《禮記·檀弓下》中有《苛政猛于虎》一文,記載孔子和弟子子路路過(guò)泰山時(shí),遇到一名身世凄慘的婦女的故事。當(dāng)?shù)鼗⒒紘?yán)重,可就是因?yàn)槠渌胤接袊?guó)君苛刻的暴政,所以她和親人寧愿一直住在這里,以至于后來(lái)竟有多人連同她的親人也被老虎咬死,只剩下她一人對(duì)著親人的墳?zāi)箍奁?。全文以敘事?lái)說(shuō)理,深刻揭露了暴政對(duì)人民的殘害。后來(lái)從這個(gè)故事中引申出了“苛政猛于虎”的成語(yǔ),意思就是反動(dòng)統(tǒng)治者的暴政比吃人的老虎更加可怕。
《苛政猛于虎》 禮記
孔子過(guò)泰山側(cè),有婦人哭于墓者而哀。夫子式而聽(tīng)之,使子路問(wèn)之,曰:“子之哭也,壹似重有憂者?”而曰:“然。昔者,吾舅死于虎,吾夫又死焉,今吾子又死焉?!狈蜃訂?wèn):“何為不去也?”曰:“無(wú)苛政?!狈蜃釉唬骸靶∽幼R(shí)之,苛政猛于虎也?!?/p>
The Tyrant and the Tiger
Confucius once passed by the foot of the Tai Mountain. There he saw a woman crying her heart out beside a newly finished grave.
The Master stopped and listened. Then he sent Tselu over to inquire of the mourner, saying, "Your cry as if you are in great sorrow."
"True!" the woman answered. "First my father-in-law was killed by the tiger; then my husband was killed by the tiger; and now my son – he also died at the mouth of the tiger."
"Why, then," the Master asked, "didn't you leave the place and go somewhere else?"
"But there is no tyrant here!" was the woman's reply.
Confucius turned to Tselu and said:"Mark it, my lad! A tyrant is worse than a tiger."