| 中国哲学书电子化计划 | |
| 简体字版 |
《对作》 | 英文翻译：Albert Forke[?] | 电子图书馆 |
| 1 | 对作: | 或问曰：“贤圣不空生，必有以用其心。上自孔、墨之党，下至荀、孟之徒，教训必作垂文，何也？”对曰：圣人作经，艺者传记，匡济薄俗，驱民使之归实诚也。案《六略》之书，万三千篇，增善消恶，割截横拓，驱役游慢，期便道善，归正道焉。孔子作《春秋》，周民弊也。故采求毫毛之善，贬纤介之恶，拨乱世，反诸正，人道浃，王道备，所以检押靡薄之俗者，悉具密致。夫防决不备，有水溢之害；网解不结，有兽失之患。是故周道不弊，则民不文薄；民不文薄，《春秋》不作。杨、墨之学不乱传义，则孟子之《传》不造；韩国不小弱，法度不坏废，则韩非之书不为；高祖不辨得天下，马上之计未转，则陆贾之语不奏；众事不失实，凡论不坏乱，则桓谭之论不起。故夫贤圣之兴文也，起事不空为，因因不妄作。作有益于化，化有补于正，故汉立兰台之官，校审其书，以考其言。董仲舒作道术之书，颇言灾异、政治所失，书成文具，表在汉室。主父偃嫉之，诬奏其书。天子下仲舒于吏，当谓之下愚。仲舒当死，天子赦之。夫仲舒言灾异之事，孝武犹不罪而尊其身，况所论无触忌之言，核道实之事，收故实之语乎？故夫贤人之在世也，进则尽忠宣化，以明朝廷；退则称论贬说，以觉失俗。俗也不知还，则立道轻为非，论者不追救，则迷乱不觉悟。 |
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Some one might put the following question: The worthies and sages were not born for nothing; decidedly their minds were required. How is it that from Confucius and Mo Di down to Xunzi and Mencius they all acted as teachers and left their works to posterity? Our reply is that the sages wrote the Classics, and the worthies composed their records. They rectified the depraved customs, and enjoined upon the people to revert to truth and sincerity. The thirteen thousand chapters of the Six Departments of Literature increased the good and diminished the evil, sometimes restricting, sometimes expanding, and urging on the stragglers, with a view to leading them back from their by-paths into the right way. Confucius wrote the Chun-qiu in consequence of the depravity of the people of Zhou. He, therefore, established the smallest merit, and blamed the slightest wrong; he removed every disorder, and re-established propriety. The ways of men as well as those of the sovereign were well ordered by him. To check extravagant and mean practices one must take every precaution, and use every means. When a dyke breaks, and no measures are taken, there will be a disastrous inundation. When a net opens, and is not shut again, the animals caught in it are lost. Had the ways of Zhou not degenerated, the people would not have been uncultured, and had the people not been uncultured, the Chun-qiu would not have been written. If the doctrines of Yang Zhu and Mo Di had not perverted the traditions, the records of Mencius would not have been published. Had the Han State not been small and weak, and its system of government corrupt, Han Fei Zi's book would not have appeared. Had Gaozi not contested that the conquerors of empires had not alighted from their horses nor changed their martial habits, Lu Jia would not have written his memorials. If the truth had not been lost everywhere, and scientific researches not been in a state of great confusion, the discussions of Huan Tan would not have come forth. Ergo, when worthies and sages write something, they do not do so for nothing, but have their good reasons. Thus their writings are by no means purposeless, but conducive to reforms, and their reforms to re-establish the right principles. Accordingly the Han created the censorate to review books and examine their contents. Dong Zhong Shu wrote a book on magical arts, in which he spoke much about calamitous events as being caused by the faults of the government. When the book was complete, and the text revised, it was presented to the Imperial Court of the Han. Chu Fu Yan from jealousy slandered the book in a memorial to the throne. The emperor handed Dong Zhong Shu over to the tribunal, and the judges declared that he was very stupid, and deserved to die, but the emperor pardoned him. Xiao Wu Di did not punish Dong Zhong Shu for his remarks on calamities, on the contrary, he honoured him. How much more would he have done so for Dong Zhong Shu's inoffensive utterances, for his researches into the nature of the fundamental principles and his collection of old and true sayings? As long as a wise man holds an official position in this world, he is perfectly loyal to his sovereign, and propagates his reforms to enlighten the government. When he has retired, he still teaches and criticises to rouse the simple-minded who have gone astray. They cannot find their way back to the right path, their principles are shallow, and their doings wrong. Unless we scholars hurry to their rescue, they come to perdition, and do not awake from their slumber. | |
