二十四孝圖 The Picture-Book of Twenty-four Acts of Filial Piety

我總要上下四方尋求，得到一種最黑，最黑，最黑的咒文，先來詛咒一切反對白話，妨害白話者。I am always determined to search high and low, in every direction, until I find the blackest, blackest, blackest of curses, so that I may first curse all those who oppose vernacular writing and obstruct it.即使人死了真有靈魂，因這最惡的心，應該墮入地獄，也將決不改悔，總要先來詛咒一切反對白話，妨害白話者。Even if, when a person dies, there really is a soul, and because of this most wicked heart of mine I ought to fall into hell, I will still never repent — I must first curse all those who oppose vernacular writing and obstruct it.

我总要上下四方寻求，得到一种最黑，最黑，最黑的咒文，先来诅咒一切反对白话，妨害白话者。即使人死了真有灵魂，因这最恶的心，应该堕入地狱，也将决不改悔，总要先来诅咒一切反对白话，妨害白话者。

自從所謂“文學革命”以來，供給孩子的書籍，和歐、美、日本的一比較，雖然很可憐，但總算有圖有說，只要能讀下去，就可以懂得的了。Ever since the so-called "Literary Revolution," the books provided for children, though pitifully poor compared with those of Europe, America, and Japan, at least have pictures along with the text, and so long as one can manage to read them, one can understand them.可是一班別有心腸的人們，便竭力來阻遏它，要使孩子的世界中，沒有一絲樂趣。But a group of people with ulterior motives has done everything in its power to obstruct this, so that not a shred of pleasure remains in the world of children.北京現在常用“馬虎子”這一句話來恐嚇孩子們。In Beijing nowadays, the phrase "Mahuzi" is often used to frighten children.或者說，那就是《開河記》上所載的，給隋煬帝開河，蒸死小兒的麻叔謀；Some say that this is none other than Ma Shumou, recorded in the Record of the Canal, who dug the canal for Emperor Yang of Sui and steamed small children to death;正確地寫起來，須是“”。written correctly, it ought to be "Mahu."那麼，這麻叔謀乃是胡人了。In that case, this Ma Shumou would have been a Hu — a foreigner.但無論他是什麼人，他的吃小孩究竟也還有限，不過盡他的一生。But whoever he was, his eating of children was after all limited — merely the span of his own life.妨害白話者的流毒卻甚於洪水猛獸，非常廣大，也非常長久，能使全中國化成一個麻胡，凡有孩子都死在他肚子裏。Yet the poison spread by those who obstruct vernacular writing is worse than floods and savage beasts — vast in extent and long in duration, capable of turning the whole of China into a single Mahu, so that every child in it dies in his belly.

自从所谓“文学革命”以来，供给孩子的书籍，和欧、美、日本的一比较，虽然很可怜，但总算有图有说，只要能读下去，就可以懂得的了。可是一班别有心肠的人们，便竭力来阻遏它，要使孩子的世界中，没有一丝乐趣。北京现在常用“马虎子”这一句话来恐吓孩子们。或者说，那就是《开河记》上所载的，给隋炀帝开河，蒸死小儿的麻叔谋；正确地写起来，须是“”。那么，这麻叔谋乃是胡人了。但无论他是什么人，他的吃小孩究竟也还有限，不过尽他的一生。妨害白话者的流毒却甚于洪水猛兽，非常广大，也非常长久，能使全中国化成一个麻胡，凡有孩子都死在他肚子里。

只要對於白話來加以謀害者，都應該滅亡！Whoever plots to murder vernacular writing deserves to perish!

