"寡人"意义考辨

“寡人”一词在古代注疏中一般都认为是君王用以自称的谦词,含有“少德之人”的含义。“寡人”在先秦典籍《左传》中,并不是一个自谦的词,而是一个能够标明诸侯的等级和特定身份即他的“嫡正”身份的一个词。也不含有“少德”之意,“少德”之意的注疏,是汉以后儒学占统治地位后,一些儒学大师以“温良恭俭让”为思维准则,主观臆断的结果。

Verify the Meaning of "Guaren"

In notes on earlier authoritative commentary,"Guaren" is commonly regarded as a self-styled address for the sovereign who had a lowly heart,implying "man of scant morals." In Zuo Zhuan,an ancient work of the Pre-Qin Dynasty,however,it referred to the hierarchical level of seigneur and their specific position,i.e.an address for lineal royal descent,not one for self-abasement.While the "less-morals" explanation in ancient commentaries were injected by those predominant Confucians after the Han Dynasty,who kept the principles "Wen,Liang,Gong,Jian,Rang;" it was based on their own supposition.