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《晏子春秋》书影(明万历刻本)
《晏子春秋》内外篇共八卷,旧题晏婴撰,实为后人依托、采缀晏婴言行而作,是研究晏婴的重要资料。
晏婴字平仲,或云字仲,谥曰平,夷潍(今山东高密)人。他在灵公君临齐国时步入政坛。这时的齐国,霸主的地位一去不复返,积弊丛生,国君昏聩,卿大夫明争暗斗。灵公死后,又有崔杼、庆封两人操纵的废立。直到崔、庆相继败亡后,晏婴临危受命,出任国相,收拾残局。这时已是景公为君了。此君也属庸碌之辈。他最感兴趣的豪饮弹唱,可以连喝七天七夜;最喜欢的是骏马,遗迹迄今犹可寻。今山东淄博市临淄区崖头村西面“殉马坑”的600匹骏马,便是他死后带去阴间的。晏婴竭尽心智,匡失救弊,重整山河,再造齐国,使齐国名重乎诸侯。
晏婴号为贤相,他的为政之道主要有以下五点:
第一,把国家与君主分开,明确指出国家重于君主。国君乃一国之主,为君者无不信奉家国一体,即所谓“朕即国家”;而臣为君主之臣,为臣者自然以忠君为己任。晏婴却不这么看,他把国家和君主分开,置国家于君主之上;臣子不只是效忠君主,更重要的是要把国家治理好。
第二,注重官僚队伍建设,选贤任能。晏婴认为,君主一人的精力和能力是有限的,治国理民主要靠百官,官吏的好坏关系到国家的命运。基于这种看法,晏婴特别重视选拔、任用贤才。
一日,景公问晏婴:“治理国家,能将国家治理得很好的人,他们的所作所为是怎样的?”
“提拔贤而有德的人来治理国家,让有才能的人去管理黎民。如此而已。”晏婴道。
“即使有这样的人,我怎能知道?”景公问。
晏婴道:“君主不去寻求,又怎能知道?”
“那么怎样去寻求?”景公复问。
“通过他交往哪些人来观察他,通过他的所作所为来评价他。”晏婴道,“不要根据他的言辞华丽、谈吐不凡来判定他的行为,也不要根据别人对他的诋毁或赞誉来判定他的为人。这样,世人就不会沽名钓誉,就不会掩盖私欲以欺世盗名。所以,官位显赫的,就观察他推举哪些人做官;官运不好的,就观察他不干哪些事;富裕的,就观察他是否分钱财给别人;贫穷的,就观察他是否贪图财物。”
晏婴还一再告诫景公,选用人才切不可求全责备。他举例说,土壤的性状不同,应因地制宜,种植不同的作物;人无全才,有他所擅长的,也有其不擅长的,应扬长避短。
第三,君臣关系应是互补关系,二者相辅相成。君主宰执国命,臣子佐理政事,君臣关系在晏婴看来是一种互补关系,相辅相成。他反对一味地顺从国君,甚至当着景公的面指斥唯命是从者。
梁丘据是个善于阿谀奉承的小人,颇为景公宠爱。晏婴极为鄙夷他的为人,曾在景公面前直言不讳地贬责梁丘据。景公不以为然地说:“梁丘据可是跟我很合得来的!”
“那叫相同,可不是和谐!”晏婴说:“所谓和谐,拿味道来说吧,君主若是甜的,那么臣子就应是酸的;君主若是淡的,那么臣子就应是咸的。可梁丘据呢?君主是甜的,他也是甜的!”
景公忿然作色,晏婴视而不见。像梁丘据这等在国君身边的奸臣小人,晏婴视其为“社鼠”——寄居在社坛下的老鼠。社坛,是祭祀地神的场所,环植以树,对付那里的老鼠,用烟熏,怕烧了树;用水灌,怕毁了墙。国君身边的那些奸佞,利用国君的宠幸,有恃无恐,肆无忌惮,长此以往,国家终将毁于这些奸臣之手。
第四,恪守职责,是官吏的本分。晏婴说,一个优秀的官吏,应恪守职责,既不推卸应负的责任,亦不越俎代庖,越权行事。
一天,晏婴陪伴景公身旁,天有些冷,景公吩咐:“请给我去拿件裘衣来。”
“我并非供奉裘衣的,难以从命!”
