唐 Tang · 文 Prose
原毁
On the Root of Slander
古之君子，其责己也重以周，其待人也轻以约。
重以周，故不怠；
轻以约，故人乐为善。
闻古之人有舜者，其为人也，仁义人也。
求其所以为舜者，责于己曰：彼，人也，予，人也。
Their treating of others, light and sparing.
Heavy and complete, therefore not negligent;
Light and sparing, therefore the men are glad to do the good.
Hearing that the ancient man, there was Shun,
His being a man, a man of the benevolence and the righteousness.
Seeking the way of his being Shun,
Reproaching himself, saying: he, a man; I, a man.
He can be so, and I, why can I not be so?
Seeking the way of his being,
Seeking the way of his not being,
Therefore the not easy to reproach oneself, with the light and the sparing, is this.
Meaning
A treatise of the reproaching of oneself and the slander, written by Han Yu. The gentlemen of the ancient times, their reproaching of themselves, heavy and complete, their treating of others, light and sparing — the reproaching of the self and the sparing of the others. Heavy and complete, therefore not negligent; light and sparing, therefore the men are glad to do the good — the not negligent and the glad to do the good. Hearing that the ancient man, there was Shun, his being a man, a man of the benevolence and the righteousness — the ancient man Shun, the man of the benevolence. Seeking the way of his being Shun, reproaching himself, saying: he, a man; I, a man. He can be so, and I, why can I not be so? — the seeking of the way and the reproaching. The treatise is the reproaching of the self: the heavy and complete reproaching, the light and sparing treating, and the example of Shun.
古代的君子，他们要求自己严格而全面，对待别人宽容而简约。要求自己严格而全面，所以不会懈怠；对待别人宽容而简约，所以别人乐于做好事。听说古代的人中有个叫舜的，他的为人，是讲究仁义的人。人们探求舜之所以成为舜的原因，就要求自己说：他是人，我也是人；他能这样，我为什么不能这样呢？
Appreciation
[Plain Paraphrase] The gentlemen of the ancient times, their reproaching of themselves, heavy and complete, their treating of others, light and sparing. Heavy and complete, therefore not negligent; light and sparing, therefore the men are glad to do the good. Hearing that the ancient man, there was Shun, his being a man, a man of the benevolence and the righteousness. Seeking the way of his being Shun, reproaching himself, saying: he, a man; I, a man. He can be so, and I, why can I not be so? [Structure and Thought] The treatise moves from the reproaching of the self and the sparing of the others, through the not negligent and the glad to do the good, to the example of Shun and the seeking of the way with the reproaching of the self. [Key Technique] The treatise's art is the contrast of the self and the others: the heavy and complete reproaching of the self against the light and sparing treating of the others; and the example of Shun, the man of the benevolence — the reproaching of the self gathered in the contrast and the example. [Emotional Tone] Solemn, upright, and admonishing: the treatise is the reproaching of the self, the heavy and the light, and the example of Shun.
【白话串讲】 韩愈写《原毁》：“古之君子，其责己也重以周，其待人也轻以约”——古人严格要求自己，宽容待人。“今之君子则不然，其责人也详，其待己也廉”——现在的人要求别人严，要求自己宽。他写人性中的毁谤。 【意象与手法】 本文是典范的论说文：先立论（古之君子责己重以周、待人轻以约），次论证（重以周故不怠、轻以约故人乐为善），再举例（以舜为法），层层递进，逻辑严密。「重以周」与「轻以约」的对举、「古之君子」与下文「今之君子」的对比，构成全文的骨架；句式骈散兼行，「也」字判断句与「故」字因果句交错，庄重而流畅。 【情感与主旨】 以古之君子的修身之道为标尺，针砭中唐士人「责人详、待己廉」的毁谤之风，倡导「躬自厚而薄责于人」的君子人格，寄寓韩愈整饬士风、恢复古道的社会理想。 【名句点睛】 「其责己也重以周，其待人也轻以约」以对偶句式标举全篇纲领，成为后世论修身立德者反复援引的名言。
Background
Han Yu (768–824), the leader of the classical prose movement of the Tang, wrote this 'On the Root of Slander' of the reproaching of the self — the slander and the root. The heavy and complete reproaching of the self with the light and sparing treating of the others, the not negligent and the glad to do the good, and the example of Shun with the seeking of the way and the reproaching of the self — the treatise gathers the reproaching of the self, the root of the slander. The treatise is one of the famous prose works of the master.
