學而第一
1.1 子曰:“學而時習之,不亦說乎?有朋自遠方來,不亦樂乎?人不知而不慍,不亦君子乎?”
The Master said, “Is it not a pleasure to learn [學] and, when it is timely, to practice what you have learned? Is it not a joy to have friends coming from afar? Is it not gentlemanly not to become resentful if no one takes notice of your learning? ”
另一種譯法可以是:“Is it not a pleasure to learn and to repeat often what you have learned?”區(qū)別在于讀此句時如何理解“時習”一詞?!皶r”的意思可以是“適時、合時”或“一次又一次”;“習”字可以是“練習”或“重復”(像鳥兒拍翅學飛)學過的知識。
例如清代學者焦循就引《論語》7.8、6.21及11.22支持他的說法,以“合時”來解釋“時”字。他說:“當其可之謂時。說,解悅也?!贝蠖鄶?shù)六朝及宋代學者則傾向另一種解釋,如皇侃認為,“時”指的是“所學并日日修習(‘年中’與‘身中’)不暫廢也”。我選擇焦循的解釋,與公元前四世紀時孟子形容孔子是“圣之時者”有關。孟子相信“圣之時”高于“圣之清”與“圣之任”,認為合乎時的行動是“學”的極致——孔子教導的“學”,不只是知識的堆積,而是能成于“仁”,達到“修齊治平”與道德審美的境界。有了這樣的學問,就可以招徠遠方之人,即使“人不知”也“不慍”,因為是為了自己而學。
1.2 有子曰:“其為人也孝弟,而好犯上者,鮮矣;不好犯上,而好作亂者,未之有也。君子務本,本立而道生。孝弟也者,其為仁之本與?”
Master You said, “It is rare for a person who is ?lial to his parents and respectful to his elders to be inclined to transgress against his superiors. And It has never happened that a person who is not inclined to transgress against his superiors is inclined to create chaos. A gentleman looks after the roots. With the roots?rmly established, a moral way will grow. Is it not true then that being filial to one’s parents and being respectful to one’s elders are the roots of one’s humanity[仁]?”
有子,就是有若,是比較年輕的孔子弟子。他與曾子、子張、子游可能負責編纂了《論語》的早期版本,幫助這些弟子傳布孔子學說?!睹献印芬粫f,孔子歿后,“子夏、子張、子游以有若似圣人,欲以所事孔子事之”,還強迫曾子加入。曾子拒絕,因為他認為孔子的品格無人可以超越,“皜皜乎不可尚已”。雖然孟子故事說的是忠誠,但也提到孔子歿后,弟子對如何解釋與弘揚孔子學說有不同看法。事實上,比較有子的說法與曾子在1.4與8.7所說,就會發(fā)現(xiàn),有子認為孝悌之道是社會和諧的根本,而曾子則聚焦于自我體認的省思。他們似乎對孔子學說的理解采取不同方向,然而歸根結底,還是試圖了解“仁”的根源。
可以有幾種不同方式理解本章,最明顯的是認為,有子主張尊長敬上,以為社會和諧的便捷之道。但是,這也未免簡化了他企圖表達禮儀的道德功能的用心。更深刻的理解可以見于漢魏六朝及清代的經(jīng)解,其中可見學者對本章逐字逐句詳加闡釋。例如“好”(傾向于,想要)字,六朝的皇侃就引證之前的學者說:“君親有日月之過,不得無犯顏之諫。然雖屢納忠規(guī),何嘗好之哉?……孝悌之人,當不義而諍之,尚無意犯上,必不職為亂階也?!边@樣的理解,與孔子在4.18所說是一致的。
1.3 子曰:“巧言令色,鮮矣仁!”
The Master said, “A man of clever words and of a pleasing countenance is bound to be short on humanity.”
《論語正義》的作者清代學者劉寶楠指出,古代經(jīng)典中,言“巧”、言“令”,并非總是貶義,但若某人只會“巧言令色”,那就“鮮矣仁”了。事實上,他可能是個“佞人”,那是孔子最討厭與害怕的。因為這樣的人“以巧令多由偽作”,有“仁”之貌,而無其實,比有子說的“犯上”之人更為可怕。
1.4 曾子曰:“吾日三省吾身:為人謀而不忠乎?與朋友交而不信乎?傳不習乎?”