景公火了:“那么,请问先生,您是干什么的?”
“社稷之臣。”晏婴道。
“什么是社稷之臣?”景公责问。
晏婴朗声曰:“就是稳定国家,使上下有别,贵贱有等,让每个人都合乎他们的名分;规定百官的品等、职责,让他们各得其所,各尽其职;厘定法令,有效地加以推行。”
第五,体察民情,知民疾苦。晏婴认为,作为治民之臣,必须善于了解民情,知民疾苦,才能有的放矢,举措得当,获得万民拥戴。晏婴身为国相,不放过任何一个接近民众、体察民情的机会。
他的住宅毗邻市集,人声噪杂,尘土飞扬。景公要给他换个静谧的地方,晏婴不肯,说:“靠近市集,一早一晚都能听到想要听的事情,这对臣体察民情是有利的。”
景公笑了:“既然如此,那你知道什么贵什么贱吗?”
“假脚贵,鞋子贱!”晏婴道。
景公蓦然变色。当时,刑律严酷,科条繁多,民动辄触禁,被处以刖刑的人日多,故市集上假脚价格暴涨,而鞋价却跌落了。这是对官府滥用刑罚的莫大讽刺!
在晏婴的谏说下,景公不得不约法省禁。
晏婴不仅忠心报国,人品也有口皆碑。
他生活俭朴,做一顿饭刚好饱腹,再无剩余。坐的车很破旧,马也是劣等的,始终不肯换。靠近市集的那栋祖上留下的旧宅,低矮、狭窄、简陋,一直住到去世。他的夫人像他一样俭朴。一次,大臣田无宇造访晏婴,看见一个妇人从屋里出来,头发花白,满脸皱纹,穿着粗布黑衣。那是何人?田无宇问。晏婴一笑:在下的妻子。田无宇大惊,想不到国相夫人竟是这副模样、打扮。富贵易妻,是那时的“常理”。景公要把他那金枝玉叶的女儿许配给晏婴,晏婴谢绝了,与夫人白头到老。病入膏肓之时,他给儿子写好遗书,嘱咐儿子勤俭持家。弥留之际,妻子问他还有什么话要说,他不怨天命不佑,没说一生是非,只是要妻子管好儿孙,别败坏了家风。
谚云:“齐楚多辩智。”齐人之“辩智”,首推晏婴。在晏婴面前,楚人甘拜下风。
脍炙人口的“晏子使楚”,说的便是齐人与楚人斗智又斗嘴的故事:
晏子衔命出使楚国,楚人不开城的正门,在旁边挖了个洞让他钻,晏子说:出使狗国,才从狗洞钻。今臣使楚,不应从此洞入。楚人只得打开大门。
见了楚王,楚王乜斜着身材矮小、其貌不扬的晏婴,道:齐国没人了吗?
晏婴说临淄城有上万户人家,连衽成帷,举袂成幕,挥汗成雨,怎么能没人呢?
楚王道:那为什么派阁下这等人物出使我国?”
晏婴说:齐国派遣使臣,各负自己的使命,那些有贤德的人,就让他们到有贤德的国家去;不肖的人,就派他们到不肖的国家去。晏婴最为不才,所以只有出使楚国了。
楚王自讨没趣,设宴款待晏婴。觥筹交错之时,两个官吏捆着一个人来到楚王面前。楚王厉声喝问捆着的那个人是干什么的?
两吏说是齐国的小偷。
楚王瞧着晏婴,满脸鄙夷之色:齐国人本来就善干这种事吧?
晏婴道:我听说过,橘生淮南为橘,逾淮则为枳。二者叶子相似,果实味道大不一样。为什么这样呢?是因为水土不一样。生长在齐国的人不偷盗,到了楚国却偷起东西来了,该不会是楚国的水土使然吧!