《原毁》是韩愈「五原」之一（《原道》《原性》《原毁》《原人》《原鬼》），约作于贞元年间（795—800）。韩愈（768—824），字退之，河阳（今河南孟州）人，郡望昌黎，世称韩昌黎，官至吏部侍郎，谥文，世称韩文公。他倡导古文运动，主张「文以明道」「文从字顺」，苏轼赞其「文起八代之衰，道济天下之溺」。唐自安史之乱后，朝纲失序，朋党相攻，士大夫中盛行「事修而谤兴，德高而毁来」的风气：责人唯恐不严，律己唯恐不宽，好以毁谤他人来抬高自己。韩愈目击时弊，又自伤怀才不遇、屡遭毁谤（其应试与仕途屡受排抑），故著《原毁》以明「责己重以周、待人轻以约」之古道。「原」即推究本原，文题意为「推究毁谤之风产生的根源」。此节选为全文首段，先立古之君子之准则，为后文「今之君子」的反面论证张本，是韩愈论说文「首段立骨」的典型。又「原」为推究之义，《原毁》即推究毁谤之风产生之根源；全文以古之君子与今之君子对比立论，此节选虽仅及古之君子，而批判之锋芒已蓄势待发，为后文揭露「今之君子」责人详、待己廉的时弊埋下伏笔。
Art
The treatise's art is the art of the reproaching of the self. The contrast opens: the gentlemen of the ancient times, their reproaching of themselves, heavy and complete, their treating of others, light and sparing — the heavy and complete reproaching of the self, the light and sparing treating of the others. The effect follows: heavy and complete, therefore not negligent; light and sparing, therefore the men are glad to do the good — the not negligent and the glad. The example: hearing that the ancient man, there was Shun, his being a man, a man of the benevolence and the righteousness — the man of the benevolence; seeking the way of his being Shun, reproaching himself, saying: he, a man; I, a man. He can be so, and I, why can I not be so? — the seeking of the way and the reproaching. And the close gathers the root: seeking the way of his being, seeking the way of his not being, therefore the not easy to reproach oneself, with the light and the sparing, is this — the not easy of the reproaching — the reproaching of the self, the contrast and the example, gathered in the close.
此段虽短，却可见韩愈论说文的全部章法。结构上采取「立论—论证—举例」的三段式：首句「古之君子，其责己也重以周，其待人也轻以约」以对偶句立纲，开宗明义；次句「重以周，故不怠；轻以约，故人乐为善」以因果推理阐发准则的必然之理，一正一反、一内一外，逻辑密合无间；后两句举舜为例，「闻古之人有舜者，其为人也，仁义人也」先述舜之为人，「求其所以为舜者，责于己曰：彼，人也，予，人也」再写古之君子向舜看齐的自省姿态，将抽象准则落实为具体行为。手法上最突出的是对偶与排比：「责己」「待人」对举，「重以周」「轻以约」对举，「故不怠」「故人乐为善」对举，句句成偶而意有侧重；「彼，人也，予，人也」以两个三字短句顿挫而出，如自问自答，见其自省之切。语言上骈散兼行，议论句用「也」「故」等虚词承转，叙述句以散行出之，庄重而不板滞，正合「文从字顺」之旨。又此段每层皆以「古之君子」领起，先总后分，纲目分明，读者循序而进，自能见其立论之坚实、推理之缜密与行文之从容。
Allusions
'Shun' (Shun) is the sage emperor of the ancient — the man of the benevolence and the righteousness, the example of the reproaching; 'the reproaching of oneself' (ze ji) is the reproaching of the self — the heavy and complete reproaching; 'the treating of others' (dai ren) is the treating of the others — the light and sparing treating; 'the root of the slander' (yuan hui) is the root of the slander — the root of the slander of the title.
