【胡·譯專欄第三期】雙語趣史：魯宣公與環(huán)境保護
2019/12/27 17:18:21來源：胡婧
導語 Intro
甘地曾說：“地球所提供的足以滿足每個人的需要，但不足以填滿每個人的欲望?！?新的一期《雙語趣史》將從身邊發(fā)生的一件貪心事出發(fā)，了解古人如何實現(xiàn)“可持續(xù)發(fā)展”，思索人與自然的關系。
Mahatma Ghandi once said, "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed." Starting from a greedy thing that has happened right before my eyes, this edition of Chinese Modern Life in History will illustrate the Chinese ancients' approach to "sustainable development" and lead us all to rethink human relationship with nature.
一天，我在小區(qū)里散步，突然瞅見在遠處樓房拐角的一棵小樹旁，有兩個人影，其中一個低頭俯身，像是在認錯，另一個則昂起頭，手里拿著一根木棍，不停地對著那棵樹揮舞。
One day I was walking around my neighborhood when I saw in the distance two human silhouettes by a little tree at the corner of a residential building, one of them bending down as if in remorse and the other facing skyward with a wooden stick thrashing this way and that at the tree.
他們在干嘛？走進一看，被眼前的景象驚呆了。
What are they doing? As I drew nearer, I was shocked.
只見那兩人，一個彎腰撐開塑料袋，一個拿著頂端帶叉的木棍，身體向上一竄，便鉤住了力所能及的樹枝，使勁往下一扽，一只手輕快地將上面的花苞捋下來，扔進塑料袋里。
Before my eyes loomed two people. One was bending over to hold open a plastic bag and the other was jumping up to hook a flower-laden twig with the forked wooden stick in one hand, bend it downward, and pluck the buds off into the bag.
原來兩人在摘槐花。他們配合默契，動作麻利，摘完一枝花，又踮著腳用木棍勾更高的樹枝，那架勢像是要把整棵樹上的花都摘完，才肯罷手。而那棵樹此時已經(jīng)面目全非，樹枝和樹葉散落四周。不遠處的另一株槐樹，連主干都被折斷了，“兇手”已逃之夭夭。
It turned out that the two were picking sophora flowers, a natural substance that can be used as both food and medicine. They cooperated with each other in a tacit and quick manner, sweeping their loot off one flowering twig after another and stretching up to reach yet higher. They seemed very determined to wipe all flowers off the little tree before they would stop. But now the tree was beyond recognition, with broken branches and fallen leaves scattered all around. Not far away another sophora tree even had its trunk broken in half, and the "murderer" had shown it a clean pair of heels.
?
看到這種不文明的行為，我不禁想到了魯宣公。
Seeing this uncivilized behavior, I was reminded of Ji Tui.
魯宣公是春秋時期魯國第二十任君主，非常喜歡捕魚。
He was the 20th monarch of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period and an avid fisher.
仲夏的一天，他照常又去泗水的深潭中下網(wǎng)捕魚，誰知剛下好網(wǎng)，就上來一個人，揮起利刃，割破漁網(wǎng)，把它丟在一旁。
On a midsummer day, he went fishing at a deep weir of the Sishui River. But no sooner had he cast off the net than a man came up wielding a sharp blade. He cut through the net and threw it aside.
這是誰啊，這么大膽，竟敢沖撞一國之君！
Who was this? How dare he challenge the king!
此人是魯國大夫里革。魯宣公一臉詫異地看著他，不知他為何阻止自己下網(wǎng)捕魚，只聽里革開口解釋。
It was none other than Li Ge, a minister of the state. The king looked at him with surprise, puzzled at why he had done that. Then he heard him explain.
古時候，大寒過后，冬眠的動物蘇醒了，開始活動，掌管川澤政令的官員（水虞）這時才計劃用漁具捕大魚，捉龜鱉，到寢廟里用它們祭祀祖宗，同時百姓也采用這種辦法，這是為了幫助散發(fā)地下的陽氣。
In ancient times, the officials responsible for managing government decrees on rivers and lakes would wait past the Great Cold before they began catching large fish and turtles as offerings to ancestors at the Holy Temple. Around this time hibernating animals had wakened and had started to move about. The masses also obliged with this schedule to help bring up the spirit of yang from underground.
