孔廟之霹靂樹

這是一個令人震驚的記憶。

若干年前的一個秋季的下午，本來天空并沒有多少云，但是大約到了四點多一點的時候，從孔廟上空的東南方向，也就是人們現(xiàn)在所知道的九龍山方向，開始有一坨又一坨厚厚的云層秘密聚集。許多人看見，開始云層雖然密厚，但卻是白色的，且近似凝滯，靜靜地定在九龍山頂就不動了，讓人這么無端地觀賞著。這樣的情景大約過了一個多小時，九龍山方向的云層就開始慢慢變灰，灰得沉重，灰得近似烏云。整個九龍山一帶就在烏云密布的壓迫下失去了顏色。天，黑得低矮，低矮得伸手就可以夠得著。然后緊接著就有了風從南邊過來，推動著烏云由南向北涌去，就到了孔廟的上空。這時的天空已經(jīng)非常嚴肅，孔廟里也已經(jīng)寂靜，云卻涌得很急，風也很急，有一道又一道的巨大閃電在孔廟上空劃過，大地的一切都在閃電的照耀下暴露無遺，劈啪劈啪的雨點從零碎很快就變成一片，并且越來越大。

一場奇異的大雨就這樣降臨了。

太大的雨很快就使孔廟的平地上有了大片大片的積水，太急太大的風用力撼動著孔廟里的一切，古老的柏樹也無法擺脫風的摧拉。電閃雷鳴急風大雨膠著在一起，使人感到孔廟里好像要發(fā)生什么一般。

其實，因為大雨阻隔的緣故，這天晚上沒有人發(fā)現(xiàn)孔廟里究竟發(fā)生了什么。第二天早晨才有人清楚而驚訝地看見這棵巨大的柏樹就這樣被雷電擊斃了。有人猜測大樹被雷電擊倒的情景:先是天空的一道巨大閃電劃過，然后就迅速變化成一個巨大的火球在樹頂挑著燃燒，緊接著火球像融化的琉璃順著樹頂流下來，流到樹身之時立刻將大樹融焦撕裂，然后不屑一顧地隨便扔在那里就不管了#8943;#8943;

但是，若干年后的今天，人們?nèi)匀豢梢钥匆娺@棵古老而命疾的柏樹靜靜地哀鳴在那里，并且在被孔廟的管理人員認真管理著的同時無聲地向世人訴說著它的歷史。

On an autumn afternoon many years ago， at first there were few clouds in the sky. However， at about four o’clock， over the Jiulong Mountain to the southeast of the Confucian Temple， thick cloud layers started to mass together from various directions. Many people found that the white cloud layer seemed to pause over the Jiulong Mountain. About half an hour later， the cloud layer gradually became grey. Under the dense dark clouds， the entire Jiulong Mountain lost it original colors. The sky became so low that as if it could be touched by hand. Suddenly winds， blowing from south， pushed the dark clouds rushing to the north， and then reached the sky over the Confucian Temple. By that time， the sky had become very somber and it was silent in the Confucian Temple. Suddenly， continuous flashes of lightning shot across the sky. Then heavy rain fell to the ground.

The heavy rain produced floods on the land of the Confucian Temple. The powerful wind blew everything in the temple. The ancient pine tree could not escape from the striking destruction.

The next day， people were surprised to find that the ancient pine tree had been killed by a thunderbolt. Some people imagined the scene when the tree was destroyed by the thunderbolt: First， a flash of lightning crossed the sky. Then a giant fire ball burned over the crown of the tree. Then the fire ball， like melting glass， flew downward from the crown and burned the trunk…

Nowadays， the dead pine tree still remains at the place where it was killed by the thunderbolt and is still well maintained by the workers responsible for protecting the Confucian Temple.

《論語》:學而篇

子曰:“學而時習之，不亦說乎?有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎?人不知，而不慍，不亦君子乎?”

孔子說:“學了又時常溫習和練習，不是很愉快嗎?有志同道合的人從遠方來，不是很令人高興的嗎?人家不了解我，我也不怨恨、惱怒，不也是一個有德的君子嗎?”

這三句話是人們非常熟悉的。反映出孔子學而不厭、誨人不倦、注重修養(yǎng)、嚴格要求自己的主張。

The Master said， “To learn and at due times to repeat what one has learnt， is that not after all a pleasure? That friends should come to one from afar， is this not after all delightful? To Remain unsourced even though one’s merits are unrecognized by others， is that not after all what is expected of a gentleman?”

子曰:“巧言令色，鮮仁矣。”

孔子說:“花言巧語，裝出和顏悅色的樣子，這種人的仁心就很少了。”

儒家崇尚質(zhì)樸，反對花言巧語;主張說話應(yīng)謹慎小心，說到做到，先做后說，反對說話辦事隨心所欲，只說不做，停留在口頭上。這種踏實態(tài)度和質(zhì)樸精神長期影響著中國人，成為中華傳統(tǒng)思想文化中的精華內(nèi)容。

The Master said， “‘Clever talk and a pretentious manner’ are seldom found in the Good.”