1.21 [21] 景公异荧惑守虚而不去晏子谏

齐景公惊异火星出现在虚宿而不离去，晏子进谏

【原文】

景公之时，荧惑守于虚，期年不去。公异之，召晏子而问曰：“吾闻之，人行善者天赏之，行不善者天殃之。荧惑，天罚也，今留虚，其孰当之？”晏子曰：“齐当之。”公不说，曰：“天下大国十二，皆曰诸侯，齐独何以当〔之〕？”晏子曰：“虚，齐野也。且天之下殃，固于富（疆）〔强〕。为善不用，出政不行；贤人使远，谗人反昌；百姓疾怨，自为祈祥；录录（疆）〔强〕食，进死何伤？是以列舍无次，变星有芒，荧惑回逆，孽星在旁，有贤不用，安得不亡？”公曰：“可去乎？”对曰：“可致者可去，不可致者不可去。”公曰：“寡人为之若何？”对曰：“盍去冤聚之狱，使反田矣；散百官之财，施之民矣；振孤寡而敬老人矣。夫若是者，百恶可去，何独是孽乎？”公曰：“善。”行之三月，而荧惑迁。

【今译】

齐景公当政的时候，有一年火星出现在虚宿旁，过了一年也不离去。景公觉得古怪，就召见晏子问道：“我听说，人做了善事上天就会给予奖赏，做了坏事上天就会降下灾祸。火星的出现，是上天降下惩罚的征兆，现在它留在虚宿，是谁要承受天降的灾祸呢？”晏子说：“是齐国。”景公很不高兴，说：“天下的大国足有十二个，都是一方诸侯，为什么偏偏是齐国承受天罚呢？”晏子说：“虚宿所在的星位对应着齐国的分野。而且上天降下的灾祸，本来就是针对为政不善而又自恃富强的国家的。为善政的不被重用，制定的政策得不到贯彻实施；贤良的人被疏远，奸佞小人反而仕途通达；百姓怨声载道，自己还在祈祷吉祥；整天忙着文过饰非，走上绝路又有什么值得悲伤？所以众星宿次序混乱，变星发出光芒，火星回溯逆行，灾星就在一旁，有贤良的人而不知重用，国家怎能不亡！”景公说：“有什么办法能让它离去吗？”晏子说：“凡是能招致的就能让它离去，不能招致的就不能让他离去。”景公说：“那我应该怎么办呢？”晏子回答道：“您为什么不平反冤假错案，让蒙冤的百姓回家种田；将百官聚敛的财物散发施舍给百姓；赈济孤寡而尊敬老人呢。如果能这样做，一切邪恶的事物都可以去除，何况这颗灾星呢？”景公说：“好。”（于是按晏子说的）实行了三个月，火星就离去了。

At the time of Duke Jing,Mars was stationed in Xu and for a whole year did not leave that position.

The Duke thought it odd,so he summoned Yanzi and asked: “I have heard that Heaven rewards people who do good and inflicts disaster upon those who do the opposite. Mars represents Heaven’s punishment,and since Mars is now stationed in Xu,who should be held accountable for that?”

Yanzi said: “Qi should be held accountable for it.”

The Duke was displeased and said: “There are twelve major states in the world,all of which are called the principalities. Why should Qi,in particular,be held accountable for it?”

Yanzi said: “Xu represents the celestial sphere of Qi.

Then,

Heaven sends down disasters,

they are certainly intended for the rich and powerful states.

Where people who do good are not employed,

and adopted administrative policies are not enforced.

The worthy are kept distant,

and slanderers,w rongly,prosper.

People hate,complain,

and pray for their own fortune.

The mediocre vigorously conceal^[3] their faults,

they could go to their death and no one would care.

Therefore,the various constellations are not in sequence,

and variable stars em it flashes of light.^[4]

Mars turns against its orbit,

and the inauspicious star^[5] still lingers.

The worthy are not employed;

how could destruction be avoided?”

The Duke said: “Can Mars be made to leave?”

Yanzi responded: “Something that can be made to come can also be made to go; something that cannot be made to come cannot be made to go either.”

The Duke said: “How should I deal with it?”

Yanzi answered: “You have to do away w ith the numerous unjust convictions and let the people return to their fields. Distribute the property of all officials and give it as charity to the people. Give money to the orphans and w idow s,and respect the old. Once you have accomplished this,all evils w ill be banished–let alone this inauspicious star,is this not so?”

The Duke said: “Well argued.” He practiced this for three months and then Mars moved away.

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注释

[1]Xu 虚 “Em ptiness,” the celestial sphere of Qi,is one of the tw enty-eight lunar mansions or constellations in ancient Chinese astronomy.

[2]The astronom ical phenomenon described in Item 1.21 [21] is known as a “stationary point.” It refers to a major planet that suddenly appears to be motionless in the night sky. This is caused by the relative motions between Earth and the planet. When a planet,such as Mars,is at near opposition,it is overtaken by Earth and then,because of its closeness to Earth,moves w ith higher relative velocity. Its normal direct motion seems to be temporarily retrograde,as if it were undergoing a loop or zigzag in the sky. The turning point between these motions,when the planet appears motionless against the star field,is known as a “stationary point.” In ancient China,stationary points were called ju 居,liu 留,su 宿 or shou 守. See Needham,ibid,p. 399. The Lüshi chunqiu,6.4/31/20,the Xinxu,4.27/23/25,and the Lunheng,17/54/13,records a sim ilar episode in w hich M ars w as stationed in the lunar mansion of Xin 心–“Heart,” the celestial sphere of Song,and thereby aroused the same negative reaction from the Duke of Song.

[3]食→ 饰 (JS,67/12).

[4]“Variable stars” (变星) are stars whose brightness as seen from Earth fluctuate.

[5]Mars,the inauspicious planet.