| 2 | 对作: | 是故《论衡》之造也，起众书并失实，虚妄之言胜真美也。故虚妄之语不黜，则华文不见息；华文放流，则实事不见用。故《论衡》者、所以铨轻重之言，立真伪之平，非苟调文饰辞，为奇伟之观也。其本皆起人间有非，故尽思极心，以机世俗。世俗之性，好奇怪之语，说虚妄之文。何则？实事不能快意，而华虚惊耳动心也。是故才能之士，好谈论者，增益实事，为美盛之语；用笔墨者，造生空文，为虚妄之《传》。听者以为真然，说而不舍；览者以为实事，传而不绝。不绝，则文载竹帛之上；不舍，则误入贤者之耳。至或南面称师，赋奸伪之说；典城佩紫，读虚妄之书。明辨然否，疾心伤之，安能不论？孟子伤杨、墨之议大夺儒家之论，引平直之说，褒是抑非，世人以为好辩。孟子曰：“予岂好辩哉？予不得已！”今吾不得已也。虚妄显于真，实诚乱于伪，世人不悟，是非不定，紫朱杂厕，瓦玉集糅，以情言之，岂吾心所能忍哉！卫骖乘者越职而呼车，恻怛发心，恐土之危也。夫论说者闵世忧俗，与卫骖乘者同一心矣。愁精神而幽魂魄，动胸中之静气，贼年损寿，无益于性，祸重于颜回，违负黄、老之教，非人所贪，不得已，故为《论衡》。文露而旨直，辞奸而情实。其《政务》言治民之道。《论衡》诸篇，实俗间之凡人所能见，与彼作者无以异也。若夫九《虚》、三《增》、《论死》、《订鬼》，世俗所久感，人所不能觉也。人君遭弊，改教于上；人臣愚惑，作论于下。实得，则上教从矣。冀悟迷惑之心，使知虚实之分。实虚之分定，而华伪之文灭；华伪之文灭，则纯诚之化日以孳矣。 |
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This has prompted me to write the Lun-heng. In a great many books reality has no place left: falsehood and immorality triumph over truth and virtue. Therefore, unless such lies be censured, specious arguments cannot be suppressed, and, as long as they spread, truth does not reign. For this reason the Lun-heng weighs the words, whether they be light or heavy, and holds up a balance for truth and falsehood. It does not trouble about polishing the phrases and embellishing the style, or consider this of great importance. It has its raison d'etre in the innate human weakness. Consequently it criticises the common people most vigorously. By nature these people are very prone to strange words and to the use of falsehoods. Why? Because simple truisms do not appeal to the imagination, whereas elegant inventions puzzle the hearers, and impress their minds. Therefore, men of genius, who are fond of discussions, will magnify and exaggerate the truth, and use flowery language. Masters of style, they simply invent things, and tell stories, which never happened. Their hearers believe in them, and are never tired of repeating them. Their readers take these stories for facts, and one transmits them to the other in an unbroken chain so, that at last the words are engraved on bamboo and silk. Being repeated over and over again, these stories impose even upon the wise. May be that even His Majesty honours such a man as a teacher, and spreads his forgeries, and that magistrates and wearers of red girdle pendants all read these inventions. He who knows how to discriminate between truth and falsehood, must feel a pang at it; why should he not speak? Mencius was grieved that the discussions of Yang Zhu and Mo Di did great harm to the cause of Confucianism, therefore he used plain and straightforward language to recommend what was right, and to reject what was wrong. People fancied that he was a controversialist, but Mencius replied, "How should I be a controversialist? I cannot do otherwise." Now I also cannot do otherwise. Lies and folly appear in the garb of truth, veracity and sincerity are superseded by imposture. People are in a state of apathy, right and wrong are not determined, purple and vermilion confounded, and tiles mixed up with jade-stones. As regards my feelings, how could my heart endure such a state? The lackey in Wei riding the outer horse transgressed his functions, crying out for the carriage. His sympathy carried him away, for he was apprehending a danger for his prince. Critics commiserate the world, and feel sorry for its deceptions, a sentiment similar to that of the outrider in Wei. A sorrowful mind and a melancholy spirit disturb the tranquil fluid in our breast, which tells upon our years, shortens our span, and is not beneficial to our life. It is a greater misfortune than that suffered by Yen Hui, and against the rules of Huang Ti and Lao Tse, and nothing which men like to do. But there was no help, therefore I wrote the Lun-heng. Its