陳華東
近段時日以來,筆者在不斷翻閱語錄體《幽夢影》的過程中所獲得的憬悟,可謂綿延不絕,即便邁入耄耋之年,亦深感受之有用。竊以為,如將《幽夢影》內(nèi)容箴言妙語稱之為張潮格言,似亦不為過也。鑒此,筆者曾不揣谫陋地?fù)衿渥哉J(rèn)為仍具現(xiàn)實(shí)意義的精彩片斷加以賞析而成文,先后兩篇四十則,并承蒙《書屋》雜志先后刊載。然而至今意猶未盡,故再續(xù)一篇,并仍引錄林語堂先生精妙絕倫的英譯,以期同好者共享,更希冀讀者對此賞析不吝教正。
一、美人之勝于花者,解語也;花之勝于美人者,生香也。二者不可得兼,舍生香而取解語者也。(Women are flowers that can talk, and flowers are women which off fragrance. Rather enjoy talk than fragrance. )
顯然,此言之創(chuàng)意與句式緣自《孟子·告子上》中的名句:“魚,我所欲也;熊掌,亦我所欲也。二者不可得兼,舍魚而取熊掌者也?!币唤?jīng)對照,美人解語與鮮花生香之間,恐亦如此。固然,鮮花可以給予人們情感上的寄托,但無法從那里獲得溫煦、撫慰與激勵。有感于此,應(yīng)知人生在世的所有人際交往中,相互之間能夠謀求解語并進(jìn)而知音,方為大智也。
二、天下唯鬼最富,生前囊無一文,死后每饒楮鏹;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.)
文中楮鏹一詞,乃人們祭祀時所用的冥紙。此則文字表述,可謂極富調(diào)侃之能事。短短的一句話,巧將人的生前死后在不同處境時所給予的極具幽默的諷刺,實(shí)則是對世俗的愚昧和炎涼進(jìn)行了犀利的批判。行文至此,諸多感慨油然而生。殊不知,滾滾紅塵的世俗環(huán)境里,為富不仁者有之,不尊不孝者有之,當(dāng)面對亡靈焚紙跪拜之時,內(nèi)心恐亦頓生諸多不為人知的意想。有道是,敬鬼神不如修善事。人生在世,若立仁者之心,理當(dāng)福壽雙全。
三、高語山林者,輒不喜談市朝事。審若此,則當(dāng)并廢《史》、《漢》諸書而不讀矣。蓋諸書所載者,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.)
此言中的所謂市朝,乃分別指民眾的貿(mào)易場所和官府的公務(wù)場所。張潮說,山林隱居的高談闊論之人,往往鄙視市朝中那些爾虞我詐之能事,故而遠(yuǎn)離市朝。其實(shí),正因?yàn)殡[逸者對世俗的紛爭了然于懷,故才有此等行為之舉。然一經(jīng)反思,著述《史記》、《漢書》等宏大的傳世名著的史學(xué)大家,實(shí)質(zhì)上才是一群身處世俗且能看透世俗的真隱士,故而能為后世留下了不朽的光照千秋的翔實(shí)史籍。
四、值太平世,生湖山郡,官長廉靜,家道優(yōu)裕,娶婦賢淑,生子聰慧。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.)
