| 襄公二十四年 經二十有四年．
- 春．叔孫豹如晉．
- 仲孫羯帥師侵齊．
- 夏．楚子伐吳．
- 秋．七月．甲子．朔．日有食之．既．
- 齊崔杼帥師伐莒．
- 大水．
- 八月．癸巳朔．日有食之．
- 公會晉侯．宋公．衛侯．鄭伯．曹伯．莒子．邾子．滕子．薛伯．杞伯．小邾子．于夷儀．
- 冬．楚子．蔡侯．陳侯．許男．伐鄭．
- 公至自會．
- 陳鍼宜咎出奔楚．
- 叔孫豹如京師．
- 大饑．
| XXIV. Twenty-fourth year. 1. In the [duke's] twenty-fourth year, in spring, Shusun Bao went to Jin. 2. Zhongsun Jie led a force and made an incursion into Qi. 3. In summer, the viscount of Chu invaded Wu. 4. In autumn, in the seventh month, on Jiazi, the first day of the moon, the sun was completely eclipsed. 5. Cui Shu of Qi led a force and invaded Ju. 6. There were great floods. 7. In the eighth month, on Guisi, the first day of the moon, the sun was eclipsed. 8. The duke had a meeting with the marquis of Jin, the duke of Song, the marquis of Wey, the earls of Zheng and Cao, the viscounts of Ju, Zhu, and Teng, the earls of Xue and Qi, and the viscount of Little Zhu, in Yiyi. 9. In winter, the viscount of Chu, the marquises of Cai and Chen, and the baron of Xu, invaded Zheng. 10. The duke arrived from the meeting [at Yiyi]. 11. Qian Yijiu of Chen fled from that State to Chu. 12. Shusun Bao went to the capital. 13. There was a great famine. | | 傳二十四年． | COMMENTARY | | 春．穆叔如晉．范宣子逆之問焉．曰．古人有言曰．死而不朽．何謂也．穆叔未對．宣子曰．昔匄之祖．自虞以上為陶唐氏．在夏為御龍氏．在商為豕韋氏．在周為唐杜氏．晉主夏盟為范氏．其是之謂乎．穆叔曰．以豹所聞．此之謂世祿．非不朽也．魯有先大夫曰臧文仲．既沒．其言立．其是之謂乎．豹聞之．大上有立德．其次有立功．其次有立言．雖久不廢．此之謂不朽．若夫保姓受氏．以守宗祊．世不絕祀．無國無之．祿之大者．不可謂不朽． | 'When Mushu (Bao) went to Jin, Fan Xuanzi met him, and asked the meaning of the saying of the ancients, "They died but suffered no decay," and, before he had replied, went on to say, "Anciently, the ancestor of the Xuan, anterior to the time of Yu (Shun), was the prince of Tao and Tang (Yao; see on the Shu, III. iii. 7). In the time of Xia, their ancestors were the Yulong (see the Zhuan after X. xxix. 4). In the time of Shang, they were the [lords of] Shiwei. In the beginning of Zhou, they were the [lords of] Tang and Du. When Jin obtained the presidency of covenants, we became the [lords of] Fan.—Is this what is meant by the saying?" Mushu said, "According to what I have heard, this is what is called 'hereditary dignity,' but it is not that 'not decaying.' There was a former great officer of Lu, called Zang Wenzhong, the excellence of whose words was acknowledged after his death. This may be what the saying intended. I have heard that the highest meaning of it is when there is established [an example of] virtue; the second, when there is established [an example of] successful service; and the third, when there is established [an example of wise] speech. When these examples are not forgotten with length of time, this is what is meant by the saying—They do not decay." As to the preservation of the surname and the giving off clan branches, by which the ancestral temples are preserved, and the sacrifices continued without interruption from age to age, where is the State, in which we have not that? The preservation of the greatest dignity cannot be called that freedom from decay.' | | 范宣子為政．諸侯之幣重．鄭人病之． | 'Fan Xuanzi was chief minister of Jin, and the offerings required from the different States became [constantly] more heavy, so that the people of Zheng were distressed about it. | 二月．鄭伯如晉．子產寓書於子西．以告宣子曰．子為晉國．四鄰諸侯．不聞令德．而聞重幣．僑也惑之．僑聞君子長國家者．非無賄之患．而無令名之難．
| In the 2d month [of this year], the earl of Zheng was going to Jin, and Zichan entrusted to Zixi a letter for Fan Xuanzi, in which he said, "The administration of the government of Jin is in your hands. The neighbouring States all about do not hear of any display of admirable virtue, but they hear of the great offerings which are required from them;—and this perplexes me. I have heard that to a superior man presiding over a State there is no trouble about the want of gifts, but his difficulty is lest he should not be obtaining a good name. | 夫諸侯之賄．聚於公室．則諸侯貳．若吾子賴之．則晉國貳．諸侯貳則晉國壞．晉國貳則子之家壞．何沒沒也．將焉用賄．