Master Zeng said, “Every day I examine myself on three points. When I worked to benefit someone else, did I do my best?In my relationship with my friends, did I fail to be trustworthy? Did I pass on any knowledge I myself had not put into practice? ”
曾子,即曾參,是孔子最年輕的學生,入孔門的時間不會太久。對于他,孔子只有一句評價,“曾也魯”,說他反應遲鈍。也許是因為他經(jīng)常自省而個性收斂。然而,是曾參對孔子的理解——經(jīng)其第三代弟子孟子的發(fā)揚——成了后世儒家思想的主流。曾子在此章中奠定了孟子“內省”德性的學說,后來更進一步發(fā)展成十六世紀王陽明“致良知”學說,主張“知行合一”。王陽明的重要著作《傳習錄》,就直接聯(lián)系到曾子自省的問題:“傳不習乎?”
1.5 子曰:“道千乘之國,敬事而信,節(jié)用而愛人,使民以時?!?/p>
The Master said, “In guiding a state of a thousand chariots,handle all matters with care and respect, and be trustworthy; take a measured approach in your spending, and cherish the people.Employ the common people only at the right time.”
歷代學者對春秋時期千乘之國究竟有多大,意見紛紜。近代學者楊伯峻以《左傳》及《論語》(11.26)為證,認為在春秋早期是指地域廣袤的強國,但到了孔子的時代,情況已非如此。(《左傳》昭公十三年[公元前529年,孔子出生前二十二年]記載,晉國有四千乘。)漢代與清代學者指出,此章“敬”字,有“警”的意思,是說一個人做事自始至終都謹慎而守信,就一定可以成功?!笆姑裼袝r”,指的是征用民眾從事政府工程或軍事行動,只有在農閑之時才能進行。宋代思想家程頤說,孔子所列的規(guī)制雖然淺近易懂,“至近”,但是,“堯舜之治亦不過此”。
1.6子曰:“弟子入則孝,出則弟,謹而信,泛愛眾而親仁。行有余力,則以學文?!?/p>
The Master said, “A youngster should be filial to his parents when he is at home and respectful to his elders when he is away from his home. He should be prudent in action and trustworthy in words. He should cherish all people but should stay close to the most humane. And if he has energy left to do more, he should devote himself to the arts.”
按照《禮記》的說法,精英家庭的子弟在十歲之前要與父母同住。之后,他應當“出就外傳”,到外面去學習。家居之時要學敬愛父母之道,由是,出外之后就懂得尊敬師長。孔子在此章以及《論語》通篇強調的是,年幼之時就掌握人倫的根本,才能立足于社會。因此,孔子覺得,培養(yǎng)正確的品行要先于“學文”。這就給后世學者如宋代朱熹出了個難題:“愚謂力行而不學文,則無以考圣賢之成法,識事理之當然,而所行或出于私意,非但失之于野而已。”
1.7 子夏曰:“賢賢易色;事父母,能竭其力;事君,能致其身;與朋友交,言而有信。雖曰未學,吾必謂之學矣?!?/p>
Zixia said, “If a person is able to appreciate moral worth as much as he appreciates physical beauty, is able to serve his parents with the utmost effort and his lord with no self-interest, and in his relationship with friends is trustworthy in words, though he may say that he lacks learning, I would surely call him learned.”
關于第一句中的“易”字,討論很多。許多學者認為,這句話講的是夫婦之道,因為“夫婦為人倫之始”,所以孔子的弟子子夏把“此文敘于事父母、事君之前”,也列在朋友關系之前。但是,子夏試圖說明什么是為夫之道卻引發(fā)爭論,因為此章的“易”字,可以是“如也”的意思(《廣雅釋言》),也可以是“輕略”(顏師古注)。此人可能感念妻子的德性不亞于欣賞她的美貌,也可能只感念妻子的德性而輕忽她的美貌。我以為,第一種解釋比較微妙,似乎符合子夏對道德與審美息息相關的認識。例如,在《論語》3.8中,他提出一個看法,認為婦人在意容貌可以作為進德的修辭比喻。另一個有趣的現(xiàn)象是,此處的子夏并不很合乎孔子對他的形容——“文學:子游、子夏”——因為他在此章的說法引證了孔子在1.6的觀點:人倫關系的教育比文化的教育更為重要。
1.8 子曰:“君子不重則不威;學則不固。主忠信。無友不如己者。過則勿憚改?!?/p>
The Master said, “If a man of position [君子] does not have integrity, he will not inspire awe. And when he tries to learn, he will not persevere to the end. Such a man should stay close to those who do their best and are trustworthy. He should not befriend those who are not his equals. And when he makes a mistake, he should not be afraid to correct it.”
