《孟子》中英文版
第九编 《万章上》(4)
第四章 以意逆志，是为得之
咸丘蒙問曰：“語云：‘盛德之士，君不得而臣，父不得而子。’舜南面而立，堯帥諸侯北面而朝之，瞽瞍亦北面而朝之。舜見瞽瞍，其容有蹙。孔子曰：‘於斯時也，天下殆哉，岌岌乎！’不識此語誠然乎哉？”
Xian Qiu Meng asked Mencius, saying, 'There is the saying, "A scholar of complete virtue may not be employed as a minister by his sovereign, nor treated as a son by his father. Shun stood with his face to the south, and Yao, at the head of all the princes, appeared before him at court with his face to the north. Gu Sou also did the same. When Shun saw Gu Sou, his countenance became discomposed. Confucius said, At this time, in what a perilous condition was the kingdom! Its state was indeed unsettled." - I do not know whether what is here said really took place.'
孟子曰：“否。此非君子之言，齊東野人之語也。堯老而舜攝也。《堯典》曰：‘二十有八載，放勳乃徂落，百姓如喪考妣，三年，四海遏密八音。’孔子曰：‘天無二日，民無二王。’舜既為天子矣，又帥天下諸侯以為堯三年喪，是二天子矣。”
Mencius replied, 'No. These are not the words of a superior man. They are the sayings of an uncultivated person of the east of Qi. When Yao was old, Shun was associated with him in the government. It is said in the Canon of Yao, "After twenty and eight years, the Highly Meritorious one deceased. The people acted as if they were mourning for a father or mother for three years, and up to the borders of the four seas every sound of music was hushed." Confucius said, "There are not two suns in the sky, nor two sovereigns over the people." Shun having been sovereign, and, moreover, leading on all the princes to observe the three years' mourning for Yao, there would have been in this case two sovereigns.'
咸丘蒙曰：“舜之不臣堯，則吾既得聞命矣。《詩》云：‘普天之下，莫非王土；率土之濱，莫非王臣。’而舜既為天子矣，敢問瞽瞍之非臣，如何？”
Xian Qiu Meng said, 'On the point of Shun's not treating Yao as a minister, I have received your instructions. But it is said in the Book of Poetry, Under the whole heaven, Every spot is the sovereign's ground; To the borders of the land, Every individual is the sovereign's minister;" - and Shun had become sovereign. I venture to ask how it was that Gu Sou was not one of his ministers.'
曰：“是詩也，非是之謂也；勞於王事，而不得養父母也。曰：‘此莫非王事，我獨賢勞也。’故說《詩》者，不以文害辭，不以辭害志。以意逆志，是為得之。如以辭而已矣，《雲漢》之詩曰：‘周餘黎民，靡有孑遺。’信斯言也，是周無遺民也。孝子之至，莫大乎尊親；尊親之至，莫大乎以天下養。為天子父，尊之至也；以天下養，養之至也。《詩》曰：‘永言孝思，孝思維則。’此之謂也。《書》曰：‘祗載見瞽瞍，夔夔齊栗，瞽瞍亦允若。’是為父不得而子也。”
Mencius answered, 'That ode is not to be understood in that way - it speaks of being laboriously engaged in the sovereign's business, so as not to be able to nourish one's parents, as if the author said, "This is all the sovereign's business, and how is it that I alone am supposed to have ability, and am made to toil in it?" Therefore, those who explain the odes, may not insist on one term so as to do violence to a sentence, nor on a sentence so as to do violence to the general scope. They must try with their thoughts to meet that scope, and then we shall apprehend it. If we simply take single sentences, there is that in the ode called "The Milky Way," - "Of the black-haired people of the remnant of Zhou, There is not half a one left." If it had been really as thus expressed, then not an individual of the people of Zhou was left. Of all which a filial son can attain to, there is nothing greater than his honouring his parents. And of what can be attained to in the honouring one's parents, there is nothing greater than the nourishing them with the whole kingdom. Gu Sou was the father of the sovereign - this was the height of honour. Shun nourished him with the whole kingdom - this was the height of nourishing. In this was verified the sentiment in the Book of Poetry, "Ever cherishing filial thoughts, Those filial thoughts became an example to after ages." It is said in the Book of History, "Reverently performing his duties, he waited on Gu Sou, and was full of veneration and awe. Gu Sou also believed him and conformed to virtue." This is the true case of the scholar of complete virtue not being treated as a son by his father.'
