荀子生平事迹新考

A New Textual Research on Lifetime of Xunzi

"叙述荀子生平"一事,始终要靠当代学者对历史资料的诠释和建构故事的一种"构想力"。在文献资料非常限制之情况下,勾勒出荀子的生平大概如下:荀子大约在公元前316年出生于赵国。他年轻时曾到齐国,当时应是15岁左右。荀子在稷下学宫研瓒到30岁左右,燕国战胜齐国迫使荀子离开齐都临淄,并在前286年到前278年间居留于楚国。后来秦军攻进楚国都郢城,齐襄王夺回临淄的事件让荀子回到稷下学宫,在这时期三度被任命为祭酒。在前265年,赵国由孝成王继位,应侯范雎在秦国掌政,荀子应该在这一年到前262年之间曾拜见他们以及秦昭王,此时也是秦赵争霸最后交锋的前夕。256年楚国灭鲁,荀子接受楚国春申君的邀请,接任兰陵令。我们无法确定前238年他被解任前是否曾一度离职赴赵国,但他在卸任后继续居住在兰陵直到去世。如果说荀子是在前237到前235年间去世的话,他的年纪应该是70岁后半到80岁。

To describe the lifetime of Xunzi has to be based on the grasping of history materials and imagination of present scholars. With limited materials, the lifetime of Xunzi is listed generally like this： Xunzi was born in 316 B.C, in the State of Zhao. He went to the State of Qi when he was around 15 and studied in Jixia Academy until 30 years old. He left when the State of Qi was defeated by the State of Yan, and stayed in the State of Chu in 286 B.C. to 278 B.C. Later the army of the State of Qin attacked the capital of the State of Chu, and the King Xiang of Qi took back Linzi, which strove Xunxi back to Jixia Academy and became chancellor for three times. In 265 B.C., the King Xiaocheng of Zhao became the King of the State of Zhao, and Fan Ju was in power. Xtmzi went to visit them in 265 B.C. to 262 B.C. In 256 B.C., the State of Lu was conquered by the State of Chu, and Xunzi was pointed as the governor of Lanling County. He was dismissed in 238 B.C., but we are not sure if he had left his position to the State of Zhao. He stayed until his death after his dismissal. If he died in 237 B.C. to 235 B.C., his age would be 70 to 80 years old.