不久前，曲阜“三孔”迎来了一位远方的客人――法国前总统吉斯卡尔?德斯坦。 现年78岁的德斯坦先生曾于1974年至1981年担任法国总统，在此期间为促进中法两国关系和双边经贸合作作出了贡献。2003年2月他又出任欧盟制宪委员会主席，还担任着法国企业家协会法中委员会主席，至今仍是活跃于国际政治舞台的举足轻重的政治家。近年来，德斯坦先生每年都来中国访问，此次他在赴上海参加“中法经济研讨会”期间，表达了访问孔子与孟子故乡的意愿。
德斯坦先生说：“来曲阜拜访孔子是我许久以来的一个心愿，但真正成行还需要许多机缘。前不久我在法国的集美博物馆看到了孔子文化展，精美的展品和图片深深地打动了我，于是我下决心马上到孔子的故乡去！”
细游“三孔”
德斯坦先生、法国驻华大使蓝峰一行五人轻车简从，以普通游客的身份在“三孔”参观游览。每到幽静之处，德斯坦先生都会独自悠闲漫步，享受清雅和谐的人文环境。在大成殿，他仔细听取讲解，对“万世师表”、“斯文在兹”的匾额研究再三，仔细理解其中含义；在奎文阁，他浏览“孔子圣迹图”，仔细听取导游讲解孔子周游列国的故事；在杏坛，当他了解到这里是最早的“学堂”时，颔首称是，并询问起眼前杏树的来历；在孔宅古井前，他询问孔子是否喝过这里的水，还用中文说道：“我很想到孔子的出生地看一看。”
当德斯坦先生来到诗礼堂前时，曲阜市人民政府外事办公室主任孔祥成指着两株千年银杏树向德斯坦先生介绍：“银杏在当地风俗中是儒雅圣洁的象征，我们将以诗礼银杏的最高礼节欢迎德斯坦先生。”此时，在孔庙游览的一些游客认出了德斯坦先生，他们向德斯坦先生挥手致意，欢迎这位来自远方的朋友。
孔子墓前静思
在游览孔林的时候，德斯坦先生几次示意停车，步行游览，他在幽静小道上流连忘返，并感慨地说：“在这里应该放轻脚步，静静地思考。”
走过洙水桥，德斯坦先生来到孔子墓前，尽管这里游人如织，德斯坦先生还是伫立于此，闭上眼睛静思良久。在游览了别处景点后，德斯坦先生又来到孔子墓前，他示意周围的游客稍稍让开，重又闭目静思。他认为：“在这样的圣洁之地，噪音是最大的污染。”
简单的午餐之后，按活动安排应去邹城参观孟庙。德斯坦先生却提议改变计划，他还要再去一趟孔林。此时游客已大多散去，孔林安静了许多，德斯坦先生下车，径自前行，又一次来到孔子墓前。这一次他伫立很久。在返回的路上，他说：“我最早在西安就见过孔子的画像，据说那是能见到的最早的孔子画像，一直记忆犹新，在孔子墓前一点点回想，感到更加真切。”
点评《论语》
为直接阅读中文原著，德斯坦先生在古稀之年学起了中文，而且进步之快让人吃惊。前几年他在中国参加一次文化研讨会时，居然用中文朗读了孔子的名句“君子无所争，必也射乎。揖让而升，下而饮，其争也君子”。
德斯坦先生说：“我经常读的是英文版的《论语》，书的序言写得很好，能让人全面了解孔子的思想，我也喜欢翻一翻中文版《论语》，我与孔子有许多同感，孔子‘信而好古’，对前贤的思想与业绩非常推崇，我很赞赏这一点，对在历史上作出贡献的人总是带有崇敬的心情。”他补充说：“孔子是了不起的哲学家，他的大同思想、和谐发展思想非常有价值，而且孔子为他的理论阐述找到了很多证据，这显示出他的理论博大精深，我特别喜欢看这些具体的证据，非常有说服力。”
在曲阜参观过程中，德斯坦先生随身带着英文版《论语》，当谈起孔子曾经说过的两种成功的人――一种是靠冒险取得成功的人，一种是靠谨慎从事获得成功的人，他说：“我赞赏那种谨慎从事获得成功的人。”他和蓝峰大使一道从书中找到了出处，对应于中文版《论语》，是《述而》篇中的一段：“子曰：暴虎冯河，死而无悔者，吾不与也。必也临事而惧，好谋而成者也。”由此可见，德斯坦先生对《论语》研究思考的深度。
德斯坦先生说：“很遗憾，现在在法国真正去研究孔子和儒家思想的人还比较少，儒家文化是中国文化的核心与关键，在中国经济发展得到举世公认的时候，中国文化也应该得到更大范围的肯定。”他说：“现在世界上各种冲突很多，许多国家解决问题的手段比较简单，孔子的思想讲究中庸和谐，多作些研究也许对解决问题能有帮助。”
钟情齐鲁文化
德斯坦先生早年就开始研究中国历史文化，对汉、宋、明、清的历史文化有独到研究，尤其关注19世纪的中国史。在了解到齐鲁文化在中国文化中独特的地位与影响后，他表示出浓厚的兴趣。山东省人民政府外事办公室欧非处处长封燕文向德斯坦先生介绍了山东的有关情况，当谈到承载中国两千多年文化的泰山时，德斯坦先生表达了深深的向往之情，在详细询问了一些情况后，他问道：“能否骑马登泰山？”满座的人们向这位老人投去敬佩的目光。
在登机去北京之前，德斯坦先生在济南机场贵宾室享受了片刻宁静，茶艺小姐一套完整的中国茶艺表演吸引了他，他询问茶艺的细节与奥妙，按茶艺小姐的提示一一尝试，轻啜茶水，细细品味。德斯坦先生还喜欢中国书法，品茗之际他提笔留言：“在铭记曲阜美好访问的同时，感谢山东朋友的热情接待。”其中“山东”两字还特意写了汉语。
