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宋 Song · 文 Prose

岳阳楼记·节选

On the Yueyang Tower: The Selected Passage

范仲淹

Fan Zhongyan

名篇Theme 议论Theme 抱负Theme 忧乐Theme

嗟夫！
予尝求古仁人之心，或异二者之为，何哉？
不以物喜，不以己悲，居庙堂之高则忧其民，处江湖之远则忧其君。
是进亦忧，退亦忧。
然则何时而乐耶？
其必曰：先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐乎！

Alas!
I once sought, the hearts of the benevolent men of the ancients,
Or, different from, the two doings above,
Why?
Not rejoicing, at the things,
Not grieving, at themselves,
Dwelling in the height of the temple and the court, then, worrying, the people,
Being in the distance of the rivers and the lakes, then, worrying, the sovereign.
Thus, advancing, also, worrying,
Retreating, also, worrying.
Then, when, the joy?
It must, say:
The worry of the world, first, worrying,
The joy of the world, later, rejoicing,
Hui!
Who, without me, to return to,
Alas!
The man, who knows, the hearts of the benevolent,
Then, I, with whom, to return to?

Listen

Meaning

A prose of the ideal of the benevolent, written by Fan Zhongyan. Alas! I once sought the hearts of the benevolent men of the ancients, or different from the two doings above — the seeking of the hearts. Not rejoicing at the things, not grieving at themselves, dwelling in the height of the temple worrying the people, being in the distance of the rivers and the lakes worrying the sovereign — the ideal of the benevolent. Thus advancing also worrying, retreating also worrying, and the close's worry of the world first, the joy of the world later, who without me to return to — the ideal of the close. The prose is the ideal of the benevolent: the seeking, the worry of the world first, and the close's return.

唉！我曾经探求古代品德高尚之人的心思，或许不同于以上两种人的表现，这是为什么呢？他们不因外物的好坏而高兴，不因自身的得失而悲伤；身居朝廷高位就为百姓忧虑，身处僻远的江湖之间就为君王忧虑。这样看来，进也忧虑，退也忧虑。那么什么时候才能快乐呢？他们必定会说：在天下人忧愁之前先忧愁，在天下人快乐之后才快乐吧！

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Alas! I once sought, the hearts of the benevolent men of the ancients, or, different from, the two doings above, why? Not rejoicing, at the things, not grieving, at themselves, dwelling in the height of the temple and the court, then, worrying, the people, being in the distance of the rivers and the lakes, then, worrying, the sovereign. Thus, advancing, also, worrying, retreating, also, worrying. Then, when, the joy? It must, say: the worry of the world, first, worrying, the joy of the world, later, rejoicing, Hui! Who, without me, to return to, alas! The man, who knows, the hearts of the benevolent, then, I, with whom, to return to? [Structure and Thought] The prose moves from the seeking of the hearts of the benevolent, through the not rejoicing and the not grieving with the worry of the temple and the lakes, to the close's worry of the world first and the joy of the world later, with the return asked. [Key Technique] The prose's art is the ideal of the close: the worry of the world first and the joy of the world later, and the close's who without me to return to — the ideal gathered in the close and the return. [Emotional Tone] Solemn, lofty, and resolute: the prose is the seeking, the ideal and the close's return.

【白话串讲】范仲淹写《岳阳楼记》：“予尝求古仁人之心”——“不以物喜，不以己悲”。“居庙堂之高则忧其民，处江湖之远则忧其君”——“先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐乎”——他写仁人的胸怀，成为千古士人的座右铭。【意象与手法】「记」体散文由景入议的收束段：以「嗟夫」振起，一「求」字立骨，设问自答；「不以物喜，不以己悲」八字立纲，骈偶精工；「居庙堂」「处江湖」对仗展开；末以「先忧后乐」警策收束，骈散相间，一气呵成，是宋文「文以载道」的极致。【情感与主旨】确立中国士大夫「以天下为己任」的价值坐标：把个人喜悲升华为对家国民生的忧思，进退皆忧、忧乐系天下，是范仲淹一生政治理想的自白，也是中华民族精神的核心表达。【名句点睛】「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐」是中国士人精神的最高宣言，常考其对仗之工、「先」「后」次序之妙与忧乐之辨——先忧后乐、以天下为念，千百年来激励无数仁人志士。

Background

Fan Zhongyan (989–1052), the statesman and the poet of the Northern Song, wrote this passage of the 'On the Yueyang Tower' — the ideal of the benevolent. The seeking of the hearts of the benevolent with the not rejoicing and the not grieving, the worry of the temple and the lakes, and the close's worry of the world first, the joy of the world later — the prose gathers the ideal of the statesman, the famous passage of the essay. The passage is the most famous of the essay, known for the worry of the world first and the joy of the world later.

