柳下惠“坐怀不乱”与经典的重构

LIU Xia-hui Wearing Joseph's Coat and a Reconstruction of the Classic

被孟子誉为"圣之和者"的柳下惠受到后世儒家的大力推崇,"坐怀不乱"故事的广为流传,更是将他塑造成一位道德完人。然仔细分析典籍记载,从孔孟对其的赞许,到《毛传》的传说故事,再至《孔子家语》中的基本定型,佛教典籍内的短暂征引,最后至明清小说中"坐怀不乱"成为一个成语典故,故事乃是由后世逐步演绎而出,而并非历史事实。其出现的原因,一在于后世对儒家典籍的误读,二在于儒家自身理论建构的内部需要,三在于汉代儒家传经解经的方式。

Liu Xia-hui, who was honored as＆quot;The Holy Harmonious Man＆quot; by Mencius, was highly praised by later Confucianists. The story of him wearing Joseph ＆#39; s Coat was widely spread, which shaped him into a perfect moral model. But if we penetrate into the classics, the story is different. The story goes back to the ap-probation from Confucius and Mencius, was shaped as a legend in ＆quot;Mao＆quot;, came into basic shape in ＆quot;Analects of Confucius＆quot;, and cited shortly in the Buddhist scriptures. As time goes by, in Ming and Qing stories, Liu Xia-hui wearing Joseph＆#39;s Coat was made an idiom. Actually, the story was interpreted by the following generations, but not a historical fact. Talking about the causes for its appearance, there are three of them, namely, later mis-reading of the Confucian classics, the internal needs of Confucian theory construction, and ways of passing down and interpreting Confucian works of Han Confucianists.