style is indifferent, but the meaning all right, the diction bad, but the feeling good. The Zheng-wu treats of the system of government; all the chapters of the Lung-heng may be read by ordinary people, for it is like writings of other scholars. As for the Nine Inventions and the Three Exaggerations, and the essays on Death and on Ghosts, the world has long been led astray by the errors exposed therein, and people did not become aware of it. When a ruler goes wrong, representations must be addressed to the highest place, when the citizens are blindfold, one speaks to them. If this be of effect, their leader will learn also. I fervently desire to rouse the misguided minds, and to teach them, how to tell the full from the hollow. As soon as the difference of reality and emptiness is fully understood, specious arguments will be discarded; and specious arguments having been discarded, the progress made in true and real knowledge will daily increase. | |
| 3 | 对作: | 或曰：圣人作，贤者述，以贤而作者，非也。《论衡》、《政务》，可谓作者。 |
| Replies in Self-Defense:...: | Some say that the sages create, whereas the worthies relate, and that, if worthies create, it is wrong. The Lun-heng and the Zheng-wu are creations, they think. | |
| 4 | 对作: | 非曰作也，亦非述也，论也。论者、述之次也。五经之兴，可谓作矣。《太史公书》、刘子政序、班叔皮传，可谓述矣。桓山君《新论》，邹伯奇《检论》，可谓论矣。今观《论衡》、《政务》，桓、邹之二论也，非所谓作也。造端更为，前始未有，若仓颉作书、奚仲作车是也。《易》言伏羲作八卦，前是未有八卦，伏羲造之，故曰作也。文王图八，自演为六十四，故曰衍。谓《论衡》之成，犹六十四卦，而又非也。六十四卦以状衍增益，其卦溢，其数多。今《论衡》就世俗之书，订其真伪，辩其实虚，非造始更为，无本于前也。儒生就先师之说，诘而难之；文吏就狱卿之事，覆而考之，谓《论衡》为作，儒生、文吏谓作乎？ |
| Replies in Self-Defense:...: | These works are neither creations nor relations. The Five Classics can be regarded as creations. The History of the Grand Annalist, the Introduction of Liu Zi Zheng, and the Records of Pan Shu Pi may be called relations, and the "New Reflections" of Huan Chun Shan and the "Critical Reflections" of Tsou Po Chi, discussions. Now the Lun-heng and the Zheng-wu are like the two Reflections of Huan Chun Shan and Tsou Po Chi, and not what they call creations. To produce something new that did not exist in the past, as Tsang Hsieh invented writing and Hsi Chung, chariots, is creating. The Yi-jing says of Fu Xi that he created the eight diagrams. They did not exist before, and Fu Hsi made them, hence the term creating is used. Wen Wang evolved these eight pictures, and brought their number up to sixty-four, which is called amplifying. To say that the composition of the Lun-heng is similar to that of the sixty-four figures is not correct either. In regard to the sixty-four diagrams, these figures were increased by an amplification of their forms, and their number was thus augmented. Now in the Lun-heng the current literature is taken up with the object of defining right and wrong and distinguishing between truth and falsehood. It is not an original production of something that did not exist previously. The Confucianists take the sayings of former teachers and criticise them, as clerks subject the decisions of the lord chief-justice to a new examination. If the term creating be applied to the Lun-heng, would the same word be used of the Confucianists and the clerks? | |
| 5 | 对作: | 上书奏记，陈列便宜，皆欲辅政。今作书者，犹书奏记，说发胸臆，文成手中，其实一也。夫上书谓之奏，奏记转易其名谓之书。建初孟年，中州颇歉，頴川、汝南民流四散。圣主忧怀，诏书数至。《论衡》之人，奏记郡守，宜禁奢侈，以备困乏。言不纳用，退题记草，名曰《备乏》。酒縻五谷，生起盗贼，沉湎饮酒，盗贼不绝，奏记郡守，禁民酒。退题记草，名曰《禁酒》。由此言之，夫作书者、上书奏记之文也。记谓之造作，上书上书奏记是作也？ |
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In their reports to the throne and their memorials the memorialists use to propose useful measures. There is always the desire to help the government. Now the creators of classical works are like those memorialists. Their words proceed from the innermost heart, and it is their hand which reduces them to writing. Both cases are identical. In regard to those who address the emperor one speaks of memorialising, whereas for those records another word has been adopted viz. writing. During the first years of Chien-chu, there was a great dearth in Chung-chou. The people from Yin-chuan and Ju-nan had to leave their homes, and were scattered in all directions. His Holy Majesty felt very much distressed, and many edicts were issued. The writer of the Lun-heng presented a report to the prefect, urging that all dissipations and extravagancies should be prohibited in order to provide for the time of need. His suggestions were not accepted however. He went home and entitled the draft of his report "Provisions for Times of Want." When the grain is used for the destillation of wine, robbery is | |
