《论语》中英文版
第十七章 阳货篇(21)
宰我問：“三年之喪，期已久矣。君子三年不為禮，禮必壞；三年不為樂，樂必崩。舊穀既沒，新穀既升，鑽燧改火，期可已矣。”子曰：“食夫稻，衣夫錦，於女安乎？”曰：“安。”“女安則為之！夫君子之居喪，食旨不甘，聞樂不樂，居處不安，故不為也。今女安，則為之！”宰我出。子曰：“予之不仁也！子生三年，然後免於父母之懷。夫三年之喪，天下之通喪也。予也，有三年之愛於其父母乎？”
Zai Wo asked about the three years' mourning for parents, saying that one year was long enough. "If the superior man," said he, "abstains for three years from the observances of propriety, those observances will be quite lost. If for three years he abstains from music, music will be ruined. Within a year the old grain is exhausted, and the new grain has sprung up, and, in procuring fire by friction, we go through all the changes of wood for that purpose. After a complete year, the mourning may stop."
The Master said, "If you were, after a year, to eat good rice, and wear embroidered clothes, would you feel at ease?" "I should," replied Wo. The Master said, "If you can feel at ease, do it. But a superior man, during the whole period of mourning, does not enjoy pleasant food which he may eat, nor derive pleasure from music which he may hear. He also does not feel at ease, if he is comfortably lodged.
Therefore he does not do what you propose. But now you feel at ease and may do it." Zai Wo then went out, and the Master said, "This shows Yu's want of virtue. It is not till a child is three years old that it is allowed to leave the arms of its parents. And the three years' mourning is universally observed throughout the empire. Did Yu enjoy the three years' love of his parents?"
【原文】
宰我问：“三年之丧，期已久矣①。君子三年不为礼，礼必坏②；三年不为乐，乐必崩。旧谷既没，新谷既升，钻燧改火③，期可已矣④。”
子曰：“食夫稻，衣夫锦，于汝安乎？”曰：“安！”“女安则为之⑤。夫君子之居丧⑥，食旨不甘⑦，闻乐不乐，居处不安，故不为也。今女安，则为之。”宰我出。子曰：“予之不仁也⑧！子生三年，然后免于父母之怀⑨。夫三年之丧，天下之通丧也⑩。予也有三年之爱于其父母乎！”
【今译】
宰我问道：“守丧三年，时间太久了吧！君子三年不演习礼仪，礼仪一定会被废弃；三年不去演奏音乐，音乐一定会失传。陈谷既已吃完，新谷已登场，打火用的燧木又经过了一个轮回，一年服丧守孝也就可以了。”孔子道：“父母死了，不到三年，你吃那白米饭，穿那花缎衣，你心里安吗？”宰我道：“安。”孔子说：“你觉得安，你就这样做吧！君子服丧期间，吃美味不觉得甜，听音乐不觉得快乐，住在家里不以为舒适。所以都不那么去做。如今你觉得心安理得，就去这样做吧！”宰我退出去后，孔子说：“宰予真不仁呀！儿女生下来三年，才能离开父母的怀抱，这三年的丧期，天下都是这样的，宰我难道没有从他父母那里得到怀抱三年的爱护吗？”
【注释】
①期：期限。已：太。
②坏：废弃，废置。
③钻燧改火：钻燧取火的木料一年轮换了一遍。一遍之后举行一定的仪式，叫“改火”，可见先民取火的艰难。燧：取火所用的木材。
④期（ｊī）：同“”，一周年。
⑤女：同“汝”，你。
⑥居丧：守孝。
⑦食旨不甘：吃美味不知香甜。旨：美味。甘：甜。
⑧予：宰予，既宰我。
⑨免于父母之怀：离开父母的怀抱。
⑩通丧：共同遵守的丧礼。
【评点】
“三年之丧”并非出于孔子首创，不过孔子继承时对此作了新解释。他认为“三年之丧”，不是外在约束，而是出于子女之爱的情理，从而把宗教神秘化，转化为人之常情，与伦理规范，心理欲求融为一体，他也就是把原来强制性规定，提升为基于生活的自觉理念，这样，就使礼具有了更普遍的可接受性和会诸实践的有效性。李泽厚认为，这一点“正是仁学思想和儒学文化的关键所在”，“在中国古代思想史上具有划时代的意义”（《中国古代思想史论•孔子再评价》。
守丧是一种表于外的孝行，容易被人了解，所以实际上守丧的表现，就成为判断某人孝与不孝最重要的标志。然而，守孝丧期太长，也会给弄虚作假者钻空子，做出虚伪的举动。在今天快节奏的市场经济条件下，还可能实行三年守孝期吗？ |
