
24. 夫子自道
(一)
《論語·憲問》14.28:子曰:“君子道者三,我無能焉:仁者不憂,知者不惑,勇者不懼?!弊迂曉唬骸胺蜃幼缘酪??!?/p>
(二)
“夫子自道也”,句中的“夫子”是呼語嗎?也就是說,這話是子貢當著老師面,喊著“老師,您……”這樣說的嗎?
我們先看理雅各、韋利、辜鴻銘三位的英譯:
1. 理雅各譯:The Master said, “The way of the superior man is threefold, but I am not equal to it. Virtuous, he is free from anxieties; wise, he s free from perplexities; bold, he is free from fear. Zigong said, “Master, that is what you yourself say.”
2. 韋利譯:The Master said, The Ways of the true gentleman are three, I myself have met with success in none of them. For he that is really Good is never unhappy, he that is really wise is never perplexed, he that is really brave is never afraid. Tzu-kung said, That, Master, is your own Way!
3. 辜鴻銘譯:Confucius once remarked, “A wise and good man may be known in three ways which I am not able to show in my own person. As a moral man he is free from anxiety; as a man of understanding he is free from doubt; and as a man of courage he is free from fear.”
A disciple, who heard what Confucius said, then remarked, “That is only what you say of yourself, sir.”
三位譯者都把“夫子”處理成了“呼語”,大概沒有料到,一旦“夫子”離開句子去扮“呼語”角色,“自道”就沒了主語。在結(jié)構(gòu)上,“夫子”恐怕一身難兼二任,既當呼語,又當主語。子貢的“夫子”未必是面稱,也可能是對其他人說的:“(這是)夫子說他自己啊!”
就這句翻譯來說,我更傾向于潘富恩、溫少霞的譯文:The Master said, “The ways of the superior man are three, but I have met with success in none of them. The virtuous s free from anxieties; the wise is free from doubts; the bold is free from fear.” Zigong said, “That s what our master say about himself.”

(三)
“自道”的翻譯也極富趣味。
理雅各譯“that s what you yourself say”,以yourself譯“自”,強調(diào)夫子自謙“無能”,他人并不這么看。
韋利譯“That, Master, is your own Way!”以“own”譯“自”,而且以“Way”譯“道”,句子就成了“老師,這是您自己的道?!迸c他人真是“道不同”啊。譯者或許覺得前面說“君子道者三”,在此又說“夫子自道”,都譯成大寫的“Way”,才能前后一致。如果孔子說,君子之道有三,仁者不憂,知者不惑,勇者不懼,而子貢聽到后回應說“這是您自己的道?!彪y道子貢是要表達孔子自己的道非君子之道嗎?——把“夫子自道”之“道”理解成“君子之道”的“道”,很顯然是不妥當?shù)摹?/p>
韋利料不到前后兩個“道”是兩碼事,也正常。國人不也有把“道者三”的“道”字解成“言”的嗎?程樹德《論語集注》里說:《經(jīng)正錄》:…… 今或訓作道言之道,謂君子所言者有三,與下文夫子自道一例,則淺而無實義矣。
辜鴻銘譯“That is only what you say of yourself, sir.”以“say of yourself”來譯“自道”,就不單是“自己說”,而且還有“說自己”之意。潘富恩、溫少霞譯“That s what our master say about himself.”也是。
(四)
毛子水《論語今注今譯》:“這是老師說自己!”
李澤厚《論語今讀》:“這正是老師講自己啊。”
唐滿先《論語今譯》:“這正是老師自我表述哩?!?/p>
余國慶《論語今譯》:“這正是先生的自我寫照哩?!薄粽撘馑迹蚁矚g這個譯法。
東籬子《論語全鑒》:“這正是老師自謙的說法啊!”——“自道也,只是自言如此意?!毖酝庵馐强鬃幼灾t,但翻譯時我仍不贊成譯出“謙”字。
徐志剛《論語通譯》:“這正是老師您的自我表述??!”
錢穆《論語新解》:“這正是先生稱道他自己呀!”——“稱道”一詞,說明子貢覺得老師不謙虛。
楊伯峻《論語譯注》:“這正是他老人家對自己的敘述哩?!?/p>
(五)
錢穆在《論語新解》中注解:
君子道者三:此猶云君子之道三也?;蛘f:道訓由,君子由此三者以成德,故曰君子之道也。人之才性各異,斯其成德亦有不同,惟知仁勇為三達德,不憂不惑不懼,人人皆由以成德也。
夫子自道也:自道猶云自述。圣人自視常欿然,故曰我無能焉,此其所以日進不止也。自子貢視之,則孔子三道盡備,故曰夫子自道。
孔子說,要成君子,道路有三條:不憂、不惑、不懼,我都沒做到啊。子貢說,無能是老師自己說,別人不這么看?!@樣理解“自道”,孔子是謙虛的。
如果忽視“我無能焉”,而專注于“仁者不憂,知者不惑,勇者不懼”,然后說“這是夫子對自己的敘述”,那樣的話,孔子就不是謙虛的了。
