论古代士大夫做文豪与做循吏的紧张关系

A Tension Between the Writer and the Official in Ancient Chinese Culture

中国古代的士大夫,事实上常常面临做文豪和做循吏紧张关系的考验。文学艺术创作本身会淘汰那些个性稳重缜密的人,而经学史学主要诉诸人的理性,议论必须言之有据,经史学本身会淘汰那些冲动型人格的人。讨论《颜氏家训》"自古文人,多陷轻薄"的内涵,证之以《新唐书·艺文志》的观点和人物记载,可见:做文豪与做循吏在古代社会是实现人生价值的两条最显赫的路径,但两者所需要的人的品格心性存在很大差异,难以兼容。文豪的品格心性及其表达必须高度个性化,因此他主要是为自己活;循吏肩负沉重使命,必须带头奉职守法,他主要是为别人活(上有君主、上司,下有下属、百姓),因此他本人必须高度"去个性化"。"去个性化"绝非易事,所以历史上大批文豪兼官员的人留下的遗憾比欣慰多。

The scholar- bureaucrat had to choose to be scholars or to be officials in ancient China. As the book ＂Yan- shijiaxun＂ expressed that ＂literati are more trapped in frivolity since ancient times＂, which is proved by the ＂New Tang Dynasty History＂, it is evident that to be the writer or the official was the two most prominent ways to realize one＇ s value of life in ancient societies. Each, however, required different human character and mentality. The writer must be highly personalized in his character and disposition, for he mostly lived for himself. The officials shouldered heavy missions, for he must be law-abiding and mainly lived for others （the monarch, superiors, subordinates）. There- fore he must be highly ＂de- personalized＂. ＂De- personalization＂ is no easy task, which is evidenced by the regrets scholar- bureaucrats left behind in historv.