The Original Text and Translation of Han Shu's Preface to Literature and Art

The original text and translation of Preface to Han Shu Literature and Art are as follows:

I. Original text

Confucians flow, because Stuart is an official, helping people realize Yin and Yang. Wandering in the Six Classics, paying attention to benevolence and righteousness. Ancestors described Yao and Shun, drew civil and military maps, and Zhong Ni, a master, focused on words and deeds and the utmost virtue. Confucius said, "If you have a reputation, you might as well have a try." Tang Yu's prosperity, Yin and Zhou's prosperity and Zhong Ni's inheritance have all been tried.

However, those who are confused are lost in subtlety, and the founders are restrained at any time, and they go against the Tao and ask for others. Backwardness is based on the analysis of the Five Classics, and Confucianism gradually declined, leading to troubles of Confucianism.

Because of historians, the Taoist school records the way of success or failure, the way of survival, the way of fortune and the way of the ancient times, and then knows to stick to this way, to be self-sustaining, to be humble and self-sustaining. This gentleman is also skilled in the south. It is suitable for Yao's help, easy to earn and modest, which is also its strength. If you let go, you will be heartbroken, learn etiquette and abandon righteousness, saying that clearing up deficiency alone can be treated.

Yin and Yang family flow, built out of righteousness and the official. It respects the sky, respects the sky, and it is like the sun, moon and stars. This is also its strength when it respects the people. And those who are caught do it, then they are bound in taboos, muddled in decimals, and let ghosts and gods give up personnel.

Legalists, cover the official, credit will be punished, supplemented by etiquette. Yi said that "the first king used Ming's criminal law" is also his strength. And the sculptor did it, then there would be no enlightenment, no love, full-time criminal law and the desire to rule. As for hurting the closest relatives, it would hurt kindness.

The flow of famous people was covered by courtesy officials. Ancient people had different names and positions, so did their rituals. Confucius said, "It must make sense! If the name is irregular, it will not be smooth, and if it is not smooth, it will not be born. " This is also its strength. Do it and analyze the chaos.

Mohist school was built for the defense of the Qing palace. Picking oak trees in huts is both expensive and frugal; Raising three young people is based on universal love: it is best to shoot him in the draft; Zong Siyan's father is a right ghost; Going with the flow is fatal; Viewing the world with filial piety, ditto: its advantages are also. And cover it, see the benefits of thrift, because of indecent assault, push the meaning of universal love, but I don't know how to get close.

It is precisely because of the officials of pedestrians that the flow of strategists has emerged. Confucius said, "Recite 300 poems, you can learn from all directions, but you can't specialize in them. Even if there are many poems, do you think it is ridiculous? " He said, "Yes! Make it! " It is also good to say that it is a matter of power, and it is good to take orders without leaving. When the wicked do it, they cheat and abandon their trust. The sage flows, and the cover is from the official.

Both Confucianism and Mohism, with the same name and surname, know that the national system has this. Wang sees that it is consistent, which is also his strength. If you do, you will envy and get nothing in return. The reason why farmers move is because the government attaches importance to cultivating millet. Sow 100 seeds, and advise to plant mulberries, so as to have enough food and clothing, so the eight governments say that they eat goods. Confucius said, "Paying attention to people's food is also its strength. The lighter ones do it, thinking that the sage has nothing to do, and trying to make the monarch and the minister work together is contrary to the order of the upper and lower levels. "

Novelists, built from the official. Street talk, hearsay also has. Confucius said, "Although there are paths, there must be considerable people. If you are afraid of mud, be a gentleman. " However, it was also destroyed. What little people know can be achieved or forgotten. If one sentence is acceptable, it is also a discussion of a madman.

Generally speaking, there are ten philosophers, but only nine are impressed. They are all based on the weak kingship, the princes co-governing, and the princes co-governing. They like and dislike different ways. They used the skills of the nine sects, each led one end, worshipped their goodness, talked about it, and won over the princes. Although his words are different, they are still incompatible with each other and are made for each other. Benevolence and righteousness, respect and harmony, on the contrary, complement each other.

Yi said, "The world has the same way, but the way is different, and it is consistent and worrying." Today, different scholars push their own strengths and know what they are doing, so that they can make themselves clear. Although there are shortcomings, they should return to their hometown and be scattered after the Six Classics. It is obscure to make its people suffer from the suffering of the Ming king and get its compromise. Zhong Ni has a saying: "The ceremony is lost and the wild is sought."

It's been a long time since Fang went away, and Taoism is lacking. I want nothing more. Isn't it better in the wild than in Jiuzu? If you can practice the six arts, look at these nine schools of writing and you can learn from them.

