【Original text】
候使晏婴请继室于晋(1)
The envoy Yan Ying invites his successor to the Jin Dynasty (1)
既成昏②，晏子受礼，叔向从之宴，相与语。叔向曰：“ 其 何如？”晏子曰：“此季世也③，吾弗知。 其为陈氏矣(4)。公弃其 民，而归于陈氏。 旧四量：豆、区、釜、钟(5)。四升为豆，各自 其四(6)，以登于釜(7)，釜十则钟。陈氏三量皆登一焉(8)，钟乃大矣(9)。 以家量贷，而以公量收之(10)。山木如市，弗加于山；鱼盐蜃蛤(11)，弗 加于海。民三其力(12)，二人于公，而衣食其一。公聚朽蠹(13)，而三 老冻馁(14)。国之诸市，履贱踊贵(15)。民人痛疾，而或燠休之(16)，其爱 之如父母，而归之如流水(17)。欲无获民，将焉辟之？箕伯、直柄、 虞遂、伯戏，其相胡公、大姬(18)”，已在 矣(19)！”
When it was dark, Yanzi received the ceremony, and his uncle and his uncle held a banquet and talked to each other. Shuxiang said: "How is it?" Yanzi said: "I don't know this season. It is the Chen family (4). The Duke abandoned his people and returned to the Chen family. The old four measures: beans, quarters, cauldrons, and bells (5). Four liters are beans, each of which is a bean. The fourth (6) is to mount it on the cauldron (7), and the cauldron is ten bells. Chen's three measurements are all one Yan (8), and the bell is large (9). The mountain is like a city, and it is not added to the mountain; 加于海。民三其力(12)，二人于公，而衣食其一。公聚朽蠹(13)，而三 老冻馁(14)。国之诸市，履贱踊贵(15)。民人痛疾，而或燠休之(16)，其爱 之如父母，而归之如流水(17)。欲无获民，将焉辟之？箕伯、直柄、 Yu Sui and Bo Xi, their prime ministers Hu Gong and Da Ji (18) are already here (19)! "
叔向曰：“然。虽吾公室，今亦季世也。戎马不驾，卿无军行(20)； 公乘无人，卒列无长。庶民罢敝(21)，而公室滋侈。道处相望(22)，而 女富益九(23)。民闻公命，如逃寇仇。奕、邵、肯、原、狐、续、庆、 伯(24)，降在皂隶(25)。政在家门，民无所依。君日不悛(26)，以乐滔忧(27)。 公室之卑，其何日之有？《谗鼎之 》曰(28)：‘昧旦丕显(29)，后世犹 怠。’况日不悛，其能久乎？晏子曰：“子将若何？”叔向曰：“晋 之公族尽矣（30）。鹅闻之，公室将卑，其宗族枝叶先落(31)，则公从之。 鹅之宗十一族(32)，唯羊舌氏在而已。鹅又无子(33)，公室无度，幸而 得死，岂其获犯。”
Uncle Xiang said: "Yes. Although my official residence is here, I am still in the fourth generation. If there are no troops and horses, there will be no army marching (20); if there is no one in the public carriage, there will be no long queue of soldiers. The common people give up (21), while the public office is prosperous. They face each other on the road (22), and the female is rich and beneficial to the nine (23). When the people hear the public order, they are like fleeing from bandits. Yi, Shao, Ken, Yuan, Hu, Xu, Qing, Bo (24), descended to Zaoli (25). The government is at home, and the people have no one to rely on. You are not timid in your days (26), and you are filled with joy and sorrow (27). When did the humiliation of the public office exist? "The Slanderous Cauldron" says (28): "Ignorant of Dan Pi Xian (29), future generations will still be lazy." ’ How long will it last if the sun keeps growing? Yanzi said: "What will happen to the son-general?" Shu Xiang said: "The princes of Jin are all gone (30). When Goose hears this, the prince will be humbled, and the branches and leaves of his clan will fall first (31), so the prince will follow him. Of the eleven clans of Goose (32), only the Yangtou family is still alive. Goose has no sons (33), and the prince's family is unworthy, but he is lucky enough to die, so how can he be offended."
