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狀留篇

論賢儒之才,既超程矣,世人怪其仕宦不進,官爵卑細。以賢才退在俗吏之後,信〔可〕怪也。夫如是,而適足以見賢不肖之分,睹高下多少之實也。

龜生三百歲,大如錢,游於蓮葉之上。三千歲青邊緣,巨尺二寸。蓍生七十歲生一莖,七百歲生十莖。神靈之物也,故生遲留, 曆歲長久,故能明審。

實賢儒之在世也,猶靈蓍、神龜也。計學問之日,固已盡年之半矣。銳意於道,遂無貪仕之心。及其仕也,純特方正,無員銳 之操。故世人遲取進難也。

針錐所穿,無不暢達。使針錐末方,穿物無一分之深矣。賢儒方節而行,無針錐之銳,固安能自穿、取暢達之功乎?

且驥一日行千里者,無所服也,使服任車輿,駑馬同〔昔〕。驥曾以引鹽車矣,垂頭落汗,行不能進。伯樂顧之,王良禦之,空 身輕馳,故有千里之名。

今賢儒懷古今之學,負荷禮義之重,內累於胸中之知,外劬於禮義之操,不敢妄進苟取,故有稽留之難。無伯樂之友,不遭王良之將,安得馳於清明之朝,立千里之跡乎?

且夫含血氣物之生也,行則背在上而腹在下;其病若死,則背在下而腹在上。何則?背肉厚而重,腹肉薄而輕也。賢儒、俗吏, 並在當世,有似於此。將明道行,則俗吏載賢儒,賢儒乘俗吏。將暗道廢,則俗吏乘賢儒,賢儒處下位,猶物遇害,腹在上而背在下也。

且背法天而腹法地,生行得其正,故腹背得其位;病死失其宜,故腹反而在背上。

非唯腹也,凡物仆僵者,足又在上。賢儒不遇,仆廢於世,踝足之吏,皆在其上。

東方朔曰:“目不在面而在於足,救昧不給,能何見乎?”汲黯謂武帝曰: “陛下用吏如積薪矣,後來者居上。”

原汲黯之言,察東方朔之語,獨〔非〕以俗吏之得地,賢儒之失職哉?故夫仕宦,失地難以觀德;得地難以察不肖。名 生於高官,而毀起於卑位。卑位,固賞賢儒之所在也。

遵禮蹈繩,修身守節,在下不汲汲,故有沉滯之留。沉滯在能自濟,故有不拔之扼。其積學於身也多,故用心也固。

俗吏無以自修,身雖拔進,利心搖動,則有下道侵漁之操矣。

楓桐之樹,生而速長,故其皮肌不能堅剛。樹檀以五月生葉,後彼春榮之木,其材強勁,車以為軸。殷之桑穀,七日大 拱,長速大暴,故為變怪。大器晚成,寶貨難售也。不崇一朝,輒成賈者,菜果之物也。

是故湍瀨之流,沙石轉而大石不移。何者?大石重而沙石輕也。沙石轉積於大石之上,大石沒而不見。賢儒俗吏,並在世俗,有似於此。遇暗長吏,轉移俗吏超在賢儒之上,賢儒處下,受馳走之使,至或岩居穴處,沒身不見。咎在長吏不能知賢,而賢者道大,力劣不能拔舉之故也。

夫手指之物器也,度力不能舉,則不敢動。賢儒之道,非徒物器之重也。

是故金鐵在地,焱風不能動,毛芥在其間,飛揚千里。夫賢儒所懷,其猶水中大石、在地金鐵也。其進不若俗吏速者,長 吏力劣,不能用也。毛芥在鐵石間也,一口之氣,能吹毛芥,非必焱風。俗吏之易遷,猶毛芥之易吹也。

故夫轉沙石者,湍瀨也;飛毛芥者,焱風也。活水洋風,毛芥不動。無道理之將,用心暴猥,察吏不詳,遭以奸遷,妄授官爵,猛水之轉沙石,焱風之飛毛芥也。是故毛芥因異風而飛,沙石遭猛流而轉,俗吏遇悖將而遷。

且圓物投之於地,東西南北,無之不可,策杖叩動,才微輒停。方物集地,壹投而止;及其移徒,須人動舉。賢 儒,世之方物也,其難轉移者,其動須人也。

鳥輕便於人,趨遠,人不如鳥,然而天地之性人為貴。蝗蟲之飛,能至萬里;麒麟須獻,乃達闕下。然而蝗蟲為災,麒麟為瑞。麟 有四足,尚不能自致,人有兩足,安能自達?故曰:燕飛輕於鳳皇,兔走疾於麒麟,{圭黽}躍躁於靈龜,蛇騰便於神龍。