本篇节选自范仲淹《岳阳楼记》末段，是全篇思想的总汇。范仲淹（989—1052），字希文，苏州吴县人，北宋政治家、军事家、文学家，官至参知政事（副宰相），主持「庆历新政」，谥文正，世称范文正公。宋仁宗庆历四年（1044），新政失败，范仲淹贬知邓州；同年，好友滕子京谪守巴陵郡，重修岳阳楼，绘《洞庭晚秋图》请范仲淹作记。范仲淹并未亲临岳阳，仅凭图画与来信，凭想象挥毫而成此篇。全文先叙重修之由，次写迁客骚人「览物之情」的悲喜二态，末段翻出「古仁人之心」，提出「不以物喜，不以己悲」「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐」的伟大抱负——此节选正是末段全文，由「嗟夫」直贯「先忧后乐」，是《岳阳楼记》的灵魂所在。范仲淹少时家贫，划粥断齑而力学不辍，一生「以天下为己任」，守边西北则西夏不敢犯，执政中枢则锐意新政；此段「先忧后乐」实为其人格的自画像，亦为宽慰谪守巴陵的滕子京而发——老友落难，作者不以山水相劝，而以「古仁人之心」相勉，道义与情义交并于文字之间，遂成千古绝唱。

Art

The prose's art is the art of the ideal. The seeking opens: alas! — the sigh of the seeking; I once sought, the hearts of the benevolent men of the ancients — or, different from, the two doings above — why? — the seeking of the hearts. The ideal follows: not rejoicing, at the things — not grieving, at themselves — the not rejoicing and the not grieving; dwelling in the height of the temple and the court, then, worrying, the people — the worry of the temple; being in the distance of the rivers and the lakes, then, worrying, the sovereign — the worry of the lakes; thus, advancing, also, worrying — retreating, also, worrying — the worry of the advancing and the retreating. And the close gathers the ideal: then, when, the joy? — it must, say: the worry of the world, first, worrying — the joy of the world, later, rejoicing — the ideal of the close; hui! — who, without me, to return to — alas! — the man, who knows, the hearts of the benevolent — then, I, with whom, to return to — the return of the close — the seeking, the ideal and the close's return, gathered in the prose.

文体上，《岳阳楼记》是宋代「记」体散文中的特殊之作——名为「记」而实为论，兼有写景、抒情、议论三体之长；此节选正是全文由「览物之情」转入「古仁人之心」的收束段，是议论的高潮。结构上层层递进、环环相扣：首以「嗟夫」一声感叹振起全段，情绪由前文的写景议论骤然凝聚；「予尝求古仁人之心，或异二者之为」以「求」字领起求索，「或异二者之为」遥承上文迁客骚人的悲喜二态，点出古仁人之异；「何哉」设问自答，是议论的枢纽；「不以物喜，不以己悲」八字正面立论，从「物」「己」两面对举，破尽常人悲喜之由；「居庙堂之高则忧其民，处江湖之远则忧其君」分写两种处境下的忧思，「是进亦忧，退亦忧」总束，完成「进退皆忧」的人格刻画；「然则何时而乐耶」再设一问，逼出「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐乎」的千古警策。全段两问两答，由破而立、由心而事、由忧而乐，骈散相间：「不以物喜，不以己悲」「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐」骈偶工整，掷地有声；「嗟夫」「何哉」「然则」等虚词穿插，一唱三叹，是宋代古文「文以载道」与「辞以达意」完美结合的巅峰。

Allusions

'The temple and the court' (miao tang) is the temple and the court — the height of the court, the worrying of the people; 'the rivers and the lakes' (jiang hu) are the rivers and the lakes — the distance of the rivers and the lakes, the worrying of the sovereign; 'the worry of the world' (tian xia zhi you) is the worry of the world — the worry of the world first; 'the joy of the world' (tian xia zhi le) is the joy of the world — the joy of the world later.

