讀〈伍子胥列傳〉

Reading on “The Biography of Wu Zixu”

除了一條材料，《史記．伍子胥列傳》中所有的記載都已分別見諸《史記》其他部分。既未補充新的資訊，而司馬遷竟不嫌浪費筆墨，仍舊為之立傳，這現象大堪玩味，本文即從此蹊蹺點入手。進而觀察：不論傳記主人翁伍子胥本身一生主要經歷，連相關連的諸侯國、大國附庸、無名的小民，甚至傳主的政敵、傳主稱引的古代案例都涉及復仇，顯見：復仇乃司馬遷立此傳欲突出的主題，因此，首先嘗試理解：司馬遷對復仇的看法；其次，探索司馬遷對以復仇代表的人性負面成分在人類歷史發展中扮演的角色，並以歐洲十七世紀興起的理性建構主義與之對照，以見其洞見；第三，探索記述過程中看似無關的一句「孔子相魯」可能的涵義；最後，說明司馬遷藉由那唯一新增的一條材料，所希望傳達的訊息。

Excepting one single entry, every account in “The Biography of Wu Zixu” can be gleaned from other parts of Shiji. More than intriguing, Sima Qian still wrote a biography for Wu Zixu without incorporating any new material. The present essay takes this intricacy as the point of departure to demonstrate that every entry— including the biographee's personal experiences; the account of the federal states, the subjugate states, the anonymous commoners, the biographee's political enemies; and even the historical references cited by the biographee— is associated with revenge. Obiously, revenge is the topic which Sima Qian wanted to outspeak in this biography. Thus, the current paper firstly attempts to understand Sima Qian's concept on revenge. Secondly, it explores how Sima Qian looked at the role that revenge, epitomizing the negative in humanity, had played in the development of human history, and compares his notion to the rational constructivism emerging in the seventeen century in Europe to see the insight of it. Thirdly, we would delve into the possible meaning of the seemingly most irrelevant sentence in the entire account— “Kongzi served as the minister of the state of Lu”— and, finally, explain the message Sima Qian wished to deliver by the only newly added entry in the biography.