December 2022

lǐ 理 Li 本义指玉石的纹理，引申而有三重含义：其一，指具体事物的样式或性质，如短长、大小、方圆、坚脆、轻重、白黑等物理属性；其二，指万事万物所遵循的普遍法则；其三，指事物的本原或本体。后两种含义与“道”相近。宋明时期的学者特别注重对“理”的阐发，以“理”为最高范畴，因此宋明时期占主导地位的学术体系被称为“理学”。 The original meaning of li (理) was the texture of jade; later it was extended to contain three meanings: 1) the physical forms or proprieties of things, such as length, size, shape, tensile strength, weight, and color; 2) the universal laws followed by all things and beings; and 3) the original […]

lè ér bù yín, āi ér bù shāng 乐而不淫，哀而不伤 Express Enjoyment Without Indulgence and Express Grief Without Excessive Distress 快乐而不放纵，悲哀而不伤身。原是孔子对于《诗经·周南·关雎》中有关青年男女爱情描写的评语，后世儒家将其作为倡导诗歌及其他文学作品中正平和、情理谐和之美的基本规范与评价标准。这一术语与儒家提倡的中庸思想相一致。近现代以来，其思想内涵也因受到时代潮流冲击而不断更新。 This is what Confucius said of the description of love between young men and women in the poem entitled “Guan Ju” in “Ballads of Zhounan,” The Book of Songs. Later Confucian scholars regarded this as

lài yǔ Xīshī, dào tōng wéi yī 厉与西施，道通为一 A Scabby Person and the Beautiful Lady Xishi Are the Same in the Eyes of Dao. 身长癞疮的人与美丽的西施，从道的角度看都可相通为一。厉，通“癞”，指长有癞疮的人。这是庄子关于审美相对性的著名论述。原意指身长癞疮的人与著名的美女没有区别，因为她们都是“道”的产物及体现。美丑的判断只是人们主观上的感觉而已，而且美丑之间还可相互转化。庄子的这一思想，强调从造物的本原看，美丑都符合道，都具有内在的同一性。这个思想启发后世的文艺评论家从相反相成的维度去看待自然万物与文学创作。 This is a famous statement made by Zhuangzi on how beauty is relative. Originally it meant there was no difference between a beauty and an ugly person, because they both

kējǔ 科举 By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values. kējǔ 科举 The Imperial Civil Examination System 通过分科考试选用官吏的制度。隋文帝统一中国后，废除以门第、品级为主的选人制度。隋炀帝大业元年（公元605年）正式开科取士。历代科举，在考试科目、内容、录取规则上均有变化。各科之中，以进士科最难，也最为士人所重。元明以后，考试内容以《四书》《五经》文句命题，答题是写一篇文章，格式为八股文，观点需以《四书集注》等为依据。1905年光绪皇帝下诏废科举。科举制促进了贵族政治向官僚政治的转换，同时兼具教育、选官、考试、社会分层、文化传承等多种功能。它是隋朝以后1300年间中国最主要的“选举”方式，对中国社会发生的影响是极其深广的。 This is the system in which officials

jiǔzhōu 九州 By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values. jiǔzhōu 九州 Nine Zhou (Regions) 中国的别称。《尚书·禹贡》中将中国划分为九州，分别是冀州、兖州、青州、徐州、扬州、荆州、豫州、梁州、雍州。同时代或稍后的典籍《周礼》《尔雅》《吕氏春秋》等有关“九州”的说法大同小异。“九州”作为行政区划在历史上并未真正实行过，但它反映了春秋末期以来中华先民栖息生活的大致上的地理范围。 This term is an alternative designation for China. According to The

jiàohuà 标题 By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values. jiàohuà 教化 Shaping the Mind Through Education 指教育和感化。是中国古代重要的政治理念和治国方法。当政者一般通过行政命令、道德教育、环境影响、通俗读物传播、科举考试等诸种有形和无形的手段的综合运用，将主流价值观潜移默化地向民众普及，使之深入民众的日常活动之中，从而实现政治与风俗的合二为一。 Shaping the mind through education was a

jiāngshān 江山 By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values. jiāngshān 江山 Rivers and Mountains / Country or State Power 本义指河流和山岭，代指一个国家的政权及其所覆盖的全部疆域（义同“河山”）。这种用法隐含着这样的观念：河流、山岭地形险要，是卫护国家安全、政权稳固的天然屏障；疆域是国家的构成要素。 The term, similar in

jīlǐ 肌理 By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values. jīlǐ 肌理 Reasoning and Structure 本义指肌肉的纹理，引申指事物细密的条理。作为文学术语由清代翁方纲首先提出，兼指义理与文理两方面：义理是诗歌所阐述的道理或事理，主要指合乎儒家的思想和学问；文理是诗歌的条理或脉理，主要指诗歌的结构、格律和各种创作技法。明清以来，性灵派倡导文学抒发个体性情，摒弃教化；神韵派赞美诗歌意境的空灵玄虚。翁方纲反对这两种诗学主张，推崇宋诗的创作原则与方法，强调诗歌在义理上以经义为准绳，以学问为根底；文理上强调精细缜密，形式雅丽、穷形极变但要内容充实。清代乾嘉时期经学和考据之学盛行，肌理派就是在此背景下形成的诗派。翁方纲宣扬诗歌内容和形式的有机联系，推动了学人诗派的发展，但他一味鼓吹以学问考证作诗，受到同时代及后代文艺批评家的批评。 The term originally refers to the texture of muscle,

huái yuǎn yǐ dé 怀远以德 By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values. huái yuǎn yǐ dé 怀远以德 Embrace Distant States by Means of Virtue

Huaxia 华夏 By “key concepts in Chinese thought and culture” we mean concepts and keywords or phrases the Chinese people have created or come to use that are fundamentally pertinent to Chinese philosophy, humanistic spirit, way of thinking, and values. huáxià 华夏 Huaxia 古代居住于中原地区的汉民族先民的自称。最早称“华”“诸华”或“夏”“诸夏”。“华夏”实际表达的是以汉民族为主体的中原先民对其共同的生活、语言、文化特征的一种认同和传承。秦建立以华夏为主体的统一的多民族国家以后，华夏才成为比较稳定的族群。自汉代以后，华夏又有了“汉”这一名称与之并用。后来华夏进一步引申为指中国或汉族。 The forefathers of the Han people living in the Central Plains