此段的文化内涵极深，浓缩了先秦儒家的心性论与政治理想。「古仁人」上承尧舜禹汤、文武周公以至孔孟的道统谱系，孟子言「仁者爱人」、孔子言「君子忧道不忧贫」，皆为此「仁人之心」的源头；「不以物喜，不以己悲」直接脱胎于《论语》「君子坦荡荡，小人长戚戚」与《孟子》「穷则独善其身，达则兼善天下」的修养论，而范仲淹更进一步，把「独善、兼善」的分途提升为「进退皆忧」的一贯之道。「居庙堂之高则忧其民」合于《尚书》「民惟邦本」的民本思想，「处江湖之远则忧其君」则承《楚辞》屈原「虽九死其犹未悔」的忠君传统，二句合观，正是儒家「修齐治平」的完整投影。「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐」尤见匠心：「先」「后」二字的次序安排，把「忧乐」由个人情绪升华为天下的秩序——天下未忧我先忧，天下已乐我后乐，个体的喜悲完全让位于天下的安危，这正是儒家「杀身成仁」「舍生取义」精神的日常化表达。此段以寥寥数十字浓缩儒家两千年的心性修养与政治关怀，是理解中国知识分子精神世界的枢纽文本，其「先忧后乐」的价值坐标，已沉淀为中华民族最核心的伦理符号之一。

Commentary

This passage is the most famous of the 'On the Yueyang Tower', quoted for the ideal of its close. The worry of the world first and the joy of the world later, and the who without me to return to, are among the most admired lines of the essay. Critics praise the passage's loftiness: the ideal gathered in the close, to the return asked.

此段是《岳阳楼记》的思想内核，也是中国士大夫精神的最高表达之一，历来为人们传诵。就文学言，全文由「览物之情」的悲喜对照跌入「古仁人之心」的超越之境，转折之妙为历代评家激赏；清人评《岳阳楼记》「忧乐二字，一篇之骨」，而此段正是立骨处——「不以物喜，不以己悲」破俗情，「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐」立大志，一破一立，金声玉振。就思想言，「先忧后乐」确立了中国知识分子超越个人得失的价值准则：把个体命运与国家人民紧紧绑定，形成了中国文人「位卑未敢忘忧国」的精神传统——文天祥「人生自古谁无死，留取丹心照汗青」、林则徐「苟利国家生死以，岂因祸福避趋之」、鲁迅「横眉冷对千夫指，俯首甘为孺子牛」，皆可视为「先忧后乐」精神的同调与发扬。就文化言，此段被历代士人奉为座右铭，范仲淹也因此成为「先忧后乐」的人格化身；现代语境中，「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐」仍是中华民族最具感召力的价值宣言，被反复引用、写进教材、刻入民族记忆。此节选虽为全文之一段，然独立观之，已是一篇完整的「士人精神论」，其艺术与思想的双重价值，历千年而不衰。

Prosody

Form A prose passage of the ideal (ji ti sanwen)宋代「记」体散文（骈散相间的古文议论段）

Rhyme The prose, in the manner of the essay, does not rhyme in the fixed pattern — the cadence of the prose that carries the lofty ideal.散文不押韵，而以骈偶对仗形成节奏：「不以物喜，不以己悲」、「居庙堂之高则忧其民，处江湖之远则忧其君」、「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐」皆两两相对，音节齐整，金声玉振；「嗟夫」「何哉」「然则」「乎」等虚词穿插其间，散句顿挫，骈散相间，疾徐有致。

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the ideal: the level opening with the seeking, the rising with the worry of the temple and the lakes, and the close's fall with the worry of the world first.句式骈散交错、语气层层递进：起以「嗟夫」一声长叹振起全段，情绪凝聚；「予尝求古仁人之心，或异二者之为」散行长句，语气沉稳，如静水深流；「何哉」短促一问，陡然提神；「不以物喜，不以己悲」八字骈偶，掷地有声；「居庙堂之高则忧其民，处江湖之远则忧其君」长对仗一气贯下；「是进亦忧，退亦忧」两短句顿挫收束；「然则何时而乐耶」再问，「其必曰」低回，「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐乎」如洪钟长鸣，以「乎」字拖音收尾，余响不绝。