楚王又是枉费心机,自讨没趣。
侍从献上一盘橘,摆上剥橘的刀。晏婴拿起橘子便吃起来——他是北方人,没吃过橘子。时机来了,楚王讥讽道:吃橘子应当先剥去皮。
晏婴煞有其事地说:我听说过,在君主面前接受赏赐的东西,瓜桃不削皮,橘柚不剥皮。大王为万乘之君,没有命令,我怎敢剥皮?否则,我难道不知吃橘子要剥皮吗?
晏婴以其才干、品德名垂青史。司马迁写完《管晏列传》之后,感慨地说:“如果晏子在世,我甘愿为之马下执鞭!”
Outstanding Prime Minister Yan Ying
Yan Ying (?-500B.C.) was a prime minister of the Qi State during the Spring and Autumn period. As an outstanding prime minister during that era, his administrative thinking can be summarized in the following five opinions on administration:
First, Yan Ying made a distinction between the country and the king and clearly pointed out that the country was more important than the king. As country rulers, all kings believed that their reigns were integrated with their countries, i.e. “king was equal to country.” Therefore, the ministers should be loyal to the king. However, Yan Ying did not agree with this idea. He separated the country and the king and placed the country over the king. So the ministers should not only be loyal to their countries, they should also administer their countries well.
Second, Yan Ying paid importance to the construction of a bureaucratic team. Yan Ying was of the opinion that the energy and ability of the king was limited. So the king should rely on all of the governmental officials to administer the country. The quality of the governance by the governmental officials determined the fate the country. Therefore, Yan Ying attached great importance to the selection of good officials.
Third, the king and the minister should establish a complementary relationship. The king controlled the country and the ministers helped him to administer it. He opposed the idea that the ministers should always obey the orders of the king and even reprimanded those who were absolutely obedient to king’s order in front of Duke Jing.
Fourth, Yan Ying was opinion that the governmental officials should fulfill their responsibilities. While fulfilling their own responsibilities, the officials should not interfere with the affairs of other officials.
Fifth, Yan Ying was aware of the hardships of the common people. He was of the opinion that the governmental officials should be aware of the hardships of the people. Therefore, as the prime minister, he never gave up any opportunity to access the people to get understanding of their lives.
《晏子春秋》内外篇共八卷,旧题晏婴撰,实为后人依托、采缀晏婴言行而作,是研究晏婴的重要资料。
晏婴字平仲,或云字仲,谥曰平,夷潍(今山东高密)人。他在灵公君临齐国时步入政坛。这时的齐国,霸主的地位一去不复返,积弊丛生,国君昏聩,卿大夫明争暗斗。灵公死后,又有崔杼、庆封两人操纵的废立。直到崔、庆相继败亡后,晏婴临危受命,出任国相,收拾残局。这时已是景公为君了。此君也属庸碌之辈。他最感兴趣的豪饮弹唱,可以连喝七天七夜;最喜欢的是骏马,遗迹迄今犹可寻。今山东淄博市临淄区崖头村西面“殉马坑”的600匹骏马,便是他死后带去阴间的。晏婴竭尽心智,匡失救弊,重整山河,再造齐国,使齐国名重乎诸侯。
晏婴号为贤相,他的为政之道主要有以下五点:
第一,把国家与君主分开,明确指出国家重于君主。国君乃一国之主,为君者无不信奉家国一体,即所谓“朕即国家”;而臣为君主之臣,为臣者自然以忠君为己任。晏婴却不这么看,他把国家和君主分开,置国家于君主之上;臣子不只是效忠君主,更重要的是要把国家治理好。
第二,注重官僚队伍建设,选贤任能。晏婴认为,君主一人的精力和能力是有限的,治国理民主要靠百官,官吏的好坏关系到国家的命运。基于这种看法,晏婴特别重视选拔、任用贤才。
一日,景公问晏婴:“治理国家,能将国家治理得很好的人,他们的所作所为是怎样的?”
“提拔贤而有德的人来治理国家,让有才能的人去管理黎民。如此而已。”晏婴道。
“即使有这样的人,我怎能知道?”景公问。
晏婴道:“君主不去寻求,又怎能知道?”
