原文

麦公贞庵，名秀岐，番禺人。万历间，以举人知万年县，县民弃女者载道，公于家乡取乳母十余人，拾而养之廨中。儿稍长，乃还其父母。天大旱，上官使公祈雨，公不肯祈，问之，则曰：“万年百姓不仁，生女辄弃，天故以大旱罚之。民自今若不弃女，皆上要约于县。县乃为之祈雨。”上官诺之，公于是出教与民约，民皆乐从，愿勿复弃女，公乃徒跣出郊伏祷。大雨如注，民以为麦公雨云。

白话

中文

麦贞庵，名叫麦秀岐，是番禺人。明朝万历年间，他凭借举人的身份担任万年县（今江西省万年县）的知县。当时县里丢弃女婴的现象非常严重，路上随处可见被遗弃的女婴。麦公就从家乡找了十几个奶妈，把这些弃婴捡回来，安置在官署里抚养。等孩子们稍稍长大一些，再送还给她们的父母。有一年发生大旱，上级官员命令麦公去求雨。麦公不愿意去，别人问他原因，他说：“万年县的百姓太不仁慈了，生下女儿就随意丢弃，所以上天用大旱来惩罚他们。如果从今以后百姓不再丢弃女儿，都向县衙立下保证，那么县衙才能为他们求雨。”上级官员同意了他的做法。于是麦公发布告示，与百姓约定，百姓们都乐意听从，表示愿意不再丢弃女儿。麦公这才赤着脚走到郊外，俯身下拜，虔诚地祈祷。立刻下起了倾盆大雨，百姓们都说这是“麦公雨”。

英文

Mai Zhen'an, whose given name was Xiuqi, was a native of Panyu. During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, having passed the provincial imperial examination (Juren), he served as the magistrate of Wannian County (present-day Wannian County, Jiangxi Province). At that time, the practice of abandoning baby girls was rampant in the county, with abandoned infants seen everywhere along the roads. Mai Gong brought over a dozen wet nurses from his hometown, gathered these abandoned babies, and raised them in the official residence. When the children grew a little older, he returned them to their parents. One year, there was a severe drought, and his superior official ordered Mai Gong to pray for rain. Mai Gong refused. When asked why, he replied: "The people of Wannian are unkind, abandoning their daughters as soon as they are born. Therefore, Heaven is punishing them with this drought. If the people pledge to the county government that from now on they will not abandon their daughters, only then can the county pray for rain on their behalf." The superior official agreed to his approach. Mai Gong then issued a notice and made a pact with the people. The populace willingly complied, promising not to abandon baby girls anymore. Only then did Mai Gong go barefoot to the outskirts of the town, prostrate himself, and pray devoutly. Immediately, rain poured down heavily. The people called it "Mai Gong's Rain."

文化解读/分析

“麦公雨”的故事生动地反映了中国传统社会中“天人感应”的思想观念，以及对地方官员德政的期望与颂扬。故事将自然现象（大旱、降雨）与社会伦理（弃女恶习）及官员德行（麦公的仁爱、智慧与担当）紧密联系起来。麦秀岐并非简单地执行上级命令去祈雨，而是洞察到旱灾背后深层的社会问题——弃女陋习触怒上天。他巧妙地将祈雨与革除陋习相结合，以“天意”为契机，引导民众反思并承诺改正错误。最终，他的诚意和百姓的悔改感动上天，降下甘霖。这不仅解决了旱灾，更重要的是在一定程度上遏制了当地弃女的恶习，体现了儒家“为政以德”的理念。这个故事在民间流传，将麦秀岐神化为一个能与上天沟通、为民请命的贤良官员，“麦公雨”也成为德政感召天地的象征。它不仅是对麦秀岐个人功绩的记载，更蕴含着民众对仁政的渴望和对生命（尤其是女婴生命）的基本尊重，具有深刻的伦理教化意义和民俗价值。

关键词

麦公, 麦秀岐, 麦贞庵, 麦公雨, 万年县, 番禺, 祈雨, 弃女, 女婴, 旱灾, 天人感应, 德政, 仁政, 民俗, 传说, 明朝, 万历