德斯坦先生的第一次山东之行只有短短的一天多时间，拟定的孟子故乡行也因时间仓促而取消。在问起他是否还会再来山东的时候，他十分肯定地说：“一定会来！”他说：“山东古老的文化非常有特色，我还有一个心愿就是来山东登泰山。”
On April 2, 2004, Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, received a distinguished guest from far away Ñ the former French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing.
Mr. d’Estaing, now 78, assumed the French presidency from 1974 to 1981. During that time, he made remarkable contributions to promoting friendships, as well as economic and trading cooperation, between China and France. In February 2004, he became president of the Convention on the Future of Europe as well as president of the France-China Committee of the French Enterprisers’ Association. So even now, he is still an important diplomatic activist in the international political arena.
Recently, Mr. d’Estaing has been visiting China every year. This year, availing himself of the opportunity to the annual China-France Economic Seminar in Shanghai, he expressed his desire to visit the hometowns of Confucius and Mencius in Shandong Province.
Mr. d’Estaing commented: “It’s been my long-term wish to come to show my sincere appreciation of Confucius in Qufu. This is something I have been mulling over for quite some time; but, not long ago, in the Musee Guimet in France, I visited the Confucian Culture Exhibition. The outstanding display of articles and pictures there deeply moved me. Then I made up my mind to visit the hometown of Confucius at once.”
As a result, Mr. d’Estaing, heading a delegation of five people, including Mr. Jean-Pierre Lafon, the French ambassador to China, visited the Confucian Mansion, Confucian Temple, and Cemetery of the Confucian Family, which in Chinese are collectively called the “San Kong” or Three Confucian Treasures, which are listed and protected by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage Sites.
Wherever he went in exploring the San Kong, Mr. d’Estaing preferred to walk alone to experience for himself as an ordinary tourist the harmonious human and cultural atmosphere.
