尧曰篇 第二十

20.1尧曰：“咨！尔舜！天之历数在尔躬，允执其中。四海困穷，天禄永终。”舜亦以命禹⑴。曰：“予小子履⑵敢用玄牡，敢昭告于皇皇后帝：有罪不敢赦。帝臣不蔽⑶，简在帝心。朕躬有罪，无以万方；万方有罪，罪在朕躬。”周有大赉，善人是富。“虽有周亲，不如仁人。百姓有过，在予一人⑷。”谨权量，审法度⑸，修废官⑹，四方之政行焉。兴灭国，继绝世，举逸民，天下之民归心焉。所重：民、食、丧、祭。宽则得众，信则民任焉此五字衍文⑺，敏则有功，公则说。

【译文】尧［让位给舜的时候，］说道：“啧啧！你这位舜！上天的大命已经落到你的身上了，诚实地保持着那正确罢！假若天下的百姓都陷于困苦贫穷，上天给你的禄位也会永远地终止了。”舜［让位给禹的时候，］也说了这一番话。 ［汤］说：“我履谨用黑色牡牛作牺牲，明明白白地告于光明而伟大的天帝：有罪的人［我］不敢擅自去赦免他。您的臣仆［的善恶］我也不隐瞒掩盖，您心里也是早就晓得的。我本人若有罪，就不要牵连天下万方；天下万方若有罪，都归我一个人来承担。” 周朝大封诸侯，使善人都富贵起来。“我虽然有至亲，却不如有仁德之人。百姓如果有罪过，应该由我来担承。” 检验并审定度量衡，修复已废弃的机关工作，全国的政令就都会通行了。恢复被灭亡的国家，承续已断绝的后代，提拔被遗落的人才，天下的百姓就都会心悦诚服了。 所重视的：人民、粮食、丧礼、祭祀。 宽厚就会得到羣众的拥护，勤敏就会有功绩，公平就会使百姓高兴。

【英译】Yao said, "Oh! you, Shun, the Heaven-determined order of succession now rests in your person. Sincerely hold fast the due Mean. If there shall be distress and want within the four seas, the Heavenly revenue will come to a perpetual end." Shun also used the same language in giving charge to You. Tang said, "I, the child Lu, presume to use a dark-colored victim, and presume to announce to Thee, O most great and sovereign God, that the sinner I dare not pardon, and thy ministers, O God, I do not keep in obscurity. The examination of them is by thy mind, O God. If, in my person, I commit offenses, they are not to be attributed to you, the people of the myriad regions. If you in the myriad regions commit offenses, these offenses must rest on my person." Zhou conferred great gifts, and the good were enriched. "Although he has his near relatives, they are not equal to my virtuous men. The people are throwing blame upon me, the One man." He carefully attended to the weights and measures, examined the body of the laws, restored the discarded officers, and the good government of the kingdom took its course. He revived states that had been extinguished, restored families whose line of succession had been broken, and called to office those who had retired into obscurity, so that throughout the kingdom the hearts of the people turned towards him. What he attached chief importance to were the food of the people, the duties of mourning, and sacrifices. By his generosity, he won all. By his sincerity, he made the people repose trust in him. By his earnest activity, his achievements were great. By his justice, all were delighted.

20.2子张问于孔子曰：“何如斯可以从政矣？”子曰：“尊五美，屏⑴四恶，斯可以从政矣。”子张曰：“何谓五美？”子曰：“君子惠而不费，劳而不怨，欲而不贪⑵，泰而不骄，威而不猛。”子张曰：“何谓惠而不费？”子曰：“因民之所利而利之，斯不亦惠而不费乎？择可劳而劳之，又谁怨？欲仁而得仁，又焉贪？君子无众寡，无小大，无敢慢，斯不亦泰而不骄乎？君子正其衣冠，尊其瞻视，俨然人望而畏之，斯不亦威而不猛乎？”子张曰：“何谓四恶？”子曰：“不教而杀谓之虐；不戒视成谓之暴；慢令致期谓之贼；犹之⑶与人也，出纳⑷之吝谓之有司⑸。”

【译文】子张向孔子问道：“怎样就可以治理政事呢？”孔子道：“尊贵五种美德，排除四种恶政，这就可以治理政事了。”子张道：“五种美德是些什么？”孔子道：“君子给人民以好处，而自己却无所耗费；劳动百姓，百姓却不怨恨；自己欲仁欲义，却不能叫做贪；安泰矜持却不骄傲；威严却不凶猛。”子张道：“给人民以好处，自己却无所耗费，这应该怎么办呢？”孔子道：“就着人民能得利益之处因而使他们有利，这也不是给人民以好处而自己却无所耗费吗？选择可以劳动的［时间、情况和人民］再去劳动他们，又有谁来怨恨呢？自己需要仁德便得到了仁德，又贪求什么呢？无论人多人少，无论势力大小，君子都不敢怠慢他们，这不也是安泰矜持却不骄傲吗？君子衣冠整齐，目不邪视，庄严地使人望而有所畏惧，这也不是威严却不凶猛吗？”子张道：“四种恶政又是些什么呢？”孔子道：“不加教育便加杀戮叫做虐；不加申诫便要成绩叫做暴；起先懈怠，突然限期叫做贼；同是给人以财物，出手悭吝，叫做小家子气。”

【英译】Zi Zhang asked Confucius, saying, "In what way should a person in authority act in order that he may conduct government properly?" The Master replied, "Let him honor the five excellent, and banish away the four bad, things; then may he conduct government properly." Zi Zhang said, "What are meant by the five excellent things?" The Master said, "When the person in authority is beneficent without great expenditure; when he lays tasks on the people without their repining; when he pursues what he desires without being covetous; when he maintains a dignified ease without being proud; when he is majestic without being fierce." Zi Zhang said, "What is meant by being beneficent without great expenditure?" The Master replied, "When the person in authority makes more beneficial to the people the things from which they naturally derive benefit;-- is not this being beneficent without great expenditure? When he chooses the labors which are proper, and makes them labor on them, who will repine? When his desires are set on benevolent government, and he secures it, who will accuse him of covetousness? Whether he has to do with many people or few, or with things great or small, he does not dare to indicate any disrespect - is not this to maintain a dignified ease without any pride? He adjusts his clothes and cap, and throws a dignity into his looks, so that, thus dignified, he is looked at with awe - is not this to be majestic without being fierce?" Zi Zhang then asked, "What are meant by the four bad things?" The Master said, "To put the people to death without having instructed them - this is called cruelty. To require from them, suddenly, the full tale of work, without having given them warning - this is called oppression. To issue orders as if without urgency, at first, and, when the time comes, to insist on them with severity - this is called injury. And, generally, in the giving pay or rewards to men, to do it in a stingy way - this is called acting the part of a mere official."

20.3孔子曰：“不知命，无以为君子也；不知礼，无以立也；不知言⑴，无以知人也。”

【译文】孔子说：“不懂得命运，没有可能作为君子；不懂得礼，没有可能立足于社会；不懂得分辨人家的言语，没有可能认识人。”

【英译】The Master said, "Without recognizing the ordinances of Heaven, it is impossible to be a superior man. Without an acquaintance with the rules of Propriety, it is impossible for the character to be established. Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know men."