“四面楚歌”本事历史考察新说——兼与罗来国、程道法等先生商榷

A Historical Review of“Si Mian Chu Ge”——Concurrently Discussing with Mr. Luo Laiguo and Cheng Daofa

"楚歌"和"四面楚歌"的涵义基本相同。只是"四面楚歌"什么样子?鲜为人知。人们通常把"四面楚歌"只与公元前202年楚汉垓下之战事联系在一起。笔者以为公元前504年即楚昭王十二年,吴陷楚郢都(今江陵)时的移情歌也称"四面楚歌"。汉军或吴军,他们模仿"鸡人",鸡鸣起唱,造成军士前呼后应、气吞山河的威武之势,产生强大的情感鼓动效果,导致楚军四面受敌、孤立无援、思亲恐惧而倒戈。"四面楚歌"由此得名。可以说,"四面楚歌"不单指公元前504年吴陷楚郢都吴军唱的动摇楚军心态的鸡鸣歌,公元前202年楚汉垓下之战汉军唱的动摇楚军心态的鸡鸣歌,它还泛指发生在楚屡次军事失利之前敌军群唱的一种心理战术的劝降的鸡鸣歌。

“Chu Ge” and“Si Mian Chu Ge”mean basically the same. However,few people really know the meaning of “Si Mian Chu Ge”. People usually associate “Si Mian Chu Ge” with the war between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu at Gaixia in 202 BC. The author of this paper has thought that in 504 BC （on the 12 years during the reign of King Chu）,when the State of Wu occupied Yingdu （now Jiangling）of the State of Chu,one of the song shaken the morale of the State of Chu army was also known as “Si Mian Chu Ge”. Han or Wu soldiers mimiced the“chicken man”,crowing in the morning,forming a powerful and ferocious momentum,which have a strong emotional agitation effect among the soldiers,causing Chu soldiers felt as if they had been surrounded by the enemy,isolated,frightened,and surrendered. Hence,the so-called“Si Mian Chu Ge”came into the language. It can be said that“Si Mian Chu Ge”not only refers to the cock crowing song sung by the soldiers of the State of Wu which shook the morale of the State of Chu army when they occupied the capital of State of Chu（Yingdu）in 504 BC,but also refers to the cock crowing song sung by Han soldiers led by Liu Bang which shook the morale of Chu army led by Xiang Yu at Gaixia in 202 BC. It can also refers to the cock crowing song characterized by psychological tactics which frequently sung by Han soldiers to persuade Chu soldiers to surrender.