2.25 [50] 景公登射思得勇力〔士〕与之图国晏子谏

齐景公举行大射礼想要得到勇武有力的猛士和他们谋划国家大事，晏子进谏

【原文】

景公登射，晏子修礼而侍。公曰：“选射之礼，寡人厌之矣！吾欲得天（勇下）〔下勇〕士，与之图国。”晏子对曰：“君子无礼，是庶人也；庶人无礼，是禽兽也。夫〔臣〕勇多则弒其君，〔子〕力多则杀其长，然而不敢者，维礼之谓也。礼者，所以御民也；辔者，所以御马也。无礼而能治国家者，婴未之闻也。”景公曰：“善。”乃饰射更席，以为上客，终日问礼。

【今译】

齐景公举行大射礼，晏子按照大射礼的规定做好了准备等待景公。景公说：“选射的礼节，我早已厌倦了！我想得到天下的勇士，和他们共同谋划国家大事。”晏子回答道：“君子不遵守礼仪，就成了平民百姓；百姓不遵守礼仪，就成了禽兽。臣下勇武太盛就会弑杀君主，年轻人力量太大就会杀戮尊长，然而他们之所以不敢这样做，就是因为有礼仪啊。礼仪是用来控御百姓的，辔头是用来控御马匹的。不讲礼仪而能治理好国家的，我没有听说过。”景公说：“好。”于是郑重参加大射礼，改变了晏子的座席，将其奉为上宾，整天询问礼仪的事。

Duke Jing practiced archery. Yanzi stood in attendance in full compliance of the rites.^[3]

The Duke said: “I find the process of selecting officers through archery rites tedious. What I want is to recruit courageous officers of the realm and to plan w ith them the affairs of state.”

Yanzi replied: “A gentleman devoid of the rites is nothing more than a commoner. In the absence of the rites,a commoner is nothing more than a w ild beast.^[4] If ministers are excessively courageous,they commit regicide; if children are excessively strong,they kill their elders. Only what we know as the rites prevents them from daring to do so. The rites are the means by which the people are held in check. Reins are the means by which horses are held in check.^[5] I have never heard of someone devoid of the rites who was able to put his state into good order.”

Duke Jing said: “Well argued.” Thereupon,he applied himself to the rectification of A rchery Rites.^[6] He rearranged the order of m ats so as to give Yanzi the most honorable seat,and throughout the whole day he posed questions about the Archery Rites.

注释

[1]登→得 (JS,171/2).

[2]Item 2.25 [50] ↔ Shuoyuan,19.6/161/23.

[3]For a list of the archery Rites,see Liji,47.1-12/170-172; Yili,仪礼,7/36/20.

[4]An almost identical statement appears in Item 1.2 [2].

[5]Cf. Kongcongzi 孔丛子,2.1/8/22.

[6]饰→饬 (YZCQ-ICS,21,n. 4).