Reading note The prose's sound matches its loftiness: the cadences of the essay, and the close — 'hou tian xia zhi le er le' — falls with the joy of the world, the sound of the ideal of the benevolent statesman.此段的音韵之美，在骈散相间的节奏设计与层层递进的声情配合，历来被誉为古文「有声有色」的典范。范仲淹主张「文以载道」而兼采骈俪之长，此段正见其功：「不以物喜，不以己悲」八字，四字一顿、两两相偶，如剑出鞘，斩截有力；「居庙堂之高则忧其民，处江湖之远则忧其君」两句，「居、处」「庙堂、江湖」「之高、之远」「则忧、则忧」「其民、其君」层层对偶，音节跌宕，朗读时须一口气贯注，「则忧」两字复沓处恰是声情的高潮，一忧民一忧君，回环往复，把「进退皆忧」的人格力量推至顶点；「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐」则于「忧」「乐」二字上反复回环，先—后、忧—乐、天下—天下，如钟磬交响，声情并茂，诵读至此，须放声长吟方见其气魄。而「嗟夫」「何哉」「然则」「乎」等虚词如散珠落盘，破骈偶之板滞，使全段整而不呆、散而不乱——「嗟夫」的感叹、「何哉」的设问、「然则」的转折、「乎」的咏叹，层层推进声情，把议论的每一级台阶都读得起伏分明。这种「骈散兼行、以气驭声」的散文韵律，正是宋代古文成熟期的标志，也是《岳阳楼记》能千古传诵的声律根基。

Line by line

嗟夫！予尝求古仁人之心，或异二者之为，何哉？

Alas! I have sought the mind of the ancient humane person; it perhaps differs from these two ways. Why is that?

唉！我曾经探求古代品德高尚之人的心思，或许不同于以上两种人的表现，这是为什么呢？

Alas! I have sought the mind of the ancient noble-minded person; perhaps it differs from the two types above. Why is that?

此三句是全文由景入议、由情入理的转折枢纽，也是末段议论的起势。「嗟夫」一声长叹，情绪由前文铺叙骤然凝聚，如洪钟乍响，唤起读者注意——范仲淹所叹者，非个人得失，而是世人不解古仁人之心的普遍遗憾。「予尝求」三字以第一人称领起，表明以下所论皆出自亲身求索，言之凿凿、情之切切；「古仁人之心」五字立起全文最高价值标杆——「仁人」是儒家的人格理想，「古」字赋予其历史与道统的分量，暗示这种人格古已有之、值得追慕；「或异二者之为」遥承上文「迁客骚人」因景而悲、因景而喜的两种表现，「异」字轻轻一点，已暗示古仁人超越了悲喜的循环；「何哉」二字设问自答，既提读者注意，又自然引出下文「不以物喜，不以己悲」的正面回答。三句连用「嗟夫」「尝」「或」「何」诸虚词，语气由感叹而追忆而悬想而追问，层层逼进，是议论开篇的典范。

These three phrases are the turning hinge from scenery to argument and feeling to reason, and the opening momentum of the final argument. 'Alas!' — one long sigh suddenly condenses the emotion gathered in the preceding description, like a great bell struck, catching the reader's attention. What Fan sighs over is not personal gain or loss but the universal regret that the world no longer understands the mind of the ancient humane person. 'I have sought' opens in the first person, showing all that follows from personal inquiry, spoken with conviction and deep feeling. 'The mind of the ancient humane person' sets up the highest standard: 'humane person' is the Confucian ideal, 'ancient' gives it the weight of history and the Way, hinting that such character existed long ago and is worth emulating. 'It perhaps differs from the ways of these two types' reaches back to the 'banished officials and roaming poets' above, who grieved or rejoiced with scenery; 'differs' lightly marks transcendence of the cycle. 'Why is that?' asks and answers, catching attention and leading to 'not glad for things, not grieved for self.' The three phrases use 'Alas,' 'have,' 'perhaps,' 'why' in sequence, the tone moving from sigh to recollection to surmise to questioning — a model of opening an argument.

不以物喜，不以己悲，居庙堂之高则忧其民，处江湖之远则忧其君。

He is not glad for things nor grieved for self; high in the court he grieves for his people, far on the rivers and lakes he grieves for his prince.

