原文
东莞三贞女
东莞三贞女，一曰水南林氏，诸生翼龙女也。许字陈生元耀，生死，女欲奔丧，父母兄弟共难之，不难得。以语其舅，舅重伤其志，许以吉服迎归。既入门，伏夫位长哭，哭已，舅姑相见饮泣，遂易衰绖，执夫丧如礼。丧终，乃奉夫主，祔于先人之寝祀焉。尹守衡曰："夫礼也殇不为后，女不为陈也妇，则陈之不得为殇也后明矣。女为陈也妇，陈不欲为女也后得乎，女归而陈氏子可勿殇已。世徒以女节论，犹浅之乎知女也。"一曰周塘黄氏女，许字张邦俊子，婿死，女欲往临视，母不能夺，与偕行。比至，犹及襄夫殡事，越三日，谢其母使还曰："女为张家妇，不返矣。"夫葬，遂欲殉之，或止之曰："而姑之初为此子哭也，皇皇不欲生，幸而至，姑乃强为而起，而即死，其若姑何。"女悟，姑哭亦哭，姑止亦止，朝夕奠，辄见有羽虫飞凭女身如俪然。其一曰菉湖陈氏女，许字于叶氏子，无何叶卒。女闻曰：生则氏郎君，死非氏郎君乎。因痛哭，偕媒妁于归。尹守衡曰："嗟夫！藉三女皆不忍其死，三氏子之鬼其不食乎。三女之能不死也，殆有贤于死者也，若三女者，可以风矣。"
白话
中文
东莞有三位贞洁的女子。一位是水南林氏，秀才林翼龙的女儿。她许配给了陈元耀，陈元耀不幸早逝。林氏想要去奔丧守节，但父母兄弟都劝阻她，认为这样做很困难，但林氏意志坚定。她把想法告诉了未来的公公，公公很同情并赞赏她的志向，同意用迎娶新娘的礼仪（吉服）将她迎接到陈家。林氏进门后，在丈夫的灵位前伏地长哭。哭完之后，与公婆相见，彼此都伤心落泪。于是林氏换上丧服，按照礼节为丈夫操办丧事。丧期结束后，她便供奉丈夫的牌位，将其附祭在陈家祖先的祠堂里。尹守衡评论说：“按照礼制，夭折的人不能有后嗣，林氏（未过门）也不算是陈家的媳妇，那么陈元耀不能有后嗣是很明确的。但林氏（坚持）要做陈家的媳妇，陈家难道能不接受她做后嗣吗？林氏嫁入陈家后，陈元耀就可以不算作夭折无后了。世人只从女子守节的角度评论这件事，对这位女子的理解还是太肤浅了。”
另一位是周塘黄氏的女儿，她许配给了张邦俊的儿子。未婚夫去世后，黄氏想要前往探视，母亲无法阻止，便陪她一同前往。到达张家时，还来得及参与未婚夫的殡葬事务。过了三天，黄氏谢绝母亲让她回家的要求，说：“女儿已经是张家的媳妇，不回去了。”丈夫下葬后，她就想自尽殉情。有人劝阻她说：“你的婆婆当初为儿子哭泣时，悲痛得不想活下去。幸好你来了，婆婆才为你强打精神支撑着。如果你现在就死了，让她怎么办呢？”黄氏醒悟过来，从此婆婆哭她也跟着哭，婆婆停止哭泣她也停止。早晚祭奠亡夫时，常常看见有成双成对的飞虫落在她身上。
还有一位是菉湖陈氏的女儿，她许配给了叶家的儿子。不久叶氏子去世了。陈氏听闻后说：“活着是叶家的郎君，难道死了就不是叶家的郎君了吗？”于是痛哭一场，带着媒人一起嫁到了叶家。尹守衡感叹道：“唉！如果这三位女子都（选择殉情）不忍活下去，那三位早逝男子的鬼魂难道能得到祭祀吗？这三位女子能够不选择死亡，大概是有比死更贤德的追求。像这三位女子，是足以成为世人楷模，移风易俗的。”
英文
There were three virtuous women in Dongguan. One was Ms. Lin from Shuinan, the daughter of scholar Lin Yilong. She was betrothed to Chen Yuanyao, who unfortunately died young. Ms. Lin wished to go into mourning for him and remain chaste, but her parents and brothers tried to dissuade her, thinking it would be too difficult. However, she remained resolute. She told her future father-in-law about her intentions. He sympathized with and admired her determination, agreeing to welcome her into the Chen family with the rites of a bride (in auspicious attire). After entering the household, Ms. Lin prostrated herself before her husband's memorial tablet and wept bitterly. Afterwards, she met her parents-in-law, and they all wept in sorrow. Then, Ms. Lin changed into mourning clothes and handled her husband's funeral affairs according to propriety. After the mourning period, she enshrined her husband's tablet, adding it to the Chen family's ancestral shrine for worship. Yin Shouheng commented: "According to ritual, one who dies young cannot have descendants, and Ms. Lin (not yet formally married) was not considered Chen's wife, so it was clear Chen Yuanyao could not have descendants. But since Ms. Lin (insisted on) becoming Chen's wife, could the Chen family refuse her as a means to continue the line? With Ms. Lin joining the Chen family, Chen Yuanyao could be considered not to have died young without issue. People merely discuss this matter from the perspective of female chastity, which is too shallow an understanding of this woman."