【注释】
【Note】
① 侯：即 景公，名杵臼。晏婴： 国大夫，字平仲。继室：续娶。 ②成昏：定婚。③季世；末世，末代。(4)陈氏：指 国人夫陈 完的后代宗族。⑤豆、区(ou)、釜、钟： 国的四种量器。(6)各自 其四；各用自身的四倍。(7)登；成，升进。(8)登一：加一，指由四进位 增加为五进位。(9)钟乃大矣；指钟的增加不止一个 旧量（一釜）。 (10)家量：私家用的量器。公量： 侯的量器。(11)蜃蛤(shen ge)：蛤蜊， 这里指代海产品。(12)三：分成三分。力：指劳动所得。(13)聚：聚敛 的财物。朽蠹(du)：腐烂生虫。(14)三老：泛指老人。馁：饥饿。(15) 踊：假腿。古时受过别刖刑的人所穿。(16)或；有人。燠休(yu xu)：安抚病痛的声音。(17)如流水：像水流动一样自然迅速。(18)箕伯、直柄、虞 遂、伯戏：四人都是陈氏的祖先。胡公：以上四人的后代，陈国开国君主。大 姬：周武士的女儿，胡公的妃子。(19)已在 矣：指陈氏祖先已在 受祭 了。(20)公室：诸侯及其政权。军行(hang)：军队。(21)罢(bi)敝： 疲病。(22)殣(jin)：饿死的人。(23)女；指国君的宠妃。尤：多出。 (24)栾：栾枝。卻：卻缺。胥：胥臣。原：原轸，先轸。狐：狐偃。这五人 都是卿。续：续简伯。庆：庆郑。伯：伯宗。这三人都是大夫。(25)皂隶： 官府中的差役。(26)日：一天又一天。悛(quan)：悔改，改过。(27)慆 (tao)：隐藏，掩盖。(28)谗鼎：鼎的名称。 ： 文。(29)昧旦：黎 明。丕：大。显：明。(30)公族：与国君同姓的子弟。尽：完。(31)枝 叶先落：像枝叶一样首先坠落。(32)宗；同一父亲的家族。族：氏，宗以 下的各个分支。(33)无子：没有好儿子。
① Hou: That is Jinggong, whose name is Chujiu. Yan Ying: A state official with the courtesy name Pingzhong. Successor: continue to marry. ② Chengdu: Engagement. ③Ji Shi; Doomsday, the last generation. (4) Chen family: refers to the descendants of the Chinese husband Chen Wan. ⑤Dou, District (ou), cauldron, and bell: the four kinds of measuring utensils in China. (6) Each uses four times; each uses four times its own. (7) Deng; success, promotion. (8) Dengyi: Add one, which means increasing from four-carry to five-carry. (9) The bell is very big; it means that the bell is increased by more than one old amount (one cauldron). (10) Household measuring device: a measuring device for private use. Public quantity: Hou's measuring instrument. (11) Shen ge: clam, here refers to seafood. (12) Three: divided into three parts. Strength: refers to the income from labor. (13) Gathering: Gathering of property. rotten beetle (du): rotting insect. (14) Sanlao: generally refers to the elderly. Nie: Hungry. (15) Yun: prosthetic leg. In ancient times, it was worn by people who had been executed by others. (16) Or; someone. Lixiu (yu xu): a voice that soothes the sick. (17) Like flowing water: Like water flowing naturally and quickly. (18) Ji Bo, Zhi Ging, Yu Sui, and Bo Xi: all four are ancestors of the Chen family. Hu Gong: Descendants of the above four people, the founding monarch of the Chen Kingdom. Da Ji: The daughter of a Zhou warrior and the concubine of Duke Hu. (19) Already in: Refers to Chen’s ancestors already being sacrificed in. (20) Gongshi: princes and their political power.军行 (hang): army. (21) Stop (bi): Fatigue. (22) 殣(jin): People who starve to death. (23) Female; refers to the king’s favorite concubine. Especially: extra. (24) Luan: Luan Zhi. But: but lacking. Xu: Xu Chen. Original: Yuan Zhen, Xian Zhen. Fox: Fox Yan. These five people are all ministers. Continued: Continued by Uncle Jian. Qing: Qing Zheng. Bo: Bo Zong. These three are all doctors. (25) Zaoli: A servant in the government. (26) Day: day after day. Quan (quan): repent, change. (27)慆(tao): hide, cover up. (28) Slandered Ding: The name of Ding. : arts. (29) Medan: Dawn. Pi: Big. obvious. (30) Gong clan: children with the same surname as the monarch. Finished: Finished. (31) Branches and leaves fall first: Like branches and leaves, they fall first. (32) Zong; family with the same father. Clan: Clan, each branch below the clan. (33) Sonless: There is no good son.
