《孟子》中英文版
第四编 《公孫丑下》(9)
第九章 “有过则改”与“文过饰非”
燕人畔。王曰：“吾甚慚於孟子。”
The people of Yan having rebelled, the king of Qi said, 'I feel very much ashamed when I think of Mencius.'
陳賈曰：“王無患焉。王自以為與周公，孰仁且智？”
Chen Jia said to him, 'Let not your Majesty be grieved. Whether does your Majesty consider yourself or Zhou Gong the more benevolent and wise?'
王曰：“惡！是何言也？”
The king replied, 'Oh! what words are those?'
曰：“周公使管叔監殷，管叔以殷畔。知而使之，是不仁也；不知而使之，是不智也。仁智，周公未之盡也，而況於王乎？賈請見而解之。”
'The duke of Zhou,' said Jia, 'appointed Guan Shu to oversee the heir of Yin, but Guan Shu with the power of the Yin State rebelled. If knowing that this would happen he appointed Guan Shu, he was deficient in benevolence. If he appointed him, not knowing that it would happen, he was deficient in knowledge. If the duke of Zhou was not completely benevolent and wise, how much less can your Majesty be expected to be so! I beg to go and see Mencius, and relieve your Majesty from that feeling.'
見孟子，問曰：“周公何人也？”
Chen Jia accordingly saw Mencius, and asked him, saying, 'What kind of man was the duke of Zhou?'
曰：“古聖人也。”
'An ancient sage,' was the reply.
曰：“使管叔監殷，管叔以殷畔也，有諸？”
'Is it the fact, that he appointed Guan Shu to oversee the heir of Yin, and that Guan Shu with the State of Yin rebelled?'
曰：“然。”
'It is.'
曰：“周公知其將畔而使之與？”
'Did the duke of Zhou know that he would rebel, and purposely appoint him to that office?'
曰：“不知也。”
Mencius said, 'He did not know.'
“然則聖人且有過與？”
'Then, though a sage, he still fell into error?'
曰：“周公，弟也；管叔，兄也。周公之過，不亦宜乎？且古之君子，過則改之；今之君子，過則順之。古之君子，其過也，如日月之食，民皆見之；及其更也，民皆仰之。今之君子，豈徒順之，又從為之辭。”
'The duke of Zhou,' answered Mencius, 'was the younger brother. Guan Shu was his elder brother. Was not the error of Zhou Gong in accordance with what is right? Moreover, when the superior men of old had errors, they reformed them. The superior men of the present time, when they have errors, persist in them. The errors of the superior men of old were like eclipses of the sun and moon. All the people witnessed them, and when they had reformed them, all the people looked up to them with their former admiration. But do the superior men of the present day only persist in their errors? They go on to apologize for them likewise.'
【原文】
燕人畔1。王曰：“吾甚惭於孟子。”
陈贾2曰：“王无患焉。王自以为与周公，孰仁且智？”
王曰：“恶，是何言也！”
曰：“周公使管叔监殷，管叔以殷畔。知而使之，是不仁也；不知而使之，是不智也。仁智，周公未之尽也；而况於王乎？贾请见而解之。”
见孟子，问曰：“周公，何人也？”
曰：“古圣人也。”
曰：“使管叔监殷，管叔以殷畔也：有诸？”
曰：“然。”
曰：“周公知其将畔而使之与？”
曰：“不知也。”
“然则圣人且有过与？”
曰：“周公，弟也，管叔，兄也；周公之过，不亦宜乎？且古之君子，过则改之，今之君子，过则顺之。古之君子，其过也，如日月之食3，民皆见之；及其更也，民皆仰之。今之君子，岂徒顺之，又从为之辞。”
【注释】
1.畔：《书·胤征》：“沈乱于酒，畔官离次。”《论语·雍也》：“博学於文，约之以礼，亦可以弗畔矣夫。”《论语·阳货》：“公山弗扰以费畔，召，子欲往。”《庄子·徐无鬼》：“其为人也，上忘而下畔。”《荀子·富国》：“约信盟誓，则约定而畔无日。”这里用为背叛之意。
2.陈贾：齐国的大夫。
3.食：通“蚀”。《诗·小雅·十月之交》：“彼月而食，则维其常。”《左传·隐公三年经》：“三年春王二月，己巳，日有食之。”《管子·四时》：“是故圣王日食则修德，月食则修刑。”这里用指为日食月食之意。
【译文】
齐国占领燕国后，燕国人反叛。齐王说：“我很是愧对孟子。”
陈贾说：“大王不要忧患。大王自以为和周公相比，谁更爱民，谁更有智慧？”
齐王说：“唉呀，你这是什么话？”
陈贾说：“周公使派他的哥哥管叔监管殷商的遗国，管叔却带领殷族人叛乱；如果周公知道但还这样做，就是不爱民；如果不知道而这样做，就是没有智慧。爱民和智慧，周公都没有尽量做到，何况大王您呢？我请求见孟子并向他解释。”
于是陈贾去见了孟子，见面后陈贾问：“周公是个什么样的人？”
孟子说：“是古代的圣贤。”
陈贾说：“他派管叔监管殷族人，但管叔却带领殷族人叛乱，有这回事吗？”
孟子说：“有的。”
陈贾说：“周公知道管叔将要叛乱而还要派他去吗？”
孟子说：“他不知道。”
陈贾说：“那么圣贤之人也会犯错误？”
孟子说：“周公，是弟弟；管叔，是哥哥。周公的过错，不是很近情理吗？况且古时候的君子，有了过错就会改正；如今的君子，有了过错则任其发展。古时候的君子，他的过错，就像日食月食一样，人民都看得见，等到他改正过错时，人民就会很敬仰。如今的君子，何止是让过错顺其自然发展，而且还会编一套言辞来为自己辩解。”
【解说】
燕国人民正因为忠于自己的职守，才反叛齐国，这段记载我们在本书《梁惠王下》第十一章中已说过，孟子还劝说过齐宣王，而齐宣王不听，执意伐燕，结果导致燕人反叛。所以此时齐王才感到后悔，而愧对孟子。然而陈贾却用周公用错管叔的事来安慰齐王，为齐王开脱罪过。他自以为很有道理，人孰能无过？所以他想用这个故事去难倒孟子。史载，周武王死后，太子诵继立，是为成王。成王年幼，曾辅佐克商的武王之弟周公旦摄政。管叔、蔡叔怀疑周公将篡取王位，传播流言，武庚也谋划复国，与管、蔡结合叛周，纠集徐（在今江苏泗洪）、奄（在今山东曲阜）、薄姑（在今山东博兴东南）和熊、盈等方国部落作乱。周公奉成王命东征，经过三年战争，终于平定叛乱。武庚和管叔被诛，蔡叔被流放。孟子向他解释说，周公是弟弟，管叔是哥哥，难道弟弟会怀疑哥哥反叛吗？所以，周公犯这样的过错是可以理解的。然而，古代的君子是“有过则改”，如今的君子却是“文过饰非”，这是很不一样的。 |