(generally referring to poetry and prose) Chuan Yue: "Don't sing by reciting prose, climb high to become a doctor." Words and feelings make things special, and materials can be used to paint things, so they can be used as medicine. When the ancient princes handed over to their neighbors, they whispered empathy. When abdicating, you must call poetry to express your ambition and cover it with other sages. So Confucius said, "If you don't learn poetry, you have nothing to say".

After the Spring and Autumn Period, Zhou Dao became worse and worse, and the singing method of asking questions was not suitable for other countries. Poets live in cloth, while sages lose their will. Sun Qing, a great scholar, and Qu Yuan, a Chu minister, both went abroad to worry about their country, and were endowed with wind and salt, which both meant compassion for ancient poems. Later, Song Yu, Le Tang, Han Xing, Mei Cheng, Sima Xiangru, and the Yangtze River Cloud competed for extravagant remarks, and they all lost the meaning of rumors.

Therefore, Yang Zi regretted it and said, "Poets should endow it with beauty, and resignation people should endow it with beauty." . If Confucius uses Fu, Jia Yi will go to court, just like entering a room. If he doesn't need it! "Since filial piety, folk songs have been adopted, so there is a generation of Zhao Zhizhi's entrustment, and the wind in Qin Chu is full of sadness and joy, and it is also known by considerable customs. There are five kinds of preface poems.

Second, translation.

The Confucian school probably came from the official of ancient Si Tuleideng. They assisted the monarch, conformed to nature and preached enlightenment. In his articles on the Six Classics, he paid special attention to the affairs between benevolence and righteousness. They are the noblest of all schools of Taoism, adhere to the etiquette of Zhou Wenwang and King Wu, and respect Confucius as their teacher.

Confucius said, "If you praise others, you must try them first." The prosperity of Yu Shun and Tang Yao, the prosperity of Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and the virtue of Confucius have all been tested and achieved fruitful results. The confused people have lost the profound and subtle truth (in Confucian classics), while the eccentric people follow the crowd and misinterpret the attached scriptures at will, which violates the foundation of the Holy Way and only knows how to gain respect by noisy remarks.

Later scholars followed suit, so the truth of the Five Classics broke away from absurdity, and Confucianism gradually declined. This is the evil left by those eccentric Confucian works.

The Taoist school may have originated from ancient historians. They constantly record the truth of success and failure, survival and extinction, disaster and happiness, ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign. Then I know how to stick to the main points, grasp the fundamentals, guard quietism, and maintain a modest and powerless mentality: this is the way for a monarch to govern the country. ?

This thought is in the same strain as Yao's humility mentioned in the Book of Changes. A kind of modesty can get four benefits: this is their strength. When unruly people come to study Taoism, they will cut off etiquette and abandon benevolence and righteousness: they think that they can govern the country well as long as they use quietism.

The school of Yin and Yang probably originated from holding an official position in astronomy in ancient times. They respectfully obey heaven, record the movement of the sun, moon and stars with calendar images, and respectfully teach people to sacrifice and cultivate according to the weather: this is their strength. Stubborn people come to study the theory of yin and yang, are bound by taboos, stick to the small skills of divination, abandon personnel and be superstitious about ghosts and gods.

Legalism probably originated from ancient judges. They reward people who have made great contributions, and the punishment must be carried out to help promote the etiquette system. The Book of Changes said, "The late king perfected the law with very severe punishment." This is their strong point.

When despicable people come to practice legalism, then don't civilize, give up benevolent policies and specialize in criminal law, but want to achieve the purpose of governing the country: as for killing the closest people and hurting the people who should be kind.

The famous school probably originated from the ancient etiquette official position. Ancient names have different tastes, so the etiquette used is different. Confucius said, "Be sure to correct your birthright! If the birthright is wrong, then what you say is inappropriate; What you say is not appropriate, then what you do is not successful. "

This is their strong point. People who like to attack other people's private affairs will only show off some tattered and fragmented words when practicing famous artists.

Mohists probably originated from the official position in charge of ancestral temple in ancient times. They live in houses with thatched roofs and oak trees, so they are frugal; Support older and more enterprising people and advocate universal love; Selecting talents with a big shooting ceremony, so advocating sages; Respect ghosts and ancestors, so respect ghosts and gods; Obey the four seasons, so don't trust fate;

Declare the world with filial piety, so advocate the unity of mind; This is their strong point. Short-sighted people come to practice Mohism and only see the benefits of thrift, so they oppose etiquette; Advocating the will of fraternity, I don't know the distance between relatives and friends.

