譯作／西門豹治鄴 Ximen Bao,the Magistrate of Ye*

魏文侯時，西門豹為鄴 (yé) 令。豹往到鄴，會長老，問之民所疾苦。

長老曰：「苦為河伯娶婦，以故貧。」

(白話文) 魏文侯的時候，西門豹做鄴縣的縣令。他到鄴縣就任，會見了地方上的父老，就問起他們，這裡的人民有甚麼痛苦。

父老們答道：「苦在給河神娶親這件事上，所以都窮困。」

In the time of Marquis Wen of the State of Wei (472-396 B.C.), Ximen Bo was the magistrate of Ye County. Upon his arrival in the county, he met with the local elders and inquired about the problems facing the people.

The elders said,“The problems involve making wedding arrangements for the river god, which have impoverished the residents.”

豹問其故，對曰：「鄴三老、廷掾 (yuàn) 常歲賦斂百姓，收取其錢得數百萬；用其二三十萬為河伯娶婦，與祝巫共分其餘錢持歸。當其時，巫行視小家女好者，云是當為河伯婦。即娉取。洗沐之，為治新繒 (zēng) 、綺縠 (hú) 衣。閑居齋戒，為治齋宮河上，張緹 (tÍ) 絳帷，女居其中。為其牛酒飯食，十餘日，共粉飾之，如嫁女牀席，令女居其上，浮之河中。始浮，行數十里乃沒。其人家有好女者，恐大巫祝為河伯取之，以故多持女遠逃亡。以故城中益空無人，又困貧，所從來久遠矣。民人俗語曰，『即不為河伯娶婦，水來漂沒，溺其人民』云。」

(白話文) 西門豹問他們是甚麼緣故，他們又答道：「鄴縣的三老和廷掾，每年經常向老百姓要錢，收了他們的錢來──有好幾百萬；用二三十萬給河神娶親，其餘的就和神巫均分，拿到自己家裡。當那個時候，神巫就出來巡視，看到了人家女兒長得漂亮的，就說：「這個應當給河神做老婆。」便向人家要了來，先洗乾淨她的身體，再替她縫製新的五彩花紋綢緞衣裙。讓她閒住著齋戒，在河上建築了齋戒的屋子，裡面張掛了黃紅色的幔幕，叫這女孩子住到裡面。還給她預備了牛肉、酒、飯。這樣實行了十幾天，就又共同把她裝飾打扮起來，設備了像嫁女的牀席，叫這女孩子坐在上面，送到河裡。起初還漂浮著，走上幾十里路，就沉沒了。凡是人家有美貌的女兒的，恐怕被大神巫看中給河神娶了去，所以大都帶著女兒向遠方逃亡。因此城裡愈發顯得空洞沒人，又加上窮困，這事的由來已經很久了。這裡人民有句俗話說：『如果不給河神娶親，大水就來漂沒，淹死這地方的人民』。」

The magistrate asked the elders what was the cause. “Each year”, they said,“the alderman and the clerk of the county would collect various taxes and duties from the people that would amount to several millions. They would spend two to three hundred thousand of it to make wedding arrangements for the river god, while dividing the rest with the sorceress. When the time comes, the sorceress would go around looking for some good-looking maiden from among the ordinary families, pronounce her fit to be wedded to the river god and designate her as his betrothed. They would wash and bathe the maiden, order new dresses made of silk, brocade and crepe for her, make her live in isolation and abstinence. They would then construct a retreat cabin on the river complete with orange and red curtains, place the maiden in it and indulge her with sumptuous meals that include beef and wine for more than ten days. Then they would decorate the cabin, equip it with beddings fit for a bride, make the girl sit on them and cut the cabin loose in the middle of the river. The cabin would stay afloat for dozens of miles before sinking. Many local families that have good-looking daughters have fled the county for fear that the sorceress may choose them for the river god. Because of that, the town is emptier and poorer than ever. This situation has existed for a long time. There is a common saying among the local population: “If no brides are found for the river god, the county will be inundated by floods and the people will drown.”

西門豹曰：「至為河伯娶婦時，願三老、巫祝、父老送女河上，幸來告語之，吾亦往送女。」 皆曰：「諾。」

(白話文) 西門豹說：「到給河神娶親的時候，希望三老、神巫、父老們都送那女孩子到河上，最好請來告訴我，我也去給那女孩子送行。」大家都說：「是。」

The magistrate said, “When the time comes for the next wedding of the river god, I hope that the alderman, the sorceress and the elders will all come to send the bride off down the river. I will appreciate to be notified in advance so that I, too, can join the sendoff.”

They all said, “Yes.”

至其時，西門豹往會之河上。三老、官屬豪長者、里父老者皆會，以人民往觀之者三二千人。其巫，老女子也，已年七十。從弟子女十人所，皆衣繒單衣，立大巫後。

(白話文) 到了那時，西門豹真的來到了河上。三老、衙門裡的官員、地方上的豪紳、鄉里的父老也都來了。老百姓來看的有兩三千人。那神巫，是個老女人，年紀已經有七十歲，跟從的女徒弟大約十來位，都穿著單綢衣服，站在大神巫背後。

When the day came, the magistrate arrived at the riverbank where he was joined by the alderman, county officers, gentlefolk, local elders and a crowd of two to three thousand common people who had come to witness the occasion. The sorceress was an old woman who had already passed the age of 70. She was flanked by a dozen female disciples who were all clad in unlined silk dresses.

*Ye (An ancient name for an area north of Anyang, Henan Province.)

*Shaosun (A Chinese historian who lived and died in the third century B.C.)

