试论先秦文献中禹的四种形象

On the Four Kind of Images of Yu(禹)in the Literature of Pre-Qin Period

先秦文献中,根据文献的时代早晚与属性差异,禹的形象呈现多样性特征。西周文献中,禹的主要事迹是“敷土”,即平治、疆理土地。禹和稷同为“农稼之祖”。东周时期,治水成为禹的主要事迹,疆理土地的内容被淡化。其时的史学文献中,大禹治水的史迹向情节化方向发展,相关历史叙事因素日渐完善。禹成为一位治理洪水的远古圣王。与此同时,以儒、墨为代表的诸子还通过刻画禹的圣臣形象来阐述各自关于君臣德才的政治思想。今文《尚书》的“虞书”各篇,应与战国儒家有较密切的联系。在与早期宗教、巫术密切相关的《山海经》中,禹又是位带有神话色彩的远古人物。先秦文献中禹的形象的多样性,是历史叙事之“当代性”特征的具体呈现,是现实生活与真实历史的辩证统一。

According to the different times and attribute,Yu(禹)had very different kind of images in the literature.In the Western Zhou’s literature,Yu’s story was land governance.Both Yu and Ji(稷)were regarded as the father of the agriculture.In the Eastern Zhou’s literature,water governance became Yu’s main deeds and in the meantime land governance became the understatement.In the historical literature at that time,the details of Yu’s water governance became more and more rich which means much kinds of the narrative factors became more and more complete,which pushed Yu eventually to become the far ancient sage king.Furthermore,the Pre-Qin scholars,especially the Confucians and Mo’s scholars stated their political points about the monarch and the minister’s virtue and talent by shaping the image of Yu.According to the text characteristic of the Yushu(《虞书》)part in Jinwen Shangshu(今文《尚书》),these articles should be connected closely with Confucian scholars during the Warring-States period.In the Classic of the Mountains and Rivers(《山海经》)which has much connection with the early witchcraft and religion,Yu was also regarded as a divine hero.The diversity of Yu’s image in Pre-Qin literature shows typically the“modernity”of the historical narrative,which is the unity of the real history and the real present life.