《幽梦影》里的箴言(再续)
2017-03-07陈华东
陈华东
近段时日以来,笔者在不断翻阅语录体《幽梦影》的过程中所获得的憬悟,可谓绵延不绝,即便迈入耄耋之年,亦深感受之有用。窃以为,如将《幽梦影》内容箴言妙语称之为张潮格言,似亦不为过也。鉴此,笔者曾不揣谫陋地择其自认为仍具现实意义的精彩片断加以赏析而成文,先后两篇四十则,并承蒙《书屋》杂志先后刊载。然而至今意犹未尽,故再续一篇,并仍引录林语堂先生精妙绝伦的英译,以期同好者共享,更希冀读者对此赏析不吝教正。
一、美人之胜于花者,解语也;花之胜于美人者,生香也。二者不可得兼,舍生香而取解语者也。(Women are flowers that can talk, and flowers are women which off fragrance. Rather enjoy talk than fragrance. )
显然,此言之创意与句式缘自《孟子·告子上》中的名句:“鱼,我所欲也;熊掌,亦我所欲也。二者不可得兼,舍鱼而取熊掌者也。”一经对照,美人解语与鲜花生香之间,恐亦如此。固然,鲜花可以给予人们情感上的寄托,但无法从那里获得温煦、抚慰与激励。有感于此,应知人生在世的所有人际交往中,相互之间能够谋求解语并进而知音,方为大智也。
二、天下唯鬼最富,生前囊无一文,死后每饶楮镪;天下唯鬼最尊,生前或受欺凌,死后必多跪拜。(It is not bad to be a ghost. One who was penniless has a lot of paper money burnt for his benefit and one who was pushed around all his life is worshiped by people on their kness after his death.)
文中楮镪一词,乃人们祭祀时所用的冥纸。此则文字表述,可谓极富调侃之能事。短短的一句话,巧将人的生前死后在不同处境时所给予的极具幽默的讽刺,实则是对世俗的愚昧和炎凉进行了犀利的批判。行文至此,诸多感慨油然而生。殊不知,滚滚红尘的世俗环境里,为富不仁者有之,不尊不孝者有之,当面对亡灵焚纸跪拜之时,内心恐亦顿生诸多不为人知的意想。有道是,敬鬼神不如修善事。人生在世,若立仁者之心,理当福寿双全。
三、高语山林者,辄不喜谈市朝事。审若此,则当并废《史》、《汉》诸书而不读矣。盖诸书所载者,皆古之市朝也。(Recluse scholars often disdian to discuss affairs of the government. But history is fuss of affairs of the government. Should one stop reading history, too? They cannot have meant it.)
此言中的所谓市朝,乃分别指民众的贸易场所和官府的公务场所。张潮说,山林隐居的高谈阔论之人,往往鄙视市朝中那些爾虞我诈之能事,故而远离市朝。其实,正因为隐逸者对世俗的纷争了然于怀,故才有此等行为之举。然一经反思,著述《史记》、《汉书》等宏大的传世名著的史学大家,实质上才是一群身处世俗且能看透世俗的真隐士,故而能为后世留下了不朽的光照千秋的翔实史籍。
四、值太平世,生湖山郡,官长廉静,家道优裕,娶妇贤淑,生子聪慧。人生如此,可云全福。(The perfect life: to live in a world of perce in a lake district the magistrate is good and honest and to have an understanding wife and bright children.)
所谓太平世,乃指社会环境;所谓湖山郡,乃指地理环境。此则文字实则将所谓的人生全福概括得淋漓尽致。作者生活在清初康熙早年的动荡时期,作为一介平民,深知动乱之苦,兵燹之难,故将“值太平世”列为人生全福之首。而如今回首时下,已值盛世之期,全民翘首以待的就是要将当前的反腐斗争进行到底,从而创建进一步完善吏治建设的环境。果能如此,当为全民之大福也。
五、武人不苟战,是为武中之文;文人不迂腐,是为文中之武。(A military man who does take lightly of war is also a cultured man; a cultured man who does not rest with his smug opinions has something of the conquerors spirit.)
