“成也萧何,败也萧何”的文化意蕴——兼谈韩信形象的流变

Raised up by Xiao He and Cast Down by Xiao He——Concurrently on the evolution of Han Xin's Images

"成也萧何,败也萧何"是广泛流行于民间的一句谚语,"成也萧何"与史实相符,但韩信被杀,罪魁是刘邦,而非萧何。萧何设谋助吕后除韩信,有利于汉家政权。所谓"败也萧何",则经历了漫长的演化过程,后世史传文学和小说戏曲中清晰地描绘了这一流变轨迹。从汉至南宋时期,诸本史传对韩信被杀的态度由赞同逐渐转变为同情;宋代之后的小说戏曲中,又将杀韩信的责任由刘邦逐渐转嫁给萧何。经历这样一个流变过程,"败也萧何"的文化内涵方逐渐形成。韩信败亡的责任由刘邦转嫁给萧何的根本原因在于汉民族意识。

"Raised up by Xiao He and cast down also by him"is a popular folk proverb,"raised up by Xiao He"is consistent with historical facts,but Han Xin was killed,the murderer is not Xiao He,but Liu Bang.Xiao He offered a plot to Lv Hou,that eliminated Han Xin,which was beneficial to the Han regime.The so-called"cast down also by Xiaohe"has gone through a long evolutionary process,which was clearly depicted in later historical literature and novel and opera.From the Han Dynasty to the Southern Song Dynasty,the attitude of all Historical Biographies towards Han Xin's murder gradually changed from approval to sympathy;in the novels and dramas after the Song Dynasty,the responsibility of killing Han Xin was gradually transferred from Liu Bang to Xiao He.After such a process of change,the cultural connotation of"failed also by Xiaohe"gradually formed.The basic reason why the responsibility of Han Xin's failure was transferred from Liu Bang to Xiao He lies in the Han nationality consciousness.