| 6 | 对作: | 晋之《乘》，而楚之《梼杌》，鲁之《春秋》，人事各不同也。《易》之乾坤，《春秋》之元，杨氏之玄，卜气号不均也。由此言之，唐林之奏，谷永之章，《论衡》、《政务》，同一趋也。汉家极笔墨之林，书论之造，汉家尤多。阳成子张作《乐》，杨子云造《玄》，二经发于台下，读于阙掖，卓绝惊耳，不述而作，材疑圣人，而汉朝不讥。况《论衡》细说微论，解释世俗之疑，辩照是非之理，使后进晓见然否之分，恐其废失，著之简牍，祖经章句之说，先师奇说之类也。其言伸绳，弹割俗传。俗传蔽惑，伪书放流，贤通之人，疾之无已。孔子曰：“诗人疾之不能默，丘疾之不能伏。”是以论也。玉乱于石，人不能别；或若楚之王尹以玉为石，卒使卞和受刖足之诛。是反为非，虚转为实，安能不言？俗传既过，俗书又伪。若夫邹衍谓今天下为一州，四海之外有若天下者九州。《淮南书》言共工与颛顼争为天子，不胜，怒而触不周之山，使天柱折，地维绝。尧时十日并出，尧上射九日。鲁阳战而日暮，援戈麾日，日为郤还。世间书传，多若等类，浮妄虚伪，没夺正是。心濆涌，笔手扰，安能不论？论则考之以心，效之以事，浮虚之事，辄立证验。若太史公之书，据许由不隐，燕太子丹不使日再中，读见之者，莫不称善。 |
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In the Cheng of Jin, the Tao-wu of Chu, and the Chunqiu of Lu persons and things are all different. As regards the diagrams chien and kun of the Yiking, the yuan of the Chun-qiu and the mystical principle of Yang Zi Yun, they use diverse terms for divination and time periods. From this we may infer that the Lun-heng and the Zheng-wu have the same aim as the memorials of Tang Lin and the essays of Ku Yung. The Han time is very rich in literary ralents, and the number of essays is especially large, Yang Cheng Tse Chang produced the Yueh-ching and Yang Tse Yun the Tai-hsuan-ching. These two books were current in the court and read in the side-halls. The impression they caused was enormous, they were not relations but creations, and people doubted, whether the ingenious authors were not sages. The court found nothing to blame in them. Now, fancy the Lun-heng with its minute discussions and thorough arguments, intended to explain the common errors and elucidate the right and wrong principles so, that future generations can clearly see the difference between truth and falsehood! Lest all this be lost, I have committed it to the writing tablets: remarks on chapters and passages of the classics of our ancestors, and on queer sayings of former masters. I offer critical remarks and reject many common traditions. The delusion caused by such traditions and the spread of so many lying books give endless pain to the knowing. Confucius said:---"When a man is touched by poetry, he cannot remain silent. When I am moved, I cannot keep quiet, but must speak." Jade is being confounded with stones. People cannot distinguish it, as for instance the inspector of works in Chu took jade for a stone, and suddenly ordered Pien Ho to have his foot cut off. Right is being turned into wrong, and falsehood into truth. How is it possible not to speak of it? As the common traditions are full of exaggerations, so the common books teem with falsehoods. Tsou Yen e.g. pretends that our world is one continent, and that beyond the four seas there are still nine other continents like our world. Huai Nan Tse says in his book that, when Kung Kung, fighting for the throne with Chuan Hsu, was not victorious, he ran against Mount Pu-chou in his wrath so, that he caused the "Pillar of Heaven" to break, and the confines of the earth to be smashed. In Yao's time ten suns appeared simultaneously. Yao shot an arrow at nine of them. During the battle fought by the Duke of Lu-yang the sun went down. Swinging his spear he beckoned to the sun, when he came back. There are a great many books and records of a similar nature in the world. Truth and reality are drowned in a flood of inventions and fabrications. Can we remain silent, when our heart swells to overflowing, and the pencil trembles in our hand? Discussing a question we must examine into it with our mind, and demonstrate it by facts, and, if there be any inventions, proofs must be given. As the history of the Grand Annalist testifies, Hsu Yu did not hide, nor did Tan, the crown-prince of Yen, cause the sun to revert to the meridian. Nobody can read these passages without applauding. | |
