《孟子》中英文版
第十四编 《尽心下》(37)
第三十七章 狂者、狷者与好好先生(1)
萬章問曰:“孔子在陳曰:‘盍歸乎來!吾黨之士狂簡,進取,不忘其初。’孔子在陳,何思魯之狂士?”
Wan Zhang asked, saying, 'Confucius, when he was in Chen, said: "Let me return. The scholars of my school are ambitious, but hasty. They are for advancing and seizing their object, but cannot forget their early ways." Why did Confucius, when he was in Chen, think of the ambitious scholars of Lu?'
孟子曰:“孔子‘不得中道而與之,必也狂獧乎!狂者進取,獧者有所不為也’。孔子豈不欲中道哉?不可必得,故思其次也。”
Mencius replied, 'Confucius not getting men pursuing the true medium, to whom he might communicate his instructions, determined to take the ardent and the cautiously-decided. The ardent would advance to seize their object; the cautiously-decided would keep themselves from certain things. It is not to be thought that Confucius did not wish to get men pursuing the true medium, but being unable to assure himself of finding such, he therefore thought of the next class.'
“敢問何如斯可謂狂矣?”
'I venture to ask what sort of men they were who could be styled "The ambitious?"'
曰:“如琴張、曾皙、牧皮者,孔子之所謂狂矣。”
'Such,' replied Mencius, 'as Qin Zhang, Zeng Xi, and Mu Pi, were those whom Confucius styled "ambitious."'
“何以謂之狂也?”
'Why were they styled "ambitious?"'
曰:“其志嘐嘐然,曰‘古之人,古之人’。夷考其行而不掩焉者也。狂者又不可得,欲得不屑不潔之士而與之,是獧也,是又其次也。孔子曰:‘過我門而不入我室,我不憾焉者,其惟鄉原乎!鄉原,德之賊也。’”
The reply was, 'Their aim led them to talk magniloquently, saying, "The ancients!" "The ancients!" But their actions, where we fairly compare them with their words, did not correspond with them. When he found also that he could not get such as were thus ambitious, he wanted to get scholars who would consider anything impure as beneath them. Those were the cautiously-decided, a class next to the former.' Zhang pursued his questioning, 'Confucius said, "They are only your good careful people of the villages at whom I feel no indignation, when they pass my door without entering my house. Your good careful people of the villages are the thieves of virtue."'
曰:“何如斯可謂之鄉原矣?”
'What sort of people were they who could be styled "Your good careful people of the villages?"'
曰:“‘何以是嘐嘐也?言不顧行,行不顧言,則曰:古之人,古之人。行何為踽踽涼涼?生斯世也,為斯世也,善斯可矣。’閹然媚於世也者,是鄉原也。”
Mencius replied, 'They are those who say, "Why are they so magniloquent? Their words have not respect to their actions and their actions have not respect to their words, but they say, "The ancients! The ancients! Why do they act so peculiarly, and are so cold and distant? Born in this age, we should be of this age, to be good is all that is needed." Eunuch-like, flattering their generation - such are your good careful men of the villages.'
萬子曰:“一鄉皆稱原人焉,無所往而不為原人,孔子以為德之賊,何哉?”
Wan Zhang said, 'Their whole village styles those men good and careful. In all their conduct they are so. How was it that Confucius considered them the thieves of virtue?'
曰:“非之無舉也,刺之無刺也;同乎流俗,合乎汙世;居之似忠信,行之似廉潔;眾皆悅之,自以為是,而不可與入堯舜之道,故曰德之賊也。孔子曰:‘惡似而非者:惡莠,恐其亂苗也;惡佞,恐其亂義也;惡利口,恐其亂信也;惡鄭聲,恐其亂樂也;惡紫,恐其亂朱也;惡鄉原,恐其亂德也。’君子反經而已矣。經正,則庶民興;庶民興,斯無邪慝矣。”
Mencius replied, 'If you would blame them, you find nothing to allege. If you would criticise them, you have nothing to criticise. They agree with the current customs. They consent with an impure age. Their principles have a semblance of right-heartedness and truth. Their conduct has a semblance of disinterestedness and purity. All men are pleased with them, and they think themselves right, so that it is impossible to proceed with them to the principles of Yao and Shun. On this account they are called "The thieves of virtue." Confucius said, "I hate a semblance which is not the reality. I hate the darnel, lest it be confounded with the corn. I hate glib-tonguedness, lest it be confounded with righteousness. I hate sharpness of tongue, lest it be confounded with sincerity. I hate the music of Chang, lest it be confounded with the true music. I hate the reddish blue, lest it be confounded with vermilion. I hate your good careful men of the villages, lest they be confounded with the truly virtuous." The superior man seeks simply to bring back the unchanging standard, and, that being correct, the masses are roused to virtue. When they are so aroused, forthwith perversities and glossed wickedness disappear.'
