. New York: Palgrave M acm illan (2005): passim.

[4]For a sim ilar gloomy picture of a state completely devoid of rites cf. Mencius,7.1/36/6.

[5]Shijing 詩經,52/24/9.

[6]This is the first of several consecutive item s that deal w ith the devastating consequences of Duke Jing’s excessive drinking,amusements,and pleasureseeking in general. It is also the first among many similar instances described in the text–instances in w hich Yanzi,through the use of his practical w isdom involving psychological manipulation,theatrical gestures,w ily arguments,and even blunt cheating,causes Duke Jing and the others who disagree to lose their arguments and fail to realize their intentions.