原文

椓者

　　刘鋹时，宦者有为三师三公者，其官号加内字诸宫使字，不啻二百。女官亦有师傅令仆之名，目百官为门外人。群臣小过，及进士状头，或释道有才略可备问者，皆下蚕室，令得出入宫闱，亦有自宫以求进者，由是宦者近二万人。贵显用事之徒，大抵皆宦者也，卒用龚澄枢以亡其国。潘美平广州时，有宦者百余人，盛服来见。美曰：“是椓人多矣。”悉令斩之。盖宦者自椓，亦椓人以盛其党，故美以为言。然当时宦者，亦有贤能如邵廷鋗者，廷鋗今祀东莞乡贤祠，天下宦者得祠，惟廷鋗一人。其椓也或因小过，未可知。诗云：“夭夭是椓。”夭者草之柔长，椓而断之，譬人方少好，荣如桃李，而人作祸以椓之，民之无禄，至于如此也。

白话

中文

南汉后主刘鋹在位时，宦官（太监）有的担任了三师、三公这样的高官。他们的官职称号加上“内”字和各种宫廷使职的名称，不少于二百种。宫中的女官也有师傅、令、仆等名号，她们称呼朝廷百官为“门外人”。群臣百官只要犯有小的过错，以及科举考试的状元，或者佛、道两教中有才干谋略可以备为顾问的人，都被送进“蚕室”施以宫刑（阉割），让他们能够出入宫廷禁地。也有自己阉割自己以求得晋升的人。因此，当时的宦官数量接近两万人。那些显贵当权的人物，大多都是宦官。最终南汉因为任用龚澄枢而导致了国家的灭亡。宋将潘美平定广州的时候，有一百多名宦官穿着华丽的服装来拜见。潘美说：“这些被阉割的人太多了。”下令将他们全部斩首。大概是因为宦官不但自己受阉割，也阉割别人来壮大自己的势力，所以潘美才这样说。然而，当时的宦官中，也有像邵廷鋗这样贤能的人。邵廷鋗如今在东莞的乡贤祠中受到祭祀，天下的宦官能够被立祠祭祀的，只有邵廷鋗一个人。他当初被阉割的原因，或许是因为犯了小过错，这已无从知晓了。 《诗经》里说：“夭夭是椓。”“夭夭”形容草木柔嫩茂盛的样子，“椓”就是砍断它。这好比人正当年轻美好、像桃李一样荣盛的时候，却有人制造祸端来摧残（阉割）他，人民的不幸，竟然到了这种地步。

英文

During the reign of Liu Chang, the last ruler of the Southern Han dynasty, some eunuchs held high positions such as the Three Masters and Three Dukes. Their official titles, prefixed with "Nei" (Inner) and various palace commission names, numbered no less than two hundred. Female officials also had titles like Master, Prefect, and Servant, referring to the court officials as "outsiders." If court officials committed minor offenses, or if top scorers in the imperial examinations, or Buddhist monks and Daoist priests with talent and strategy suitable for consultation were identified, they were all sent to the "silkworm chamber" for castration, allowing them access to the inner palace. There were also those who castrated themselves seeking advancement. Consequently, the number of eunuchs approached twenty thousand. The powerful and influential figures were mostly eunuchs. Ultimately, the state perished due to the appointment of Gong Chengshu. When the Song general Pan Mei pacified Guangzhou, over a hundred eunuchs came to see him in splendid attire. Pan Mei remarked, "These castrated men are too numerous," and ordered them all executed. It's likely because eunuchs not only underwent castration themselves but also castrated others to expand their faction, hence Pan Mei's comment. However, among the eunuchs of that time, there were also capable and virtuous individuals like Shao Tingxuan. Shao Tingxuan is now enshrined in the local worthies' shrine in Dongguan; he is the only eunuch in the empire to receive such an honor. The reason for his castration might have been a minor offense, but it is unknown. The Book of Songs says: "Youthful and tender (yao yao) are chopped (zhuo)." "Yao yao" describes the tender growth of plants, and "zhuo" means to cut them down. This is likened to a person in their prime youth, flourishing like peach and plum blossoms, yet someone inflicts disaster by castrating them. The misfortune of the people reached such an extent.

文化解读/分析

“椓者”条目深刻揭示了五代十国时期南汉政权（定都广州）一项残酷而畸形的制度——大规模强制或自愿的阉割。

1. 历史背景与政治腐败：记述了刘鋹时期宦官势力极度膨胀的状况。宦官不仅数量庞大（近两万），而且窃据高位（三师三公），形成庞大的利益集团，将朝臣视为“门外人”，反映了当时政治的黑暗和皇权旁落的现实。龚澄枢乱政最终导致亡国，成为宦官干政导致恶果的典型例证。
2. 残酷的刑罚与社会控制： “蚕室”作为执行宫刑的场所，其提及揭示了南汉统治者通过阉割来控制官员、知识分子乃至释道人才的手段。即使是“小过”或仅仅因为有才干，就可能遭受此刑，这不仅是身体上的摧残，更是人格上的侮辱，体现了统治的残暴和对人才的摧残。
3. 社会风气的扭曲：“自宫以求进”现象的存在，反映了在变态的政治环境下，部分人为了攀附权贵、获取利益而不惜牺牲身体和尊严，折射出当时社会价值观的严重扭曲。
4. 历史评价与个案：作者屈大均并未完全否定所有宦官。潘美斩杀宦官被解释为对其党同伐异、滥施阉割行为的惩罚。同时，特别提及贤能的宦官邵廷鋗，并指出他是唯一被立祠祭祀的宦官，这为评价历史人物提供了更复杂的视角，说明即使在腐朽的制度下也可能存在个别贤能之士。
5. 文化批判与人道关怀：屈大均引用《诗经》“夭夭是椓”，将阉割比作摧残初生的草木、摧残青春年华，表达了对这种非人道行为的强烈批判和对受害者的深切同情，提升了条目的文化和伦理深度。“民之无禄，至于如此也”的感叹，更是将个体的不幸与民众的普遍苦难联系起来，具有深刻的人文关怀。

此条目不仅是记录广东地方历史（南汉），更通过“椓者”这一特殊群体，反映了极端专制下的政治生态、社会风貌以及作者的人文反思。

关键词

椓者, 宦官, 太监, 阉割, 宫刑, 南汉, 刘鋹, 蚕室, 龚澄枢, 潘美, 邵廷鋗, 东莞乡贤祠, 政治腐败, 《诗经》