當鳥獸開始孕育，魚鱉已經(jīng)長大的時候，掌管捕獵鳥獸禁令的官員（獸虞）勒令禁止用網(wǎng)捕捉鳥獸，只允許刺取魚鱉，并把它們制成夏天吃的魚干，這是為了幫助鳥獸生長。
When the birds and animals began to breed and the fish and turtles had grown up, the officials in charge of bans on hunting would prohibit the use of nets for birds and animals. It was only permissible to spear fish and turtles and dry them for summer consumption. This would help the birds and animals to thrive.
當鳥獸長大，魚鱉開始孕育的時候，水虞便禁止小魚網(wǎng)的使用，只允許設陷阱捕鳥獸，以滿足宗廟和庖廚的需要，這是為了儲存物產(chǎn)，以備享用。
By the time the birds and animals had grown up and the fish and turtles had started to breed, small fish nets would be banned and animal traps would be allowed so that the needs of ancestral temples and cooks could be met. This was to store meat for winter use.
除此之外，山林間不允許砍伐新生的樹枝，在水邊也不能割取幼嫩的草木，捕魚時禁止捕小魚，捕獸時要留下小鹿和小駝鹿，捕鳥時要保護雛鳥和鳥蛋，捕蟲時要避免傷害螞蟻和蝗蟲的幼蟲，這是古人的教導，為了保障萬物繁衍生息。
In addition, young tree branches in the mountains were not allowed to be cut down, nor young plants along the waters’ edge to be cut off. Fishers were forbidden to catch young fish. Fawns and young moose should be spared when catching game. Young birds and bird eggs should be protected when catching birds. Ants and grasshopper larvae should not be harmed when catching insects. This is what the ancients taught us, and so it was done to ensure the reproduction of all living things.
現(xiàn)在正當魚類孕育之時，卻不等它們長大，就下網(wǎng)捕捉，真是貪心不足??！
Now is the time for the fish to breed. How greedy it would be to net them before they could grow!
聽了這些話，宣公非但沒有生氣，還十分大度地說：“我有過錯，里革便糾正我，不是很好的嗎？這是一掛很有意義的網(wǎng)，讓我認識到古代治理天下的方法，把網(wǎng)交給主管官吏收藏好，使我永遠不忘里革的規(guī)諫。“
After hearing these words, the king, rather than being angry, said magnanimously, "Isn't it very good to have Li Ge correct my mistakes? This is a very meaningful net. It has made me realize the ancient methods of governing the state. I shall give the net to the competent officials for safekeeping, so that I will never forget Li Ge's advice. "
就在這時，又有一個人開口了：“保存這個網(wǎng)，還不如將里革安置在身邊，這樣就更不會忘記他的規(guī)諫了?！?/span>
At this moment, another person spoke, “Instead of preserving this net, it would be better to place Li Ge beside Your Majesty, so that his advice will less likely be forgotten.”
說話人是在身旁扶持魯宣公的樂師，名叫存。
The speaker was a musician by the name of Cun, who served the king by his side.
這個故事題為《里革斷罟匡君》，出自中國最早的一部國別體史書——《國語》，距今大約有兩千多年的歷史了。
This story originally comes from Guo Yu, China’s first collection of historical events and stories by state dating to more than 2,000 years ago.
如今，我們對生物界的認識早已遠遠超越古人，可各種破壞自然的行為屢禁不止，從幾噸重的大象和鯨魚，到街角的小樹，無一能逃脫人類貪婪的“魔掌”。
Today, our knowledge of the natural world far exceeds that of the ancients, but still all kinds of destructive behavior persist. From as colossal as elephants and whales to as small as a little tree around a street corner, very few can escape the "clutches” of human greed.
生態(tài)保護不應該僅僅是幾句口號，更不應該限定在千里之外人跡罕至的雪山森林，而是要求我們從自身做起，保護身邊的環(huán)境。
Nature conservation should not merely end up chanted as some slogans or confined to lands hardly accessible thousands of miles away; it also requires us to be aware of our own actions and protect the environment around us.
同時，我們也不能忽視故事中里革的直言不諱和魯宣公的開明大度。
In addition, let us not overlook the candid spirit in Li Ge and the king’s enlightened state of mind.
愿每一個人都以古代先賢為榜樣，讓綠水青山永駐心間！
May all follow the examples of Chinese ancients and hold Mother Nature near and dear to our hearts.
（感謝清夢smile為本文提供歷史素材和專業(yè)見解。）
(A million thanks to Crystal for providing historic fodder and professional insight as reflected herein.)
（歡迎各界朋友對本專欄提寶貴意見和建議?。?/span>
(Any comments or suggestions are welcome!)