他们不因外物的好坏而高兴，不因自身的得失而悲伤；身居朝廷高位就为百姓忧虑，身处僻远的江湖之间就为君王忧虑。

They do not rejoice over external things nor grieve over their own lot; high in court they sorrow for the people, far away on rivers and lakes they sorrow for their prince.

此两句是全文立论之纲，也是古仁人「进退皆忧」人格的正面刻画。「不以物喜，不以己悲」八字，以双重否定破尽常人悲喜之由：「物」指身外的境遇、利害，「己」指自身的得失、荣辱，「不以物喜」破因境遇顺逆而喜忧之心，「不以己悲」破因自身利害而戚戚之态，两句互文见义，合而言之即「不为外境所动、不为得失所扰」的超然境界——对仗精工而语序倒置（物喜、己悲），「物」与「己」、「喜」与「悲」两两对举，涵盖个体情绪的全部来源，逻辑滴水不漏。继而「居庙堂之高则忧其民，处江湖之远则忧其君」分写两种处境下的忧思：「居庙堂之高」指在朝为官，「处江湖之远」指退居野处，一进一退囊括士人一生的两种处境；「则忧其民」「则忧其君」，无论进退忧思如一——在朝忧民（民本）、在野忧君（忠君），「民」与「君」正是儒家政治关怀的两极。此二句的深意在于：古仁人并非无情，而是把个人的喜悲升华为对家国天下的忧思，「不以物喜，不以己悲」不是冷漠，而是把小我之情升华为大我之忧，与末段「先忧后乐」一气贯通，构成《岳阳楼记》最著名的警策。

These are the thesis bone of the essay and the positive portrayal of the ancient humane person who 'grieves whether advancing or withdrawing.' The eight characters 'not glad for things, not grieved for self' break, through double negation, every ordinary cause of joy and sorrow: 'things' means external fortune and interest, 'self' means personal gain and honor; 'not glad for things' breaks rejoicing at favorable fortune and sorrow at the reverse, 'not grieved for self' breaks fretting over personal interest; the two lines are mutually explanatory, together meaning the transcendent state of 'not moved by outer circumstance, not disturbed by gain or loss' — tightly parallel yet inverted, 'things' against 'self,' 'glad' against 'grieved,' covering every source of emotion with logical completeness. Then 'high in the court he grieves for his people, far on the rivers and lakes he grieves for his prince' divides the grief of two stations: 'high in court' is office, 'far on rivers and lakes' is retirement; one advance, one withdrawal; 'he grieves for his people' and 'he grieves for his prince' — whether advancing or withdrawing, grief is the same, in office for the people (the people as foundation), in retirement for the prince (loyalty); 'people' and 'prince' are the two poles of Confucian political concern. The depth is that the ancient humane person is not without feeling but sublimates personal joy and grief into concern for the country; 'not glad for things, not grieved for self' is not coldness but the lifting of small self into great self, flowing with the closing 'grieve before, rejoice after' to form the essay's most famous maxim.

然则何时而乐耶？其必曰：先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐乎！

Then when does he rejoice? He must surely say: I grieve before the world grieves, I rejoice after the world rejoices!

那么什么时候才快乐呢？他们必定会说：在天下人忧愁之前先忧愁，在天下人快乐之后才快乐吧！

Then when are they happy? They must say: grieve before the world grieves, and rejoice only after the world rejoices.

此二句是全段议论的收束，也是《岳阳楼记》乃至中国士大夫精神的最高宣言。「然则何时而乐耶」再设一问，紧承「进亦忧，退亦忧」——既然进退皆忧，那么快乐在哪里？这一问把议论推向极致，也替读者问出了心中之惑；「其必曰」三字以揣度口吻作答，「必」字斩钉截铁，写古仁人乐之所在不容置疑。「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐乎」是全篇警策：以「先」「后」二字定忧乐的次序——天下未忧我先忧，天下已乐我后乐，个体的喜悲完全让位于天下的安危；对仗精工（先—后、天下之忧—天下之乐、而忧—而乐），音节铿锵，掷地有声；句末「乎」字以疑问语气出之，如钟磬余响，既见古仁人之自信，亦见作者之向往——「乎」者，其必如此、信然如此也。这两句把「不以物喜，不以己悲」的修养论推向「以天下为己任」的事功论，忧乐皆系于天下，正是范仲淹「以天下为己任」人格的终极表达，也是中华民族最伟大的精神坐标之一。