所謂太平世,乃指社會環(huán)境;所謂湖山郡,乃指地理環(huán)境。此則文字實(shí)則將所謂的人生全福概括得淋漓盡致。作者生活在清初康熙早年的動蕩時期,作為一介平民,深知動亂之苦,兵燹之難,故將“值太平世”列為人生全福之首。而如今回首時下,已值盛世之期,全民翹首以待的就是要將當(dāng)前的反腐斗爭進(jìn)行到底,從而創(chuàng)建進(jìn)一步完善吏治建設(shè)的環(huán)境。果能如此,當(dāng)為全民之大福也。
五、武人不茍戰(zhàn),是為武中之文;文人不迂腐,是為文中之武。(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,武將分有兩種:一是魯莽行事而有勇無謀,二是謹(jǐn)慎行事而智勇雙全;文人也有兩種:一是膜拜書本而不知變通,二是博覽群書而活學(xué)活用。讀至此,筆者深感此則文字的內(nèi)涵不在其所言之本身,似乎在于以此為例而引導(dǎo)讀者就此產(chǎn)生諸多有益聯(lián)想,并進(jìn)而能夠付諸實(shí)踐而從容地應(yīng)對塵世中的諸多事功。
六、雖不善書,而筆硯不可不精;雖不業(yè)醫(yī),而驗(yàn)方不可不存;雖不功弈,而楸枰不可不備。(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. )
雖然這是一則對人們的生活情趣和待人交友方面的一般性建議,但仔細(xì)想來也不無道理。自古以來,紙墨筆硯稱之為文房四寶,一般說來,乃家庭必備之物,求其精美,間或可以留下來訪書家的墨寶,豈不幸哉?!主人雖不從醫(yī),但妥為保存某些醫(yī)效甚佳的藥方,在意外情況下,以應(yīng)急家人、親朋或鄰里之需,豈不善哉!?主人雖不善于在棋藝上與人對弈,但家中卻備有楸枰(棋盤),每當(dāng)友朋在舍中小聚且有此雅興之時,自當(dāng)旁觀者,豈不樂哉???由此舉一反三,當(dāng)知追求家庭生活的情趣應(yīng)該是多方面多層次的。
七、有地上之山水,有畫上之山水,有夢中之山水,有胸中之山水。地上者,妙在丘壑深邃;畫上者,妙在筆墨淋漓;夢中者,妙在景象變幻;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,山水竟有四種之多。蓋自然山水,妙在天之所賜,未經(jīng)一絲雕琢而呈現(xiàn)的重巒疊嶂、丘壑清泉等景象 足令游人感到身在天際而莫測。而畫上之山水,妙在畫家之提煉,只因著墨濃淡、筆力輕重而相輔相成地體現(xiàn)了畫家的情愫所在。至于夢中之山水,妙在自由自在,毫無禁忌,思之則來,棄之則去。除此不同的則是胸中之山水,妙在能夠任由自己意識上的主宰,而貴在不為他人所知。但是,奈因閱歷所限,亦恐難以獲得完美的審美享受。
八、抄寫之筆墨,不必過求其佳;若施之縑素,則不可不求其佳。誦讀之書籍,不必過求其備;若以供稽考,則不可不求其備。游歷之山水,不必過求其妙,若因之卜居,則不可不求其妙。(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,一為求其佳,二為求其備,三為求其妙。一般抄寫,備上紙、筆即可,而施之縑素(白色絲織品),將有書畫傳承之舉,故須求其佳也。一般讀書,有喜讀之書即可,而若通過篩查意欲獲取所需的考證,故須求其全也。一般游歷,將如畫風(fēng)景覽入目中記于心中即可,如欲擇其地而居之,故須求其妙,而此一“妙”字,實(shí)乃適居環(huán)境之概括??傊?,一個“求”字,其意無窮。但是,“求其所當(dāng)求,而不求其所不必求”,誠乃君子之為也。
九、人非圣賢,安能無所不知?只知其一,惟恐不止其一,復(fù)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,惡人言有其二者,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.)
讀了此則文字后,不禁想起孩提時代私塾先生曾要我們背誦《論語·季氏》中的如下一個警句:“生而知之者上也;學(xué)而知之者次也;困而學(xué)之,又次也;困而不學(xué),民斯為下矣?!睆埑本痛艘旒右栽忈尪删?,認(rèn)為人非圣賢,所獲知識均為后天學(xué)而所得,焉能生而知之,其意當(dāng)在告誡后人如何不輟地獲取新的知識,并表述了四種不同的學(xué)習(xí)態(tài)度。行文至此,不禁想起實(shí)驗(yàn)科學(xué)始祖哲學(xué)家培根的名言:“知識就是力量。”對于正在成長的人們來說,面對此一闡述的最好回答就是要不斷獲取新的知識,而獲取新知之道,首要的就是不滿足舊知而積極進(jìn)取。
十、一介之士,必有密友。密友不必定是刎頸之交,大率雖千百里之遙,皆可相信,而不為浮言所動;聞有謗之者,即多方為之辨析而后已;事之宜行宜止者,代為籌劃決斷;或事當(dāng)利害關(guān)頭,有所需而后濟(jì)者,即不必與聞,亦不慮其負(fù)我與否,竟為力承其事。此皆所謂密友也。(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.)