| 7 | 对作: | 《政务》为郡国守相、县邑令长陈通政事所当尚务，欲令全民立化，奉称国恩。《论衡》九《虚》、三《增》，所以使俗务实诚也；《论死》、《订鬼》，所以使俗薄丧葬也。孔子径庭丽级，被棺敛者不省；刘子政上薄葬，奉送藏者不约；光武皇帝草车茅马，为明器者不奸。何世书俗言不载？信死之语汶浊之也。今著《论死》及《死伪》之篇，明死无知，不能为鬼，冀观览者将一晓解约葬，更为节俭。斯盖《论衡》有益之验也。言苟有益，虽作何害？仓颉之书，世以纪事；奚仲之车，世以自载；伯余之衣，以辟寒暑；桀之瓦屋，以辟风雨。夫不论其利害，而徒讥其造作，是则仓颉之徒有非，《世本》十五家皆受责也。故夫有益也，虽作无害也。虽无害，何补？ |
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I composed the Zheng-wu for the purpose of showing to the incumbents of the prefectures and the district magistrates, what is of paramount importance in the administration, and with a view to induce all people to reform and gratefully acknowledge the kindness of the government. The nine chapters of the Lun-heng on Inventions and the three chapters on Exaggerations are intended to impress upon people that they must strive for truthfulness, and the chapters on Death and Ghosts shall induce them to give their dead a simple burial. Confucius avoided all pomp, but people were very extravagant in burying the dead and decorating the coffin. Liu Tse Cheng was in favour of simple funerals, but people would put costly things into the graves, and spare no money. Kuang Wu Ti regarded straw carriages and reed horses as sufficiently good objects for the sacrificial worship of the dead. Why do the common books and traditions not mention this? The belief in the talk on death has defiled them. Now I have written the essays on Death and on the False Reports about the Dead to show that the deceased have no consciousness, and cannot become ghosts, hoping that, as soon as my readers have grasped this, they will restrain the extravagance of the burials, and become more economical. Such would be the advantage derived from the Lun-heng. Provided that my words have this effect, what would it matter, if my work were a creation? The writing of Tsang Hsieh is universally used to record things, the carriages of Hsi Chung for locomotion, the clothes of Po Yu as a protection against heat and cold, and the tiled houses of Chieh to keep off wind and rain. If, irrespective of their usefulness or obnoxiousness, such things be solely found fault with for being innovations, then men like Tsang Hsieh would have to be condemned, and the fifteen dynasties at the beginning of history all be blameworthy. Provided that a thing be useful, there is no harm, even if it should be an innovation, and if there be no harm, what can be amiss? | |
| 8 | 对作: | 古有命使采爵，欲观风俗，知下情也。诗作民间，圣王可云：“汝民也，何发作？”囚罪其身，殁灭其诗乎？今已不然，故《诗》传亚今。《论衡》、《政务》，其犹诗也，冀望见采，而云有过。斯盖《论衡》之书所以兴也。且凡造作之过，意其言妄而谤诽也。《论衡》实事疾妄，《齐世》、《宣汉》、《恢国》、《验符》、《盛褒》、《须颂》之言，无诽谤之辞，造作如此，可以免于罪矣。 |
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In ancient times great public entertainments were given by imperial order with the object of seeing the customs and learning the feelings of the people. Then the Odes originated among the people. The holy emperors might have said, "Ye, people, how dare you produce such novel things?," and have thrown them into prison, and destroyed their Odes. This was not done, and the Odes were thus handed down. Now the Lun-heng and the Zheng-wu are like the Odes. I trust that they will not be condemned, before they have been perused. This is the origin of the Lun-heng. The reason why people so often take exception to new productions is that they often contain so many unfounded assertions and disparaging remarks on others. The Lun-heng aims at truth and dislikes all wild speculations. The chapters entitled:--- Chi-shih, Hsuan Han, Hui kuo, and Yen-fu are full of praise and well-deserved applause, and not disparaging at all. Such a creation might well escape reproach. |
URN: ctp:lunheng/dui-zuo