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xìng’è 性恶 Human Nature Is Evil. 荀子提出的一种人性论观点。荀子所言人性，指人天生所具有的属性，包括身体的生命特征及各种欲望、知觉等。如果仅仅因循于人性中所包含的对外物的欲求，就会导致人与人之间的纷争，社会将陷入混乱。而维系社会秩序所必需的道德，并非出自人的本性，而是后天人为塑造的结果。 This view was proposed by Xunzi. According to him, human nature, which refers to proprieties humans naturally possess, includes physical life as well as various desires and perceptions. If people are allowed to only follow desire for external things, which is something inherent in human nature, it will […]

xíng jǐ yŏu chǐ 行己有耻 Conduct Oneself with a Sense of Shame 对自己的言行保持羞耻之心。出自《论语》。在孔子看来，一个人的德行的养成不只是言语、行为符合外在的规范，更要在内心对于自身的不足或违礼背德之行感到羞耻，进而能够在羞耻心的刺激下，按照德礼的要求改正、完善自己的言行。羞耻心的确立是儒家教化的重要目标。 The term is from The Analects. From the point of view of Confucius, the cultivation of moral conduct is not only words and deeds in accordance with social norms, but more importantly one should have a sense of shame about personal inadequacies

xīnzhāi 心斋 Pure State of the Mind 心灵进入完全虚静的状态。“心斋”一说出自《庄子·人间世》，书中借由孔子之口向颜回讲解“心斋”之义。庄子认为，耳和心在感知外物时，有彼我、是非之别。而气则虚无恬淡，处于万物之中而不与之分别、冲突。因此应使心变得如气一般虚无，与外物相接触，却不与之分别、对立。心游离于事物之外，摆脱事物的限制与影响，这便是“心斋”。 The term refers to a state of mind that is completely empty and void. It originates from the book Zhuangzi, in which the meaning of the term was explained by Confucius to Yan Hui. Zhuangzi believed that one’s ears and heart distinguish between oneself and others and

xiào 孝 Filial Piety 子女对父母的顺从与敬爱。就言行而论，“孝”包含以下三点要求：其一，要谨慎保护受之于父母的身体，以免伤病，令父母担忧。其二，不能违背父母的教导、要求，即便不能认同，也应顺从遵循。其三，应以高尚的德行，成就自己的声誉与功业，以彰显父母的教导。“孝”植根于子女内心对父母的亲爱与尊敬。儒家认为，“孝”是个人德行养成的基础，并将其作为维系和强化父子关系乃至君臣关系的根本。 Filial piety is obedience to, and respect and love for your parents. To observe this, you must do the following. First, attentively keep your body, born by parents, safe from injury and illness so as to relieve them of their worries. Second, do not go against your parents’ teachings, guidance

xiāngyuàn 乡愿 Hypocrite 以伪善的方式在乡里之中博取良好名声的人。“乡愿”之人只是在某些言行上表面合乎道义，以此博取世人的称誉，而实际上放弃原则和操守，谄媚于人，同流合污。“乡愿”貌似君子而实非君子，其言行表现，往往会混淆人们的道德判断，构成对社会道德的极大破坏。 A hypocrite is one who uses deceptive ways to seek a good local reputation. Hypocrites appear to behave in accordance with moral principles so as to win popular praise, while in reality compromising principles and personal integrity, currying favor, and colluding with dishonorable people. Hypocrites appear to be virtuous superior persons,

xīkūntǐ 西昆体 The Xikun Poetic Style 北宋初年出现的以追求辞藻华美、对仗工整为主要特征的诗歌流派。宋初，杨亿、刘筠、钱惟演等人聚集在皇帝藏书的秘阁，编纂历代君臣事迹，诏题《册府元龟》。他们在编书之余，写诗相互唱和，并结集为《西昆酬唱集》，时人因称之为“西昆体”。“西昆体”诗人提倡学习李商隐，讲求用典精巧、意旨幽深，重视音律与借代，其作品词采精丽、音节铿锵、属对工整，一扫晚唐五代以后平直浅俗的诗风，在诗歌发展史上有一定影响。由于是酬唱之作，大都雕琢太过，缺乏真情实感，常流于艳浮，为后人诟病。 This poetic style pursued rhetorical beauty and symmetrical structure. In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, poets such as Yang Yi, Liu Yun, and Qian Weiyan gathered in the emperor’s private library to compile Important Mirrors for Governance, a book that records the activities of monarchs

wùhuà 物化 Transformation of Things 事物彼我界限的打破及相互转化，是事物的一种存在状态。“物化”一说出自《庄子·齐物论》。庄子通过“庄周梦蝶”的寓言来说明“物化”的意义。庄子认为，自身与他者、梦与醒以及一切事物之间的界限与区别都可以被破除，从而实现物与物之间的转化与流通。如果执着于彼我的区别，就不能体认“物化”，如在梦中一般；但如果执着于“物化”，同样会跌入梦中。 This is a form of the existence of things when the boundary between things is broken and one thing transforms into another. The term “transformation of things” comes from Zhuangzi, who illustrated the concept in the fable Zhuangzi Dreamed of Becoming a Butterfly. He believed that the boundary and

wúwéi’érzhì 无为而治 Rule Through Non-action 不过度作为而把国家治理得很好。“治”指国家治理达到良好状态；“无为”不是不作为，而是不妄为。在道家那里，其要义在于顺其自然，即治国者充分尊重治理对象（民众）自身的禀性、状态和趋向，不过分干预民众的生活，使之遵循人自身固有的本性、意愿和逻辑，自我发展，自我实现，以无为而达到无不为，其哲学基础是“道法自然”。在儒家那里，其要义在于以德化民，即治国者不以政令、刑法等强加于人，而是从自身做起，以自身的道德和功业使民众受到影响和感化，使民众“不令而行”，实现天下大治，犹言“人文化成”。儒、道两家的共通点在于：治国者不妄加作为，不过度干预，充分尊重民众或社会的主体性。 Zhi (治) here means a state of good governance; wuwei (无为non-action) does not mean doing nothing, but instead not acting in an over-assertive manner, in other words, not imposing one’s will. In Daoist thinking, this expression means the ruler must respect the natural conditions of those governed (the people); he must

wánɡ ɡuó zhī yīn 亡国之音 Music of a Failing State 国家将亡时的音乐，后多指颓靡荒淫的音乐。儒家认为，一个国家即将灭亡时，音乐多颓靡荒淫；而生活于社会底层的民众却困苦不堪，其音乐、诗歌等文艺作品一定充满了悲哀忧思。统治者若还不警醒，亡国也就为期不远了。 This term refers to the music of a state that is about to disintegrate. Later, it also refers to decadent and immoral music. The Confucian view was that music of a state on the verge of collapse tended to be dejected and demoralizing. As