| '"Now, when the offerings of the different princes are largely accumulated in your duke's house, those princes will become alienated from him. And if you, my master, put your confidence in these things, the State of Jin will become alienated from you. If the States become alienated from it, Jin will go to ruin, and if Jin become alienated from you, your family will go to ruin. In what a fatal course are you proceeding! Of what use would the gifts be then? | | 夫令名．德之輿也．德．國家之基也．有基無壞．無亦是務乎．有德則樂．樂則能久．詩云．樂只君子．邦家之基．有令德也． | 'A good name is the carriage in which virtue is conveyed about; and virtue is the [sure] foundation of a State. When there is a foundation, there is no crumbling to ruin;—is not this then of paramount importance? With virtue there is joyful satisfaction, a satisfaction that is permanent. The ode (Shi, II. ii. ode VII. 1) says, 'Objects of joyful complacency are these officers, The foundations of my State; —with reference to the effect of admirable virtue. [And another ode (Shi, III. i. ode I. 7) says], | | 夫上帝臨女．無貳爾心．有令名也．夫恕．思以明德．則令名載而行之．是以遠至邇安．毋寧使人謂子．子實生我．而謂子浚我以生乎．象有齒以焚其身．賄也．宣子說．乃輕幣． | 'God is with you, Have no doubts in your heart;' —with reference to the effect of a good name Strive with all your heart to make your virtue illustrious, and a good name will then carry the fame of it abroad; and in this way the remote will come to you and the near will repose in you. Had you not better cause men to say of you that you nourish them, than to say that you take from them to nourish yourself? The elephant has tusks to the destruction of its body;—because of their use as gifts." Xuanzi was pleased, and made the offerings [required from the States] lighter. | | 是行也．鄭伯朝晉．為重幣故．且請伐陳也．鄭伯稽首．宣子辭．子西相曰．以陳國之介．恃大國而陵虐於敝邑．寡君是以請罪焉．敢不稽首． | 'On this visit, the earl of Zheng appeared at the court of Jin, on account of the great offerings which were required, and to ask leave to invade Chen. He bowed with his head to the ground [before the marquis], and when Xuanzi wished to decline such an act of homage, Zixi, who was in attendance on the earl, said, "Through its reliance on the great State [of Chu], Chen exercises an insolent oppression of our poor State. On this account our ruler asks leave to call it to accouut for the offence;—how dare he but bow his head to the earth ?" | | 孟孝伯侵齊．晉故也． | Meng Xiaobo made an incursion into Qi in behalf of Jin. | | 夏．楚子為舟師以伐吳．不為軍政．無功而還． | 'In summer, the viscount of Chu invaded Wu with a naval squadron; but through the neglect of the rules of war, it returned without accomplishing anything.' | | 齊侯既伐晉而懼．將欲見楚子．楚子使薳啟彊如齊聘．且請期．齊社蒐軍實．使客觀之．陳文子曰．齊將有寇．吾聞之．兵不戢．必取其族． | 'The marquis of Qi being under apprehension because of his invasion of Jin, wished to have an interview with the viscount of Chu, who sent Wei Qijiang to Qi on a friendly visit, and to be informed as to the time of meeting. The marquis was sacrificing at the altar of the land, and inspected his munitions of war, that the visitor might see them. This made Chen Wenzi remark that there would soon be rebellion in Qi. "I have heard," said he, "that when weapons are not kept in their place, a prince will bring his own clans against himself." | | 秋．齊侯聞將有晉師．使陳無宇從薳啟彊如楚辭．且乞師．崔杼帥師送之．遂伐莒．侵介根． | 'In autumn, having heard that Jin was contemplating an expedition against him, the marquis sent Chen Wuyu after Wei Qijiang to Chu, to put off the meeting, and to beg the assistance of an army. Cui Shu escorted him with a force, and took the opportunity to invade Ju, making an incursion to Jiegen.' | | 會于夷儀．將以伐齊．水不克． | 'The duke had a meeting at Yiyi. This meeting, was with the intention of attacking Qi; but in consequence of the floods, the purpose was not carried out,' | | 冬．楚子伐鄭以救齊．門于東門．次于棘澤．諸侯還救鄭．晉侯使張骼．輔躒．致楚師．求御于鄭．鄭人卜宛射犬吉．子大叔戒之曰．大國之人．不可與也．對曰．無有眾寡．其上一也．大叔曰．不然．部婁無松柏． | 'In winter, the viscount of Chu invaded Zheng, in order to relieve Qi, and attacked the eastern gate of its capital. He then halted at the marsh of Ji, while the States returned [from Yiyi] to relieve Zheng. The marquis of Jin ordered Zhang Ge and Fu Li to flout the army of Chu, when they begged Zheng to supply them with a charioteer. The people of Zheng consulted the tortoise-shell about the matter, and it was indicated that the appointment of Yuan Shequan would be fortunate. Zitaishu admonished him that he should not put himself on an equality with the officers of the great State; but he replied, "Whether they belong to a populous State or a small one, those above me are of the same degree." "Not so," said Taishu. "Small hillocks have no fir trees nor cypresses on them." | | 二子在幄．