【原文】
咸丘蒙1问曰：“语云：‘盛德之士，君不得而臣，父不得而子。’舜南面而立，尧帅诸侯北面而朝之，瞽瞍亦北面而朝之；舜见瞽瞍，其容有蹙2。孔子曰：‘於斯时也，天下殆3哉，岌岌4乎！’不识此语诚然乎哉？”
孟子曰：“否。此非君子之言，齐东野人之语也。尧老而舜摄也。《尧典》5曰：‘二十有八载，放勋乃徂落；百姓如丧考妣，三年，四海遏密八音。’孔子曰：‘天无二日，民无二王。’舜既为天子矣，又帅天下诸侯以为尧三年哉，是二天子矣！”
咸丘蒙曰：“舜之不臣尧，则吾既得闻命矣。《诗》云：‘普天之下，莫非王土；率土之滨，莫非王臣。’而舜既为天子矣，敢问瞽瞍之非臣，如何？”
曰：“是诗也，非是之谓也，劳於王事而不得养父母也。曰：‘此莫非王事，我独贤劳也。’故说诗者，不以文害辞，不以辞害志；以意逆志，是为得之。如以辞而已矣，《云汉》之诗曰：‘周馀黎民，靡有孑遗。’信斯言也，是周无遗民也。孝子之至，莫大乎尊亲；尊亲之至，莫大乎以天下养。为天子父，尊之至也；以天下养，养之至也。《诗》曰：‘永言孝思，孝思维则。’此之谓也。《书》曰：‘祗载见瞽瞍，夔夔齐栗，瞽瞍亦允若。’是为父不得而子也？”
【注释】
1.咸丘蒙：人名，孟子的学生。
2.蹙：（cu促）《诗·小雅·节南山》：“我瞻四方，蹙蹙靡所骋。”《仪礼·士相见礼》：“始见于君，执挚至下，容弥蹙。”《孟子·梁惠王下》：“举疾首蹙頞而相告。”《荀子·富国》：“蹙然衣粗食恶。”这里用为局促不安之意。
3.殆：（dai带）《书·秦誓》：“亦曰殆哉！”《诗·小雅·正月》：“民今方殆，视民梦梦。”《诗·小雅·节南山》：“式夷式已，无小人殆。”《老子·十六章》：“天乃道，道乃久，没身不殆。”《老子·二十五章》：“独立而不改，周行而不殆，可以为天地母。”《论语·为政》：“学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆。”《荀子·儒效》：“厌厌兮其能长久也，乐乐兮其执道不殆也。”《韩非子·忠孝》：“此二者，殆物也。”《说文》：“殆，危也。”这里用为危险之意。
4.岌：《管子·小问》：“危哉，君之国岌乎！”《说文新附》：“岌，山高貌。”本义山高，这里用为高耸危险之意。
5.《尧典》：《尚书》中的一篇，亦称《帝典》。主要记载尧舜禅让事迹，反映中国原始社会末期的一些历史概况。
【译文】
咸丘蒙问：“古语说：‘人生规律修养最高的人，君主不能以他为臣，父亲不能以他为子。’舜南面而立当了天子，尧带领诸侯向北面朝见他，瞽瞍也向北面朝见他。舜见到瞽瞍，神情局促不安。孔子说：‘这个时候，天下危险得很啊！’不知道这话确实如此吗？”
孟子说：“不，这不是君子所说的，是齐国东郊老百姓的野话。是尧上了岁数而叫舜代理天子的。《尧典》上说：‘舜代理了二十八年，放勋（尧）才去世，人们象死了父母一样服丧三年，民间停止了一切音乐。’孔子说：‘天上没有两个太阳，人民没有两个天子。’舜既然在此前已经当了天子，又带领天下诸侯为尧服丧三年，就是有两位天子了。”