Another was the daughter of the Huang family from Zhoutang, betrothed to the son of Zhang Bangjun. After her fiancé died, Ms. Huang wished to go and see him. Her mother could not stop her and accompanied her. When they arrived at the Zhang household, she was still in time to participate in the funeral arrangements for her fiancé. Three days later, Ms. Huang declined her mother's request to return home, saying, "I am already a daughter-in-law of the Zhang family, I will not go back." After her husband was buried, she wanted to commit suicide to follow him in death. Someone dissuaded her, saying: "When your mother-in-law first cried for her son, she was so distraught she didn't want to live. Fortunately, you arrived, and she forced herself to carry on for your sake. If you die now, what will become of her?" Ms. Huang understood. From then on, when her mother-in-law cried, she cried too; when her mother-in-law stopped, she stopped too. During the morning and evening offerings to her deceased husband, flying insects were often seen landing on her in pairs.
There was also the daughter of the Chen family from Luhu, betrothed to the son of the Ye family. Soon after, the Ye son died. Upon hearing the news, Ms. Chen said: "Alive, he was Master Ye; dead, is he not still Master Ye?" She wept bitterly and then, accompanied by the matchmaker, married into the Ye family. Yin Shouheng sighed: "Alas! If these three women had all chosen not to endure life (but to die for their fiancés), would the spirits of the three deceased young men receive offerings? That these three women were able to choose not to die is likely because they pursued a virtue greater than death. Women like these three are sufficient to serve as models for society and improve customs."
文化解读/分析
“东莞三贞女”的故事集中体现了清代初期儒家礼教对女性“贞节”观念的强调，尤其是在岭南地区的具体表现。
- 贞节观念与“望门寡”：这三位女性都属于“望门寡”，即在未婚夫去世后，选择嫁入夫家守节。在当时的社会背景下，女性的贞洁被视为最高道德标准之一，为未婚夫守节被认为是极其高尚的行为，受到社会旌表和赞扬。这种行为不仅关乎个人名节，也与家族荣誉紧密相连。
超越死亡的“贞”：与一些极端强调殉死的观念不同，尹守衡的评论为我们提供了更深层次的视角。他特别赞扬了这三位女性选择“生”而非“死”。
- 林氏的选择不仅是守节，更延续了陈家的香火，解决了“殇不为后”的礼制难题，具有实际的宗法意义。尹守衡认为仅以“节”论之是“浅之乎知女也”。
- 黄氏放弃殉死，是为了照顾悲痛欲绝的婆婆，体现了孝道与人伦关怀，将“贞”与“孝”结合起来。
- 陈氏以“生则氏郎君，死非氏郎君乎”的决绝，主动承担起作为叶家媳妇的责任。
- 尹守衡的评价：尹守衡的评论具有重要意义。他认为这三位女性选择活下来，承担起祭祀亡夫、侍奉公婆等责任，比单纯殉死更具价值（“殆有贤于死者也”）。这体现了一种更务实、更具人情味的伦理观，强调了女性在家庭和社会中的实际作用，而非仅仅是贞节牌坊上的符号。他的观点也暗示了对当时可能存在的、盲目推崇殉死风气的一种反思。
- 民俗与教化意义：这类贞女故事在地方志和文人笔记中屡见不鲜，它们不仅记录了地方风俗，也承担着道德教化的功能。“若三女者，可以风矣”，表明尹守衡认为她们的行为足以成为世范，用以淳化风俗。这些故事共同塑造了理想化的女性形象，反映了特定时代背景下社会对女性的角色期待和道德要求。
总而言之，“东莞三贞女”的故事不仅展现了清初女性在严苛礼教下的生存状态和道德选择，也通过尹守衡的评论，揭示了“贞节”观念内部存在的不同理解和价值侧重，为研究当时的社会伦理、性别观念和地方风俗提供了宝贵的材料。
关键词
东莞三贞女, 屈大均, 广东新语, 清代, 贞节, 望门寡, 守节, 民俗, 女性史, 儒家礼教, 尹守衡, 林氏, 黄氏, 陈氏