书经 The Book of
History -- 《咸有一德-- Common Possession of Pure Virtue》(James Legge
英译)
咸有一德:
伊尹作《咸有一德》。
伊尹既复政厥辟，将告归，乃陈戒于德。
曰：“呜呼！天难谌1，命靡常。常厥德，保厥位；厥德匪常，九有以亡2。夏王弗克庸德，慢神虐民。皇天弗保，监于万方，启迪有命3，眷求一德，俾作神主4。惟尹躬暨汤咸有一德，克享天心5，受天明命，以有九有之师，爰革夏正6。非天私我有商，惟天佑于一德；非商求于下民，惟民归于一德。德惟一，动罔不吉；德二三，动罔不凶。惟吉凶不僣，在人7，惟天降灾祥，在德8！
Common Possession
of Pure Virtue: Yi Yin, having returned the government into the
hands of his sovereign, and being about to announce his retirement,
set forth admonitions on the subject of virtue.
He said, 'Oh! it
is difficult to rely on Heaven;--its appointments are not constant.
(But if the sovereign see to it that) his virtue be constant, he
will preserve his throne; if his virtue be not constant, the nine
provinces will be lost by him. The king of Xia could not maintain
the virtue (of his ancestors) unchanged, but contemned the spirits
and oppressed the people. Great Heaven no (longer) extended its
protection to him. It looked out among the myriad regions to give
its guidance to one who should receive its favouring appointment,
fondly seeking (a possessor of) pure virtue; whom it might make
lord of all the spirits. Then there were I, Yin, and Tang, both
possessed of pure virtue, and able to satisfy the mind of Heaven.
He received (in consequence) the bright favour of Heaven, so as to
become possessor of the multitudes of the nine provinces, and
proceeded to change Xia's commencement of the year. It was not that
Heaven had any private partiality for the lord of Shang; it simply
gave its favour to pure virtue. It was not that Shang sought (the
allegiance of) the lower people; the people simply turned to pure
virtue. Where (the sovereign's) virtue is pure, his enterprises are
all fortunate; where his virtue is wavering and uncertain, his
enterprises are all unfortunate. Good and evil do not wrongly
befall men, but Heaven sends down misery or happiness according to
their conduct.'
【注释】
1、谌：信。
2、九有：九州。
3、启迪：启，开。迪，导。有命：有，通佑，佑助。有命，帮助天命的人。
4、神主：百神之主。
5、享：当，合。
6、爰革夏正：爰，于是。正，通政。
7、僭：差错。在人：在于人的所行。
8、祥：福，灾之反。在德：《孔疏》：“在德，谓德有一不一。
“今嗣王新服厥命1，惟新厥德。终始惟一，时乃日新。任官惟贤才，左右惟其人2。臣为上为德3，为下为民4；其难其慎5，惟和惟一6，德无常师，主善为师7。善无常主，协于克一8。俾万姓咸曰：大哉！王言。又曰：一哉！王心。克绥先王之禄9，永厎烝民之生10。
'Now, O young
king, you are newly entering on your (great) appointment, you
should be seeking to make new your virtue. At last, as at first,
have this as your one object, so shall you make a daily renovation.
Let the officers whom you employ be men of virtue and ability, and
let the ministers about you be the right men. The minister, in
relation to (his sovereign) above him, has to promote his virtue,
and, in relation to the (people) beneath him, has to seek their
good. How hard must it be (to find the proper man)! what careful
attention must be required! (Thereafter) there must be harmony
(cultivated with him), and a oneness (of confidence placed in him).
There is no invariable model of virtue; a supreme regard to what is
good gives the model of it. There is no invariable characteristic
of what is good that is to be supremely regarded; it is found where
there is a conformity to the uniform consciousness (in regard to
what is good). (Such virtue) will make the people with their myriad
surnames all say, How great are the words of the king!" and also,
"How single and pure is the king's heart!" It will avail to
maintain in tranquillity the rich possession of the former king,
and to secure for ever the (happy) life of the multitudes of the
people.'
【注释】
1、服：受，接受。
2、左右惟其人：左右，指大臣。惟其人，指忠良的人。
3、臣为上为德：大臣辅助君上施行德政。
4、为下为民：帮助下属治理人民。为，治也。
5、其难其慎：其，尚、庶几，表祈使。
6、惟和惟一：惟，当。《蔡传》：“和者，可否相济。一者，终始如一。”
7、主善：以善为主。
8、协于克一：协，合。克，能。一，纯一。
9、绥：安。禄：福禄。
10、厎：安定。烝：众。厎烝民之生，即安定民众的生活。
“呜呼！七世之庙，可以观德1；万夫之长，可以观政2。后非民罔使，民非后罔事3。无自广以狭人4，匹夫匹妇不获自尽5，民主罔与成厥功。”
'Oh! (to retain a
place) in the seven-shrined temple of ancestors is a sufficient
witness of virtue. To be acknowledged as chief by the myriad heads
of families is a sufficient evidence of one's government. The
sovereign without the people has none whom he can employ; and the
people without the sovereign have none whom they can serve. Do not
think yourself so large as to deem others small. If ordinary men
and women do not find the opportunity to give full development to
their ability, the people's lord will be without the proper aids to
complete his merit.'
【注释】
1、七世之庙可以观德：天子的宗庙供奉七代祖先，见到七世的宗庙，就可以看到他们的功德。
2、万夫之长可以观政：《孔疏》：“万夫之长，能使其整齐，可以观知其善政也。”
3、罔事：无处尽力。事，力。
4、狭人：小视 人。小视人则不能尽人的心力。
5、匹夫匹妇：庶民百姓。自尽：自己尽其心意。