「责己」「待人」的修身传统，其源在儒家经典。《论语·卫灵公》「躬自厚而薄责于人，则远怨矣」即是「重以周、轻以约」的思想先声；《论语·里仁》「见贤思齐焉，见不贤而内自省也」又为「求其所以为舜者」的自省提供了依据。举舜为例尤有深意：舜是儒家推崇的至德之君，其名见于《尚书·尧典》与《孟子》，而「彼，人也，予，人也」的自勉语式，直接化用《孟子·滕文公上》「舜何人也，予何人也，有为者亦若是」——孟子以「人皆可以为尧舜」立说，韩愈引之，意在说明：舜与常人同类，故古之君子以舜为镜，责己至严而不敢自宽。此段还暗含「取法乎上」的文化心理：以圣人为标准要求自己，则「重以周」有其极；以常人为标准宽容他人，则「轻以约」有其度。在文体渊源上，《原毁》承先秦诸子论说与汉人议论文脉，而首段「立准则—推其理—举其证」的写法，又开后世论说文「起承转合」之先声，是「古文」之「古」的又一注脚。又「舜」为儒家「法先王」的典范，以舜立标，正是韩愈「道统」观念（尧舜禹汤文武周公孔孟一脉）在修身层面的具体化，可见其「原毁」之论实根于对儒家道统的继承与捍卫。
Commentary
This treatise is one of the famous prose works of Han Yu, quoted for the contrast of the self and the others. The heavy and complete reproaching against the light and sparing treating, and the example of Shun, are among the admired passages of the master's prose. Critics praise the treatise's uprightness: the reproaching of the self gathered in the contrast and the example, the root of the slander.
《原毁》在韩愈散文中地位甚高，与《师说》《马说》并为论说文名篇，历代古文选本皆录。其价值有四：其一，思想价值——「责己重以周、待人轻以约」提出了一套完整的修身伦理学，将《论语》「躬自厚而薄责于人」的箴言系统化、论证化，成为后世「严于律己、宽以待人」这一道德格言的思想源头；其二，批判价值——本文虽节选仅及「古之君子」，然其矛头直指中唐「今之君子」的毁谤之风，是「文以明道」主张的实践，亦可见韩愈作为士大夫的批判勇气；其三，文学价值——苏轼评韩愈「文起八代之衰」，此段骈散兼行、虚实相生的行文，正是「八代之衰」之后古文复兴的标本，欧阳修、王安石、苏轼等宋人论说文皆从此出；其四，现实意义——对当代人际批评、自我修养仍有启发：责己严则成己，责人宽则成物，这一古老智慧历千年而不磨。选本多以本文与《师说》并读，正取其「论道」「论学」「论毁」的三面观照。
Prosody
Line by line
古之君子，其责己也重以周，其待人也轻以约。
The gentlemen of the ancient times, their reproaching of themselves, heavy and complete, their treating of others, light and sparing.
古代的君子，他们要求自己严格而全面，对待别人则宽容而简约。这是全文立论的纲领，以对偶句式标举「古之君子」的修身准则。
The gentleman of old was severe and thorough in demanding of himself, yet lenient and brief in treating others.