張潮認(rèn)為,只有真誠待人、且將待人視若待己的耿介之人,才會擁有真正的密友。同時認(rèn)為,密友不一定是同生死、共患難的刎頸之交,但如下四個方面的界定則是必須的:彼此之間,如有傳言不為所動、如遭誹謗為其辯白、如遇困擾傾力扶掖、如需資助毫不遲猶。相互間若能如斯而為之,定將擁有密友而使生活得到更多的充實(shí)。雖有感于此,但也會想起了一句古話:“君子之交淡如水。”
十一、花不可見其落,月不可見其沉,美人不可見其夭。(Avoid seeing the wilting of flowers, the decline of the moon, and the death of young women.)
有道是,在花叢中徜徉,人的心境頓感舒暢而愉悅;在月光下沐浴,人的心境頓感清澈而高潔。盡管自古以來,有多少文人騷客為我們留下了枚不勝數(shù)的詠花賞月的佳詩美文,然而,花開花謝,月盈月虧,乃系不可抵御的自然規(guī)律。張潮在此借花、借月而發(fā)出了“美人不可見其夭”的感慨。試想之,對于絕代佳人,歷史曾為我們記載了多少哀怨悱惻的悲情故事。殊不知,自古紅顏多薄命,當(dāng)又奈何之?!
十二、種花須見其開,待月須見其滿,著書須見其成,美人須見其暢適方有實(shí)際,否則皆為虛設(shè)。(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.)
此則文字應(yīng)視為上則文字之續(xù),故林語堂先生的英譯本將其合而為一。試想,如若花不開,月不圓,著書未成,愛人傷悲,豈不失去了一切實(shí)際意義而形同虛設(shè)?!然而讀至此,似乎又看到了張潮仍在借助此說來表達(dá)如下一層含義,即在日常的學(xué)習(xí)、工作中,要像種花、待月那樣付出傾心、耐心和恒心而堅(jiān)持不懈,方能有所成效而達(dá)到追求的目標(biāo)。
十三、創(chuàng)新庵不若修古廟,讀生書不若溫舊業(yè)。(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.)
顯然,此句乃系張潮假以“創(chuàng)新庵不若修古廟”來比況詮釋讀書之道。眾所周知,讀書的目的在于求知,更在于獲取新知。然而,即便博覽百家而不求甚解,無疑乎未曾閱讀也。子曰:“溫故而知新”。重溫舊業(yè)而獲得嶄新的理解,那就是新知,尤其是攻讀經(jīng)典著作時,更是如此。當(dāng)然,逐漸地?cái)U(kuò)大和深化讀書的范圍,尤為重要,但在溫故又知新的基礎(chǔ)上去做,不但能夠增強(qiáng)理解,而且還可能會有事半功倍之效。
十四、胸中小不平,可以酒消之;世間大不平,非劍不能消也。(A small injustice can be drowned by a cup of wine; a great injustice can be vanquished only by the sword.)
這是一句了然于胸的直白之言。蓋心生不平,乃有大小之別,更有質(zhì)的不同。常言道,小有不平,當(dāng)可借酒消愁,幾杯老酒入肚,即何化解心中塊壘而平復(fù)。對此狀之描述,古詩詞中不乏名句傳世。然而,如果發(fā)生諸如外敵入侵、恐怖襲擊、打家劫舍之類的世間大不平,那只有拿起手中的武器,奮起抗?fàn)?,才能將其?qū)除消滅而衛(wèi)國保家,從而握掌自己的命運(yùn)。
十五、立品須發(fā)乎宋人之道學(xué),涉世須參以晉代之風(fēng)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).)
顯然,此則之言是身處康熙時代的張潮的感悟心語。今人知道,宋代學(xué)術(shù)以道學(xué)(理學(xué))為統(tǒng)領(lǐng),歷來看重人品風(fēng)范和人格精神的培養(yǎng),但在處世行事中,晉人崇尚風(fēng)流灑脫已成為當(dāng)時的社會風(fēng)范。在張潮看來,立品與涉世是兩個不同的范疇,品格修為應(yīng)當(dāng)發(fā)揚(yáng)宋人理學(xué)的精華,而為人處世則應(yīng)向晉人的隨性灑脫看齊。如若回首歷史再看當(dāng)今時代,是否可以這樣說,也只是一家之言。
十六、鏡不幸而遇嫫母,硯不幸而遇俗子,劍不幸而遇庸將,皆無可奈何之事。(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.)