The school of strategists probably originated from ancient diplomats. Confucius said, "Reading 300 poems in the Book of Songs and sending him abroad cannot cope with the advance and retreat alone. What's the use of learning a lot? " Confucius praised Qi's emissary and said, "What a good emissary! What a good messenger! "

In other words, the emissary should weigh the pros and cons of the matter, handle it properly, and only accept the orders of the emissary and not accept the response. This is their strong point. When evil people come to practice academic discipline, they advocate fraud and betray the integrity that should be observed.

The school of saints probably came from ancient government officials. They are compatible with Confucianism and Mohism and integrate famous legalists. They know that the system of governing the country must have the opinions of these factions, and they also see that kingly politics must contend, which is their strength. A dissolute person who comes to practice miscellaneous studies is sloppy and has no central goal.

The peasant school probably originated from the official position in charge of agriculture in ancient times. They persuaded people to cultivate mulberry trees to get enough food and clothes. Therefore, the eight most important political affairs in ancient times, the first is the problem of food, and the second is the problem of goods.

Confucius said, "We should pay attention to the problem of people's eating." This is their strong point. Humble people come to practice peasant studies, thinking that they don't need wise kings, and they want to make the monarch and the people work together, which violates the order of monarch and minister.

The school of novelists may have originated from ancient petty officials. It was caused by people telling legends on the street. Confucius said: "Although it is a small skill, it will be worth seeing; However, if it is to be implemented for a long time, I am afraid it will not work. A gentleman is unlearned. "But it will not be destroyed.

(Novelist) was written by people with little wisdom in the village, so it should be edited and preserved. If there is a saying worthy of our adoption, as the ancient woodcutter savage said (with reference value).

Ten schools * * *, only nine schools are worth seeing, all of which began after the decline of kingly politics, and the princes conquered them by force. At that time, monarchs had different likes and dislikes, so nine schools of thought rose one after another. Each quoted one of their theories, praised the benefits of their theory, and used this theory to lobby and cater to the psychology of the rulers.

Although their speeches are different, they are like fire and water, destroying each other and growing each other: just like benevolence, respect and harmony, although they are opposite in nature, they are mutually generated. The Book of Changes said: "Although there are different ways of learning in the world, the purpose is the same, the thinking is complicated, but the goal is achieved." "

Nowadays, scholars of different schools admire the advantages of their theories and use their wisdom and thinking to clarify the gist of their theories. Although each has its own shortcomings, it is found that they all come from the branches of the six meridians. If they meet a wise king and can compromise their ideas, they can all become auxiliary talents. Confucius said, "If you lose your manners, you should look for them in the countryside."

It has been a long time since the age of saints, and the teachings of saints are incomplete, abandoned and have no place to pursue. Isn't it better to adopt their nine academic schools than to find them in the countryside? If we can understand the theory of the Six Classics, observe and refer to the opinions of these nine schools, discard their shortcomings and learn from their strengths, we can understand various ways of governing the country!

In the past, after the death of Confucius, no one could impart concise and profound remarks; After the death of the seventy sages, there began to be differences in the interpretation of the great righteousness between Confucianism and classics. Therefore, Chunqiu is divided into five schools, The Book of Songs is divided into four schools, and The Book of Changes is annotated by several schools.

During the Warring States period, the political and military struggles of the vassal states were complicated, and the academic circles were full of real prices and argued with each other. The theory of a hundred schools of thought contend is complicated. In the Qin dynasty, they thought this situation was a disaster, so they burned Confucian classics, hoping to make the people ignorant and benefit the rule.

After the establishment of the Han dynasty, it reformed the disadvantages of the Qin dynasty, collected a large number of books, and opened up a wide range of ways to donate books. In the era of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the ritual and music system with incomplete books and fallen bamboo slips also declined to the point of laziness. The emperor sighed with emotion: "I am very traveling about this!" " "

Therefore, a book collection government was established and a book copying institution was set up. All the notes and works from Confucianism to hundred schools of thought are kept in the secret government. When he became emperor, he sent Chen Nong, an admirer, to search for the lost books all over the world, ordered Liu Xiang, a doctor of Guanglu, to revise Confucian classics, biographies, books of various schools, poems and songs, ordered a captain of infantry to revise the Art of War, ordered a surname to ask Yin Xian to revise the Book of Numerology, and ordered Li, a wet nurse, to revise the Book of Folk Arts.

After each book is revised, Liu Xiang should list the title, summarize the main content, copy it down and report it to the emperor. When the work was about to be finished, it happened that Liu Xiang died. The mourning emperor asked Liu Xiang's son Liu Xin to continue his father's unfinished business.

Liu Xin then summarized the contents of all the books sorted out, and then reported his seven views to the emperor in the morning, including compilation, six arts, various schools of thought, poetry, war, Shu Shu and Ji Fang. Now extract the main contents and improve the records of books.