常言道,武将分有两种:一是鲁莽行事而有勇无谋,二是谨慎行事而智勇双全;文人也有两种:一是膜拜书本而不知变通,二是博览群书而活学活用。读至此,笔者深感此则文字的内涵不在其所言之本身,似乎在于以此为例而引导读者就此产生诸多有益联想,并进而能够付诸实践而从容地应对尘世中的诸多事功。
六、虽不善书,而笔砚不可不精;虽不业医,而验方不可不存;虽不功弈,而楸枰不可不备。(Certain things mast be provided in home: good pens and inkstone, although the owner himself is not a calligraphist; a home book of medical recipes, although not a docter; and a cheeboard although he may not play. )
虽然这是一则对人们的生活情趣和待人交友方面的一般性建议,但仔细想来也不无道理。自古以来,纸墨笔砚称之为文房四宝,一般说来,乃家庭必备之物,求其精美,间或可以留下来访书家的墨宝,岂不幸哉?!主人虽不从医,但妥为保存某些医效甚佳的药方,在意外情况下,以应急家人、亲朋或邻里之需,岂不善哉!?主人虽不善于在棋艺上与人对弈,但家中却备有楸枰(棋盘),每当友朋在舍中小聚且有此雅兴之时,自当旁观者,岂不乐哉!?由此举一反三,当知追求家庭生活的情趣应该是多方面多层次的。
七、有地上之山水,有画上之山水,有梦中之山水,有胸中之山水。地上者,妙在丘壑深邃;画上者,妙在笔墨淋漓;梦中者,妙在景象变幻;胸中者,妙在位置自如。(There are hills and waters on the earth, in paintings,in dreams,and in ones imagination. The beauty of such hills and water on the earth is in their grace and variety; that in paintings, richness of ink and freedom of the bruch; that in dreams, thrir changefulness; and that in ones imaginnation, good compossition.)
在作者看來,山水竟有四种之多。盖自然山水,妙在天之所赐,未经一丝雕琢而呈现的重峦叠嶂、丘壑清泉等景象 足令游人感到身在天际而莫测。而画上之山水,妙在画家之提炼,只因着墨浓淡、笔力轻重而相辅相成地体现了画家的情愫所在。至于梦中之山水,妙在自由自在,毫无禁忌,思之则来,弃之则去。除此不同的则是胸中之山水,妙在能够任由自己意识上的主宰,而贵在不为他人所知。但是,奈因阅历所限,亦恐难以获得完美的审美享受。
八、抄写之笔墨,不必过求其佳;若施之缣素,则不可不求其佳。诵读之书籍,不必过求其备;若以供稽考,则不可不求其备。游历之山水,不必过求其妙,若因之卜居,则不可不求其妙。(One need not be too particular about pen and ink when doing copy work,but should be particular when writing things to be framed. Also one can have a random collection of books for reading, but should insist on good, adequate reference works. Likewise, what landscape one sees in passing in travel is not too important,but that of the place where one is going to build a house and settle down is of prime importance.)
此三句之言,一为求其佳,二为求其备,三为求其妙。一般抄写,备上纸、笔即可,而施之缣素(白色丝织品),将有书画传承之举,故须求其佳也。一般读书,有喜读之书即可,而若通过筛查意欲获取所需的考证,故须求其全也。一般游历,将如画风景览入目中记于心中即可,如欲择其地而居之,故须求其妙,而此一“妙”字,实乃适居环境之概括。总之,一个“求”字,其意无穷。但是,“求其所当求,而不求其所不必求”,诚乃君子之为也。
九、人非圣贤,安能无所不知?只知其一,惟恐不止其一,复求知其二者,上也;止知其一,因人言始知其有二者,次也;止知其一,人言有其二而莫之信者,又其次也;止知其一,恶人言有其二者,斯下之下矣。(No man can know everying. The best and highest kind of man knows something, but is sure that there is something he does not know and seeks it. Next come those who know one point of view, but admit another point of view when told. Next come those who mill not accept it when told, and the lowest are those who know one side of a question and hate to have people tell them the other side.)
读了此则文字后,不禁想起孩提时代私塾先生曾要我们背诵《论语·季氏》中的如下一个警句:“生而知之者上也;学而知之者次也;困而学之,又次也;困而不学,民斯为下矣。”张潮就此引伸加以诠释而成句,认为人非圣贤,所获知识均为后天学而所得,焉能生而知之,其意当在告诫后人如何不辍地获取新的知识,并表述了四种不同的学习态度。行文至此,不禁想起实验科学始祖哲学家培根的名言:“知识就是力量。”对于正在成长的人们来说,面对此一阐述的最好回答就是要不断获取新的知识,而获取新知之道,首要的就是不满足旧知而积极进取。
十、一介之士,必有密友。密友不必定是刎颈之交,大率虽千百里之遥,皆可相信,而不为浮言所动;闻有谤之者,即多方为之辨析而后已;事之宜行宜止者,代为筹划决断;或事当利害关头,有所需而后济者,即不必与闻,亦不虑其负我与否,竟为力承其事。此皆所谓密友也。(A scholar must have bosom friends. By a bosom friends I do not mean necessarily one who has sworn a pledge of friendship for life and death, but one who has faith in you against rumors, although separated by a thousand miles, and tries every means to explain it away; who will assume the responsibility and make a decision for you, or in case of need make a financial settlement, even without letting you know or worrying whether he will be repaid. This is I call a bosom friend.)