At the Dacheng Hall (Hall of Great Achievements), the major edifice in the Confucian Temple complex, while carefully listening to the explanation by the tour guide, Mr. d’Estaing made his own deep research into the Chinese characters “Wan Shi Shi Biao” (Model Teacher for All Ages, an epithet for Confucius known to all Chinese) and “Si Wen Zai Ci” (Where Culture Lies), which are found horizontal inscribed on large horizontal boards, and tried to discern the true meaning of these characters.
At the Kuiwen Tower, while appreciating the ancient painted pictures of the life of Confucius, Valery d’Estaing carefully listened to the tour guide telling stories about Confucius’ tour of the warring states. At the Apricot Altar, upon hearing that this is the site of the earliest known school in China, he nodded and asked to hear more about the history of the apricot tree found on the site. By the ancient well in the Confucian Mansion, he asked whether Confucius used to drink water from the well and then announced in Chinese: “I wish to visit the place where Confucius was born.”
When touring the “Kong Lin” (literally, “Confucius’ Forest”) or Cemetery of the Confucian Family, Mr. d’Estaing asked the driver to stop the car several times so he could walk about on foot. While viewing hundreds of the ancient statues and steles found along the silent, shrouded paths of the Confucius Forest, he became so fascinated by the sense of history spanning more than 2500 years that he was reluctant to leave. He remarked with considerable emotion: “In this hallowed place, one should walk lightly and think silently.”
Crossing the Zhushui Bridge, Mr. d’Estaing finally arrived at the tomb of Confucius himself. Though the area was crowded with many tourists, Mr. d’Estaing, stood in front of the tomb, meditating for a long time. After touring other sites in the cemetery, Mr. d’Estaing returned once again to the tomb of Confucius, politely asked the tourists around to slightly make a way, and closed his eyes to meditate once more. He later told us that “In this holy and clean place, noise is the greatest pollution.”
After a simple lunch, according to the schedule, the delegation was supposed to move on to Zoucheng to visit the Temple of Mencius. However, Mr. d’Estaing proposed a modification of the schedule, because he wanted to visit the Kong Family Cemetery once more. By that time, most of the tourists had departed, so that Kong Lin was quieter and more peaceful than before. After getting out of the car, Mr. d’Estaing went directly to the tomb of Confucius and stood there once again for a long time. On the way back, he commented: “I saw the portrait of Confucius in Xi’an for the first time. It is said that it is the earliest portrait of Confucius which can be seen nowadays, so I still have a fresh memory of it in my mind. Recalling that portrait little by little in front of the historical tomb of Confucius makes me have a real sense of the man himself.”
Mr. d’Estaing also said: “I have often read The Analects of Confucius in English. The preface is well written and can prepare the reader to fully understand the thought of Confucius. I also like to browse the Chinese version of The Analects. I have many of same feelings and thoughts as Confucius, who was faithful to and revered the Ancients. He respected the thoughts and achievements of the sages who had preceded him. I agree with him on this point very much. I cherish a feeling of profound reverence towards all those who made remarkable contributions to history.”
He continued: “Confucius is a marvelous philosopher. His conception of great harmony is extremely valuable. Moreover, Confucius found much evidence to verify and exemplify his thought, displaying his extensive and ample knowledge of history, as well as his own times. I especially like to read these concrete examples, which are quite convincing.”
During his visit in Qufu, Mr. d’Estaing always carried an English version The Analects with him. When talking about the two kinds of successful people Confucius referred to - those who succeed by venture and those who succeed by careful doing Ñ Mr. d’Estaing commented: “I appreciate those who succeed by careful doing.” Together with Ambassador Jean-Pierre Lafon, he finds the source of this theory in The Analects. In Book VII in The Analects, Confucius thus said: “The man who is ready to Ôbeard a tiger or rush a river’ without caring whether he lives or dies Ñ that sort of man I would not accept [as a disciple]. I would certainly take someone who approached difficulties with due caution and who preferred to succeed by strategy.”
Mr. d’Estaing remarked: “It is a great pity that in France there few people really involved in the studies of Confucius and Confucianism. Confucian culture is the core and key of Chinese culture, and the current economic development of China is now attracting worldwide attention. Chinese culture in general should get more attention in academic circles around the world.”