Reverence of the Border Official of Yi for the Sage
文、攝影 / 歐修梅
故事出處：《論語．八佾》
The story comes from “Ba Yi” of the Analects of Confucius
儀封人請見。曰：「君子之至於斯也，吾未嘗不得見也。」
從者見之。
出曰：「二三子，何患於喪乎？天下之無道也久矣，
天將以夫子為木鐸。」
The border official of Yi requested an audience, saying, “Whenever a noble man comes to this place, I never miss the opportunity to see him.”
The disciples sent him in.
Upon leaving, he remarked, “Why do you, my companions, fear the loss of the rites? The world has long been without the Way. Heaven shall surely use the Master as its wooden clapper to awaken all.”
「儀」是衛國的一個城邑，「封人」則是指管理封疆的官員。這位不知姓名的儀邑官員來請求孔子接見他，他說：「一直以來，只要有賢人君子經過儀邑這裡，我沒有不去會見的。」
“Yi” was a city in the State of Wei, and the term “fong-ren” referred to an official in charge of border territories. This unnamed official from the city of Yi requested to meet Confucius. He said, “Whenever a virtuous and noble person passes through Yi, I never fail to meet them.”
孔子的學生於是領著儀封人去見孔子。
So, Confucius’ students led the border official of Yi to meet him.
儀封人出來後，對著孔子的學生說：「諸君啊！何必憂慮你們的老師沒有官位呢？天下失去正道已經很久了，天意必定是要將你們老師當作木鐸來運用，所以讓他周游列國，來向天下傳遞大道的啊！」
After the border official of Yi came out, he said to Confucius’ students, “Gentlemen! Why do you worry that your teacher will not find a position in the government? The world has been without the Way for a long time. The heavens surely intend to use your teacher as a wooden clapper to spread the Great Way throughout the world, which is why he travels from state to state!”
此畫正是描繪儀封人請見孔子的這段故事。畫中孔子接見儀封人，兩人互相拱手為禮，孔子在上，儀封人在下，點出了儀封人仰聖之意。
This painting depicts the story of the border official of Yi requesting an audience with Confucius. In the painting, Confucius and the official bowed to each other, with Confucius positioned above and the border official of Yi below, symbolizing the official’s reverence for the sage.
