..續本文上一頁 accepted the protection offered by Zhou and became a feudal state under the Zhou dynastic rule. During the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, the state of Wu grew and gained strength until in the reign of King Shoumeng it became a great state. Of the King”s four sons, the youngest one, Jizha, possessed the greatest talent and virtue. King Shoumeng believed that the only way the state of Wu could prosper would be for Jizha to become king. But Jizha adamantly refused to become the crown prince ahead of his three older brothers. Right before he died. King Shoumeng instructed his four sons that the throne was to be passed not from father to son, but from older brother to younger brother, until it passed to the youngest brother, Jizha.

　　壽夢王去世後，長兄再度讓位季劄沒成功，只好先繼位；可是他打起仗來奮不顧身，不多久就在戰事中被射死了。二哥繼位後經常對天禱告，希望自己快點死。爲什麼呢？因爲他認爲吳國之有今日的強盛，是他的祖先太王(即古公亶父)立賢不立長的結果；況且吳國根本就是在泰伯兄弟相讓之下而産生的。兄弟禮讓，既是家風，他也願效法先人美德，所以希望自己快點死，好讓季劄有機會早點成爲吳王。不多久，二哥也在戰事中死了。

　　After the King passed away, the eldest brother tried to yield the throne directly to Jizha, but had no success, so he could only assume the throne himself first. Since he was always going to battle without regard for his own life, it was not long before he was shot to death on the battlefield. After the second brother became king, he constantly prayed to heaven for an early death. Why

　　 Because he felt the state of Wu had reached its prosperity because its founder (the Ancient Lord of Tan) had chosen its ruler on the basis of virtue rather than seniority. What was more, the state of Wu had been founded as a result of the yielding of the two elder brothers Taibo and Zhongyong. Thus yielding among brothers was a family tradition, and he was willing to emulate this virtue of his ancestors. That”s why he wanted to die sooner so that Jizha could become the King of Wu earlier. Not long afterwards, he was also killed in battle.

　　叁哥繼位後，請季劄做宰相，幫忙治理吳國；季劄認爲戰爭太多，百姓生活不能安定，于是以和平大使的身分，到各國去友好訪問。他高尚的道德和過人的才華，在諸侯間備受敬重，使吳國安享了數年的太平。可是他的叁哥也只做了四年的吳王就死了，臨終要把王位傳給季劄；季劄還是不接受，就跑到延陵一地住下。季劄一走，吳國的朝臣們都慌了，匆忙中立了他叁哥的兒子公子僚爲吳王。

　　When the third brother became King, he asked Jizha to help rule the state as prime minister. Jizha felt that with so much warfare, there was no way for the people to live in peace and security. Thus he traveled throughout the states making goodwill missions as a "peace ambassador. "His lofty virtue and exceptional talent and intelligence won the respect of the other feudal lords, and as a result the state of Wu enjoyed many years of peace. But the third brother died after only four years as king. Right before his death he tried to pass the throne to Jizha, but Jizha still refused and retreated to Yanling to live. With Jizha”s abrupt departure, the ministers of Wu panicked and hastily set up the third brother”s son, Prince Liao, as king.

　　因此，他長兄的兒子公子光就不高興了，他認爲季劄不做吳王，那麼王位就該傳回給他，而且吳王僚連讓都沒讓，令他心裏更加不滿。後來，公子光趁著季劄去訪問晉國時，派人刺殺了吳王僚。等季劄回來，公子光就表示要把王位讓給他，說是尊重祖父、父親和兩位叔叔的意思。季劄對公子光說：“你一心想做吳王，現在你的目的已達到了，你還讓什麼呢？做君王的，只要能善待百姓，我就會擁護他。”于是公子光就做了吳王，並改名阖闾。

　　At this turn of events, Prince Guang, the son of the eldest brother, was unhappy; he thought that if Jizha didn”t want to be the king of Wu, the throne should pass to him. Yet King Liao of Wu didn”t show the slightest intention of yielding the throne, which dissatisfied him even more. Later, taking advantage of the fact that Jizha was away visiting the state ofJin, he sent an assassin to kill King Liao. When Jizha returned. Prince Guang made a show of yielding the throne to him, saying that he wished to honor the wishes of his grandfather, father, and two uncles. Jizha said to him, "You were dead set on being the King of Wu. Now you”ve obtained what you wanted; what are you yielding it up for

　　 Whoever the king is, as long as he treats the people well, I will support him. " Thus Prince Guang became the King of Wu and changed his name to He Lyu.

　　季劄對公子光與吳王僚搶奪王位的事情 ，感到非常羞恥，因此就一直住在延陵，不再過問吳國的事，直到老死；曆史上尊稱他爲“延陵公子”。而吳王阖闾後來死于對越國的戰爭中，到他兒子夫差時，吳國就被越國滅亡了。

　　Since Jizha felt greatly ashamed at the way Prince Guang had usurped the throne from King Liao, he stayed in Yanling for the rest of his life and did not concern himself with the affairs of the state of Wu anymore. In history he is honorically referred to as the Prince of Yanling. After King Helyu of Wu was killed in battle with the state of Yue and his son Fucai assumed the throne, the state of Wu was conquered by the state of Yue.

　　從以上兩個故事看，禮讓帶來吉慶，可使一國興盛永久；爭奪導致戾氣，不祥莫大焉。一國如此，一家何嘗不是如此？所以俗話說：“兄弟和而家不分。”要想兄弟和，就要教子弟們自小明白長幼有序的道理，從日常生活的飲食起居做，凡事知禮與讓。

　　From the two stories above, we can see that the auspicious blessings brought by propriety and yielding can enable a country to prosper for a long time. On the other hand, there is no greater misfortune than the violence brought about by strife and contention. If this is the case for a country, would it not be the case for a family

　　 There is a common saying, "When siblings get along, the family will not break up." If we want siblings to get along, we have to teach our children so they can understand the order governing seniors and juniors, and so they will know to practice propriety and yielding in all matters in their daily life.

《弟子規淺釋 Standards for Students 第叁章﹕悌 Chapter Three﹕ FRATERNITY - 3》全文閱讀結束。