只要对于白话来加以谋害者，都应该灭亡！

這些話，紳士們自然難免要掩住耳朵的，因為就是所謂“跳到半天空，罵得體無完膚，——還不肯罷休。”而且文士們一定也要罵，以為大悖於“文格”，亦即大損於“人格”。At words like these, the gentry will of course cover their ears, for this is just what is called "leaping halfway into the sky and cursing until not a shred of skin is left whole — and still refusing to stop." And the literati too are sure to condemn it, thinking it a gross violation of "literary character," which is to say, a grave injury to "personal character."豈不是“言者心聲也”麼？“文”和“人”當然是相關的，雖然人間世本來千奇百怪，教授們中也有“不尊敬”作者的人格而不能“不說他的小說好”的特別種族。Is it not said that "words are the voice of the heart"? "Writing" and "the man" are of course related — although the human world is full of a thousand strange oddities, and even among professors there exists a peculiar breed who do not "respect" an author's character and yet cannot help but "say his novels are good."但這些我都不管，因為我幸而還沒有爬上“象牙之塔”去，正無須怎樣小心。But I pay no heed to any of this, for fortunately I have not yet climbed up into the "ivory tower," and so have no particular need to be careful.倘若無意中竟已撞上了，那就即刻跌下來罷。If I should happen to have blundered into it unawares, then let me fall straight back down at once.然而在跌下來的中途，當還未到地之前，還要說一遍：Yet midway in the fall, before I reach the ground, I must say it once more:

这些话，绅士们自然难免要掩住耳朵的，因为就是所谓“跳到半天空，骂得体无完肤，——还不肯罢休。”而且文士们一定也要骂，以为大悖于“文格”，亦即大损于“人格”。岂不是“言者心声也”么？“文”和“人”当然是相关的，虽然人间世本来千奇百怪，教授们中也有“不尊敬”作者的人格而不能“不说他的小说好”的特别种族。但这些我都不管，因为我幸而还没有爬上“象牙之塔”去，正无须怎样小心。倘若无意中竟已撞上了，那就即刻跌下来罢。然而在跌下来的中途，当还未到地之前，还要说一遍：

只要對於白話來加以謀害者，都應該滅亡！Whoever plots to murder vernacular writing deserves to perish!

只要对于白话来加以谋害者，都应该灭亡！

每看見小學生歡天喜地地看著一本粗拙的《兒童世界》之類，另想到別國的兒童用書的精美，自然要覺得中國兒童的可憐。Whenever I see primary school pupils gazing joyfully at some crude little thing like Children's World, and then think of the exquisite children's books of other countries, I cannot help feeling how pitiable Chinese children are.但回憶起我和我的同窗小友的童年，卻不能不以為他幸福，給我們的永逝的韶光一個悲哀的弔唁。But when I recall my own childhood and that of my little schoolfellows, I cannot help thinking it was a happy one — offering a sorrowful condolence to our vanished youthful years.我們那時有什麼可看呢，只要略有圖畫的本子，就要被塾師，就是當時的“引導青年的前輩”禁止，呵斥，甚而至於打手心。What did we have to look at in those days? The moment a book had so much as a trace of pictures in it, it would be forbidden by our tutors — those "elders who guided the young" of that era — scolded, and even punished with a rap on the palm.我的小同學因為專讀“人之初性本善”讀得要枯燥而死了，只好偷偷地翻開第一葉，看那題著“文星高照”四個字的惡鬼一般的魁星像，來滿足他幼稚的愛美的天性。One of my young schoolmates, bored nearly to death from reading nothing but "At the beginning, human nature is good," had no choice but to steal a look at the first page, where a demon-like image of the God of Literature was captioned with the four characters "The Star of Letters Shines High," in order to satisfy his childish, innate love of beauty.昨天看這個，今天也看這個，然而他們的眼睛裏還閃出蘇醒和歡喜的光輝來。Yesterday he looked at this, and today he looked at this again — and yet in his eyes there still flashed a gleam of awakening and joy.

每看见小学生欢天喜地地看著一本粗拙的《儿童世界》之类，另想到别国的儿童用书的精美，自然要觉得中国儿童的可怜。但回忆起我和我的同窗小友的童年，却不能不以为他幸福，给我们的永逝的韶光一个悲哀的吊唁。我们那时有什么可看呢，只要略有图画的本子，就要被塾师，就是当时的“引导青年的前辈”禁止，呵斥，甚而至于打手心。我的小同学因为专读“人之初性本善”读得要枯燥而死了，只好偷偷地翻开第一叶，看那题著“文星高照”四个字的恶鬼一般的魁星像，来满足他幼稚的爱美的天性。昨天看这个，今天也看这个，然而他们的眼睛里还闪出苏醒和欢喜的光辉来。