张潮认为,只有真诚待人、且将待人视若待己的耿介之人,才会拥有真正的密友。同时认为,密友不一定是同生死、共患难的刎颈之交,但如下四个方面的界定则是必须的:彼此之间,如有传言不为所动、如遭诽谤为其辩白、如遇困扰倾力扶掖、如需资助毫不迟犹。相互间若能如斯而为之,定将拥有密友而使生活得到更多的充实。虽有感于此,但也会想起了一句古话:“君子之交淡如水。”
十一、花不可见其落,月不可见其沉,美人不可见其夭。(Avoid seeing the wilting of flowers, the decline of the moon, and the death of young women.)
有道是,在花丛中徜徉,人的心境顿感舒畅而愉悦;在月光下沐浴,人的心境顿感清澈而高洁。尽管自古以来,有多少文人骚客为我们留下了枚不胜数的咏花賞月的佳诗美文,然而,花开花谢,月盈月亏,乃系不可抵御的自然规律。张潮在此借花、借月而发出了“美人不可见其夭”的感慨。试想之,对于绝代佳人,历史曾为我们记载了多少哀怨悱恻的悲情故事。殊不知,自古红颜多薄命,当又奈何之?!
十二、种花须见其开,待月须见其满,著书须见其成,美人须见其畅适方有实际,否则皆为虚设。(One should wait to see the flowers in bloom after planting them, see the full moon after waiting days for it, and complete writing a book after starting it, and should see to it that a beautiful women is happy and gay. Otherwise, all the labors are in vain.)
此则文字应视为上则文字之续,故林语堂先生的英译本将其合而为一。试想,如若花不开,月不圆,著书未成,爱人伤悲,岂不失去了一切实际意义而形同虚设?!然而读至此,似乎又看到了张潮仍在借助此说来表达如下一层含义,即在日常的学习、工作中,要像种花、待月那样付出倾心、耐心和恒心而坚持不懈,方能有所成效而达到追求的目标。
十三、创新庵不若修古庙,读生书不若温旧业。(it is more profitable to reread some old books than to read new ones, just as it is better to repair and add to an old temple than to build one entirely new.)
显然,此句乃系张潮假以“创新庵不若修古庙”来比况诠释读书之道。众所周知,读书的目的在于求知,更在于获取新知。然而,即便博览百家而不求甚解,无疑乎未曾阅读也。子曰:“温故而知新”。重温旧业而获得崭新的理解,那就是新知,尤其是攻读经典著作时,更是如此。当然,逐渐地扩大和深化读书的范围,尤为重要,但在温故又知新的基础上去做,不但能够增强理解,而且还可能会有事半功倍之效。
十四、胸中小不平,可以酒消之;世间大不平,非剑不能消也。(A small injustice can be drowned by a cup of wine; a great injustice can be vanquished only by the sword.)
这是一句了然于胸的直白之言。盖心生不平,乃有大小之别,更有质的不同。常言道,小有不平,当可借酒消愁,几杯老酒入肚,即何化解心中块垒而平复。对此状之描述,古诗词中不乏名句传世。然而,如果发生诸如外敌入侵、恐怖袭击、打家劫舍之类的世间大不平,那只有拿起手中的武器,奋起抗争,才能将其驱除消灭而卫国保家,从而握掌自己的命运。
十五、立品须发乎宋人之道学,涉世须参以晋代之风流。(Build ones character on the foundation of the moral teachings of the Sung—Confucianists (twelfth century) ; but go through life in the spirit of the Chin romanticists (third and fourth centuries).)
显然,此则之言是身处康熙时代的张潮的感悟心语。今人知道,宋代学术以道学(理学)为统领,历来看重人品风范和人格精神的培养,但在处世行事中,晋人崇尚风流洒脱已成为当时的社会风范。在张潮看来,立品与涉世是两个不同的范畴,品格修为应当发扬宋人理学的精华,而为人处世则应向晋人的随性洒脱看齐。如若回首历史再看当今时代,是否可以这样说,也只是一家之言。
十六、镜不幸而遇嫫母,砚不幸而遇俗子,剑不幸而遇庸将,皆无可奈何之事。(When a good mirror meets an ugly owner, a good inkstone meets a vulgar person, and a good sword finds itself in the hands of a common general, there is nothing these things can do about it.)
