1.2 [2] 景公饮酒酣愿诸大夫无为礼晏子谏

齐景公饮酒兴起希望诸位大夫不在乎礼法，晏子进谏

【原文】

景公饮酒酣，曰：“今日愿与诸大夫为乐饮，请无为礼。”晏子蹴然改容曰：“君之言过矣！群臣固欲君之无礼也。力多足以胜其长，勇多足以弑君，而礼不使也。禽兽（矣）〔以〕力为政，强者犯弱，故（曰）〔日〕日易主；今君去礼，则是禽兽也。群臣以力为政，强者犯弱，而日易主，君将安立矣！凡人之所以贵于禽兽者，以有礼也；故《诗》曰：‘人而无礼，胡不遄死！’礼不可无也。”公湎而不听。少间，公出，晏子不起，公入，不起；交举则先饮。公怒，色变，抑手疾视曰：“向者夫子之教寡人无礼之不可也，寡人出入不起，交举则先饮，礼也？”晏子避席再拜稽首而请曰：“婴敢与君言而忘之乎？臣以致无礼之实也。君若欲无礼，此是已！”公曰：“（若）〔善〕。是孤之罪也。夫子就席，寡人闻命矣。”觞三行，遂罢酒。盖是后也，饬法修礼以治国政，而百姓肃也。

【今译】

齐景公和大臣们喝酒喝到高兴的时候说：“今天我想和各位大夫开怀畅饮，请不必在乎礼法。”晏子听后脸色一变，道：“您这话说得不对。大臣们固然希望君主不拘礼法。力气大的人足以胜过他的长辈，勇猛的人足以弑杀他的君主，但礼法（的存在）使他们不能这样做。禽兽以勇力为政教，强者侵犯弱者，所以每天都在更新首领；现在您抛弃礼法，就是禽兽（的行为）了。（倘若）大臣们以勇力为政教，强者侵犯弱者，每天变换国君，那您将置身何地呢！人之所以比禽兽高贵，就是因为人有礼法；所以《诗经》说：‘人而无礼，胡不遄死！’礼法是不可以抛弃的。”齐景公背过身去不听（晏子的话）。过了一会儿，齐景公起身出去，晏子不站起来；景公回来，晏子也不站起来；（景公和群臣）相互举杯的时候晏子先把酒喝掉。景公很生气，脸色变得很难看，按住手瞪着晏子说：“以前您教我不能不重视礼法，（现在）我出入您不起身，共饮时您先我而饮，（这难道是）礼法吗？”晏子站起来离开座席，拜了两拜，叩首（对景公）恭敬地说：“我怎么敢把和您说过的话忘记呢？我只是想表达抛弃礼法之后的结果。您如果想抛弃礼法，结果就是这样！”景公说：“您说得对，这是我的过失。请您回到座位上，我听您的建议就是了。”酒过三巡，（景公）于是就结束宴饮。从此以后，（景公）整顿法纪、治理国家，百姓也恭敬守礼了。

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]

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注释

[1]For a detailed discussion of the concept of Li 礼 (“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 韩诗外传,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 诗经,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.