【译文】
【Translation】
景公派晏婴请求晋国国君继续娶 国的女子
Jinggong sent Yan Ying to ask the king of Jin to continue marrying women from Jin.
订婚之后，晏婴接受了晋国的宴宾之礼。叔向陪他一起参加 宴饮，互相交谈起来。叔向说：“ 国怎么样了？”晏婴回答说： “现在是末代了，我不知道该怎么说。 国恐怕是陈氏的了。国君 抛弃他的百姓，使他们归附陈氏。 国原来有豆、区、釜、钟四 种量器。四升为一豆，各自以四进位，一直升到釜，十釜就是一 钟。陈氏的豆、区、釜三种量器，都加大了四分之一，钟的容量 就更大了。陈氏用私家的大量器借出粮食，而用公家的小量器收 回。山上的木材运到市场，价格不比山里高；鱼盐蛤蜊等海产品， 价格也不比海边高。百姓把劳动收入分成三分，两分归公家，一 分用来维持自己的衣食。国君聚敛的财物已腐烂生虫，老年人们 却挨冻受饿。国都的各个市场上，鞋价便宜而假腿昂贵。百姓有 了痛苦疾病，有人乘机去安抚。百姓拥戴陈氏如同父母一样，归 附陈氏像流水一样。想要陈氏不得到百姓拥戴，哪里能避得开？陈 氏远祖箕伯、直柄、虞遂、伯戏，他们随著胡公和大姬，恐怕已 经在 国接受祭祀了。”
After the engagement, Yan Ying accepted a banquet from the State of Jin. Uncle Xiang accompanied him to the banquet and started talking to each other. Shu Xiang asked: "How is the country doing?" Yan Ying replied: "Now is the last generation. I don't know what to say. The country probably belongs to the Chen family. The king abandoned his people and made them join the Chen family. The country originally had four measuring vessels: beans, quarters, cauldrons, and bells. Four liters are equal to one bean, and each is raised to the cauldron. Ten cauldrons are one. The bell. Chen's three measuring vessels, namely beans, area and cauldron, are all increased by a quarter, and the capacity of the bell is larger. Chen uses large private vessels to lend out grain, and uses small public vessels to take back. The price of wood from the mountains is not higher than that of the mountains; the price of fish, salt, clams and other seafood is not higher than that of the seaside. The people divide their labor income into three parts, and one part goes to the public. The wealth collected by the monarch is rotten and infested with insects, but the old people are suffering from cold and hunger. The people are suffering from pain and illness, and people take the opportunity to support Chen. The distant ancestors Ji Bo, Zhi Ging, Yu Sui and Bo Xi followed Hu Gong and Da Ji, and I am afraid they have already received sacrifices in the country. "
叔向说：“是的。就是我们的公室，现在也到了末世了。兵车 没有战马和人驾驭，国卿不率 军队；国君的战车左右没有好人 才，步兵队伍没有好长官。百姓疲病，但宫室更加奢侈。道路上 饿死的人随处可见，而宠姬家的财物多得装不下。百姓听到国君 的命令，就像逃避仇敌一样。栾、卻、胥、原、狐、续、庆、伯 这八个大家族的后人已经沦为低贱的吏役。政事由私家决定，百 姓无所依从。国君一天比一天不肯悔改，用行乐来掩盖忧愁。公 室的衰微，还能有几天？《谗鼎之 》说：‘天不亮就起来致力于 政绩显赫，子孙后代还是会懒散懈怠。’可况国君一天天不悔改， 国家能够长久吗？”晏子说：“您打算怎么办？”叔向说：“晋国的 公族全完了。我听说，公室快要衰微时，它的宗族就像树的枝叶 一样首先落下来，公室跟著就衰亡了。我的一宗有十一族，只有 羊舌氏一支还在。我又没有好儿子，公室没有法度，能够得到善 终就是万幸，难道还会指望得到后代的祭祀吗？”
Shuxiang said: "Yes. Even our office has reached the end of the world. The chariots have no horses and people to drive them, and the ministers do not lead the army; the monarch's chariots have no good talents on the left and right, and the infantry has no good officers. The people are tired and sick, but the palace is more luxurious. People who starve to death can be seen everywhere on the road, and the property of the concubine's family is too much to contain. The people heard that the monarch The descendants of the eight great families of Luan, Que, Xu, Yuan, Xu, Qing, and Bo have become lowly servants. Government affairs are decided by private individuals, and the people have no one to follow them. The king is more and more unwilling to repent, and he uses pleasure to cover up his sorrow. "How long can the decline of the official family last?" Even if his achievements are outstanding, his descendants will still be lazy. ’ But if the king does not repent day by day, can the country last?” Yanzi said, “What are you going to do?” Shu Xiang said, “The Dukes of Jin are all gone. I heard that when the official family is about to decline, its clans will fall first, and then there will be eleven clans in my clan. The Yangyu clan is still here. I don’t have a good son, and my family has no laws. I’m lucky to have a good death. How can I expect to be sacrificed by my descendants?”