在書塾之外，禁令可比較的寬了，但這是說自己的事，各人大概不一樣。Outside the private school, the prohibitions were comparatively looser — though this is only speaking of my own case; no doubt it differed from person to person.我能在大眾面前，冠冕堂皇地閱看的，是《文昌帝君陰騭文圖說》和《玉歷鈔傳》，都畫著冥冥之中賞善罰惡的故事，雷公電母站在雲中，牛頭馬面佈滿地下，不但“跳到半天空”是觸犯天條的，即使半語不合，一念偶差，也都得受相當的報應。What I was allowed to read openly and respectably, in front of everyone, were Illustrated Tales of the Silent Ledger of Lord Wenchang and Records of the Jade Almanac, both illustrated with stories of reward and punishment for good and evil meted out in the unseen world: the Duke of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning standing among the clouds, ox-headed and horse-faced demons filling the earth below — where not only "leaping halfway into the sky" offended the laws of Heaven, but even a single ill-chosen word or a single wayward thought would meet with its due retribution.這所報的也並非“睚眥之怨”，因為那地方是鬼神為君，“公理”作宰，請酒下跪，全都無功，簡直是無法可想。And this retribution was not merely for "a glare of resentment," either, for in that realm ghosts and gods are the sovereign and "justice" is the minister — treating them to wine or kneeling before them are of no avail whatsoever; there is simply nothing to be done about it.在中國的天地間，不但做人，便是做鬼，也艱難極了。In the world of China, it is extremely hard not only to be a person, but even to be a ghost.然而究竟很有比陽間更好的處所：無所謂“紳士”，也沒有“流言”。And yet there is, after all, one respect in which it is far better than the world of the living: there is no such thing as "gentlemen," nor is there any "gossip."

在书塾之外，禁令可比较的宽了，但这是说自己的事，各人大概不一样。我能在大众面前，冠冕堂皇地阅看的，是《文昌帝君阴骘文图说》和《玉历钞传》，都画著冥冥之中赏善罚恶的故事，雷公电母站在云中，牛头马面布满地下，不但“跳到半天空”是触犯天条的，即使半语不合，一念偶差，也都得受相当的报应。这所报的也并非“睚眦之怨”，因为那地方是鬼神为君，“公理”作宰，请酒下跪，全都无功，简直是无法可想。在中国的天地间，不但做人，便是做鬼，也艰难极了。然而究竟很有比阳间更好的处所：无所谓“绅士”，也没有“流言”。

陰間，倘要穩妥，是頌揚不得的。As for the netherworld, if one wishes to be safe, one had better not praise it.尤其是常常好弄筆墨的人，在現在的中國，流言的治下，而又大談“言行一致”的時候。Especially not someone who is fond of wielding a pen, in present-day China, under the rule of gossip, at a time when people are also given to loudly preaching that "word and deed must match."前車可鑒，聽說阿爾志跋綏夫曾答一個少女的質問說，“惟有在人生的事實這本身中尋出歡喜者，可以活下去。There is a warning to be drawn from the past: I have heard that Artsybashev, in answer to a young girl's challenge, once said, "Only those who can find joy within the very facts of life itself are fit to go on living.倘若在那裡什麼也不見，他們其實倒不如死。”於是乎有一個叫作密哈羅夫的，寄信嘲罵他道，“……If they can see nothing there, they might really be better off dead." Whereupon a man named Mikhailov sent him a letter mocking and reviling him, saying, "......所以我完全誠實地勸你自殺來禍福你自己的生命，因為這第一是合於邏輯，第二是你的言語和行為不至於背馳。”...and so I quite sincerely urge you to commit suicide, to settle the fortune of your own life, for this is, in the first place, logical, and in the second place, it will keep your words and your deeds from contradicting each other."

阴间，倘要稳妥，是颂扬不得的。尤其是常常好弄笔墨的人，在现在的中国，流言的治下，而又大谈“言行一致”的时候。前车可鉴，听说阿尔志跋绥夫曾答一个少女的质问说，“惟有在人生的事实这本身中寻出欢喜者，可以活下去。倘若在那里什么也不见，他们其实倒不如死。”于是乎有一个叫作密哈罗夫的，寄信嘲骂他道，“……所以我完全诚实地劝你自杀来祸福你自己的生命，因为这第一是合于逻辑，第二是你的言语和行为不至于背驰。”

其實這論法就是謀殺，他就這樣地在他的人生中尋出歡喜來。In truth this line of argument was nothing but murder — and it was thus that he found his own joy within his life.阿爾志跋綏夫只發了一大通牢騷，沒有自殺。Artsybashev only vented a great torrent of grievance, but did not kill himself.密哈羅夫先生後來不知道怎樣，這一個歡喜失掉了，或者另外又尋到了“什麼”了罷。What became of Mr. Mikhailov afterward, I do not know — perhaps he lost that particular joy of his, or perhaps he found some other "something" instead.誠然，“這些時候，勇敢，是安穩的；True enough — "at such times, courage is safe;情熱，是毫無危險的。”and passion carries no risk at all."

