Yao Yue chapter 20
【Introduction】
The last passage of the Analects has only three chapters. The first chapter is Yao Chan's exhortation to give the throne to Shun, Shang Tang's prayer for rain, and King Wu of Zhou's speech when he divided the princes, and some of the words "Shang Shu" have similar expressions, so some people think that the Analects are copied from other ancient texts at that time. There is a passage in the back of Confucius's way of doing politics. The text of this chapter is scattered, incoherent, and when there is a drop. The second chapter is Zi Zhang asking Confucius the way of government, and the third chapter confucius talks about "three unknowns", and the content is often repeated from the previous chapters. I feel like this last article is a bit of a bunch.
【Original】
20•1 Yao Yue (1): "Consult (2)! Ershun! The calendar of heaven (3) is in Erzhu, allowing to hold on to it (4), the four seas are poor, and the heavens are eternally ended (5). "Shun also lives with Yu.
Yue: "To Xiao ZiLu (6), dare to use XuanMu (7), dare to tell the Emperor and Empress: guilt does not dare to forgive." The emperor is not hidden (8), and Jane (9) is in the imperial heart. (10) Guilty, there is no way out; all sides are guilty, and sin is falling. ”
Zhou has a big bribe (11), and a good person is rich. "Although there are relatives of the Zhou Dynasty (12), it is not as good as benevolence. The people have had it, and they have given it to one. ”
Discretion (13), judgment (14), abolition of officials (15), and the administration of the four parties. Rise and destroy the country, inherit the world, lift up the people, and return the people of the world to their hearts.
Emphasis: people, food, mourning, sacrifice.
The breadth is the multitude, and the faith is the people's will (16). Min is meritorious, Gongze says.
【Notes】
(1) Yao Yue: The words in the quotation marks below are what Yao said when Zen gave the throne to Shun.
(2) Consultation: Sigh, an exclamation of praise, reflecting Yao's admiration and affirmation of Shun.
(3) Calendar: This refers to the order in which the emperors ascended the throne in turn.
(4) Allow: integrity, fairness. Medium: The way of the middle and the middle.
(5) The four seas are poor, and the heavenly lu will never end: The mainstream explanation is that "if the four seas fall into hardship and poverty, the heavenly gift of Qilu will end forever" (Zhu Xi, Yang Bojun, and Yang Fengbin all hold this view), but it is debatable, and we comb and examine it as follows:
First, on "poverty". The "Collective Interpretation" quotes Bao Xian and Huang Kan's old notes: "Sleepy, extreme, poor, exhaustive." Tang Kejing's "Explanation of The Interpretation of The Interpretation of The Characters of the Sayings" quotes Yu Fan's point of view to the effect that " Sleepy is the original character of the coffin , like the four sides of a door, and the wood in the middle indicates the threshold." Finite meaning. It is also written as a upper stop and a lower wood, and can mean words. The meanings of the word "siege, hardship, poverty, and embarrassment" were gradually derived from the earliest threshold limits. Duan Yujie's Commentary on the Interpretation of The Text: "The original meaning of sleepiness is not enough, and the extension is extreme." The Analects of the Analects of "The Four Seas Are Poor" refers to junde filling the universe, which is slightly the same as the meaning of the four tables of yokozuna. "If words are faithful to the government, they can be extremely poor." Tianlu so long final also. All words of hardship and hardship are the ultimate righteousness. "Explained very clearly. The Hanyu Da Zidian also explains that "sleepy" has the meaning of "exhaustion and extreme", and the example sentence is "the four seas are poor". In short, here poverty is the ultimate exhaustion, poverty is exhaustion, and poverty means extreme and omnipresent. "Poverty in the four seas" must be combined with the previous sentence "allowed to cling to it", which means that the implementation of the Zhongzheng Way is extremely poor and spreads throughout the four seas.
By the way, "four seas", although the word can not be translated, but it should be noted that the "sea" of "four seas" can not be translated as the ocean. China's southeast is bordered by the sea, but the northwest is land, where does the "four seas" come from? The "sea" here refers to the barbaric edge of the land where Yi, Di, Rong, and Barbarian are located, and has nothing to do with the sea. The "four seas" are the four sides. Mr. Lu Simian explained in the "General History of China" that in ancient times, transportation was inconvenient, tribal barriers, and it was unclear or unclear about the situation outside his own tribe. The so-called "sea" means obscure and unclear.
