Canonical Classics ← 第六十八回
第六十八回
朱zhū紫zǐ國guó唐táng僧sēng論lùn前qián世shì
孫sūn行xíng者zhě施shī為wéi三sān折zhé肱gōng

At Purpuria the Tang Monk Discourses on a Former Life · Pilgrim Sun Practises as a Thrice-Broken Arm

君正臣賢
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拼音 Pinyin Off
字體 Script 繁
原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

君正臣賢 Upright Ruler And Worthy Ministers

那nà國guó王wáng又yòu呻shēn吟yín嘆tàn道dào:「誠chéng乃nǎi是shì天tiān朝cháo大dà國guó,君jūn正zhèng臣chén賢xián。似sì我wǒ寡guǎ人rén久jiǔ病bìng多duō時shí,並bìng無wú一yì臣chén拯zhěng救jiù。」那nà国guó王wáng又yòu呻shēn吟yín叹tàn道dào:「诚chéng乃nǎi是shì天tiān朝cháo大dà国guó,君jūn正zhèng臣chén贤xián。似sì我wǒ寡guǎ人rén久jiǔ病bìng多duō时shí,并bìng无wú一yì臣chén拯zhěng救jiù。」


逐句解 Line by line

那nà國guó王wáng又yòu呻shēn吟yín嘆tàn道dào:「誠chéng乃nǎi是shì天tiān朝cháo大dà國guó,君jūn正zhèng臣chén賢xián。 那nà国guó王wáng又yòu呻shēn吟yín叹tàn道dào:「诚chéng乃nǎi是shì天tiān朝cháo大dà国guó,君jūn正zhèng臣chén贤xián。

The king groaned again and sighed, "Truly this is a great kingdom of the celestial court — the ruler upright, the ministers worthy.

君正臣賢 answers the two questions he asked before the recital — 幾朝君正 and 幾輩臣賢 — in the same four characters. He is quoting his own question back as a verdict.

似sì我wǒ寡guǎ人rén久jiǔ病bìng多duō時shí,並bìng無wú一yì臣chén拯zhěng救jiù。」 似sì我wǒ寡guǎ人rén久jiǔ病bìng多duō时shí,并bìng无wú一yì臣chén拯zhěng救jiù。」

"Whereas I, the solitary one, have been sick this long while, and not one minister has come to my rescue."

寡人, the solitary one, is a ruler's conventional humility. The sentence around it means the word literally for once.


總評 Commentary

The whole recital has landed as an accusation against his own court. He asked how many worthy ministers the Tang had, was told, and has drawn the comparison nobody offered.

並無一臣 is the sharpest thing he says. Not that his ministers have failed, but that there is not one of them — the count is zero, and he makes it with a hall full of them listening.

It is also the moment the two halves of the chapter join. A proclamation calling for physicians was being drafted this morning; the king has just explained, without meaning to, why it was needed.