【原文】
万章问曰:“孔子在陈曰:‘盍归乎来!吾党之小子狂简,进取,不忘其初。’①孔子在陈,何思鲁之狂士?”孟子曰:“孔子‘不得中道而与之,必也狂狷乎!狂者进取,狷者有所不为也’。②孔子岂不欲中道哉?不可必得,故思其次也。”
“敢问何如斯可谓狂矣?”
曰:“如琴张③、曾皙、牧皮(4)者,孔子之所谓狂矣。”
“何以谓之狂也?”
曰:“其志嘐嘐然,曰,‘古之人,古之人。’夷(6)考其行,而不掩焉者也。狂者又不可得,欲得不屑不洁之士而与之,是狷也,是又其次也。孔子曰:‘过我门而不入我室,我不憾焉者,其惟乡原(7)乎!乡原,德之贼也(8)。”’
曰:“何如斯可谓之乡原矣?”
曰:“‘何以是嘐嘐也?言不顾行,行不顾言,则曰,古之人,古之人。行何为踽踽凉凉(9)?生斯世也,为斯世也,善斯可矣。’阉然(10)媚于世也者,是乡原也。”
万子曰:“一乡皆称原人焉,无所往而不为原人,孔子以为德之贼,何哉?”
曰:“非之无举也,刺之无刺也,同乎流俗,合乎污世,居之似忠信,行之似廉洁,众皆悦之,自以为是,而不可与人尧舜之道,故曰‘德之贼’也。孔子曰:‘恶似而非者:恶莠(11),恐其乱苗也;恶佞,恐其乱义也;恶利口,恐其乱信也;恶郑声,恐其乱乐也;恶紫,恐其乱朱也;恶乡原,恐其乱德也。’君子反经(12)而已矣。经正,则庶民兴;庶民兴,斯无邪慝矣。”
【注释】
①孔子在陈曰:见《论语·公冶长》,原文为:“子在陈曰:‘归与归与!吾党之小子狂简,斐然成章,不知所以裁之。”’与万章所引略有不同。
②孔子……:见《论语·子路》。原文和孟子这里所引一样。
③琴张;人名,不详。
④牧皮:人名,不详。
(5)嘐嘐(Xiao):赵歧注:“志大言大者也。’”
(6)夷:平。或认为作语助词,无义。
(7)乡原(yuan);也作“乡愿”。愿,谨慎。乡原指外貌忠诚谨慎,实际上欺世盗名的人,也就是现代所谓“老好人”、“好好先生”。
(8)孔子曰:这段话在《论语·阳货》中只有“子日:‘乡原,德之贼也。”’
(9)踽踽(ju):独行不进的样子。凉凉:淡薄,冷漠。
(10)阉:指阉人,即宦官。阉然指像宦官那样巴结逢迎的样子。
(11)四美:有害农作物的杂草。
(12)反:同“返”、经:正常之道。
(13)慝(te):奸邪。
【译文】
万章问道:“孔子在陈国说:‘何不归去呢!我的那些学生们忘大而狂放,进取而不忘本。’孔子在陈国、为什么思念鲁国的那些狂放之士呢?”
孟子说:“孔子‘得不到言行合于中庸之道的人相交,那就必然是和狂与狷这两种人相交吧!狂的人具有进取精神,狷的人有所不为。’孔子难道不想和言行合于中庸之道的人相交吗?不能够得到,所以只能求次一等的罢了。”
万章问:“请问什么样的人可以叫做狂放的人?”
孟子说:“如琴张、曾皙、牧皮这些人,就是孔子称为狂放的人。”
万章问:“为什么说他们是狂放的人呢?”孟子说:“他们志向很远大,言语很夸张,嘴巴总是说‘古人呀!古人呀!’可是一考察他们的行为,却不和言语相合。这种狂放之人如果也得不到,那就和洁身自好的人相交往了,这些洁身自好的人就是孔子所说的狷者,是比狂者又次一等的人。孔子说:‘从我家门口经过却不进到我的屋里来,而我并不遗憾的,那就只有好好先生了吧!好好先生是偷道德的贼。’”
万章问:“什么样的人可以称为好好先生呢?”