“那么怎样去寻求?”景公复问。
“通过他交往哪些人来观察他,通过他的所作所为来评价他。”晏婴道,“不要根据他的言辞华丽、谈吐不凡来判定他的行为,也不要根据别人对他的诋毁或赞誉来判定他的为人。这样,世人就不会沽名钓誉,就不会掩盖私欲以欺世盗名。所以,官位显赫的,就观察他推举哪些人做官;官运不好的,就观察他不干哪些事;富裕的,就观察他是否分钱财给别人;贫穷的,就观察他是否贪图财物。”
晏婴还一再告诫景公,选用人才切不可求全责备。他举例说,土壤的性状不同,应因地制宜,种植不同的作物;人无全才,有他所擅长的,也有其不擅长的,应扬长避短。
第三,君臣关系应是互补关系,二者相辅相成。君主宰执国命,臣子佐理政事,君臣关系在晏婴看来是一种互补关系,相辅相成。他反对一味地顺从国君,甚至当着景公的面指斥唯命是从者。
梁丘据是个善于阿谀奉承的小人,颇为景公宠爱。晏婴极为鄙夷他的为人,曾在景公面前直言不讳地贬责梁丘据。景公不以为然地说:“梁丘据可是跟我很合得来的!”
“那叫相同,可不是和谐!”晏婴说:“所谓和谐,拿味道来说吧,君主若是甜的,那么臣子就应是酸的;君主若是淡的,那么臣子就应是咸的。可梁丘据呢?君主是甜的,他也是甜的!”
景公忿然作色,晏婴视而不见。像梁丘据这等在国君身边的奸臣小人,晏婴视其为“社鼠”——寄居在社坛下的老鼠。社坛,是祭祀地神的场所,环植以树,对付那里的老鼠,用烟熏,怕烧了树;用水灌,怕毁了墙。国君身边的那些奸佞,利用国君的宠幸,有恃无恐,肆无忌惮,长此以往,国家终将毁于这些奸臣之手。
第四,恪守职责,是官吏的本分。晏婴说,一个优秀的官吏,应恪守职责,既不推卸应负的责任,亦不越俎代庖,越权行事。
一天,晏婴陪伴景公身旁,天有些冷,景公吩咐:“请给我去拿件裘衣来。”
“我并非供奉裘衣的,难以从命!”
景公火了:“那么,请问先生,您是干什么的?”
“社稷之臣。”晏婴道。
“什么是社稷之臣?”景公责问。
晏婴朗声曰:“就是稳定国家,使上下有别,贵贱有等,让每个人都合乎他们的名分;规定百官的品等、职责,让他们各得其所,各尽其职;厘定法令,有效地加以推行。”
第五,体察民情,知民疾苦。晏婴认为,作为治民之臣,必须善于了解民情,知民疾苦,才能有的放矢,举措得当,获得万民拥戴。晏婴身为国相,不放过任何一个接近民众、体察民情的机会。
他的住宅毗邻市集,人声噪杂,尘土飞扬。景公要给他换个静谧的地方,晏婴不肯,说:“靠近市集,一早一晚都能听到想要听的事情,这对臣体察民情是有利的。”
景公笑了:“既然如此,那你知道什么贵什么贱吗?”
“假脚贵,鞋子贱!”晏婴道。
景公蓦然变色。当时,刑律严酷,科条繁多,民动辄触禁,被处以刖刑的人日多,故市集上假脚价格暴涨,而鞋价却跌落了。这是对官府滥用刑罚的莫大讽刺!