【读解】
【Interpretation】
人类既无法和天地抗争，无法同命运抗争，也无法和自己抗 争。阴阳盛衰的交替的确是人的意志不可扭转的。
Human beings can neither fight against heaven and earth, nor against fate, nor against themselves. The alternation of the rise and fall of yin and yang is indeed irreversible by human will.
当一个朝代达到鼎盛的时候，也就意味著即将开始走下坡路。 “日中则昃。”太阳升到中天之后，就开始向西偏斜。传统等级制 度的专制，使它无法靠自身的运转来为自身提供必 的活力。它 是一个封闭型的结构，原本积存起来的能量，在自身的运转中不 断被消蚀，直至全部能量消耗殆尽，这时就该寿终正寝了。忠臣 也好，义士也好，直谏也好，都如杯水车薪，挽救不了颓势。
When a dynasty reaches its peak, it means that it is about to begin to decline. "When the sun is at its midday, there will be misfortune." After the sun rises to its midday, it begins to tilt toward the west. The tyranny of the traditional hierarchical system makes it unable to provide itself with the necessary vitality through its own operation. It is a closed structure, and the energy originally accumulated is continuously eroded during its own operation until all the energy is consumed, at which time it is time to die. Loyal ministers, righteous men, and direct advice are all of a drop in the bucket and cannot save the decline.
末世到来时，再聪明、再能干的人都只有眼睁睁看著衰落下 去。你可以把一切看得清楚透彻，可以把一切分析得头头是道，但 就是没有回天之力，只有做大树倒下时四散逃命的猢狲。 在这种时候，麻木迟钝也许比敏感清醒要好得多。麻木了，就 不去看，看见了也没有反应；也不去想，脑子心灵完全处在停滞 状态，因而也就没有了痛苦。由清醒敏感所带来的痛苦，恐怕是 最让人难以承受的，你要思索，要探寻究竟、要仰问苍天，而任 何结果都不可能得到。再说，生性清醒敏感的人，即使想要麻木 迟钝，也做不到。真的就是“难得糊涂”啊。
When the end of the world comes, no matter how smart or capable people are, they will only watch helplessly decline. You can see everything clearly and thoroughly, and you can analyze everything logically, but there is no way to recover. You can only be like a hozen running for your life when a big tree falls. At this time, it may be better to be numb and dull than to be sensitive and awake. When you are numb, you don't look at it, and you don't react when you see it. You don't think about it either. Your brain and soul are completely at a standstill, so there is no pain. The pain caused by sobriety and sensitivity is probably the most unbearable. You have to think, explore, and ask the sky, but no results can be obtained. Besides, people who are sober and sensitive by nature cannot become numb and dull even if they want to. It's really "rarely confused".
改天换地的力量是来自外部。制度本身是个巨大的漩涡，是 一个具有无限引力的黑洞，进入它之中的一切都将被无情地吞没。 令我们感到惊异的是，一直被人们当作是近代产物的末世感， 竟会出现在两千多年前的春秋时代。如果说末世感也具有“现代 性”的话，那“现代性”就不应以时间远近来衡量。
The power to change things comes from outside. The system itself is a huge whirlpool, a black hole with infinite gravity. Everything that enters it will be mercilessly swallowed up. What surprises us is that the sense of apocalypse, which has always been regarded as a modern product, actually appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period more than 2,000 years ago. If the sense of apocalypse also has "modernity", then "modernity" should not be measured by distance in time.
