蘇軾〈陳公弼傳〉考論

Comments on Su Shi's ''Biography of Chen Gong-bi''

陳希亮，字公弼，北宋四川眉山人。在蘇軾的交遊中，陳希亮是很重要、很特別的人物。陳希亮與蘇軾同鄉，是蘇軾的父執輩，更是蘇軾任鳳翔簽判時的直屬長官。照理來說，蘇軾與陳希亮的關係應該很融洽、很和諧才對，事實不然。陳希亮生性冷峻嚴厲，對蘇軾不假辭色，常以各種手段來欺壓、羞辱他，尤有甚者，陳希亮更以微文末節奏劾蘇軾，導致蘇軾遭朝廷懲罰，兩人的關係一度極緊張。同樣地，蘇軾初仕鳳翔，少年得志，年輕氣盛，面對陳希亮地羞辱，著實嚥不下這一口氣，常寫作詩文加以譏刺。不過，蘇軾與陳希亮的關係，由剛開始之齟齬不合，漸漸有所改善；等到蘇軾任滿離去時，兩人已盡釋前嫌，把酒言歡。烏臺詩案後，蘇軾謫居黃州，陳希亮的兒子陳慥對他極照顧，為了答謝陳慥的恩情，為了彌補昔日對陳希亮的不禮敬，蘇軾作〈陳公弼傳〉，詳載陳希亮的性行與事功，對其推崇備至。蘇軾〈陳公弼傳〉長達2369字，是蘇軾傳記文學中罕見的長篇。蘇軾一生不輕易為人立傳，可是在〈陳公弼傳〉中，卻以很長的篇幅詳細載述陳希亮的性行與事功，充分顯露蘇軾對陳希亮的敬意，希望陳希亮能經由此文留名後世，清．王文誥譽之為「堂堂正正之文」。蘇軾〈陳公弼傳〉不以文采取勝，卻蘊涵著豐富的內容，陳希亮一生的行誼盡在其中，若不詳加考釋，不易窺知相關事件、人物的詳細庭蘊。本文以蘇軾〈陳公弼傳〉為本，以相關詩文、史料增補佐證，小題大作，不避瑣碎，不嫌詞費，細細考釋陳希亮一生的性行與事功，終使蘇軾為陳希亮作傳的心意彰明於世。

Chen Xi-liang whose another name was Gong-bi lived in Mount Mei of Sichuan in the northern Sung. Among Su Shi's friends, Chen Xi-liang was a very important and special person. They were from the same village; besides, Chen Xiliang was as a father in the hierarchy comparable to the family tree, and Su Shi's was his subordinate. Generally speaking, the relationship between Su Shi and Chen Xi-liang should be very harmonious; however, Chen Xi-liang was so serious and frosty that he didn't honor Su Shi very much. For instance, he forbad other subordinates to respect Su Shi as ''Goodman Su, '' or he didn't interview Su Shi until he had been waiting for a long time. What's worse, he impeached Su Shi and made him get punishment from the Court. On the other hand, Su Shi was not so tame to be insulted. He would write essays to mock Cheng. However, their relation had been gradually improved, and when Su Shi retired from his position, they had become good friends. After the case of poetry Wu-tai, Su Shi was reduced to a lower rank and lived in Huang-zhou. At that time, Chen Zao, Chen Xi-liang's son, took good care of him. In order to repay for his kindness, Su Shi wrote ''Biography of Chen Gong-bi.'' There were 2369 words in this biography; it was written completely to record Chen Xi-liang's characters and acts. Su Shi seldom wrote biography for others, but he wrote rich contents in Chen's. It showed how admirable he was. In my essay, I decide to take ''Biography of Chen Gong-bi'' as a foundation, and other sources from poetry or history as support. I will do my best to explore Chen Xi-liang's characters and achievements in his whole life.