此句为全篇立骨之句，以工整的对偶托出两个核心概念：「责己」对「待人」，一内一外，划出修身的两重维度；「重以周」对「轻以约」，一严一宽，标出待人接物的两种态度。「重以周」是要求自己严格（重）而全面（周），唯恐己之不善；「轻以约」是要求别人宽容（轻）而简约（约），不苛求于人。这四字的对举，实含儒家「忠恕之道」的深义——「重以周」近于「忠」的尽己，「轻以约」近于「恕」的推己及人；而「古之君子」的提法，则为下文「今之君子」的反面论证预埋伏笔，暗含「今不如古」的价值判断。句式的安排尤见匠心：两个「其……也」的分句以「也」字提顿，音节舒缓庄重，如古乐序曲，为全篇定下雅正的基调，也确立了「责己严、待人宽」这一贯穿两千年的道德坐标。
This line is the whole essay's bone-establishing sentence, holding two core concepts in refined parallel: demanding of himself against treating others, one inner one outer, drawing the two dimensions of self-cultivation; severe and thorough against lenient and brief, one strict one lenient, marking the two attitudes toward men. Severe and thorough means demanding of oneself strictly (heavy) and comprehensively (all), fearing one's own lack of good; lenient and brief means requiring of others tolerantly (light) and simply (few), not being harsh on men. This four-character contrast in truth holds the deep meaning of Confucius and Mencius's way of loyalty and reciprocity - severe and thorough approaches loyalty's exhausting of self; lenient and brief approaches reciprocity's extending of self to others. And the gentleman of old's naming plants the伏笔 for the later modern gentleman's counter-argument, secretly holding the judgment that the age is inferior to antiquity. The sentence's arrangement shows special craft: the two such clauses with their提顿, the rhythm unhurried and solemn, like the overture of ancient music, setting the essay's elegant, upright keynote, and establishing the moral coordinate of strict self-demand and lenient treatment of others that has run through two thousand years.
重以周，故不怠；轻以约，故人乐为善。
Heavy and complete, therefore not negligent; light and sparing, therefore the men are glad to do the good.
要求自己严格而全面，所以不会懈怠；对待别人宽容而简约，所以别人乐于做好事。两句以因果推理说明「重以周」「轻以约」的必然之效。
Severe and thorough with himself, he is never slack; lenient and brief toward others, men delight in doing good.
此句紧承上句，以「故」字引出因果推理，使立论由「是什么」推进到「为什么」，逻辑严密如环。前半「重以周，故不怠」：对自己要求严格而全面，则时时感到己之不足，如逆水行舟，不敢有一刻松懈，「不怠」是「责己严」的自然结果，亦是成德的必要条件；后半「轻以约，故人乐为善」：对他人宽容简约，则人不惧责难、不虞挑剔，自然乐于向善——「乐」字最妙，写宽容所激发的是发自内心的向善之情，而非迫于压力的勉强之为。两句一主内、一主外，一防「怠」、一劝「善」，把修身与治人（与人相处之道）贯通起来，见出儒家「修己以安人」的思想脉络。句式上「重以周，故不怠；轻以约，故人乐为善」整齐如对联而长短错综，「故」字两见，如双楔打入，使论理坚实不移；而「不怠」与「乐为善」的对照，也暗含韩愈对「今之君子」责人严而自待宽的反讽。
This line closely follows the above, using hence to introduce causal reasoning, advancing the argument from what it is to why, the logic tight as a ring. The first half - severe and thorough with himself, he is never slack: requiring of oneself strictly and comprehensively, one constantly feels one's own insufficiency, like a boat rowing against the current, not daring a moment's laxity; never slack is the natural result of strict self-demand, and the necessary condition of forming virtue. The second half - lenient and brief toward others, men delight in doing good: being tolerant and simple with others, men fear no blame, expect no carping, naturally delight in turning toward good; delight is most subtle, writing that what tolerance inspires is the heart-felt turn toward good, not compelled effort. The two lines one governs the inner, one the outer; one guards against slackness, one exhorts goodness,贯通 self-cultivation with governing men (the way of getting along with others), showing the Confucian intellectual line of cultivating oneself to bring peace to others. In syntax, severe and thorough, hence never slack; lenient and brief, hence men delight in doing good is regular like a couplet yet varying in length; hence appears twice, like double wedges driven in, making the argument solid and immovable; and never slack set against delight in doing good also secretly holds Han Yu's satire of the modern gentlemen who are severe blaming others and lenient toward themselves.
闻古之人有舜者，其为人也，仁义人也。
Hearing that among the ancients there was Shun, such was his character - a man of humanity and duty.
听说古代的人中有个叫舜的，他的为人，是讲究仁义的人。这是以舜为例证明「古之君子」的标准并非虚悬，而是有圣贤可法。
Hearing that among the ancients there was one named Shun - such was his character, a man of humanity and righteousness.
