2.12 [37] 景公为泰吕成将以〔燕〕飨晏子谏

齐景公铸成大吕钟后打算举行宴饮，晏子进谏

【原文】

景公〔为〕泰吕成，谓晏子曰：“吾欲与夫子燕。”对曰：“未祀先君而以燕，非礼也。”公曰：“何以礼为？”对曰：“夫礼者，民之纪，纪乱则民失，乱纪失民，危道也。”公曰：“善。”乃以祀焉。

【今译】

齐景公铸成大吕钟后，对晏子说：“我想和您一起宴饮。”晏子回答说：“没祭祀先代国君就举行宴饮，这不合礼法。”景公说：“怎么做才算有礼呢？”晏子回答说：“礼法是约束百姓的纲纪，纲纪混乱，百姓就失去了约束，纲纪混乱百姓离心，这是倾危之道。”景公说：“好。”于是就举行祭祀。

When the making of the Tailü bell was completed,Duke Jing said to Yanzi: “I w ish to hold a banquet w ith your participation,Master.”

Yanzi answered: “It is a violation of the rites to hold a banquet w ithout performing the proper sacrifice to the former rulers.”

The Duke said: “Why does one have to follow the rites?”

Yanzi answered: “The rites are the basic guidelines of the people. W hen these guidelines fall into disorder,the people are lost. It is a dangerous course to allow the guidelines to fall into disorder and to lose the people.

The Duke said: “Well argued.” Thereupon,he perform ed the appropriate sacrifice.

注释

[1]The Tailü 泰吕 and 大吕 are the names of an identical bell that was cast when Qi was in decline. See Lüshi chunqiu,5.3/25/12.