坐射犬于外．既食而後食之．使御廣車而行．已皆乘乘車．將及楚師．而後從之乘．皆踞轉而鼓琴．近不告而馳之．皆取冑於櫜而冑．入壘皆下．搏人以投．收禽挾囚．弗待而出．皆超乘．抽弓而射．既免．復踞轉而鼓琴．曰．公孫同乘．兄弟也．故再不謀．對曰．曩者志入而已．今則怯也．皆笑曰．公孫之亟也． | 'The two officers sat in their tent, while Yuan Shequan waited outside. They took their food first, and then gave to him. They made him precede them in a wide war-chariot, while they followed in an easy one. It was not till they approached the army of Chu that they entered his carriage, and then they squatted on a cross board at the back, playing a couple of lutes. When they came quite near, Yuan dashed on without telling them. They took their helmets from the bowcase and put them on; and when they entered the entrenchments, they descended from the carriage, seized each a man and dashed him to the ground, seized each another, and carried him off under his arm. The chariot had drawn off out of the entrenchments, without waiting for them; but they sprang into it, took their bows, and began shooting. When they had got off, they resumed their squatting, playing upon their lutes. "Gongsun," said they [to their charioteer], "being in the same carriage, we are brothers; why did you act twice without consulting us?" "The first time," he replied, "I was thinking of nothing but entering [the camp]; just now I was afraid." What a hasty temper Gongsun has!" responded they, laughing. | | 楚子自棘澤還．使薳啟彊帥師送陳無宇． | 'The viscount of Chu withdrew from the marsh of Ji and returned, when he sent Wei Qijiang with a force to escort Chen Wuyu [to Qi]. | | 吳人為楚舟師之役故．召舒鳩人．舒鳩人叛楚．楚子師于荒浦．使沈尹壽與師祁犁讓之．舒鳩子敬逆二子．而告無之．且請受盟．二子復命．王欲伐之．薳子曰．不可．彼告不叛．且請受盟．而又伐之．伐無罪也．姑歸息民．以待其卒．卒而不貳．吾又何求．若猶叛我．無辭．有庸．乃還． | 'The people of Wu, in consequence of the naval attack on them by Chu (par. 3), invited the people of Shujiu to join them, and they agreed to revolt from Chu. The viscount was then with his army in Huangpu, and sent Shou, commandant of Shen, and Shi Qili to reprove them. The viscount of Shujiu met the two officers reverently, and assured them there was no such thing, requesting also to be allowed a covenant. When they returned with this report to the king, he [still] wanted to attack the place; but Weizi said, "No. They say they are not revolting, and they ask us to impose a covenant on them. If you now go on to attack them, you are attacking the guiltless. Let us return for a time, and give the people rest, to wait for the issue. If the issue be that they show no disaffection, we have nothing more to ask of them. If after all they do revolt, they will have no excuse, and we can take successful action." Accordingly [the army of Chu] returned.' | | 陳人復討慶氏之黨．鍼宜咎出奔楚． | 'The people of Chen were taking further measures against the partizans of the Qing (See xxiii. 5); and Qian Yijiu fled from it to Chu. | | 齊人城郟．穆叔如周聘．且賀城．王嘉其有禮也．賜之大路． | 'The people of Qi had [for the king] rebuilt the wall of Jia (The Jiaru of the Zhuan on VII. iii. 4). Mushu went to Zhou on a mission of friendly inquiries, and to congratulate the court on the rebuilding of the wall. The king admired his courteous deportment, and gave him a great carriage.' | | 晉侯嬖程鄭．使佐下軍．鄭行人公孫揮如晉聘．程鄭問焉．曰．敢問降階何由．子羽不能對．歸以語然明．然明曰．是將死矣．不然將亡．貴而知懼．懼而思降．乃得其階．下人而已．又何問焉．且夫既登而求降階者．知人也．不在程鄭．其有亡釁乎．不然．其有惑疾．將死而憂也． | 'The marquis of Jin had appointed a favourite, called Cheng Zheng, to be assistant-commander of the third army. When Gongsun Hui, the messenger of Zheng, was at Jin on a friendly mission, Cheng Zheng, asked him, saying, "I venture to inquire what is the meaning of descending the steps [to meet a guest]" Ziyu (Hui) was not able to reply; but on his return he told Ranming of the circumstance. Ranming said, "He is going to die, or he is going to become a fugitive. Men of high rank know to be apprehensive; being apprehensive, they think of showing humility; and so there are those steps. They are simply emblematic of condescending to others; what is there to be asked about them? To desire to descend, when one has ascended high, is the part of a wise man; Cheng Zheng is not capable of it. Is he to be banished for something? Or if not, is he out of his mind with some perplexity, and feeling the sorrow of approaching death?" |
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