第九回 · 魏徵奏開選場 Wei Zheng Proposes the Examinations — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

魏徵奏開選場 Wei Zheng Proposes the Examinations

忽hū一yí日rì，太tài宗zōng登dēng位wèi，聚jù集jí文wén武wǔ眾zhòng官guān，朝cháo拜bài禮lǐ畢bì，有yǒu魏wèi徵zhēng丞chéng相xiàng出chū班bān奏zòu道dào：「方fāng今jīn天tiān下xià太tài平píng，八bā方fāng寧níng靜jìng，應yīng依yī古gǔ法fǎ，開kāi立lì選xuǎn場chǎng，招zhāo取qǔ賢xián士shì，擢zhuó用yòng人rén材cái，以yǐ資zī化huà理lǐ。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「賢xián卿qīng所suǒ奏zòu有yǒu理lǐ。」就jiù傳chuán招zhāo賢xián文wén榜bǎng，頒bān布bù天tiān下xià：各gè府fǔ州zhōu縣xiàn，不bù拘jū軍jūn民mín人rén等děng，但dàn有yǒu讀dú書shū儒rú流liú，文wén義yì明míng暢chàng，三sān場chǎng精jīng通tōng者zhě，前qián赴fù長cháng安ān應yìng試shì。忽hū一yí日rì，太tài宗zōng登dēng位wèi，聚jù集jí文wén武wǔ众zhòng官guān，朝cháo拜bài礼lǐ毕bì，有yǒu魏wèi征zhēng丞chéng相xiàng出chū班bān奏zòu道dào：「方fāng今jīn天tiān下xià太tài平píng，八bā方fāng宁níng静jìng，应yīng依yī古gǔ法fǎ，开kāi立lì选xuǎn场chǎng，招zhāo取qǔ贤xián士shì，擢zhuó用yòng人rén材cái，以yǐ资zī化huà理lǐ。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「贤xián卿qīng所suǒ奏zòu有yǒu理lǐ。」就jiù传chuán招zhāo贤xián文wén榜bǎng，颁bān布bù天tiān下xià：各gè府fǔ州zhōu县xiàn，不bù拘jū军jūn民mín人rén等děng，但dàn有yǒu读dú书shū儒rú流liú，文wén义yì明míng畅chàng，三sān场chǎng精jīng通tōng者zhě，前qián赴fù长cháng安ān应yìng试shì。

逐句解 Line by line

忽hū一yí日rì，太tài宗zōng登dēng位wèi，聚jù集jí文wén武wǔ眾zhòng官guān，朝cháo拜bài禮lǐ畢bì，忽hū一yí日rì，太tài宗zōng登dēng位wèi，聚jù集jí文wén武wǔ众zhòng官guān，朝cháo拜bài礼lǐ毕bì，

One day, when Taizong had taken his seat and the civil and military officials were assembled, the audience and its ceremonies concluded,

朝拜禮畢: the court audience and its rites completed; here 朝 is cháo, 'court.'

有yǒu魏wèi徵zhēng丞chéng相xiàng出chū班bān奏zòu道dào：有yǒu魏wèi征zhēng丞chéng相xiàng出chū班bān奏zòu道dào：

the Chancellor Wei Zheng stepped forth from the ranks and memorialized:

魏徵 (Wei Zheng, 580–643), Taizong's famously blunt remonstrating minister; 出班 is to step out from the ranks of assembled officials. 丞相 reads chéng xiàng.

「方fāng今jīn天tiān下xià太tài平píng，八bā方fāng寧níng靜jìng，應yīng依yī古gǔ法fǎ，開kāi立lì選xuǎn場chǎng，招zhāo取qǔ賢xián士shì，擢zhuó用yòng人rén材cái，以yǐ資zī化huà理lǐ。」「方fāng今jīn天tiān下xià太tài平píng，八bā方fāng宁níng静jìng，应yīng依yī古gǔ法fǎ，开kāi立lì选xuǎn场chǎng，招zhāo取qǔ贤xián士shì，擢zhuó用yòng人rén材cái，以yǐ资zī化huà理lǐ。」

'Now that the empire is at peace and the eight quarters are tranquil, we should follow the ancient statutes: open the examination halls, recruit men of worth, and advance men of talent, so as to aid the work of civilizing rule.'

選場, the examination halls; 擢用人材, to raise up and employ the talented; 化理, the civilizing work of governance. In 應依古法, 應 is yīng, 'ought.'

太tài宗zōng道dào：「賢xián卿qīng所suǒ奏zòu有yǒu理lǐ。」太tài宗zōng道dào：「贤xián卿qīng所suǒ奏zòu有yǒu理lǐ。」

Taizong replied, 'What my worthy minister proposes is sound.'

賢卿, 'worthy minister,' a sovereign's courteous form of address to a high official.

就jiù傳chuán招zhāo賢xián文wén榜bǎng，頒bān布bù天tiān下xià：就jiù传chuán招zhāo贤xián文wén榜bǎng，颁bān布bù天tiān下xià：

He thereupon issued a proclamation summoning the worthy, to be promulgated throughout the realm:

文榜 (also 黃榜), the imperial proclamation posted on yellow paper.

各gè府fǔ州zhōu縣xiàn，不bù拘jū軍jūn民mín人rén等děng，但dàn有yǒu讀dú書shū儒rú流liú，文wén義yì明míng暢chàng，三sān場chǎng精jīng通tōng者zhě，前qián赴fù長cháng安ān應yìng試shì。各gè府fǔ州zhōu县xiàn，不bù拘jū军jūn民mín人rén等děng，但dàn有yǒu读dú书shū儒rú流liú，文wén义yì明míng畅chàng，三sān场chǎng精jīng通tōng者zhě，前qián赴fù长cháng安ān应yìng试shì。

In every prefecture, department, and county, without distinction of soldier or commoner, any man of the scholarly sort, lucid in letters and accomplished in the three sessions, was to come up to Cháng'ān and sit the examination.

不拘軍民人等, drawing no line between soldier and commoner; 三場精通, master of the three examination sessions. 應試, 'to sit the examination,' takes 應 as yìng, 'to answer'; 長安 with 長 as cháng.

總評 Commentary

Wei Zheng 魏徵 (580–643) was Taizong's most celebrated remonstrating official, proverbial for plain speech that the emperor suffered for the good of the state. In the displaced Shidetang chapter he is the minister whose dream-execution of the Jing River Dragon King opens the road to the underworld; here he appears only to set the examination machinery turning. The 選場 and 招賢 proclamation evoke the 科舉 civil examinations, though the procedure sketched — provincial notice, three sessions, palace policy questions — is a loose idealization rather than exact Tang practice.