其实这论法就是谋杀，他就这样地在他的人生中寻出欢喜来。阿尔志跋绥夫只发了一大通牢骚，没有自杀。密哈罗夫先生后来不知道怎样，这一个欢喜失掉了，或者另外又寻到了“什么”了罢。诚然，“这些时候，勇敢，是安稳的；情热，是毫无危险的。”

然而，對於陰間，我終於已經頌揚過了，無法追改；As for the netherworld, however, I have already sung its praises, and there is no taking it back now;雖有“言行不符”之嫌，但確沒有受過閻王或小鬼的半文津貼，則差可以自解。and though I may be suspected of "word and deed not matching," I have certainly never received so much as a farthing's subsidy from King Yama or his little demons — which may serve, more or less, as my own defense.總而言之，還是仍然寫下去罷：In any case, let me simply go on writing:

然而，对于阴间，我终于已经颂扬过了，无法追改；虽有“言行不符”之嫌，但确没有受过阎王或小鬼的半文津贴，则差可以自解。总而言之，还是仍然写下去罢：

我所看的那些陰間的圖畫，都是家藏的老書，並非我所專有。Those pictures of the netherworld that I used to look at were all old books kept in the family, not something belonging to me alone.我所收得的最先的畫圖本子，是一位長輩的贈品：《二十四孝圖》。The first picture-book I ever acquired that was truly my own was a gift from an elder: The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars.這雖然不過薄薄的一本書，但是下圖上說，鬼少人多，又為我一人所獨有，使我高興極了。Although it was no more than a thin little volume, with pictures below and text above, few ghosts and mostly people, and it belonged to me alone, it made me tremendously happy.那裏面的故事，似乎是誰都知道的；The stories in it, it seems, were known to everyone;便是不識字的人，例如阿長，也只要一看圖畫便能夠滔滔地講出這一段的事跡。even someone who could not read, Ah Chang for instance, needed only glance at a picture to pour forth, without pause, the whole tale it told.但是，我於高興之餘，接著就是掃興，因為我請人講完了二十四個故事之後，才知道“孝”有如此之難，對於先前癡心妄想，想做孝子的計劃，完全絕望了。But once my delight had passed, disappointment soon followed, for after I had gotten someone to tell me all twenty-four stories, I discovered just how difficult "filial piety" truly was, and I gave up entirely on the foolish, wishful plan I had earlier entertained of becoming a filial son myself.

我所看的那些阴间的图画，都是家藏的老书，并非我所专有。我所收得的最先的画图本子，是一位长辈的赠品：《二十四孝图》。这虽然不过薄薄的一本书，但是下图上说，鬼少人多，又为我一人所独有，使我高兴极了。那里面的故事，似乎是谁都知道的；便是不识字的人，例如阿长，也只要一看图画便能够滔滔地讲出这一段的事迹。但是，我于高兴之余，接著就是扫兴，因为我请人讲完了二十四个故事之后，才知道“孝”有如此之难，对于先前痴心妄想，想做孝子的计划，完全绝望了。