在晏婴的谏说下,景公不得不约法省禁。
晏婴不仅忠心报国,人品也有口皆碑。
他生活俭朴,做一顿饭刚好饱腹,再无剩余。坐的车很破旧,马也是劣等的,始终不肯换。靠近市集的那栋祖上留下的旧宅,低矮、狭窄、简陋,一直住到去世。他的夫人像他一样俭朴。一次,大臣田无宇造访晏婴,看见一个妇人从屋里出来,头发花白,满脸皱纹,穿着粗布黑衣。那是何人?田无宇问。晏婴一笑:在下的妻子。田无宇大惊,想不到国相夫人竟是这副模样、打扮。富贵易妻,是那时的“常理”。景公要把他那金枝玉叶的女儿许配给晏婴,晏婴谢绝了,与夫人白头到老。病入膏肓之时,他给儿子写好遗书,嘱咐儿子勤俭持家。弥留之际,妻子问他还有什么话要说,他不怨天命不佑,没说一生是非,只是要妻子管好儿孙,别败坏了家风。
谚云:“齐楚多辩智。”齐人之“辩智”,首推晏婴。在晏婴面前,楚人甘拜下风。
脍炙人口的“晏子使楚”,说的便是齐人与楚人斗智又斗嘴的故事:
晏子衔命出使楚国,楚人不开城的正门,在旁边挖了个洞让他钻,晏子说:出使狗国,才从狗洞钻。今臣使楚,不应从此洞入。楚人只得打开大门。
见了楚王,楚王乜斜着身材矮小、其貌不扬的晏婴,道:齐国没人了吗?
晏婴说临淄城有上万户人家,连衽成帷,举袂成幕,挥汗成雨,怎么能没人呢?
楚王道:那为什么派阁下这等人物出使我国?”
晏婴说:齐国派遣使臣,各负自己的使命,那些有贤德的人,就让他们到有贤德的国家去;不肖的人,就派他们到不肖的国家去。晏婴最为不才,所以只有出使楚国了。
楚王自讨没趣,设宴款待晏婴。觥筹交错之时,两个官吏捆着一个人来到楚王面前。楚王厉声喝问捆着的那个人是干什么的?
两吏说是齐国的小偷。
楚王瞧着晏婴,满脸鄙夷之色:齐国人本来就善干这种事吧?
晏婴道:我听说过,橘生淮南为橘,逾淮则为枳。二者叶子相似,果实味道大不一样。为什么这样呢?是因为水土不一样。生长在齐国的人不偷盗,到了楚国却偷起东西来了,该不会是楚国的水土使然吧!
楚王又是枉费心机,自讨没趣。
侍从献上一盘橘,摆上剥橘的刀。晏婴拿起橘子便吃起来——他是北方人,没吃过橘子。时机来了,楚王讥讽道:吃橘子应当先剥去皮。
晏婴煞有其事地说:我听说过,在君主面前接受赏赐的东西,瓜桃不削皮,橘柚不剥皮。大王为万乘之君,没有命令,我怎敢剥皮?否则,我难道不知吃橘子要剥皮吗?
晏婴以其才干、品德名垂青史。司马迁写完《管晏列传》之后,感慨地说:“如果晏子在世,我甘愿为之马下执鞭!”
Outstanding Prime Minister Yan Ying
Yan Ying (?-500B.C.) was a prime minister of the Qi State during the Spring and Autumn period. As an outstanding prime minister during that era, his administrative thinking can be summarized in the following five opinions on administration:
First, Yan Ying made a distinction between the country and the king and clearly pointed out that the country was more important than the king. As country rulers, all kings believed that their reigns were integrated with their countries, i.e. “king was equal to country.” Therefore, the ministers should be loyal to the king. However, Yan Ying did not agree with this idea. He separated the country and the king and placed the country over the king. So the ministers should not only be loyal to their countries, they should also administer their countries well.
Second, Yan Ying paid importance to the construction of a bureaucratic team. Yan Ying was of the opinion that the energy and ability of the king was limited. So the king should rely on all of the governmental officials to administer the country. The quality of the governance by the governmental officials determined the fate the country. Therefore, Yan Ying attached great importance to the selection of good officials.
Third, the king and the minister should establish a complementary relationship. The king controlled the country and the ministers helped him to administer it. He opposed the idea that the ministers should always obey the orders of the king and even reprimanded those who were absolutely obedient to king’s order in front of Duke Jing.
Fourth, Yan Ying was opinion that the governmental officials should fulfill their responsibilities. While fulfilling their own responsibilities, the officials should not interfere with the affairs of other officials.
Fifth, Yan Ying was aware of the hardships of the common people. He was of the opinion that the governmental officials should be aware of the hardships of the people. Therefore, as the prime minister, he never gave up any opportunity to access the people to get understanding of their lives.