摘要
王国维自沉前夜曾撰有遗书一纸,这是考察王国维死因最基本、最重要的文献。遗书起笔十六字虽言语隐约,但实际潜藏的信息指向还是大致明确的。遗书文字关于后事与家事的安排,以简单为原则。安排家人暂于北京城内居住,嘱次子高明因交通不便不必北上奔丧,都体现了王国维对“世变”的基本判断,与“义无再辱”四字可以对勘。“只欠一死”与他致罗振玉信“恨不死于去年”云云须合并而观,所欠之死根于长子之丧与挚友之绝。“义无再辱”之“辱”乃指道义、人格和精神之侮辱,偏重于个人之遭遇。王国维对“世变”的判断主要与梁启超有关,源于国民革命军北伐中对若干知识分子的肆意践踏。因为久蓄死志,故王国维不愿进城或去日本暂避,更不愿自剪辫子,遂以从容之态赴死。遗书所展现的是一个受尽人生磨难不愿再经受任何道义和人格之辱的王国维的最后心迹。将其自沉解为殉清或其他,乃是当时主流群体对之的集体误读。
Wang Guowei wrote a suicide note on the night before he drowned himself,which is the most essential and important document to examine the cause of his death.Although the meaning in the sixteen words seems vague,the actual latent message remains clear.The note,writen out of simplicity,involves arrangements about his funeral and family affairs.Arranging for his family to live temporarily in Beijing,and instructing his second son Gaoming not to attend the funeral due to the inconvenience of transportation,both reflect Wang Guowei's judgment of the"world change,"which can be reconciled with the words""no further humiliation of righteousness."In addition,the remark"I only owe a death"should be understood in line with the statement in his letter to Luo Zhenyu-"I hate not dying last year"in that the pessimism lies in the death of his eldest son and the termination of the friendship.The""humiliation"in"no further humiliation of righteousness"refers to moral,personal and spiritual humiliation,esp.in terms of his personal encounters.Wang Guowei's judgment of the"world change"is related to the experience of Liang Qichao,mainly due to the trampling of some intellectuals'dignity in the Northern Expedition of the National Revolutionary Army.Because of his long-held will to die,Wang would neither take refuge in the city or in Japan,nor had his braid cut.Instead,he went to his doom calmly.The suicide note shows the final thoughts of Wang Guowei,who,having suffered from life's hardships,was unwilling to undergo any further moral and personal humiliation.Interpreting his suicide as martyrdom to the imperial house or otherwise is a collective misinterpretation of the mainstream group at the time.
作者
彭玉平
Peng Yuping(Department of Chinese Language and Literature,Sun Yat-Sen University,Guangzhou 510275,China)
出处
《复旦学报（社会科学版）》
北大核心
2023年第4期51-67,共17页
Fudan Journal（Social Sciences）
关键词
王国维
遗书
世变
“恨不死于去年”
长子之丧
挚友之绝
侮辱
Wang Guowei
suicide note
world change
“"I hate not dying last year",death of the eldest son
termination of the friendship
humiliation
