《孟子》中英文版
第十一编 《告子上》(10)
第十章 鱼与熊掌，不可得兼
孟子曰：“魚，我所欲也；熊掌，亦我所欲也，二者不可得兼，舍魚而取熊掌者也。生，亦我所欲也；義，亦我所欲也，二者不可得兼，舍生而取義者也。生亦我所欲，所欲有甚於生者，故不為苟得也；死亦我所惡，所惡有甚於死者，故患有所不辟也。如使人之所欲莫甚於生，則凡可以得生者，何不用也？使人之所惡莫甚於死者，則凡可以辟患者，何不為也？由是則生而有不用也，由是則可以辟患而有不為也。是故所欲有甚於生者，所惡有甚於死者，非獨賢者有是心也，人皆有之，賢者能勿喪耳。一簞食，一豆羹，得之則生，弗得則死。嘑爾而與之，行道之人弗受；蹴爾而與之，乞人不屑也。萬鍾則不辨禮義而受之。萬鍾於我何加焉？為宮室之美、妻妾之奉、所識窮乏者得我與？鄉為身死而不受，今為宮室之美為之；鄉為身死而不受，今為妻妾之奉為之；鄉為身死而不受，今為所識窮乏者得我而為之，是亦不可以已乎？此之謂失其本心。”
Mencius said, 'I like fish, and I also like bear's paws. If I cannot have the two together, I will let the fish go, and take the bear's paws. So, I like life, and I also like righteousness. If I cannot keep the two together, I will let life go, and choose righteousness. I like life indeed, but there is that which I like more than life, and therefore, I will not seek to possess it by any improper ways. I dislike death indeed, but there is that which I dislike more than death, and therefore there are occasions when I will not avoid danger. If among the things which man likes there were nothing which he liked more than life, why should he not use every means by which he could preserve it? If among the things which man dislikes there were nothing which he disliked more than death, why should he not do everything by which he could avoid danger? There are cases when men by a certain course might preserve life, and they do not employ it; when by certain things they might avoid danger, and they will not do them. Therefore, men have that which they like more than life, and that which they dislike more than death. They are not men of distinguished talents and virtue only who have this mental nature. All men have it; what belongs to such men is simply that they do not lose it. Here are a small basket of rice and a platter of soup, and the case is one in which the getting them will preserve life, and the want of them will be death; if they are offered with an insulting voice, even a tramper will not receive them, or if you first tread upon them, even a beggar will not stoop to take them. And yet a man will accept of ten thousand zhong, without any consideration of propriety or righteousness. What can the ten thousand chung add to him? When he takes them, is it not that he may obtain beautiful mansions, that he may secure the services of wives and concubines, or that the poor and needy of his acquaintance may be helped by him? In the former case the offered bounty was not received, though it would have saved from death, and now the emolument is taken for the sake of beautiful mansions. The bounty that would have preserved from death was not received, and the emolument is taken to get the service of wives and concubines. The bounty that would have saved from death was not received, and the emolument is taken that one's poor and needy acquaintance may be helped by him. Was it then not possible likewise to decline this? This is a case of what is called "Losing the proper nature of one's mind."'
