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利 – Chinese philosophy and culture

lì 利 Interests / Gain 利益,即对人与人群的生存、发展有利的各种因素。古人常以之与“义”对举。“利”分私利、公利。“私利”指个人、家庭或特定群体所谋求的利益,包括财货、声誉、权力、地位等因素。当私利与他者的利益发生冲突时,人们往往会以损害他者利益的方式来实现自身的利益。“公利”是全社会所享有的公共利益,主要指充足的人口、富足的财货、良好的社会秩序与道德教化。从不同角度、不同立场出发,中国古代各学派对“利”的诉求与态度表现出显著的差异。 Gain means all factors conducive to the survival and development of individuals and groups. The ancients often contrasted gain with righteousness. There is private and public gain. The former is related to individuals, their families or special groups, and consists of such things as goods, money, reputation, power and […]

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立主脑 – Chinese philosophy and culture

lì zhǔnǎo 立主脑 Focus on What Is Central to a Drama 戏曲创作要围绕主要人物和主要事件展开。由明末清初曲论家李渔(1611—1680)提出。李渔认为,古人写文章,必有一篇之“主脑”。所谓主脑,是作者写作的缘由或文章的立意。一部戏曲,也必定围绕一个人、一件事而生发,这一个人、一件事就是戏曲的主脑,它推动戏剧情节和矛盾冲突的发展。这个“人”和“事”可以理解为戏曲的主角和关键事件。所谓关键事件是全剧所有事件中对矛盾冲突起枢纽作用、能够将全部情节串联起来的中心事件。他举例说,《西厢记》的主脑是张君瑞一人、白马将军解围一事,其余皆由此人和此事件引出。立主脑兼指立人、立事而言,很多人创作传奇,知道确立主角,却不知道确立关键事件,导致全本如同断线的珠子、没有栋梁的房屋。“立主脑”对于戏曲的结构非常重要。 The late Ming and early Qing drama theorist Li Yu (1611-1680) used this term to suggest that a drama should revolve around main characters and events. He said that when an ancient writer wrote an essay, he would always develop a main theme

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理财正辞 – Chinese philosophy and culture

lǐ cái zhèng cí 理财正辞 Manage Wealth Properly and Speak Correctly 调理财富,端正言辞。古人认为这是权力的两大基本职能。“理财”意为使财富的调配合理有序;“正辞”意为使官方的话语合乎礼法,进而使民众的言行也合乎礼法。财富分配合理了,言行合乎礼法了,整个国家和社会也就呈现良好的秩序和状态了。现代所谓物质文明建设和精神文明建设,与此不无契合之处。 This expression means to manage wealth properly and speak correctly. The ancient Chinese regarded these to be the two basic functions of power. “To manage wealth” means enabling wealth to be allocated in a reasonable and orderly manner; “to speak correctly” means making

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类名 – Chinese philosophy and culture

lèimíng 类名 Classified Name 同类事物的名称。“类名”是墨家所使用的一种名称类别。墨家注重对名的辨别,强调以恰当的名来指称事物,以实现名实相合。墨家将所用之名分为三类,即“达名”“类名”“私名”。“类名”是指称同一类事物的名称,如“马”之名。“马”用以指称马这个属类之下的一切马。 “Classified name” is a category used in the Mohist School for naming the same kind of things. The Mohists stressed the importance of properly naming things in different ways to reflect their real nature. They had three ways to name things: unrestricted, classified, and private. “Classified name” refers to the

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苦 – Chinese philosophy and culture

kǔ 苦 Duhkha / Suffering 烦恼痛苦。佛教的“苦”所涉甚广:既指具体事件中感受到的身心痛苦,也指喜乐衰坏之苦以及一切无常迁流之苦,合称“三苦”(即“苦苦”“坏苦”“行苦”)。对于“苦”的理解是实践佛教教义的出发点:只有认识到生命是苦,才决意了解分析苦的原因,而后通过有效的方法消除这些原因,从而远离烦恼乃至轮回,此即苦、集、道、灭“四谛”。 This term means the suffering from afflictions. The implications of “suffering” in Buddhism are very broad. Namely it refers to the physical and the mental pain experienced in specific events. It also refers to the suffering when joy fades, up to the suffering that all is impermanent and changing.

