国以任贤使能而兴，弃贤专己而衰。此二者，必然之势，古今之通义，流俗所共知耳。何治安之世有之而能兴，昏乱之世虽有之亦不兴？盖用之与不用之谓矣。有贤而用，国之福也，有之而不用，犹无有也。商之兴也，有仲虺、伊尹，其衰也，亦有三仁。周之兴也，同心者十人，其衰也，亦有祭公谋父、内史过。两汉之兴也，有萧、曹、寇、邓之徒，其衰也，亦有王嘉、傅喜、陈蕃、李固之众。魏、晋而下，至于李唐，不可遍举，然其间兴衰之世，亦皆同也。由此观之，有贤而用之者，国之福也，有之而不用，犹无有也，可不慎欤？今犹古也，今之天下亦古之天下，今之士民亦古之士民。古虽扰攘之际，犹有贤能若是之众，况今太宁，岂曰无之？在君上用之而已。博询众庶，则才能者进矣；不有忌讳，则谠直之路开矣；不迩小人，则谗谀者自远矣；不拘文牵俗，则守职者辨治矣；不责人以细过，则能吏之志得以尽其效矣。苟行此道，则何虑不跨两汉、轶三代，然后践五帝、三皇之途哉。
Advocacy
of Talents Wang Anshi
A nation thrives when it appoints
and utilizes talents, but it declines when it neglects these talents and its
ruler monopolizes everything. This is irreversible—true in the past and true at
parent and known even by common people. But how is it that a nation in good
order can thrive with its talents while a nation in chaos cannot in spite of
its talents? This is only a matter of whether talents are utilized or not. If a
nation utilizes them, a good fortune will come to it; otherwise, it is just as
though they do not exist. There were talents like Zhong Hui and Yi Yin when
Shang was flourishing, but as it declined, there were also three talents. There
were ten talents making a concerted effort for the King when Zhou was on its
rise, but on its fall, there were also talents like Duke Zhai Moufu and Nei
Shiguo. There were talents like Xiao He, Cao Can, Kou Xun, Deng Fu, etc. in the
prime of both the Eastern Han and the Western Han, but on their downfall, there
were also a great number of talents like Wang Jia, Fu Xi, Chen Fan, and Li Gu.
From Wei and Jin down to the Tang Dynasty, there were too many talents to list,
but again there were talents for both thriving and declining periods. Looking
from this perspective, it is indeed good fortune for a nation when there are
talents and they are utilized, but they are as good as nonexistent if these
talents exist but are not utilized. We could not afford not to be cautious about
this!
Things at present and in the past
are identical: today’s world is like yesterday’s and today’s people are like
yesterday’s. There were as many talents as mentioned above at times of chaos in
the past; how can we say there are none today when we are at peace? It is
solely a matter of whether high officials utilize these talents.
In quire among the masses and
talents will be found; if there are no taboos, the passages for honest advice
will be open; if there is no pampering of snobs or sycophants, then they will
not approach; if there are no literary restrictions and conventional scruples,
then people on duty will have lucid judgment in fulfilling responsibilities; if
there are no punishments for lapses, then able officials will be able to give
their full play. If we strictly abide by these principles, how can we not
surpass the Two Hans and exceed the Three Dynasties to scale the same
flourishing heights as the Three Kings and the Five Lords?
（徐英才
译） |
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