顯然,作者在此以擬人的修辭手法,將物與人之間的對應(yīng)作了形象地表述,以“無可奈何”之說,用在三種物件因不遇其主的比喻來抒發(fā)內(nèi)在的一種悲涼。應(yīng)該說,對人的一生之旅而言,除主觀因素外,而在客觀上則與其境遇息息相關(guān)?!熬秤觥倍值谋澈?,既可有幸,亦有不幸。古人所說的“士為知己者死,女為悅己者容”,以及“學(xué)成文武藝,貨與帝王家”之類的話,即是如斯之意也。
十七、作文之法,意在曲折者,宜寫之以顯淺之詞;理之顯淺者,宜運(yùn)之以 曲折之筆。題之熟者,參之以新奇之想;題之庸者,深之以關(guān)系之論。至于窘者舒之以使長,縟者刪之以使簡,俚者文之使雅,鬧者攝之使靜,皆所謂裁制也。 (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.)
此則文字,可謂之撰寫文章之法的高度概括。古往今來,行文者對其文論的主題構(gòu)思、起展布局、運(yùn)筆修辭等極為看重。緣于此,闡述此類的專著早已有之。細(xì)觀上述八種類型的處置之道,可謂言之有理,行之有效。特別是后四類,文之倉促者,應(yīng)舒之以長;文之繁瑣者;應(yīng)刪之以簡,文之粗陋者,應(yīng)使之以雅;文之過鬧者,應(yīng)使之以靜。凡此,誠可謂一篇數(shù)十字的文論之言也。
十八、游玩山水亦復(fù)有緣,茍機(jī)緣未至,則雖近在數(shù)十里之內(nèi),亦無暇到也。(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,張潮以游歷山水為例,用來表明人世間的諸多事物均處于因果鏈之中。“因”源自“果”起,而“果”則源自“因”來?;厥准?xì)看人世間,生與死、富與貧、善與惡、榮與辱等等,無一不是因果互存所致。但,事物還有另一面,如若將因果關(guān)系神秘化和夸大化,那便是謬誤之論而不可取了。
十九、先讀經(jīng),后讀史,則論事不謬于圣賢;既讀史,復(fù)讀經(jīng),則觀書不徒為章句。(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.)
所謂經(jīng)書,乃闡釋道德、仁義之道,教人明辨是非、立身處世之理。一旦修備了這樣的理論素養(yǎng),再去讀史,便不會被紛紜難辨的歷史現(xiàn)象所困擾,也不會被花言巧語所迷惑,更不會被似是而非的假象所蒙蔽。至于先讀史書,在豐富了見聞、增長了見識的基礎(chǔ)上,再去攻讀經(jīng)書,即可排除對字句的表面理解,從而能夠領(lǐng)悟了圣賢之道的真諦。
二十、古人云:“詩必窮而后工?!鄙w窮則語多感慨,易于見長耳。若寶貴中人,既不可憂貧嘆賤,所談?wù)卟贿^風(fēng)云月露而已,詩安得佳?茍思所變,計(jì)唯有出游一法。即以所見之山川風(fēng)土物產(chǎn)人情,或當(dāng)瘡痍兵燹之余,或值旱澇災(zāi)祲之后,無一不可寓之詩中,借他人之窮愁,以供我之詠嘆,則詩亦不必待窮而后工也。(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.)
這是全書二百一十九則的最后一則。北宋文學(xué)家歐陽修在《梅圣俞詩集序》中開篇言道:“予聞世謂詩人少達(dá)而多窮,夫豈然哉?蓋世所傳詩者,多出于古窮人之辭也?!睆亩岢隽恕霸姳馗F而后工”這一著名的美學(xué)觀點(diǎn)。由此可以看出,主張“詩必窮而后工”,乃基于詩人具有直接的和真切的人生體驗(yàn),然而所提的“出游一法”,則是間接的人生體驗(yàn)。張潮認(rèn)為,倘若詩人在出游時看到面前一切而感同身受,繼而發(fā)出民眾之心聲,則亦可達(dá)到“窮而后工”之效也。