西門豹曰：「呼河伯婦來，視其好醜。」即將女出帷中，來至前。豹視之，顧謂三老、巫祝、父老曰：「是女子不好，煩大巫嫗 (yú) 為入報河伯，得更求好女，後日送趣(cú)之！」即使吏卒共抱大巫嫗投之河中。

(白話文) 西門豹說：「叫河神新婦來，看看她長得俊還是醜！」便把那女孩子從帷幕裡領出，來到前面。西門豹看了看，就轉過臉來對三老、神巫、父老們說：「這個女子不好，麻煩大巫婆替我們去向河神報告：我們必得另尋找一個更好的女子，到後天再送她來！」便使差役士兵等共同抱起大巫婆投到河裡。

“Bring the bride of the river god here,” the magistrate said, “I want to see if she is pretty or plain.” The girl was immediately taken out of the cabin and brought to the magistrate. The magistrate looked at the girl, then turned to the alderman, the sorceress and the elders and said, “This girl is not pretty at all. Would the head sorceress mind going to tell the river god that we have to find a prettier girl and dispatch her to him a few days later?” He immediately ordered his bailiffs to lift the sorceress and throw her into the river.

有頃，曰：「巫嫗何久也？弟子一人趣之！」復以弟子一人投河中。 

有頃，曰：「弟子何久也？復使一人趣之！」復投一弟子河中。凡投三弟子。

(白話文) 待了一會功夫，西門豹說：「怎麼巫婆去得這樣久還不回來？徒弟們去催催她吧！」又把一個徒弟扔到河裡。待了一會功夫，西門豹說：「怎麼徒弟去得這樣久還不回來？再使一個人去催催他們吧！」又投了一個徒弟到河裡。像這樣一共投了三個徒弟。

After a while, he said, “What has kept the sorceress so long? Let one of her disciples go and hurry her up.” Thereupon he had one disciple thrown into the river.

A while later, he said, “What has made the disciple tarry so long? Let another one go and hurry them up.” A second disciple was ordered to be thrown into the river. Eventually, a total of three disciples were so dispatched.

西門豹曰：「巫嫗、弟子，是女子也，不能白事，煩三老為入白之。」 復投三老河中。西門豹簪 (zān) 筆磬 (qìng) 折，向河立待良久。長老、吏、傍觀者皆驚恐。 西門豹顧曰：「巫嫗、三老不來還，奈之何？」欲復使廷掾與豪長者一人趣之。皆叩頭，叩頭且破，額血流地，色如死灰。 西門豹曰：「諾。且留待之須臾。」

(白話文) 西門豹說：「巫婆和她的徒弟，都是女子，不能把事情說明白；還是麻煩三老替我們去說明這件事吧！」又把三老投到河裡。西門豹把簪筆插到帽子上，躬下腰施禮，朝著河站著，待了很久的時候。父老們、差役、旁觀的都看著害怕。西門豹回過頭來說：「巫婆、三老不回來，怎麼辦？」意思是想再使廷掾同一位豪紳去催。他們都連忙跪下叩頭，把頭都磕破了，額上的血流到地上，臉像蒙了一層死灰。西門豹說：「好！就暫且不去！待一會兒再說！」

Then the magistrate said,“The sorceress and the disciples are all women and, therefore, incapable of saying things clearly. Would the alderman mind going in to explain it clearly?” The alderman was then thrown into the river. The magistrate stuck a feather onto his hat* and bowed. He stood facing the river for a long time. The elders, county officers and the spectators were all trembling with fear. The magistrate turned to them and said, “None of the sorceresses or the alderman has come back. What can we do now?” He suggested sending the clerk and one of the gentlefolk to hasten them. They all kowtowed until they broke their foreheads and covered the ground with blood. Their faces turned ashen. The magistrate then said, “Alright, let us wait for another while.”

須臾，豹曰：「廷掾起矣。狀河伯留客之久，若皆罷去歸矣。」鄴吏民大驚恐，從是以後，不敢復言為河伯娶婦。

(白話文) 待了一會兒，西門豹又說道：「廷掾起來吧！看樣子大概是河神把客人留住了，你們都散了吧，我也回去了！」鄴縣的官民聽了非常害怕；從此以後，不敢再說給河神娶親的事。

A while later, he said, “The clerk may get up now. Perhaps the river god is pressing his guests to stay longer. All of you may as well go home.”

The officers and the people were so frightened that, since then, no one would dare speaking about making wedding arrangements for the river god.

西門豹即發民鑿十二渠，引河水灌民田，田皆溉。當其時，民治渠少煩苦，不欲也。豹曰：「民可以樂成，不可與慮始。今父老子弟雖患苦我，然百歲後，期令父老子弟思我言。」至今皆得水利，民人以給足富。

(白話文)西門豹就徵發民伕，一共鑿了十二道水渠，引出河水澆灌民田，所有的田地都得到滋潤了。不過在那個時候，人民鑿渠都覺得有點煩擾和痛苦，不大樂意去作。西門豹說：「人民只可以樂享現成，不可以和他們計畫開創的事。現在父老子弟雖然以為我使你們受了苦難，然而到百年之後，我希望父老的後代子孫想想我的話！」

到現在，都得到灌溉的利益，老百姓家給人足，都過著富裕的生活。

The magistrate soon mobilized the people to construct twelve aqueducts, using them to channel water for irrigating the farms. As a result, all the farms were supplied with the water they needed. When the project started, the local people grumbled about the hard work and wanted to discontinue it. The magistrate said,

“People want to enjoy the fruit, but they don’t want to talk about starting a project.Although the people, both the young and the old, may now blame me for all the trouble and hard work, yet I predict that, a hundred years from now, their grandchildren will still remember my words.” Today, the water conservancy project still works and the people of Ye continue to enjoy living in riches and comfort.

*hat (An ancient gesture of reverence and worship)