Second, about the "eternal end". In the pre-Qin classics, this word is generally an auspicious word that expresses a long-lasting and permanent meaning, and it was not until after the Wei and Jin Dynasties that it gradually had the meaning of eternal severance and eternal end. Ming and Qing dynasty scholars Yan Ruoxuan, Mao Qiling and others have collected many examples, and we will choose two detailed annotations: First, "Zhou Yi Gui Mei Xiang Ci": "There is thunder on the ze, gui mei; a gentleman will always know us." "To the effect of" a thunderclap sounded on Osawa, symbolizing the marriage of a young girl; a gentleman should maintain the way of husband and wife for a long time and always know how to guard against its misfortune. The "eternal end" here has no different meaning, that is, the meaning of eternal end, long to the end, and long-term maintenance (see Gao Heng's "Zhou Yi DaChuan Jin Zhuan", Huang Shouqi and Zhang Shanwen's "Zhou Yi Translation", Chen Guying and Zhao Jianwei's "Zhou Yi Jin Zhuan Jin Translation"). The second is the "Shang Shu Jin Yun": "Give the boy a new life to the three kings, but eternal is the end of the map." This is what Zhou Gong said, to the effect that "I receive orders from the Three Kings, and only the big question of how to maintain our rule forever is what I should consider." (Wang Shishun and Wang Cuiye, "Book of Shang")
In summary, the mainstream interpretation of "poverty" and "eternal end" is understood according to the meaning of the later, although the negative is positive, the final meaning is not bad, but I am afraid it may not be accurate. This was Yao Chan's words of encouragement and blessing when he gave the throne to Shun, a positive wish rather than a negative warning. This is also in line with the contextual atmosphere of the Zen ceremony and Yao's affirmation of Shun.
(6) Yu Xiaozi: Yu Xiaozi, the self-designation of the ancient emperors. Shoe, the name of SenseTime. This passage is Shang Tang's prayer for rain because of the great drought in the world.
(7) Dare: Humble words, indicating piety. Xuan Mu: Xuan, black. Oysters, bulls.
(8) The emperor is not hidden: the emperor, the servant of the emperor, and the sage of the world. Not to hide, here means not to conceal and cover up its good. "Mozi And Love": "Today's great drought, that is, when the body is lost, the unknown offends the upper and lower levels, the sins do not dare to forgive, the good does not dare to hide, Jane is in the imperial heart." If all sides are guilty, they should be transformed; if they are guilty, they will not reach all sides. ”
(9) Jane: review, inspection. Here is the meaning of clear observation and clear understanding.
(10) 朕: I, a first-person pronoun. Beginning with Qin Shi Huang, he dedicated himself to the title of emperor.
(11) 赉: pronounced lài, reward. This passage is talking about King Wu of Zhou.
(12) Zhou Qin: Close relative.
(13) Weight: weight, scale hammer, weight of the measuring tool. Quantity, bucket, measuring volume gauge.
(14) Legality: Legal system.
(15) Abolition of official positions: abolition of vacant official positions and institutions.
(16) Faith is the people's appointment: There is no such sentence in some ancient texts, which may be a derivative text. This passage is repetitive with the Yang Article. You can read Yang Zheng chapter 17.6, which has a sentence "Faith is what people do", which means "honesty can get the appointment of others". But this passage is saying that the emperor was to the people, and at that time it was not elected by the people, and it was not the people who did it. So if the translation can only be translated as "integrity can get the effect of others". Of course, it is also possible not to translate as a derivative text.
【Translation】
Yao said, "Sigh! You Shun! The destiny of heaven has fallen upon you. Sincerely and fairly maintain the right way! Realize the rule of virtue throughout the world, and the heavenly blessing of the throne will continue forever. Shun also used this sentence to order Yu to take the throne.
(Shang Tang) said: "I would like to sacrifice with a black bull, and sincerely pray to the Great Heavenly Emperor of Light: I dare not forgive the guilt without permission, nor do I dare to conceal the good deeds of your servants. If I myself am guilty, do not implicate all the world, for if all the world is guilty, the sin is on me alone. ”
The Zhou Dynasty sealed the world and made the good people rich. [King Wu of Zhou] said, "Although I have many close relatives, it is better to have more benevolent people." The people are at fault, and the responsibility lies with me alone. ”
Strictly standardize the weights and measures, approve the legal system, and repair the vacant official positions and institutions, and the national decrees will be passed. Restore the destroyed country, inherit the family that has been severed, promote the reclusive talents, and the people of the world will truly submit.
Special attention should be paid to four things: the people, food, funerals, and sacrifices.
Generosity will be supported by all, (honesty will be served by others), diligence will be achieved, and fairness will make the people satisfied and convinced.
【Comment】
The beginning of this article describes the beautiful Yao Shun Yu Zen system. But let's be clear that these are legends rather than letter histories, and lack reliable written and archaeological evidence. In "Han Feizi", there are different records of "Shun forced Yao, Yu forced Shun". During the Spring and Autumn Period, the historians of the Jin and Wei states compiled a history book, "Bamboo Book Chronicle", which recorded that Yao Shunyu did not take the initiative to abdicate, but was forced to abdicate and even fought bloodily. Of course, the authenticity of these claims is highly controversial and needs to be confirmed by more archaeological evidence. A lot of real history is hidden in the thick dust of history, making it difficult for future generations to distinguish between true and false. Some histories are even artificially disguised or tampered with, so there is the famous saying: "History is a little girl who dresses up." Not to mention the legendary figures passed down by word of mouth, whose people and deeds are often just what posterity needs.