《孟子》中英文版
第十一编 《告子上》(8)
第八章 操则存，舍则亡
孟子曰：“牛山之木嘗美矣，以其郊於大國也，斧斤伐之，可以為美乎？是其日夜之所息，雨露之所潤，非無萌櫱之生焉，牛羊又從而牧之，是以若彼濯濯也。人見其濯濯也，以為未嘗有材焉，此豈山之性也哉？雖存乎人者，豈無仁義之心哉？其所以放其良心者，亦猶斧斤之於木也，旦旦而伐之，可以為美乎？其日夜之所息，平旦之氣，其好惡與人相近也者幾希，則其旦晝之所為，有梏亡之矣。梏之反覆，則其夜氣不足以存；夜氣不足以存，則其違禽獸不遠矣。人見其禽獸也，而以為未嘗有才焉者，是豈人之情也哉？故苟得其養，無物不長；苟失其養，無物不消。孔子曰：‘操則存，舍則亡；出入無時，莫知其鄉。’惟心之謂與？”
Mencius said, 'The trees of the Niu mountain were once beautiful. Being situated, however, in the borders of a large State, they were hewn down with axes and bills - and could they retain their beauty? Still through the activity of the vegetative life day and night, and the nourishing influence of the rain and dew, they were not without buds and sprouts springing forth, but then came the cattle and goats and browsed upon them. To these things is owing the bare and stripped appearance of the mountain, and when people now see it, they think it was never finely wooded. But is this the nature of the mountain? And so also of what properly belongs to man; shall it be said that the mind of any man was without benevolence and righteousness? The way in which a man loses his proper goodness of mind is like the way in which the trees are denuded by axes and bills. Hewn down day after day, can it - the mind - retain its beauty? But there is a development of its life day and night, and in the calm air of the morning, just between night and day, the mind feels in a degree those desires and aversions which are proper to humanity, but the feeling is not strong, and it is fettered and destroyed by what takes place during the day. This fettering taking place again and again, the restorative influence of the night is not sufficient to preserve the proper goodness of the mind; and when this proves insufficient for that purpose, the nature becomes not much different from that of the irrational animals, and when people now see it, they think that it never had those powers which I assert. But does this condition represent the feelings proper to humanity? Therefore, if it receive its proper nourishment, there is nothing which will not grow. If it lose its proper nourishment, there is nothing which will not decay away. Confucius said, "Hold it fast, and it remains with you. Let it go, and you lose it. Its outgoing and incoming cannot be defined as to time or place." It is the mind of which this is said!'
【原文】
孟子曰：“牛山①之木尝美矣，以其郊于大国②也，斧斤伐之，可以为美乎？是其日夜之所息③，雨露之所润，非无萌蘖④之生焉，牛羊又从而牧之，是以若彼濯濯（5）也。人见其濯濯也，以为未尝有材焉，此岂山之性也哉？虽存乎人者，岂无仁义之心哉？其所以放其良心者，亦犹斧斤之于木也，旦旦而伐之，可以为美乎？其日夜之所息，平旦（6）之气，其好恶与人相近也者几希，则其旦昼（7）之所为，有梏亡之矣（8）。梏之反复，则其夜气不足以存；夜气不足以存，则其违禽兽不远矣。人见其禽兽也，而以为未尝有才焉者，是岂人之情也哉？故苟得其养，无物不长；苟失其养，无物不消。孔子曰：‘操则存，舍则亡；出人无时，莫知其乡。’（9）惟心之谓与？”
【注释】
①牛山：齐国首都临淄郊外的山。
②郊：此处作动词用，在……郊．大国：即大都市，指临淄。
③息：生长。
④萌蘖（nie）：新枝嫩芽。
（5）濯濯（Zhuo）：没有草木，光秃秃的样子。
（6）平旦：黎明，天刚亮时．
（7）旦昼：第一天。
（8）有：同“又”。梏（gu）：拘禁，束缚。梏亡指因受束缚而消亡。
（9）乡：乡里，“居”的意思。
【译文】
孟子说：“牛山的树木曾经是很茂盛的，但是由于它在大都市的郊外，经常遭到人们用斧子去砍伐，还有够保持茂盛吗？当然，山上的树木日日夜夜都在生长，雨水露珠也在滋润着，并非没有清枝嫩芽长出来，但随即又有人赶着牛羊去放牧，所以也就像这样光秃秃的了。人们看见它光秃秃的，便以为牛山从来也不曾有过高大的树木，这难道是这山的本性吗？即使在一些人身上也是如此，难道没仁义之心吗？他们的放任良心失去，也像用斧头砍伐树木一样，天天砍伐，还可以保持茂盛吗？他们日日夜夜的生息，在天刚亮时的清明之气，这些在他心里所产生出未的好恶与一般人相近的也有那么一点点，可到了第二天，他们的所作所为，又把它们窒息而消亡了。反复窒息的结果，便使他们夜晚的息养之气不足以存在了，夜晚的息养之气不足以存在，也就和禽兽差不多了。人们见到这些人的所作所为和禽兽差不多，还以为他们从来就没有过天生的资质。这难道是人的本性如此吗？所以，假如得到滋养，没有什么东西不生长；假如失去滋养，没有什么东西不消亡。孔子说过：‘把握住就存在，放弃就失去；进出没有一定的时候，也不知道它去向何方。’这就是指人心而言的吧？”
【读解】
还是说性本善，只不过侧重于后天的滋养保持一方面罢了。
人性虽然本来善良，但如果不加以滋养，而是放任良心失去，那就会像用斧头天天去砍伐树木一样，即便是再茂盛的森林也会被砍成光秃秃的。而一旦良心失去，心灵失去把持，还会以为原本就不存在。
所谓伊人，在水一方。
心灵的故乡在哪里呢？
现代人惶惑不安，不就正在到处寻找精神的家园、灵魂的故乡吗？
问圣人，圣人也只是回答“操则存，舍则亡”，至于它什么时候出入，故乡在哪里，圣人也“莫知其乡。”
实际上，按照孟子翻来覆去的阐述，精神的家园或故乡根本就无处可寻，而就在我们自己的身上，就在我们自己的本性之中。
所以，关键是自我把持，自我滋养，加以发扬光大，而不要到身外去寻求。
一句话——“还是回家种自己的园地要紧！”伏尔泰笔下的老实人如是说。 |