此章是《論語》中少有的情況,不把“君子”一詞作為“德性高貴之人”或“成德之人”,而以之指“出身高貴之人”或“在位之人”。這種說法在孔子之前的早期中國,是通行的用法。可是,大多數(shù)學者仍然認為此章的“君子”是指“成德之人”;有經(jīng)解指出,這不符合《論語》的語境:“成德之君子,則其德已成,于下文各節(jié)戒勉語氣不合。”除了“君子”一詞,“固”字與“主”字也引起一些爭論:“固”字到底意指“堅”還是“蔽”?“主”字指的是“親近”還是“以……為主導”?假如“固”的意思是“固蔽”,而“主”是“以……為主導”,第二句及第三句話的意思就是:努力向學,就不會固蔽;讓你以忠信為主導。但是我認為,假如孔子所講的是缺乏立場、不能堅持向學的人,又假如他要求此人“親近”忠信之人,他就會接著告訴他“無友不如己者”,不要和不如自己的人交友。幾乎所有的學者都認為,這里所指的“友”不是在說社會地位的高低,而是指道德品格不如自己的人。交友是為了精進自己,否則交些損友干什么?
1.9 曾子曰:“慎終追遠,民德歸厚矣?!?/p>
Master Zeng said, “Tend to the death rites of the recently deceased with utmost care and respect, and do not forget to offer sacrifices to the long-departed; then people will have much to gain in the cultivation of their virtue.”
曾子在19.17說:“吾聞諸夫子:人未有自致者也,必也親喪乎?!贝颂幩欢ㄊ窃趧窀婢跻绱送晟谱约海驗榭鬃釉?2.19中對季康子說:“子欲善,則民善矣。君子之德風,小人之德草。草上之風必偃?!痹谏险呷绻⒅刈约旱男摒B(yǎng),子民便將受到他的感化。
《禮記·祭統(tǒng)》說:“是故,孝子之事親也,有三道焉:生則養(yǎng),沒則喪,喪畢則祭。”又說:“祭者,所以追養(yǎng)繼孝也。孝者畜也?!?/p>
1.10 子禽問于子貢曰:“夫子至于是邦也,必聞其政,求之與?抑與之與?”子貢曰:“夫子溫、良、恭、儉、讓以得之。夫子之求之也,其諸異乎人之求之與?”
Ziqin asked Zigong, “When the Master goes to another state, he invariably learns about its government. Does he get his information by asking or is it offered to him?”
Zigong said, “The Master acquires his information by being affable, kind, and respectful, and by showing restraint in his action and a willingness to yield. The way the Master asks for information is different from that of other people.”
子禽與子貢都是孔子的學生,子禽年紀要小得多??鬃又苡瘟袊哪?,子貢基本隨侍在側,子禽則沒有,他不知道孔子在列國的舉止,因此問了這個問題。
劉寶楠引述同時代的吳嘉賓語:“君所自擅者謂之政,常不欲使人與聞之,況遠臣乎?”但是他們遇見孔子,卻似乎很自然與他分享國政。子貢解釋,這是因為孔子“溫良恭儉讓”的態(tài)度,無關乎懇求或者說服的技巧。
1.11 子曰:“父在,觀其志;父沒,觀其行;三年無改于父之道,可謂孝矣。”
The Master said, “When your father is alive, observe what he would like to do. After your father is dead, re?ect on what he has done. If for three years you refrained from altering your father’s ways, you can be called filial[孝].”
北宋學者范祖禹說:“為人子者,父在則能觀其父之志而承順之?!保献有稳菰优c父親的關系,即是一例。)這個解釋與漢代孔安國與鄭玄的說法(“父在,子不得自專,故觀其志而已”)不同。清代學者錢大昕贊同范祖禹的說法:“孔子之言論孝乎?論觀人乎?……其為論孝,不論觀人?!痹S多經(jīng)解企圖解釋為什么孔子認為孝子在父死三年之內不能改其道。要是父親的作為不夠完善呢?清代學者汪中指出,這只是“為孝之道”:“若非其道,雖朝死而夕可改也。”孔安國與劉寶楠都說:“孝子在喪,哀慕猶若父存,無所改于父之道?!?/p>
我發(fā)現(xiàn)值得注意的是,孔子要求孝子去“觀”,而不是去“執(zhí)行”父親之愿或去“推動”其行事。如此,即使為父者行為有差,也可以由兒子來彌補父親的過錯或完成父親未竟之業(yè)。不過,總要等到三年之喪以后,經(jīng)過了對父親行為的沉潛省思;在此期間,他就應當“無改于父之道”。
1.12 有子曰:“禮之用,和為貴。先王之道,斯為美。小大由之,有所不行。知和而和,不以禮節(jié)之,亦不可行也?!?/p>
Master You said, “Harmony is what is most prized in the practice of the rites [禮]. It is what makes the way of the former kings beautiful, and this [principle] applies to matters big and small.Yet it does not always work: if you aim only at achieving harmony[in everything] because you know that it is the ideal and do not let the rules of the rites guide your action, it will not work.”