“人之初，性本善”麼？"At the beginning, human nature is good" — is that so?這並非現在要加研究的問題。That is not a question I intend to go into now.但我還依稀記得，我幼小時候實未嘗蓄意忤逆，對於父母，倒是極願意孝順的。But I still dimly recall that, as a small child, I never once deliberately intended to be disobedient — toward my parents I was, in fact, quite eager to be filial.不過年幼無知，只用了私見來解釋“孝順”的做法，以為無非是“聽話”，“從命”，以及長大之後，給年老的父母好好地吃飯罷了。Only, being young and ignorant, I could interpret the practice of "filial obedience" only according to my own private notions, taking it to mean nothing more than "listening to what one is told," "obeying orders," and, once grown up, seeing to it that one's aged parents were well fed.自從得了這一本孝子的教科書以後，才知道並不然，而且還要難到幾十幾百倍。It was only after I got hold of this textbook of filial sons that I learned it was not so at all, and that it was in fact tens or hundreds of times harder than that.其中自然也有可以勉力仿效的，如“子路負米”，“黃香扇枕”之類。“陸績懷橘”也並不難，只要有闊人請我吃飯。“魯迅先生作賓客而懷橘乎？”我便跪答，“吾母性之所愛，欲歸以遺母。”闊人大佩服，於是孝子就做穩了，也非常省事。“哭竹生筍”就可疑，怕我的精誠未必會這樣感動天地。Among them there were of course some I could manage to imitate with a bit of effort, such as "Zilu Carrying Rice on His Back" or "Huang Xiang Fanning the Pillow." "Lu Ji Hiding Oranges in His Sleeve" was not difficult either, so long as some wealthy man invited me to dine. "Mr. Lu Xun, would you, a guest, hide oranges in your sleeve?" I would kneel and reply, "It is what my mother is fond of by nature; I wished to take them home to give to her." The wealthy man would be greatly impressed, and so my standing as a filial son would be secured — and quite effortlessly too. "Weeping at the Bamboo Until Shoots Grew" was more doubtful — I was afraid my sincerity might not be enough to move Heaven and Earth in that way.但是哭不出筍來，還不過拋臉而已，一到“臥冰求鯉”，可就有性命之虞了。But failing to weep shoots into being would, after all, be no more than a loss of face; whereas with "Lying on the Ice to Seek Carp," one's very life would be at stake.我鄉的天氣是溫和的，嚴冬中，水面也只結一層薄冰，即使孩子的重量怎樣小，躺上去，也一定嘩喇一聲，冰破落水，鯉魚還不及遊過來。The climate of my native place is mild; even in the depths of winter the water freezes only a thin layer of ice, and no matter how light a child's weight might be, the moment he lay down upon it there would surely come a crack, the ice would break, and he would fall into the water — long before any carp had time to swim up.自然，必須不顧性命，這才孝感神明，會有出乎意料之外的奇跡，但那時我還小，實在不明白這些。Of course, one must be willing to disregard one's own life before filial devotion can move the gods and bring about some unexpected miracle — but I was still young then, and truly did not understand such things.

“人之初，性本善”么？这并非现在要加研究的问题。但我还依稀记得，我幼小时候实未尝蓄意忤逆，对于父母，倒是极愿意孝顺的。不过年幼无知，只用了私见来解释“孝顺”的做法，以为无非是“听话”，“从命”，以及长大之后，给年老的父母好好地吃饭罢了。自从得了这一本孝子的教科书以后，才知道并不然，而且还要难到几十几百倍。其中自然也有可以勉力仿效的，如“子路负米”，“黄香扇枕”之类。“陆绩怀橘”也并不难，只要有阔人请我吃饭。“鲁迅先生作宾客而怀橘乎？”我便跪答，“吾母性之所爱，欲归以遗母。”阔人大佩服，于是孝子就做稳了，也非常省事。“哭竹生笋”就可疑，怕我的精诚未必会这样感动天地。但是哭不出笋来，还不过抛脸而已，一到“卧冰求鲤”，可就有性命之虞了。我乡的天气是温和的，严冬中，水面也只结一层薄冰，即使孩子的重量怎样小，躺上去，也一定哗喇一声，冰破落水，鲤鱼还不及游过来。自然，必须不顾性命，这才孝感神明，会有出乎意料之外的奇迹，但那时我还小，实在不明白这些。

其中最使我不解，甚至於發生反感的，是“老萊娛親”和“郭巨埋兒”兩件事。The two stories that puzzled me most, and even aroused my aversion, were "Lao Lai Amusing His Parents" and "Guo Ju Burying His Son."