These two phrases close the argument of the passage and are the highest declaration of the Yueyang Tower Record, indeed of the Chinese scholar-official spirit. 'Then when does he rejoice?' asks again, following 'grieving whether advancing or withdrawing': if there is grief in both stations, where is joy? This question pushes the argument to its limit and voices the reader's own puzzle. 'He must surely say' answers in a tone of surmise; the word 'surely' is decisive, marking that the joy of the ancient humane person is beyond doubt. 'I grieve before the world grieves, I rejoice after the world rejoices!' is the essay's maxim: the words 'before' and 'after' fix the order of grief and joy — before the world grieves, I grieve; after the world rejoices, I rejoice; individual joy and sorrow yield wholly to the safety of the world. Tightly parallel (before-after, the world's grief-the world's joy, grieve-rejoice), sonorous and ringing. The final particle 'ah,' put as a question, is like the after-ring of a bell, showing both the ancient humane person's confidence and the author's yearning — 'ah' meaning it must be so, it is indeed so. These two phrases push the cultivation doctrine of 'not glad for things, not grieved for self' to the activist doctrine of 'taking the world as one's own burden'; grief and joy both hang on the world. It is the ultimate expression of Fan Zhongyan's character, 'taking the world as his own burden,' and one of the greatest spiritual coordinates of the Chinese nation.

Study

Word focus

求 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「予尝求古仁人之心」之「求」字，是此段立论的灵魂。「求」训探求、追寻，非泛泛之「知」或「观」——范仲淹说自己曾经苦苦探求古仁人的心思，「求」字写出一个上下求索、反复体认的过程，既见其对古人人格的景仰，也见其以仁人自期自励的襟怀。这个「求」字还暗含方法论：古仁人之心不可直接看见，只能透过其「为」（行为表现）来推求，故下文紧接「或异二者之为」，由「为」入「心」，正是「以意逆志」的推求之法。若易为「知」「闻」，则失其追寻之态与内省之诚；若易为「慕」「仰」，又失其理性探索的意味。「求」字之上冠以「尝」（曾经），更见其非一时之感，而是平生反复体认所得。一字之微，见出范仲淹「以天下为己任」的人格底色——他不是旁观者在研究仁人，而是求道者在效法仁人，此「求」字实为全文议论的第一块基石。

庙堂、江湖 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「居庙堂之高则忧其民，处江湖之远则忧其君」之「庙堂」与「江湖」，是中国政治文化中一对最富张力的空间意象。「庙堂」本指宗庙明堂，代指朝廷中枢；「江湖」本指江河湖海，代指民间野处。二字对举，划分出土人一生的两种根本处境：得君行道则为「庙堂」之臣，失意退处则为「江湖」之士。范仲淹的高明在于：他不让二者对立，而以「则忧其民」「则忧其君」的双「忧」贯穿之——进亦忧、退亦忧，「庙堂」与「江湖」在忧思中合一，个体的进退不再决定其关怀的存废。此二意象承《庄子》「相濡以沫，不如相忘于江湖」而来，而范仲淹反其意用之：不是「忘」于江湖，而是「忧」于江湖——江湖之远不能消解其忧，反而更见其忧之深。此后「庙堂江湖」成为诗文常用意象，苏轼「江湖与庙堂」、陆游「位卑未敢忘忧国」皆承此脉，「身在江湖，心存魏阙」更成士大夫的精神常态，此二意象的文化辐射力可见一斑。

先、后 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐」之「先」「后」二字，是千古名句的枢纽，也是范仲淹价值取向的最凝练表达。「先」训在……之前，「后」训在……之后，二字对举，定出忧与乐的次序：天下之忧在前，我先忧之；天下之乐在后，我后乐之。这个次序安排的深意有三：其一，写责任的优先——天下有难，我当率先担当，「先」字见出「以天下为己任」的主动精神；其二，写享受的退让——天下已乐，我不与民争乐，「后」字见出「功成不必在我」的谦抑品格；其三，合观「先忧后乐」，忧在乐先、公在私先，个体的情绪完全让位于天下的安危，这正是儒家「杀身成仁」「舍生取义」精神的日常化表达。若次序颠倒（先乐后忧），则精神全失——「先」「后」二字的次序，正是此句千百年来感召人心的关键，也是范仲淹「先忧后乐」人格最凝练的符号。