唐末宋初的學者邢昺對此章后半句提供了不同的解釋。他相信有子是對君王說話:“言每事大小皆用禮,而不以樂和之,則其政有所不行也。”邢昺認為,有子的意思是君王應該“禮節(jié)民心,樂和民聲”,即用音樂來教化民眾。許多經(jīng)解都跟隨這個解釋,當然也有很多學者并不贊同,他們認為,有子所說只涉及“禮”,關注的是達到“和”的每一步驟,“小大由之”。劉寶楠指出:“和是言禮,非謂樂,審矣?!?/p>
1.13有子曰:“信近于義,言可復也。恭近于禮,遠恥辱也。因不失其親,亦可宗也?!?/p>
Master You said, “Trustworthiness comes close to rightness because your words can be counted on. Respectfulness comes close to ritual propriety because it allows you to stay clear of shame and disgrace. If you do not lose the affection of those who are your relatives by marriage, then you could have the respect of you clan.”
有子強調“信”只“近于義”,而“恭”只“近于禮”,是為了指出“義”與“禮”都不容易達到。皇侃舉魯國尾生為例,說他信守諾言,但毫無變通,并不合宜:“昔有尾生與一女子期于梁下,每期每會。后一日急暴水漲,尾生先至,而女子不來。而尾生守信不去,遂守期溺死。”唐代學者李翱舉春秋時期的歷史名人為例,說明“恭”不見得就合乎“禮”。這人就是晉國的世子申生。晉獻公迷惑于驪姬,她想為自己的兒子奪取申生的世子地位,便捏造事實,誣陷申生企圖謀害父親。申生拒絕辯明自己的清白,說父親年老,所眷戀者惟有驪姬,不愿奪其所愛。最后,申生自殺。李翱說這樣的人:“恭命而死,君子謂之非禮。若恭而不死,則可得禮也?!?/p>
1.14 子曰:“君子食無求飽,居無所安,敏于事而慎于言,就有道而正焉,可謂好學也已?!?/p>
The Master said, “A gentleman does not try to stuff himself when he eats and is not worried about the comfort of his dwelling.He is anxious about getting things done and careful about what he says. He gravitates toward those who possess moral integrity because he wants to put himself right. One could say that he is someone who loves learning.”
孔子的學生顏回就示范了此處描寫的君子??鬃诱f“有顏回者好學”,還說“一簞食,一瓢飲,在陋巷,人不堪其憂,回也不改其樂”。因為他樂道好學,所以貧窮與困頓都不成為煩惱。
1.15 子貢曰:“貧而無諂,富而無驕,何如?”子曰:“可也。未若貧而樂,富而好禮者也?!弊迂曉唬骸霸娫疲骸缜腥绱?,如琢如磨?!渌怪^與?”子曰:“賜也,始可與言詩已矣,告諸往而知來者。”
Zigong said, “‘Poor but not ingratiating, rich but not arrogant’– what do you think of this saying?”
The Master said, “That is all right, but better still is ‘poor but joyful, rich but loving the rites.’”
Zigong said, “The Odes says:
‘Like bone filed, like tusk smoothed,
Like jade carved, like stone polished.’
Is this what you mean?”
The Master said, “Si, only with you can one discuss the Odes.Someone tells you something and you can see its relevance to what is not said.”
這段對話是關于修養(yǎng)??鬃泳妥迂曀园l(fā)揮得更為精微細密。“貧而樂”或“富而好禮”的人,要比“貧而無諂,富而無驕”者,在精神氣度上更進一層。子貢立刻領會老師的意旨,以“如琢如磨”來形容君子的修養(yǎng)??鬃勇犃耸指吲d,因為子貢不但可以“告諸往而知來者”,而且引用《詩經(jīng)》來闡述想法,所以“始可與言詩已矣”。
1.16 子曰:“不患人之不己知,患不知人也。”
The Master said, “Do not worry that other people do not know you. But be concerned that you do not know them.”
宋代以來大多數(shù)經(jīng)解都認為,第二句的意思是,要近賢遠佞,因此“不知人”就是患害。然而,早期的經(jīng)解是從人性角度來解釋孔子的話。像皇侃就(引李充)說:“凡人之情,多輕易于知人,而怨人不知己,故抑引之教興乎此矣?!?/p>