明代“祥瑞”兽“驺虞”考

On Zouyu,Auspicious Beast in Ming Dynasty

明永乐、宣德年间,曾三次'报告'有'祥瑞'之兽'驺虞'出现,并将相关的个体公开展示。而符合所述'虎躯狮首,体魄伟岸'、'白毛黑纹,尾巴修长'、'性格温驯,仪态优雅'、'动作敏捷,奔跑如飞'等四方面特征的动物,非猫科动物'猎豹'的变异个体,毛色有'白化'倾向的'王猎豹'莫属。而这种可说是极其'珍稀'的动物个体,原产地乃在南亚或非洲大陆。出于感激和维护,从禁锢中获释的周王朱橚,精心策划了相关的'附会'和'进献'。由于上古记载赋予兹种'食肉'兽类的'仁'、'义'特征,'驺虞'的展示,意味着向世人宣告由'天意'促成的崭新'纪元'的开始。而杨荣、杨士奇、金幼孜等廷臣众多的'赞'、'颂',正是中国中世纪'异常'的'幽默'事件。

There were the reports that Zouyu,the auspicious beast appeared three times and would show in public during Yongle and Xuande.Only the white-haired"king cheetah",the aberrant individual of the species was the animal according with the characteristics as follows:it had the large physique of makings of alternating white and black stripes,with the tigerlike body,lion-like head and long tail.It had the warm disposition and gentle manner and reacted swift and run fast.And the habitat of the individual of the rare animal was the continent of South Asia or Africa.With the appreciation and amity,Zhu Su who was disimprisoned had devised and played the identification and contribution hand and foot.The exhibiting of the carnivore predicated the beginning of the new era arranged by the God,for it had been endowed with virtue and morality in the primitive books.It was in mediaeval China a humorous event that the court ministers including Yang Rong,Yang Shiqi and Jin Youzi had made so many poems and articles.