《左傳》文詞釋讀三則

Interpretations of Three Phrases on Zuo Zhuan

本文討論《左傳》「天誘其衷」、「蒐乘」、「晉國將守唐叔之所受法度」三則文句，亦涉及「夏政」與「執秩之官」之意。「天誘其衷」之「誘」本義為引導、開導，引申為彰顯、顯示，可解為上天彰顯其心意。《左傳》數見於戰爭期間「蒐乘」之事，《左傳》、《國語》之「蒐」應是「搜」之假借，「搜」字本義為「索求」。《左傳》於戰爭期間之「蒐乘」，指派員尋找遺落於戰場之兵車，使其修整後再投入戰爭之用。「晉國將守唐叔之所受法度」之「法度」，即《左傳》定公四（506B.C.）載周成王分封唐叔「啟以夏政，疆以戎索。」「夏政」具體而言即《國語．晉語四》「公食貢，大夫食邑，士食田，庶人食力，工商食官，皂隸食職，官宰食加」之事。「戎索」乃謂作「執秩之官」以強調品秩高下及序位，故「晉國將守唐叔之所受法度」之「法度」，是符應「夏政」與「戎索」所置制度與職官。

This article discusses new interpretations of three phrases on Zuo Zhuan, they are ''tiān yòu qí zhōng'', ''sōu chéng'' and ''Jìn guó jiāng shǒu Táng-shū zhī suǒ shòu fǎ dù''. They are also relative to the other two phrases ''Xià zhèng'' and ''zhí zhì zhī guan''. ''Yòu'' ( tiān yòu qí zhōng) is a verb here, it means to guide or to enlighten. It also has an extended meaning which is to manifest or to show; therefore, the phrase ''tiān yòu qí zhōng'' means God makes someone's intention manifest. It is quite often to read the phrase ''sōu chéng'' on Zuo Zhuan and Guo Yu. ''Sōu'' (to collect) is a loan character of ''sōu'' (to search) and the original meaning of ''sōu'' is to ask for something. However, ''sōu chéng'' on Zuo Zhuan means to ask soldiers to find chariots which left behind on the battlefield and to repair them. So those chariots could be used for next battles. ''Fǎ dù'' (Jìn guó jiāng shǒu Táng-shū zhī suǒ shòu fǎ dù) means to obey moral standards of Zhou dynasty. King Cheng of Zhou enfeoffed Táng-shū in 506 B.C. and asked him to follow the rules of Xia dynasty so he could manage there well (qǐ yǐ Xià zhèng, jiāng yǐ Róng suǒ). ''Xià zhèng'' is social hierarchy and the concept of division of labor (gōng shí gòng, dà fū shí yì, shì shí tián, shù rén shí lì, gong shāng shí guān, zào lì shí zhí, guān zǎi shí jiā). ''Zhí zhì zhī guan'' is an officer who ranks the other officers by payment and also follows the rules of ''Xià zhèng'' and ''Róng suǒ''.