尸位素餐：朱雲用來罵人的成語

網上有人把「尸位素餐」錯寫成「屍位素餐」。其實「尸」和「屍」是兩個不同的字。「屍」是指躺在棺木裡面不動的死人，而「尸」主要是指孔子時代祭祀時坐在祭壇上用來代替被祭者的活人（「尸」也可以指棺木裡的「屍」，但「屍」不能用來指祭壇上的「尸」，因為「尸」還沒有「死」）。「尸」的工作就是一動也不動地坐在那裡。

「尸位」和《詩經‧魏風‧伐檀》裡面「彼君子兮，不素餐兮」的「素餐」聯合在一起，想要罵的就是不做事但想要好處的廢柴。文獻裡第一個這樣罵人的人叫朱雲（見「《漢書》第67卷的第37篇《楊胡朱梅云傳》，它是一篇五個人（楊王孫、胡建、朱雲、梅福、云敞）的聯合傳記）。原文是這樣的：

至成帝時，丞相故安昌侯張禹以帝師位特進，甚尊重。
雲上書求見，公卿在前，雲曰：今朝廷大臣上不能匡主，下亡以益民，皆尸位素餐，孔子所謂「鄙夫不可與事君」，「苟患失之，亡所不至」者也。臣願賜尚方斬馬劍，斷佞臣一人以厲其餘。
上問：誰也？
對曰：安昌侯張禹。

朱雲折檻圖（現藏於台北故宮博物館）
漢成帝身旁侍衛扶著的那把帶紅色劍鞘的就是尚方斬馬劍

這段話，翻成白話大概是這樣的：

漢成帝做老闆的時候，一個叫朱雲的人很不爽公司對一位同事的特別優待。他上書要求見皇上，並在一次開會時，他當著所有公卿的面說：

現在朝廷養的的這班廢柴，既幫不到皇上，也沒能讓我們普通人好過，就他媽的只會尸位素餐，霸著官位，白拿薪水只說不做。

朱雲和漢成帝劉驁講話時用了《論語》陽貨篇裡的一段話

用孔子的話來講就是，我們不和志節低陋的人做同事。這種人，東西還沒到手時，就整天擔心東西弄不到手。東西到手後，又生怕丟失，他們為了保住自己的利益，什麼都做的出來。請皇上借我尚方斬馬劍，我要用它來砍一佞臣，殺一儆百。

皇上問：你想砍的是誰？

朱雲回答：前首相張禹先生。

下面我再把原文大概譯成英語：

When Mr. Liu Ao (51 to 7 BC) was the King of the Western Han Empire, the ex-prime minister, Marquis of Anchang Zhang Yu (? to 5 BC) was a well-respected and heavy-weight figure in the court. After his retirement, he was even made the emeritus senior minister on the ground that he was the tutor to Mr. Liu when he was a young boy.

A certain Mr. Zhu Yun was not very happy about this, and he wrote to the King and asked for a meeting. In the meeting, in front of the imperial leadership team, Mr. Zhu said:

At the top of the managerial pyramid, the King does not get enough guidance from the current court leadership. And at the bottom of the pyramid, the ordinary people does not benefit from their leadership. They are enjoying the fat emolument associated with their position without having to actually do anything.

尚方和尚方斬馬劍

According to Confucius, one shall not work with these despicable characters in the imperial office, for they are constantly afraid of losing their jobs, and they are willing to do anything in order to protect their positions. May I request your Majesty to bestow me the Sword of of the State. A certain treacherous one must be killed so that others may use him as an example.

The King asked: Who’s the one?

Zhu answered: Zhang Yu, the Marquis of Anchang.