此句由理论转入例证，举舜为「古之君子」的最高标本。「闻古之人有舜者」以「闻」字领起，如史官追述，郑重其事；「其为人也，仁义人也」以判断句式直断舜之品格，「仁义」二字是儒家道德的最高范畴，以此为舜定性，可见标准之高。选舜为例有三层深意：其一，舜出身微贱（传说耕于历山、陶于河滨），与「古之君子」的普遍性相合，证明「重以周、轻以约」非贵族专利；其二，舜是「人皆可以为尧舜」的典范（《孟子》语），以舜为镜，则「责己重以周」有了可企及的目标，不至于望而却步；其三，舜之德重在孝悌仁爱，正与「待人轻以约」的宽厚相印证——仁者爱人，故能恕以待人。此句在行文上承上启下：上承「人乐为善」之论，下启「求其所以为舜者」的自省，使抽象的准则因圣贤之例而落到实处，是论说文「举例证理」的范式。
This line turns from theory to example, citing Shun as the highest model of the gentleman of old. Hearing that among the ancients there was Shun opens with hearing, like a historian recounting, solemn. Such was his character, a man of humanity and righteousness directly judges Shun's character in the judgment form; humanity and duty are the highest Confucian moral categories, so defining Shun shows the standard's height. Choosing Shun as example has three layers of depth: first, Shun was born low (legendary plowing on Mount Li, pottery by the river), fitting the universality of the gentleman of old, proving severe and thorough, lenient and brief is not the nobility's monopoly. Second, Shun is the model of any man can become Yao or Shun (Mencius); taking Shun as a mirror gives severe and thorough demand of self an attainable goal, not something to cower from. Third, Shun's virtue lies in filial piety, fraternity, and love, precisely印证 lenient and brief's generosity - the humane love men, hence can be forgiving toward others. This line in the writing connects above and below: receiving the argument of men delight in doing good, opening the later seeking the reasons Shun became Shun's self-examination, making the abstract standard concrete through the sage's example - the model of the argumentative essay's proving principle by example.
求其所以为舜者，责于己曰：彼，人也，予，人也。
Seeking the reasons Shun became Shun, they demand of themselves: he is a man; I am a man.
人们探求舜之所以成为舜的原因，就要求自己说：他是人，我也是人；他能做到仁义，我为什么不能呢？这是古之君子见贤思齐、反躬自省的具体写照。
They seek the reasons Shun became Shun, and demand of themselves: he is a man, and I too am a man.
此句为全段点睛，把「责己重以周」落实为具体的心智活动。「求其所以为舜者」写古之君子不满足于泛泛称美，而是追问「舜何以为舜」——探求其德行的成因，以便仿效；「责于己曰」更以「责」字见自省之严：不是欣赏，而是责问自己。核心是「彼，人也，予，人也」八字：以「彼」（舜）与「予」（我）对举，两人同属「人」类，则舜能行仁义，我亦当能行仁义——这正是孟子「有为者亦若是」的翻版，把「圣凡同体」的信念化为鞭策自己的动力。句式的短促顿挫极富表现力：「彼，人也，予，人也」以两个三字短句两两相对，如对镜自问，一字一顿，见其自省之诚；「也」字两见，语气恳切，如誓言自誓。此句写的是「责己重以周」的最高境界：以圣人为尺度衡量自己，则己之不善无所遁形。韩愈以此收束首段，为后文写「今之君子」之「责人也详、待己也廉」的反面形态立下鲜明的对照，全篇的批判锋芒已在此蓄势待发。
This line is the whole passage's eye,落实 severe and thorough demand of self into concrete mental activity. Seeking the reasons Shun became Shun writes the gentleman of old not content with vague praise, but asking why Shun was Shun - seeking the causes of his virtue in order to imitate. Demand of themselves writes the strictness of self-examination through one demand: not admiration, but questioning oneself. The core is the eight characters he is a man; I am a man: setting he (Shun) and I against each other, both belong to the category of man; if Shun could practice humanity and duty, I too should be able to - precisely the adaptation of Mencius's one who acts is also thus, converting the belief that sage and ordinary share the same substance into the driving lash of self. The short, broken sentences are most expressive: he is a man, I am a man, two three-character short lines paired, like asking oneself before a mirror, one character one beat, showing the sincerity of self-examination; the appears twice, the tone earnest, like swearing an oath. This line writes the highest realm of severe and thorough self-demand: using the sage as the measure, one's own lack of good has no hiding place. Han Yu closes the first section with this, setting the modern gentleman's detailed blaming of others and lax treatment of self as the sharp contrast below; the whole essay's critical edge is here storing its force.