其中最使我不解，甚至于发生反感的，是“老莱娱亲”和“郭巨埋儿”两件事。

我至今還記得，一個躺在父母跟前的老頭子，一個抱在母親手上的小孩子，是怎樣地使我發生不同的感想呵。Even now I still remember how differently I felt about, on the one hand, an old man lying before his parents, and, on the other, a small child held in his mother's arms.他們一手都拿著“搖咕咚”。Both of them held in one hand a "rattle-drum."這玩意兒確是可愛的，北京稱為小鼓，蓋即鼗也，朱熹曰：“鼗，小鼓，兩旁有耳；This little toy is indeed a charming thing; in Beijing it is called a xiaogu, being in fact what is anciently called a tao. Zhu Xi says: "The tao is a small drum, with pellets on either side;持其柄而搖之，則旁耳還自擊，”咕咚咕咚地響起來。when one grasps its handle and shakes it, the pellets on either side strike back against it of their own accord," going gudong-gudong as it sounds.然而這東西是不該拿在老萊子手裡的，他應該扶一枝拐杖。But this is not a thing that ought to be in Lao Lai's hand — he ought to be leaning on a walking stick instead.現在這模樣，簡直是裝佯，侮辱了孩子。As it is depicted now, it is nothing but sheer pretense, an insult to children.我沒有再看第二回，一到這一葉，便急速地翻過去了。I never looked at it a second time; the moment I reached that page, I would hastily turn it over.

我至今还记得，一个躺在父母跟前的老头子，一个抱在母亲手上的小孩子，是怎样地使我发生不同的感想呵。他们一手都拿著“摇咕咚”。这玩意儿确是可爱的，北京称为小鼓，盖即鼗也，朱熹曰：“鼗，小鼓，两旁有耳；持其柄而摇之，则旁耳还自击，”咕咚咕咚地响起来。然而这东西是不该拿在老莱子手里的，他应该扶一枝拐杖。现在这模样，简直是装佯，侮辱了孩子。我没有再看第二回，一到这一叶，便急速地翻过去了。

那時的《二十四孝圖》，早已不知去向了，目下所有的只是一本日本小田海僊所畫的本子，敘老萊子事云：“行年七十，言不稱老，常著五色斑斕之衣，為嬰兒戲於親側。That copy of The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars from those days has long since vanished, I know not where; the only one I now possess is a volume illustrated by the Japanese artist Oda Kaisen, which relates the story of Lao Lai thus: "Though seventy years of age, he never spoke of being old; he constantly wore garments of five gaudy colors, and played the infant at his parents' side.又常取水上堂，詐跌仆地，作嬰兒啼，以娛親意。”大約舊本也差不多，而招我反感的便是“詐跌”。He would also often carry water up into the hall, and, feigning a stumble, fall to the ground and cry like a baby, so as to please his parents' hearts." The old edition was probably much the same, and what aroused my aversion was precisely this "feigning a stumble."無論忤逆，無論孝順，小孩子多不願意“詐”作，聽故事也不喜歡是謠言，這是凡有稍稍留心兒童心理的都知道的。Whether disobedient or filial, most children have no wish to "pretend," and when listening to stories they likewise dislike being told falsehoods — this is something anyone who has paid even the slightest attention to child psychology knows well.

那时的《二十四孝图》，早已不知去向了，目下所有的只是一本日本小田海僊所画的本子，叙老莱子事云：“行年七十，言不称老，常著五色斑斓之衣，为婴儿戏于亲侧。又常取水上堂，诈跌仆地，作婴儿啼，以娱亲意。”大约旧本也差不多，而招我反感的便是“诈跌”。无论忤逆，无论孝顺，小孩子多不愿意“诈”作，听故事也不喜欢是谣言，这是凡有稍稍留心儿童心理的都知道的。

然而在較古的書上一查，卻還不至於如此虛偽。Yet on checking an older book, one finds it was not, after all, quite so false as this.師覺授《孝子傳》，“老萊子……In Shi Jueshou's Biographies of Filial Sons: "Lao Lai......常著斑斕之衣，為親取飲，上堂腳跌，恐傷父母之心，僵仆為嬰兒啼。”（《太平御覽》四百十三引）較之今說，似稍近於人情。...constantly wore gaudy-colored garments; when fetching drink for his parents, he stumbled on entering the hall, and, fearing to wound his parents' hearts, fell stiffly to the ground and cried like an infant." (Quoted in the Taiping Yulan, chapter 413.) Compared with the present-day version, this seems to come a little closer to human feeling.不知怎地，後之君子卻一定要改得他“詐”起來，心裡才能舒服。Somehow or other, the gentlemen of later ages felt compelled to rewrite it so that he was "feigning" the fall, and only then could their hearts be at ease.鄧伯道棄子救侄，想來也不過“棄”而已矣，昏妄人也必須說他將兒子捆在樹上，使他追不上來才肯歇手。When Deng Bodao abandoned his own son to save his nephew, one would think it was, after all, simply a matter of "abandoning" him — yet muddled, reckless men must go so far as to say he tied his son to a tree so that the boy could not catch up with them, before they are willing to let the matter rest.正如將“肉麻當作有趣”一般，以不情為倫紀，誣衊了古人，教壞了後人。Just as with taking "the sickeningly mawkish for the delightful," they have made what is contrary to human feeling into moral principle, slandering the ancients and corrupting those who came after.老萊子即是一例，道學先生以為他白璧無瑕時，他卻已在孩子的心中死掉了。Lao Lai is a case in point: just when the moralists consider him a flawless piece of white jade, he has, in fact, already died in the hearts of children.

