周文君免工师藉
Lord Wen Wanted to Fire Gongshi Ji
【原文】
周文君免丁师藉，相吕仓，国人不说也。君有闵闵之心。
【今译】
周文君罢免了工师藉，任用吕仓为相国，国内人民很不高兴。周文 君忧心忡忡。
Lord Wen, the sovereign of the state of East Zhou, dismissed Gongshi Ji and appointed Lu Cang to take Gongshi Ji，s place as prime minister. The people were not happy with this decision, so the sovereign was worried.
【原文】谓周文君曰广国必有诽誉。忠臣令诽在己，誉在上。宋君夺民时 以为台，而民非之，无忠臣以掩盖之也。子罕释相为司空，民非子罕而善其君。齐桓公宫中七市，女闾七百，国人非之。管仲故为三归之家， 以掩桓公，非自伤于民也？《春秋》记臣弑君者以百数，皆大臣见誉者 也。故大臣得誉，非国家之美也。故众庶成强，增积成山。”周君遂不 免。
【今译】
有人对周文君说：“国君所做的事情，一定有人非议，有人赞扬。忠 臣总是把非议留给自己，把赞杨归于君主。宋平公占用百姓农忙的时 间来修筑高台，百姓都非议这件事，是因为没有忠臣来掩盖它。子罕辞去宰相的职位而做了司空，老百姓都指责子罕而称赞宋乎公。齐桓公 宫内有七个市场，还让七百个歌妓住在那里。国内人民非议此事，管仲 因此特意娶了月个异姓的女子，来掩盖桓公的过错，这难道不是有意让百姓指责自己吗？《春秋》中记栽了几百个臣子谋杀君主的事例，在所 有这些例子里，大臣都受到了称誉。因此大臣受到称誉对国家来说并 不是什么好事。所以说平氏聚集起来力量强大，土堆积得多了能形成 山。”东周国君终于没有罢免工师藉。
Someone told Lord Wen，“ Whatever undertaking a sovereign takes，there must be some people to praise it and others to reproach it. Loyal court officials shoulder the blamethemselves and leave all the praises to the sovereign. Duke Ping of the state of Song forced the people to build a platform for him during the busy season. The people blamed him for it. That happened because there was no loyal court official to shoulder the blame for him. Therefore，Zi Han gave up his position as prime minister and became Si Kong (the chief official in charge of supervising large-scale constructions in ancient China), As a result, the people blamed Zi Han but eulogized the sovereign. Duke Huan of the state of Qi set up seven markets inside his palace and moved seven hundred female singers there. People all over the state condemned Duke Huan for it. So Guan Zhong married three women with different surnames to cover up Duke Huangs error. Didn’t he try to attract the people? s blame to himself on purpose? The Spring and Autumn Annals keeps hundreds of records of court officials having murdered their sovereigns. In all those cases，the court officials were praised by the people (while the sovereigns were condemned). Hence, it is not a good thing for the state that high-ranking court officials are praised by the people. So，if many ordinary people unite together, they can build up a great power； if earth piles continuously, a mountain will come into being,” So the sovereign didn’t dismiss Gongshi Ji from office.