The Heaven and the Earth(5)
天地（五）
1 Emperor Yao once made a circuit of inspection around the country; one day he reached a place called Hua. According to the etiquette of officialdom, local officials would certainly hold a banquet in honor of the visiting emperor. Being accustomed to the complicated etiquette, Yao always regarded it as a means by which the local officials made up to their supervisor.
堯有一次巡迴視察，來到華這個地方，按照官場禮節，地方官都會以盛宴來款待皇上。堯對這些繁文褥節也已司空見慣，總認為這些都是官員們為了討好長官，而拍馬屁的手法。
2 In the banquet, a local official toasted him and wished him a long life like the south mountains. Yao ungratefully asked him not to say that.
因此，當一位官員持酒恭祝他壽比南山時，堯不領情的要他別這麼說；
堯觀乎華。華封人曰：「嘻，聖人！請祝聖人，使聖人壽。」
3 The official toasted him again and wished him this time to have a great fortune. Yao asked him not to say that again.
這位官員又再敬酒恭祝堯財源滾滾，堯又要他別這麼說；
4 Being unwilling to give up, the official toasted him another time and wished him to have abundant offspring this time. Yao repeated the same response again.
這位官員仍不死心，又再敬酒，這回他說：「我祝皇上多子多孫。」堯還是那句老話，請他別這麼說。
堯曰：「辭。」「使聖人富。」堯曰：「辭。」「使聖人多男子。」堯曰：「辭。」
5 Seeing the emperor’s declination for three times, the official couldn’t help asking him. “All people are longing for the long life, fortune and abundant offspring. Why do Your Majesty distaste?”
堯的再三的推辭，令這位官員頗為尷尬，他按捺不住心中的困惑與不快，問道：「別人對長壽、財富、多子多孫都是求之不得，皇上為什麼都不喜歡，反而要避之唯恐不及呢？」
封人曰：「壽，富，多男子，人之所欲也。女獨不欲，何邪？」
6 Emperor Yao flattered himself that he was aloof from material persuading. “The more offspring are, the more troubles are. The more fortune is, the more business is. These trivia make you bustle to death. The long life actually is to make you experienced more illness and aging. They are all bad, so I distaste.”
堯自以為清高的說：「孩子多，麻煩多; 財富多、事業多，那這些瑣事會把你忙死; 長壽更是讓你經歷更多的老、病之痛，都不是好東西。所以我不喜歡。」
堯曰：「多男子則多懼，富則多事，壽則多辱。是三者，非所以養德也，故辭。」
7 The unbeknown local official went on a quest. He said boldly, “I thought that you were sage before. Now I know that you are no more than a gentleman.
聽了堯的回答，這位默默無聞的地方官，並沒有因此而打住，他理直氣壯的回話說：「原本我是以為你是聖人，現在我才知道，其實你也不過是一般的紳士罷了。
8 A man is born to play his role in this world. More children mean more opportunities to arrange more careers. What troubles are you afraid of?
天生我材必有用，孩子多，正可以廣為安排做一番事業，又有什麼好怕的？
封人曰：「始也我以女為聖人邪，今然君子也。天生萬民，必授之職。多男子而授之職，則何懼之有！
9 Wealth can be shared with others who need it to solve their problems. What are you afraid of fortune?
有錢財就拿出來與有需要的人分享，解決他們的問題，造福人群。怎麼又怕多呢？
富而使人分之，則何事之有！
10 The men of perfect practice never fix their positions to do something or not to do something, to have something or not have something. They are nomadic, omnivorous, and roaming like a wild donkey.
修行完備的人，他們從不為自己定位，認為自己一定要做什麼，一定不做什麼; 或者一定要什麼，一定不要什麼。他們恰像野驢一般居無定所、食無偏好、行蹤飄忽。
11 When the state is prosperous, he comes out to share the happy life with others; when the state is in chaos, he conducts himself virtuously to live in a leisure life. He will go to heaven to be a happy celestial after enjoying his life of a thousand years in the world.
政局清明時，他就出來與大家共用繁榮；政局不佳，他就獨善其身，過著悠閒的生活，在世享壽千年後到天上去做快樂的神仙。
12 None of the problems that you mentioned would happen to him. How would he undergo more aging and illness for enjoying the long life?”
像你說的那些問題，沒有一件會發生在他的身上。他怎麼會因為高壽而忍受更多的老、病之苦呢？」
夫聖人鶉居而彀食，鳥行而無彰；天下有道，則與物皆昌；天下無道，則修德就閒。千歲厭世，去而上僊，乘彼白雲，至於帝鄉；三患莫至，身常無殃，則何辱之有？」
13 After speaking, the official turned and left. Emperor Yao detected that he was not an ordinary people, so Emperor Yao hurriedly stepped down, approached him and whispered, “Excuse me.”
說完，這位官員立刻掉頭就走了。堯驟然間才發現，原來這傢伙是一位高人，於是急忙走下臺階，想與之親近。堯低聲地說：「請教這位先生！」
封人去之，堯隨之，曰：「請問。」
14 Not turning back, the incognito official shook his hand and said, “Forget it. There is nothing worth me to talk about with you any more.” Then he disappeared into the crowd. Yao stood there at a loss for a long while.
我們這位隱名埋姓的官員，頭也不回，搖搖手說：「算了吧！你我之間沒什麼好談的。」就這樣消失在人群之中，留下堯站在那兒，半天不知如何是好。
封人曰：「退已！」