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空 – Chinese philosophy and culture

kōng 空 Śūnyatā / Emptiness 本义为缺失,指事物没有恒常不变的本质或事物虚妄不实。独立持存的本质,被称为“自性”(svabhāva)。佛教否认这种本质的存在,而认为一切世间现象都是因缘条件的聚散,“自性”仅仅是概念思维对现象世界的固化。“无自性”(nihsvabhāva),即“空”的观点在大乘佛教当中尤为突出,它彻底否定了任何名言所指的永真性,甚至包括佛教教义本身。 The basic meaning of this term is voidness. It denotes that things do not have a constant or unchanging essence. It also means that things are illusory, not real. The essence of something independently existing is called “own-being,” or “svabhāva.” Buddhism denies the existence of this kind of essence.

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楷书 – Chinese philosophy and culture

kǎishū 楷书 Regular Script 汉字发展演变中的一种书体。亦称“正书”“真书”“正楷”。为了减少汉隶的波磔流转,端正草书的散漫无则,方便书写和辨识,书家在隶书的基础上更趋简化,横平竖直,逐渐演化出楷书。楷书笔画平整,结体方正,富有法度,可作楷模,故名“楷书”。它始自汉末,经魏晋时期的探索,到唐代成熟定型,通用至今,长盛不衰。按照时期划分,楷书可分为魏碑和唐楷。魏碑是指魏、晋、南北朝时期流行的,由隶书向楷书发展的过渡书体。唐楷是指唐代逐渐成熟的楷书。这个时期名家辈出,唐初的虞世南(558—638)、欧阳询(557—641)、褚遂良(596—658或659),中唐的颜真卿(708—784),晚唐的柳公权(778—865)等,皆是楷书大家,作品为后世所重,奉为习字楷模。 Regular script is one of the scripts of Chinese characters, also known as “proper script,” “true script,” or “model script.” To reduce the curviness and waviness of Han Dynasty clerical script, rectify the undisciplined and unregulated cursive script, facilitate writing and enhance intelligibility, calligraphers shifted toward a simpler style of

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君者善群 – Chinese philosophy and culture

jūn zhě shàn qún 君者善群 A Ruler Should Keep People Together. “君”的含义就是指善于使人们凝聚成群。“君”本指君主,泛指领导者;“群”指的是由人聚合而成的社会群体。荀子(前313?—前238)认为,群居而生是人的本性,违背了这个本性,人就不能生存;而组织群众使之成为集体或社会,则是领导者的根本职能和本质规定性之所在。此术语不仅揭示了“君”与“群”的关系,而且隐含着社会与国家的构造原理。 A ruler has the duty to keep people together. According to ancient Chinese philosopher Xunzi (313?-238 BC), people by nature want to live in community. People cannot survive if they go against this nature. Keeping people together so that they form a community

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静因之道 – Chinese philosophy and culture

jìng yīn zhī dào 静因之道 Governance by Being Aloof 虚静因循的为政方式。“静因之道”出自《管子》,一般被认为代表了黄老学的思想。黄老学继承了老子的“无为”思想,认为君主应避免依凭政治权力去干预百姓的生活,要以虚静的姿态因循百姓自身所固有的法则,使百姓能够按照自然的方式生存、发展。君主对待百姓的这种虚静、因循的方式,就是“静因之道”。 This term, first mentioned in Guanzi, refers to being aloof in exercising governance. It is regarded as representing the doctrines of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. This school of thought built on Laozi’s concept of non-action and held that a ruler should avoid using political

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敬业乐群 – Chinese philosophy and culture

jìng yè lè qún 敬业乐群 Work Diligently and Keep Good Company with Others 认真恭谨地对待自己的分内之事,乐于与人相处。“业”本指学业,也可理解为自己所从事的职业、工作及分内之事;“群”本指同学、朋友,也可理解为团队和社会。“敬业”强调的是业务性,“乐群”强调的是社会性。具备这两方面品质,被认为是每一个受教育者或正常职业人的基本要求。这也是构成健康、良好社会的基本条件。 This expression means one should both work diligently and be ready to mix with others. Ye (业 work) originally meant studies; later, it came to mean one’s job or duty. Qun (群 others) referred to fellow students and friends but it also included

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