然而在较古的书上一查，却还不至于如此虚伪。师觉授《孝子传》，“老莱子……常著斑斓之衣，为亲取饮，上堂脚跌，恐伤父母之心，僵仆为婴儿啼。”（《太平御览》四百十三引）较之今说，似稍近于人情。不知怎地，后之君子却一定要改得他“诈”起来，心里才能舒服。邓伯道弃子救侄，想来也不过“弃”而已矣，昏妄人也必须说他将儿子捆在树上，使他追不上来才肯歇手。正如将“肉麻当作有趣”一般，以不情为伦纪，诬蔑了古人，教坏了后人。老莱子即是一例，道学先生以为他白璧无瑕时，他却已在孩子的心中死掉了。

至於玩著“搖咕咚”的郭巨的兒子，卻實在值得同情。As for Guo Ju's son, playing with his "rattle-drum," he truly deserves our sympathy.他被抱在他母親的臂膊上，高高興興地笑著；He is held in his mother's arms, laughing happily away;他的父親卻正在掘窟窿，要將他埋掉了。while his father is at that very moment digging a hole, about to bury him alive.說明，“漢郭巨家貧，有子三歲，母嘗減食與之。The explanatory text reads: "Guo Ju of the Han dynasty was poor; he had a son of three, to whom his mother would give part of her own food, having reduced her own portion for his sake.巨謂妻曰，貧乏不能供母，子又分母之食。Ju said to his wife: We are too poor to properly support my mother, and now our son is also taking a share of her food.盍埋此子？”但是劉向《孝子傳》所說，卻又有些不同：巨家是富的，他都給了兩弟；Why not bury this child?" Yet what Liu Xiang's Biographies of Filial Sons tells is somewhat different: Guo Ju's family was rich, and he had given all of it away to his two younger brothers;孩子是才生的，並沒有到三歲。and the child was newly born, not yet three years old at all.結末又大略相象了，“及掘坑二尺，得黃金一釜，上云：天賜郭巨，官不得取，民不得奪！”The ending, however, is again roughly the same: "When they had dug the pit two feet deep, they found a cauldron of gold, upon which was written: Heaven bestows this upon Guo Ju; no official may take it, no commoner may seize it!"

至于玩著“摇咕咚”的郭巨的儿子，却实在值得同情。他被抱在他母亲的臂膊上，高高兴兴地笑著；他的父亲却正在掘窟窿，要将他埋掉了。说明，“汉郭巨家贫，有子三岁，母尝减食与之。巨谓妻曰，贫乏不能供母，子又分母之食。盍埋此子？”但是刘向《孝子传》所说，却又有些不同：巨家是富的，他都给了两弟；孩子是才生的，并没有到三岁。结末又大略相象了，“及掘坑二尺，得黄金一釜，上云：天赐郭巨，官不得取，民不得夺！”

我最初實在替這孩子捏一把汗，待到掘出黃金一釜，這才覺得輕鬆。At first I was truly in a cold sweat on the child's behalf, and only once the cauldron of gold had been dug up did I feel relieved.然而我已經不但自己不敢再想做孝子，並且怕我父親去做孝子了。But by then I no longer dared even to think of becoming a filial son myself, and what was more, I had begun to fear that my own father might go and become one.家境正在壞下去，常聽到父母愁柴米；Our family's circumstances were then declining, and I often heard my parents worrying over firewood and rice;祖母又老了，倘使我的父親竟學了郭巨，那麼，該埋的不正是我麼？and my grandmother, moreover, was growing old — if my father should actually take Guo Ju as his model, then would it not be I who ought to be buried?如果一絲不走樣，也掘出一釜黃金來，那自然是如天之福，但是，那時我雖然年紀小，似乎也明白天下未必有這樣的巧事。If everything followed the pattern exactly and a cauldron of gold were dug up too, that would of course be a blessing as if from Heaven — but young as I was then, I seemed to understand well enough that the world does not necessarily offer such convenient coincidences.

