Translation setting:
[None] [English]Pre-Qin and Han ->
Histories ->
Yanzi Chun Qiu ->
Inner Essays ->
Miscellaneous Essays
->
Volume 2: Miscellaneous Lower
-> Zi Wei Doubts Yan Zi's Refusal of the Qing Family's Fief; Yan Zi Says Satisfaction of Desire Leads to Ruin
| | 子尾疑晏... : |
慶氏亡，分其邑，與晏子邶殿，其鄙六十，晏子勿受。子尾曰：「富者，人之所欲也，何獨弗欲？」 |
| | The Qing family perished, and their fief was divided; it was given to Yan Zi Baodian, along with sixty border villages. Yan Zi refused to accept them. Zi Wei said, "Wealth is what people desire; why should you alone not want it?"
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| | 子尾疑晏... : |
晏子對曰：「慶氏之邑足欲，故亡。吾邑不足欲也，益之以邶殿，迺足欲；足欲，亡無日矣。在外不得宰吾一邑，不受邶殿，非惡富也，恐失富也。且夫富，如布帛之有幅焉，為之制度，使無遷也。夫生厚而用利，于是乎正德以幅之，使無黜慢，謂之幅利，利過則為敗，吾不敢貪多，所謂幅也。」 |
| | Yan Zi replied, "The fief of the Qing family was sufficient to satisfy desires, which is why they perished." My own fief is insufficient for desire; adding Baodian to it would make it enough to satisfy desire; Once desires are satisfied, there will be no day left before ruin. While I cannot govern even one fief outside, I do not accept Baodian—not because I dislike wealth, but because I fear losing it. Moreover, wealth is like the width of a piece of cloth or silk; one must establish regulations for it so that it does not shift. When life is abundant and resources are used efficiently, one must then establish proper virtue to regulate them, ensuring no neglect or carelessness; this is called regulating profit. When profit exceeds its bounds, it becomes failure. I dare not be greedy for more—this is what is meant by regulation."
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URN:
ctp:yanzi-chun-qiu/zi-wei-yi-yan-zi-bu
