《乌宝传》揭露元楮币“外若方正,内实垢污”的思想

The Essence of Chu Note that “Appears To Be Honest While Actually Dirty” Exposed in the Biography of Ubao In Yuan Dynasty

乌宝是元代流通的主币楮币。它的"外"形好像方"方正"正,其"内实"却藏纳着很多"垢污"。"垢污"表现之一是生平经世的投机性,为了一时一己之利,它毅然"厌祖、父业,变姓名",即背弃"钱氏"和"楮氏"两条祖源,独尊"尽得其通神之术"的"乌氏";二是个性品格的曲随性,其体态"轻"巧、单"薄"、"柔"软,随人随时而"舒卷"自如,极力称人之心如人之意,曲随人之所求;三是社会流通的腐蚀性,它流通于各个领域,大搞"奢靡"之风,使官员和社会腐化堕落;四是取人弃人的势利性,用势利眼对待人,对富人"每屈辄往,虽终身服役弗厌",对穷人则"甚厌之"、"终不肯一往";五是市场交换的多诈性,或招摇过市而取利,或用魔法以套取社会财富,或用金蝉脱壳之技以推卸罪责,或推波助澜以浑水摸鱼。

Ubao is another name of Chu note, the mainly used paper currency in Yuan Dynasty. Its character can be summarized as “appears to be honest while actually dirty” . First, its “ dirty” character was represented as speculation in daily life, it chased for the feature of currency circulation, abandoning its birth and origin for its own interests; Second, its charac- ter was easy to follow other people, it changed to more lighter and thinner and softer to meet the people＇ s require- ments; Third, its character showed the ability of corruption in circulation, it brought the corrupt officials and society with extravagance and waste; Forth, its character possessed the snobbism to friends and ascendance, it worked for the rich and kept away from the poor; Fifth, its character held the deception in market exchange, it took many methods of deception to cheat the market and society.