我最初实在替这孩子捏一把汗，待到掘出黄金一釜，这才觉得轻松。然而我已经不但自己不敢再想做孝子，并且怕我父亲去做孝子了。家境正在坏下去，常听到父母愁柴米；祖母又老了，倘使我的父亲竟学了郭巨，那么，该埋的不正是我么？如果一丝不走样，也掘出一釜黄金来，那自然是如天之福，但是，那时我虽然年纪小，似乎也明白天下未必有这样的巧事。

現在想起來，實在很覺得傻氣。Thinking of it now, I find it was really quite foolish of me.這是因為現在已經知道了這些老玩意，本來誰也不實行。That is because I now know that, of these old tricks, no one ever really carries them out in practice.整飭倫紀的文電是常有的，卻很少見紳士赤條條地躺在冰上面，將軍跳下汽車去負米。Proclamations and telegrams exhorting proper moral order are common enough, yet one rarely sees a gentleman lying stark naked upon the ice, or a general leaping down from his motorcar to carry rice on his back.何況現在早長大了，看過幾部古書，買過幾本新書，什麼《太平御覽》咧，《古孝子傳》咧，《人口問題》咧，《節制生育》咧，《二十世紀是兒童的世界》咧，可以抵抗被埋的理由多得很。Besides, I have long since grown up, and having read a number of old books and bought a number of new ones — the Taiping Yulan, say, or the Ancient Biographies of Filial Sons, or Population Problems, or Birth Control, or The Twentieth Century Is the Century of the Child — I now have plenty of grounds on which to resist being buried.不過彼一時，此一時，彼時我委實有點害怕：掘好深坑，不見黃金，連“搖咕咚”一同埋下去，蓋上土，踏得實實的，又有什麼法子可想呢。But that was then, and this is now; at that time I was truly rather frightened: once the deep pit was dug and no gold appeared, and I was buried along with my "rattle-drum," the earth heaped over and tamped down firm — what could possibly be done about it then?我想，事情雖然未必實現，但我從此總怕聽到我的父母愁窮，怕看見我的白髮的祖母，總覺得她是和我不兩立，至少，也是一個和我的生命有些妨礙的人。I thought to myself that, although the thing was unlikely ever to happen, from then on I always dreaded hearing my parents fret over our poverty, and dreaded the sight of my white-haired grandmother, always feeling that she and I could not both exist together — or at the very least, that she was someone who posed some threat to my life.後來這印象日見其淡了，但總有一些留遺，一直到她去世——這大概是送給《二十四孝圖》的儒者所萬料不到的罷。Later this impression faded day by day, yet something of it always lingered, right up until her death — something, I suppose, that the Confucian scholar who compiled The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars could never in ten thousand years have imagined.

现在想起来，实在很觉得傻气。这是因为现在已经知道了这些老玩意，本来谁也不实行。整饬伦纪的文电是常有的，却很少见绅士赤条条地躺在冰上面，将军跳下汽车去负米。何况现在早长大了，看过几部古书，买过几本新书，什么《太平御览》咧，《古孝子传》咧，《人口问题》咧，《节制生育》咧，《二十世纪是儿童的世界》咧，可以抵抗被埋的理由多得很。不过彼一时，此一时，彼时我委实有点害怕：掘好深坑，不见黄金，连“摇咕咚”一同埋下去，盖上土，踏得实实的，又有什么法子可想呢。我想，事情虽然未必实现，但我从此总怕听到我的父母愁穷，怕看见我的白发的祖母，总觉得她是和我不两立，至少，也是一个和我的生命有些妨碍的人。后来这印象日见其淡了，但总有一些留遗，一直到她去世——这大概是送给《二十四孝图》的儒者所万料不到的罢。

五月十日。May 10th.