显然,作者在此以拟人的修辞手法,将物与人之间的对应作了形象地表述,以“无可奈何”之说,用在三种物件因不遇其主的比喻来抒发内在的一种悲凉。应该说,对人的一生之旅而言,除主观因素外,而在客观上则与其境遇息息相关。“境遇”二字的背后,既可有幸,亦有不幸。古人所说的“士为知己者死,女为悦己者容”,以及“学成文武艺,货与帝王家”之类的话,即是如斯之意也。
十七、作文之法,意在曲折者,宜写之以显浅之词;理之显浅者,宜运之以 曲折之笔。题之熟者,参之以新奇之想;题之庸者,深之以关系之论。至于窘者舒之以使长,缛者删之以使简,俚者文之使雅,闹者摄之使静,皆所谓裁制也。 (The secret of composition lies in this: Try to express difficult points clearly and avoid the obvious and superficial. Commonplace subjects must be illuminated with fresh thoughts, and commonplace themes must be shown to have deeper implications. As to amplifications, tightening up, weeding out overwriting and common, overused expressions, these are matters of revision.)
此则文字,可谓之撰写文章之法的高度概括。古往今来,行文者对其文论的主题构思、起展布局、运笔修辞等极为看重。缘于此,阐述此类的专著早已有之。细观上述八种类型的处置之道,可谓言之有理,行之有效。特别是后四类,文之仓促者,应舒之以长;文之繁琐者;应删之以简,文之粗陋者,应使之以雅;文之过闹者,应使之以静。凡此,诚可谓一篇数十字的文论之言也。
十八、游玩山水亦复有缘,苟机缘未至,则虽近在数十里之内,亦无暇到也。(One either has or has not the luck to travel and visit places. Without luck, one has no time to visit the nearest mountain within a few miles of ones home.)
由此則文字的表述可以看出,张潮以游历山水为例,用来表明人世间的诸多事物均处于因果链之中。“因”源自“果”起,而“果”则源自“因”来。回首细看人世间,生与死、富与贫、善与恶、荣与辱等等,无一不是因果互存所致。但,事物还有另一面,如若将因果关系神秘化和夸大化,那便是谬误之论而不可取了。
十九、先读经,后读史,则论事不谬于圣贤;既读史,复读经,则观书不徒为章句。(First study the classics, then history. Then one has a deeper central point of view. Then one can go back to the classics again, when one will not be satisfied with merely beautiful phrases.)
所谓经书,乃阐释道德、仁义之道,教人明辨是非、立身处世之理。一旦修备了这样的理论素养,再去读史,便不会被纷纭难辨的历史现象所困扰,也不会被花言巧语所迷惑,更不会被似是而非的假象所蒙蔽。至于先读史书,在丰富了见闻、增长了见识的基础上,再去攻读经书,即可排除对字句的表面理解,从而能够领悟了圣贤之道的真谛。
二十、古人云:“诗必穷而后工。”盖穷则语多感慨,易于见长耳。若宝贵中人,既不可忧贫叹贱,所谈者不过风云月露而已,诗安得佳?苟思所变,计唯有出游一法。即以所见之山川风土物产人情,或当疮痍兵燹之余,或值旱涝灾祲之后,无一不可寓之诗中,借他人之穷愁,以供我之咏叹,则诗亦不必待穷而后工也。(The ancient people say, “A man becomes a better poet after he has tasted poverty.”That is because from poverty and hardships, one gains depth and experience. People who are rich and well-to-do do not taste all aspects of life, and they con only write about the winds and the clouds, and the moon and the dew. As a substitute for personal experience, they might go about and watch the sufferings of the common people, especially in tames of war and famine and in that way acquire a vicaruous experience of jife.)
这是全书二百一十九则的最后一则。北宋文学家欧阳修在《梅圣俞诗集序》中开篇言道:“予闻世谓诗人少达而多穷,夫岂然哉?盖世所传诗者,多出于古穷人之辞也。”从而提出了“诗必穷而后工”这一著名的美学观点。由此可以看出,主张“诗必穷而后工”,乃基于诗人具有直接的和真切的人生体验,然而所提的“出游一法”,则是间接的人生体验。张潮认为,倘若诗人在出游时看到面前一切而感同身受,继而发出民众之心声,则亦可达到“穷而后工”之效也。