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Han Yu's 'On Teachers' — 'the teachers, so to pass on the way' — is the admonition of the teachers; 'On the Root of Slander' — 'the reproaching of themselves, heavy and complete' — is the admonition of the reproaching — the two admonitions of the master, the one of the teachers, the other of the reproaching.
《师说》与《原毁》皆为韩愈古文运动的代表作：《师说》倡「师道」，力破「耻学于师」的时弊；《原毁》明「毁道」，针砭「事修而谤兴」的士风。二文皆以「古」立论——《原毁》标举「古之君子」，《师说》标举「古之学者」，以古道之失传讽今人之失德；皆以对比为骨——《原毁》对比古之君子与今之君子，《师说》对比「古之圣人」与「今之众人」；皆以排比、对偶增其气势。差异在于，《师说》重在论证「从师」的必要与标准（闻道有先后、术业有专攻），《原毁》重在揭示「责己」与「待人」的道德分野。二文合观，正见韩愈论说文「文以明道」的一贯主张与「气盛言宜」的同一风格，是学习唐宋古文的最佳入口。
马说·版本二 On Horses 韩愈 · 同为韩愈托物言志之文，一正论一寓言 Both are the treatises of Han Yu — the horses of the talents, the reproaching of the self — the two works of the master's admonition.Han Yu's 'On Horses' — 'there are not the horses of the world' — is the admonition of the talents; 'On the Root of Slander' — 'the root of the slander' — is the admonition of the reproaching — the two works of the master, the one of the horses, the other of the slander.
《马说》以千里马喻贤才、以伯乐喻识才者，《原毁》以「古之君子」立修身之标尺，二文同为韩愈慨叹人才问题的名篇：《马说》叹「千里马常有，而伯乐不常有」的识才之难，《原毁》斥「今之君子」毁才害能的谤才之恶，一叹一斥，互为表里。写法上，《马说》是寓言式的托物言志，借马之遭遇寄怀才不遇之愤，笔锋犀利而含蓄；《原毁》是正面的论说立理，先立古之准则而后斥今之谬行，论证严密而激切。二文皆写于韩愈早年困顿之时，皆含自伤不遇的牢骚与匡正时弊的抱负，合观可见韩愈散文由寓言（马说）到论说（原毁）、由形象到逻辑的两种形态，及其「不平则鸣」的创作精神。
问说 On Asking 刘开 · 同承韩愈论说传统的清代「说」体名篇 Both are the treatises of the asking and the learning — the asking of Liu Zongyuan, the reproaching of Han Yu — the two admonitions of the learning.Liu Zongyuan's 'On Asking' — 'the learning, the asking' — is the admonition of the asking; Han Yu's 'On the Root of Slander' — 'the reproaching of the self' — is the admonition of the reproaching — the two admonitions of the learning, the one of the asking, the other of the reproaching.
刘开《问说》「君子之学必好问」与《原毁》「古之君子，其责己也重以周」，皆为「说」体论说文，皆以「古之君子」立论、以古今对比立骨，可见韩愈所开创的古文论说传统至清代仍绵延不绝。《问说》论「问」之益，引《周礼》《尚书》为证，行文缜密而稍见滞重；《原毁》论「责己待人」之道，举舜为例，行文雄辩而气盛。二文同标「古」以纠时弊——韩愈针砭中唐毁谤之风，刘开针砭乾嘉空疏之习，皆体现论说文「明道救世」的传统。合观二文，既能见唐宋古文对清代桐城文派（刘开为姚鼐弟子）的直接影响，也能体会「说」体由唐至清在章法、语言上的承变，是考察中国论说文流变的上佳对照。