孟子说:“好好先生批评狂者说:‘为什么这样志大言大呢?言语不能够和行为相照应,行为不能够和言语相照应,就只说古人呀!古人呀!’又批评狷者说:‘为什么这样落落寡合呢?生在这个世界上,为这个世界做事,只要好就行了。’像宦官那样八面玲球,四处讨好的人,就是好好先生。”
万章说:“一乡的人都说他是老好人,他也到处都表现得像个老好人,孔子却认为他是偷道德的贼,这是为什么呢?”
孟子说:“是啊,这种人,你要说他有什么不对,又举不出例证来;你要指责他却又好像无可指责。他只是同流合污,为人好像忠诚老实,行为好像清正廉洁,大家都很喜欢他,他自己也以为很不错,但实际上,他的所作所为却并不合于尧舜之道,所以说他是‘偷道德的贼’。孔子说:‘厌恶那些似是而非的东西:厌恶杂草,怕的是它搞乱禾苗;厌恶花言巧语,怕的是它搞乱正义;厌恶夸夸其谈,怕的是它搞乱信实;厌恶郑国的乐曲,怕的是它搞乱雅乐;厌恶紫色,怕的是它搞乱正宗的红色;厌恶好好先生,怕的是他搞乱道德。’君子的所作所为不过是为了让一切回到正道罢了。回到正道,老百姓就会振作起来;老百姓振作起来,也就没有邪恶了。”
【读解】
狂者、狷者毛病都很突出,让人一眼可以看出,没有迷惑性,何况,他们也各有可取的一面。好好先生却正好相反,初看什么毛病也没有,很得人心,因而具有极大的迷惑性,实际上却是欺世盗名。所以,孔子说好好先生是偷道德的贼,深恶痛绝。
最近报载提出反对“好人主义”,实际上正是呼吁大家来捉“好好先生”这偷道德的贼。
可见,好好先生不仅古代有,现在也同样有。而且,既然已到了呼吁的程度,说明现在较古代更为严重也是有可能的。
其实,我们也知道,无论是狂者、狷者还是好好先生,都不是孟子提出来的,而是孔子分别在《论语》的《公冶长》、《子路》、《阳货》等篇提出来的。不过,通过本章内容,我们地可以比较真切地看到孟子师生是如何“祖述仲尼之音”而加以上发挥的所以,本章不仅具有内容方面把狂者、狷者和好好先生这几种人集中在一起来加以比较,以帮助我们更为深刻地认识和理解的作用,而且也具有儒家学说史的重要资料价值,值得引起我们的重视。
在第三十三章里,孟子描述了五种人都是不能尽心知命的,之后,孟子又提出“大人”,亦是不能尽心知命的;在本章,则又讨论了“狂”者与“狷”者、“乡愿”者这三种人,其实都是不能尽心知命的人。而不能尽心知命,则就不可能有最佳行为方式。孟子之所以提出这八种人,目的就是在于要人们学会辨别,才能做到尽心知命。这些人从表面上来看,似乎都是正人君子,都是光明正大,然而骨子里却充满了个人的私欲。朱是红色,为正色,紫就是红得过分了,红得发紫,反而就侵夺了正色,盖住了正色。也就是说,清廉得过分的官员其实往往就是大贪官,他贪的不仅仅是一点金银珠宝,而贪的是最高的地位,一旦获得了最高地位,他也就会原形毕露了。郑声也是如此,当时郑国的音乐多是奢靡之音,下流而淫荡,柔美而软懒,多属于民间的鄙俗小调,确实好听,但这种音乐的流行也就搅乱了正统的音乐。
而所谓利口者,也就是花言巧语了,但比花言巧语还胜一筹,说起来振振有词,光冕堂皇,似乎都是为国为民,可是没有真正的思想内容,即使有,也是地方保护主义,为了一个小地方的利益而不顾大局、而出卖大局,出卖了国家和人民。天地、国家发展规律指的是什么?指的是天、国家发展的运行变化规律,天下所有的人,如果仅考虑自己小地方的利益,而不顾天下众生的利益,打乱天地、国家发展的运行变化规律,不是“贼”是什么呢?纵观历史,都是各自为政、各自为王,有谁能愿天下众生都能安居乐业呢?这其实就与我们现在所反对的地方保护主义是一样的。这种地方保护主义一旦泛滥开来,也就是各自为政、各自为王了,也就是对天地、国家发展规律的伤害了。这些人都是很能迷惑人的,辨别能力稍差一点的人,都会被迷惑住,从而与他们同流合污,危害了国家和人民。所以孔子要求子路一定要会辨别,而辨别的根本则在于学习,“好仁不好学,其蔽也愚;好知不好学,其蔽也荡;好信不好学,其蔽也贼;好直不好学,其蔽也绞;好勇不好学,其蔽也乱;好刚不好学,其蔽也狂。”就是这个意思了。 |