咸丘蒙说：“舜没有以尧为臣，这个我已经懂得了。《诗经》上说：‘天下所有的土地，没有一处不归王；统率土地来靠近，没有谁不是王的臣民。’而舜既然做了天子，请问瞽瞍却不称臣，这是为什么？”
孟子说：“这首诗，不是你所理解的那样；而是说为王事勤劳不能奉养父母。诗中的意思是说：‘大夫做事虽不均，我独去从事那贤人。’所以解说《诗经》的人，不能因为文字损害语句，不能以语句损害原作主旨。要用自己的思考去领会诗意，才能得到诗的真谛。如果只看辞句，《云汉》诗篇说：‘周地剩余老百姓，没有一人可遗留。’相信这个话，就等于说周朝没有后代了。孝子的思想，最大的就是尊敬父母；尊敬父母的最高程度，最大的莫过于以天下来奉养父母。作为天子的父亲，尊贵到了极至；以天下来奉养他，奉养达到了极至。《诗经》上说：‘长久言说继承法，继承司法唯效法。’说的就是这个意思。《书》说：‘他仍充满恭敬对待父亲瞽叟，以至谨慎战栗，瞽瞍也就相信舜的诚心而顺着儿子了。’这怎能说是父亲不能以他为子呢？”
【解说】
儿子成为一个很伟大的人后，父母亲还能不能将这个人作为儿子来对待呢？换句话说，一个人成为伟人后，还孝不孝敬父母？咸丘蒙带着疑问举了好几个例子，孟子则认为咸丘蒙误解了这些例子的根本含义，舜成为天子后，仍然以尧为王，仍然以瞽瞍为父亲，并没有因为自己当了天子而以尧为臣，以瞽瞍为臣，这就是舜在孝敬父母上的行为方式。这种行为方式对不对呢？当然对，而且是最佳行为方式。因为社会上有许多人，不论古今中外，一旦当上大官，取得较高的地位后，往往就将自己的父母忘在脑后，甚至于认为父母亲太低贱，影响了他的形象，使他没面子，让他丢人，这种人不奉养父母不说，甚至还不承认父子关系、母子关系！故孟子的意思是说，一个人无论成为什么样的人，首先要把孝敬父母放在首位。在《论语·阳货》中，有一段记载：子曰：“予之不仁也！子生三年，然後免於父母之怀。夫三年之丧，天下之通丧也；予也有三年之爱於其父母乎？”这个意思是说，“宰我真是不仁爱呀，小孩子生下来三年以后，才能离开父母的怀抱。这三年为父母守孝，是天下通行的守孝的行为规范。他难道没有从父母那里得到过三年的爱抚与关怀吗？”古时候的婴儿断奶很晚，一个婴儿往往要三五年才断奶。而且有很多人不仅十五岁不能自立，就是到了二三十岁都不能自立，还要依靠父母养育。所以父母养育之恩是不能忘记的，更是不能抛弃的。现代很多人一旦自立了，马上就将父母养育之恩抛在脑后，自以为了不得，不得了，嫌弃父母，嫌贫爱富，这种行为方式将为自己的生存带来恶劣的后患。
孟子是在和学生咸丘蒙讨论有关大舜的事迹时顺便说到读诗的方法问题的。但他的这段话，尤其是关于“以意逆志”的命题，却为了中国古代文学批评中的名言，直到今天，仍然受到现代文学批评专家、学者们的重视。
所谓“诗言志”，语言只是载体、媒介。因此，读诗贵在与诗人交流思想感情。
刘勰《文心雕龙·知音》）说：“夫缀文者情动而辞发，观文者披文以入情，沿波讨源，虽幽必显。”
“情动而辞发”是“诗言志”；“披文以入情”是“以意逆志”。为勰发挥的，正是孟子的读诗法。
至于现代批评所说的“一千个读者就有一千个哈姆雷特”，强调鉴赏者的再创造，那就和孟子“以意运志”的读诗法相去较远了。 |