呂望之徒,白首乃顯;百里奚之知,明於黃發:深為國謀,因為王輔,皆夫沉重難進之人也。輕躁早成,禍害暴疾。故 曰:其進銳者,退速。

陽溫陰寒,曆月乃至;災變之氣,一朝成怪。故夫河冰結合,非一日之寒;積土成山,非斯須之作。

幹將之劍,久在爐炭, 銛鋒 利刃,百熟煉曆。久銷乃見作留,成遲故能割斷。

肉暴長者曰腫,泉暴出者曰湧,酒暴熟者易酸,醢暴酸者易臭。由此言之,賢儒遲留,皆有狀故。狀故雲何?學多道重,為身累也。

草木之生者濕,濕者重;死者枯。枯而輕者易舉,濕而重者難移也。然元氣所在,在生不在枯。

是故車行於陸,船行於溝,其滿而重者行遲,空而輕者行疾。先王之道,載在胸腹之內,其重不徒船車之任也。任重 ,其取進疾速,難矣。

竊人之物,其得非不速疾也,然而非其有,得之非己之力也。世人早得高官,非不有光榮也,而屍祿素餐之謗,喧嘩甚矣。且 賢儒之不進,將相長吏不開通也。

農夫載谷奔都,賈人齎貨赴遠,皆欲得其願也。如門郭閉而不通,津梁絕而不過,雖有勉力趨時之勢,奚由早至以得盈利哉?

長吏妒賢,不能容善,不被鉗赭之刑,幸矣,焉敢望官位升舉,道理之早成也?

Chapter XII. Apparent Backwardness (Chuang-liu).

Since able scholars, as we have asserted, rank above all others, people are amazed that as officials they do not advance, and that the posts and functions they have to fill are so inferior. As a matter of fact, we need not be surprised that talented men should be outpaced by ordinary functionaries, for just this circumstance will show us the difference between clever persons and unworthy ones, and display what more or less dignity really means.

When a tortoise is three hundred years old, it is as big as a cash and walks on lotus leaves. At the age of three thousand, it has a green edge and it measures one foot and two inches. When milfoil is seventy years old, it grows one stalk, and at the age of seven hundred it has ten stalks. Both are supernatural things, 1 which accounts for the slowness of their growth. These many years give them their wisdom and their knowledge of the truth.

Able scholars on earth are like the spiritual milfoil and the divine tortoise. They spend at least half the days of the year on their studies. Intensely bent upon their researches, they do not covet official honours, and, if called to office, their conduct is irreproachable, square and upright, and not like that of ambitious officials. Hence their advance in life is delayed, and their promotion fraught with difficulties.

If a needle or an awl pierce something, they go through, but in case the points of these implements were square, they would not even penetrate one tenth of an inch deep. Able scholars like square dealings, they do not possess the sharpness of a needle or an awl, and therefore have not the means of making their way and push themselves to the front.

A courser runs a thousand Li a day, but it must be unhampered. Should it have to drag a cart, any hackney might compete with it. Used to pull a salt-waggon, it would drop its head, the perspiration 2 would trickle down, and it would be unable to advance. However, if Po Lo3 started it, or Wang Liang4 took the reins and allowed it to chase along, free of any burden, it would keep up its reputation of a thousand Li runner.

Our students encompass the wisdom of the past and the present in their bosoms, and carry the burden of propriety and righteousness on their shoulders. Within they are troubled with all their learning, and without harassed with their care for a decent and honest behaviour. They dare not recklessly advance or seek promotion at all cost. Consequently they are left behind. How could they start on a bright morning and win the prize of a thousand Li race, unless they find a friendly Po Lo or a protector like Wang Liang?

Furthermore, it is a fact that all living creatures, filled with the vital fluid, have their backs turned upwards and their bellies downwards, as long as they move about. When they fall sick or die, the back is turned downwards and the belly uppermost. 5 The reason is that on the back the flesh is thick and heavy, whereas on the belly it is thin and light. 6 When able scholars and ordinary officials meet in life, their relation is similar:---Under enlightened governors, and when sciences flourish, ordinary officials have to carry the scholars, who rise upon their shoulders, but, when the highest authorities are short-sighted, and sciences neglected, then the officials rise above the scholars, who are kept in subordinate positions, as with animals struck by a fatal blow the belly is uppermost and the back turned downwards.

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