鱼与熊掌，不可得兼
【原文】
孟子曰：“鱼，我所欲也，熊掌亦我所欲也；二者不可得兼舍鱼而取熊掌者也。生亦我所欲也，义亦我所欲也；二者不可得兼，舍生而取义者也。生亦我所欲，所欲有甚于生者，故不为苟得也；死亦我所恶，所恶有甚于死者，故患有所不辟①也。如使人之所欲莫甚于生，则几可以得生者，何不用也？使人之所恶莫甚于死者，则凡可以辟患者，何不为也？由是则生而有不用也，由是则可以辟患而有不为也。是故所欲有甚于生者，所恶有甚于死者。非独贤者有是心也，人皆有之，贤者能勿丧耳。一箪食，一豆②羹，得之则生，弗得则死，呼尔③而与之，行道之人弗受；蹴尔④而与之，乞人不屑也。万钟则不辨礼义而受之。万钟于我何加焉？为宫室之美、妻妾之奉、所识穷乏者得⑤我与？乡⑥为身死而不受，今为宫室之美为之；乡为身死而不受，今为妻妾之奉为之；乡为身死而不受，今为所识穷乏者得我而为之，是亦不可以已乎？此之谓失其本心。”
【注释】
①辟：同“避”。
②豆：古代盛羹汤的器具。
③呼尔：轻勇地呼喝。
④蹴（Cu）尔：以脚践踏。
⑤得：通“德”，这里指以我为德，即感激的意思。
⑥乡：同“向”，向来，一向，从前。
【译文】
孟子说：“鱼是我喜欢吃的，熊掌也是我喜欢吃的；如果不能两样都吃，我就舍弃鱼而吃熊掌。生命是我想拥有的，正义也是我想拥有的；如果不能两样都拥有，我就舍弃生命而坚持正义。生命是我想拥有的，但是还有比生命更使我想拥有的，所以我不愿意苟且偷生；死亡是我厌恶的，但是还有比死亡更使我厌恶的，所以我不愿意因为厌恶死亡而逃避某些祸患。如果让人想拥有的没有超过生命的，那么，只要是可以活命，什么事情干不出来呢？如果让人厌恶的没有超过死亡的，那么，只要是可以逃避死亡的祸患，什么事情干不出来呢？但也有些人，照此做就可以拥有生命；照此做就可以逃避死亡的祸患，却不照此做。由此可知，的确有比生命更使人想拥有的东西，也的确有比死亡更使人厌恶的东西。这种心原本不只是贤人才有，而是人人都有，只不过贤人能够保持它罢了。一篮子饭，一碗汤，吃了便可以活下去，不吃就要饿死。如果吆喝着给人吃，过路的人虽然饿着肚子也不会接受；如果用脚踩踏后再给人吃，就是乞丐也不屑于接受。可是现在，万钟的傣禄却有人不问合乎礼义与否就接受了。万钟的俸禄对我有什么好处呢？为了住宅的华丽、妻妾的奉养以及我所认识的穷苦人感激我吗？过去宁肯死亡都不接受的，现在却为了住宅的华丽而接受了；过去宁肯死亡都不接受的，现在却为了妻妾的奉养而接受了；过去宁肯死亡都不接受的，现在却为了我所认识的穷苦人感激我而接受了。这些不是可以停止的吗？这种做法叫做丧失了本性。”
【读解】
生命诚可贵，爱情价更高。
若为自由故，二者皆可抛。（裴多菲）
“鱼与熊掌”的确是我们的生命历程中经常遇到的二难选择。
大而言之，想名又想利；想做官的权势又想不做官的潇洒自由。
小而言之，想读书又想打麻将；想工作又想休闲。如此等等，不一而足。
之所以难，难在舍不得，难在那不可得兼的东西都是“我所欲也”，甚至，也是人人所欲的。不然的话，也就没有什么可难的了。
生于朗朗乾坤、太平盛世，似乎已没有生与义，生命与爱情与自由的不可得兼了，这是幸事。不过，面对滚滚而来的经济洪流，义与利的二难选择却恒常悬在我们的面前了——
利，我所欲也，义亦我所欲也；二者不可得兼，舍什么而取什么呢？
至于孟子所说“呼尔而与之，行道之人弗受；蹴尔而与之，乞人不屑”，则是所谓“不吃嗟来之食”的问题。这有《礼记·檀弓下》的一个故事可以佐证：
齐国遭到饥荒，黔敖准备了食物在路边赈济饥民。一个人饥饿不堪地走过来了，黔敖连忙左手端饭，右手端汤冲那人喊道：‘嗟！来食！”那人瞪着眼睛对黔敖说：“我正因为不吃嗟来之食才饿成这个样子！”尽管黔敖再三向他道歉，那人仍然坚决不吃，直到饿死。
其穷棒子精神如此！因为——
“嗟来之食，吃下去肚子要痛的。”（毛泽东《别了，司徒雷登》）
这算不算是“舍生而取义”呢？ |
