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居安思危 – Chinese philosophy and culture

jū’ān-sīwēi 居安思危 Be on Alert Against Potential Danger When Living in Peace 处在安宁的环境中,要想到可能出现的危难。历代有抱负的统治者都希望国家长治久安,常常提醒自己不要沉湎于安逸享乐,而要勤于政事,励精图治,及时化解社会矛盾,防患于未然。这是一种长远、积极的忧患意识。它不仅成为历代有为的统治阶级时时警醒自己的治政理念,而且也成为现代企业经营的重要指导原则和一般民众积极进取的一种精神。 One should always be on alert against potential danger in time of peace. All ambitious rulers in history hoped to maintain enduring stability. They often reminded themselves not to indulge in pleasure and comfort, but to conduct diligent governance, work hard to […]

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境生象外 – Chinese philosophy and culture

jìnɡ shēnɡ xiànɡ wài 境生象外 Aesthetic Conception Transcends Concrete Objects Described. 诗文中的审美意境往往在物象之外,需要鉴赏者领悟其中的精神之美。“境”指作品所创造的审美意境,“象”是作品中所呈现出的具体物象。诗歌由语言文字写成,所描写的都是一个个物象,在这些具体的物象之外,能够形成整体的审美情境。唐代诗人刘禹锡首次提出这个命题,表达对诗歌意趣的思考,强调文字与物象是确切的,而审美情境却是微妙而难以言传的。在古典诗论意境说的形成过程中,“境生象外”是一个重要的发展阶段。 The aesthetic conception evoked by a poem or prose transcends what a physical object denotes, and a reader needs to perceive and appreciate the beauty of such aesthetic conception. Jing (境) here refers to an aesthetic conception created by a poem or prose, while

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境界 – Chinese philosophy and culture

jìnɡjiè 境界 Jingjie (Visionary World) “境界”本指疆域边界、土地边界,后来在佛经翻译中,“境界”一词被用于精神领域,指人破除对于物质世界的沉迷后所达到的精神层次或修为境域。作为文艺术语,主要指文艺作品中所表现出的审美层次和境域,是作者的创造力、理解力和审美能力在精神层面的综合呈现。有境界的作品是作者真实人格的显现,具备超越凡俗的意味,更能引发读者的共鸣,激发读者的想象,甚至提升读者的感受。“意境”形成较早,而“境界”主要受中唐以后佛教思想的影响而形成。近代学者王国维《人间词话》对境界的阐释最多。王国维往往将“意境”与“境界”概念通用。他构建了融合西方美学与中国古典美学为一体的“境界论”。但一般说来,意境侧重作者主观寓意与作品形象的完满融会,通过鉴赏使想象得到发挥,而境界则突出心灵感悟使艺术形象得到升华,强调心灵世界对于作品层次的提升。 Jingjie (境界) originally meant border or boundary. Later, it was used to translate the idea of a mental realm in Buddhist sutras, a state of spiritual cultivation achieved after having overcome bewilderment in the material world. As a literary and artistic term, jingjie is mainly used to indicate the aesthetic

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经世致用 – Chinese philosophy and culture

jīnɡshì-zhìyònɡ 经世致用 Study of Ancient Classics Should Meet Present Needs. 学术要对国家和社会的治理发挥实际效用。“经世”即治理国家和社会事务,“致用”即发挥实际效用。17世纪初思想家顾炎武、王夫之、黄宗羲、李颙等人倡导学术研究要关注现实,通过解释古代典籍,阐发自己的社会政治见解,解决社会实际问题,以增进国家治理、民生安定、社会改良。这一思想强调知识的政治价值和知识分子的现实担当,体现了中国传统知识分子讲求功效、务实的思想特点和“以天下为己任”的情怀。 Learning should contribute to good governance. Jingshi (经世) means governance of the country and society, and zhiyong (致用) refers to meeting practical needs. In the early 17th century, thinkers such as Gu Yanwu, Wang Fuzhi, Huang Zongxi, and Li Yong argued that scholarly studies should

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经济 – Chinese philosophy and culture

jīnɡjì 经济 To Govern and Help the People 治理世事,救助百姓。“经世济民”的略语。“经世”即治理国家和社会事务,使之有条理;“济民”即帮助百姓,使之远离困境。“经济”是中国传统知识分子治学立世的目标和准则之所在,体现了他们学以致用、贡献国家、造福百姓的务实、民本精神。近代以降,“经济”转指创造、转化、实现价值,满足人们物质文化生活需要的社会活动等。 The term is an abbreviation of an expression meaning public governance and support for the people. Jing (经) means managing state and social affairs in an orderly manner; ji (济) means helping people who are in difficulty. This dual-pronged approach to governance is aimed at making the nation

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京(京师) – Chinese philosophy and culture

jinɡ(jīnɡshī) 京(京师) Capital of a Country 国都,天子处理政事及所居的城邑。“京”本指高大的山冈、土丘,引申为“大”。“师”即“众”,指人口众多。称天子处理政事及所居的地方为“京”或“京师”,是表明天子都城的规模宏大,也是对天子的尊崇。 This term refers to the place where the Son of Heaven resided and conducted state affairs. Jing (京) originally meant a big hill or mound, representing the idea of being big or grand, and shi (师) meant a lot of people. To name the place where the the Son of

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解衣盘礴 – Chinese philosophy and culture

jiěyī-pánbó 解衣盘礴 Sitting with Clothes Unbuttoned and Legs Stretching Out 原指绘画时全神贯注的样子,引申指艺术家进行艺术创作时排除一切外在干扰而进入一种自由任放的精神状态。《庄子·田子方》讲述了一位画师纯任本性、解衣叉腿恣意作画的情形。解衣,敞开胸襟,露出胳膊;盘礴,分开双腿,随意坐着,意谓全神贯注于作画。这一术语揭示了率性不拘、自由无待的精神状态是创作优秀艺术作品的重要条件,对于后世书画理论影响很大。 The term originally referred to the appearance of an artist who is concentrating on painting. It has been extended to mean an unrestrained state of mind free from external interruption when an artist is doing creative work. The book Zhuangzi describes a painter drawing

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兼爱 – Chinese philosophy and culture

jiān’ài 兼爱 Universal Love 无差等地相互关爱。“兼爱”一说是墨家的基本主张,它所针对的是儒家所提出的爱有差等原则。“兼爱”强调每个人都应像爱自己一样爱他人,像爱自己的家人、国人一样爱别人的家人、爱别国的人,那么人与人之间就会彼此相爱。这种相爱是不分亲疏远近、尊卑上下的,是平等的、没有差别的爱。如果做到兼相爱,就能够避免人与人、家与家、国与国之间的相互攻伐、侵害,进而实现互利。 Universal love, equal affection for all individuals, is a basic concept of the Mohist School of thought, as opposed to the principle of differentiated love advocated by the Confucian School. Universal love emphasizes that you should love others as you love yourself, and love others’ relatives and people of other

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活法 – Chinese philosophy and culture

huófǎ 活法 Literary Flexibility 指诗文创作在遵守规矩法度的同时,又不可死守规矩法度,要有所变化和创新。与拘泥于前人格套、不知变通的“死法”相对立。使作品具备活法的途径,是善于学习前人,在广泛涉猎、融会贯通的基础上,不拘泥、不胶着,从自己的情感和作品的美感出发,使作品的文法、语言呈现崭新的意义。宋代文论家们受到了圆转灵活的禅风影响,在诗文领域倡导活法,使之成为诗文创作的重要原则。 Literary flexibility means that one should respect the rules for writing poetry or prose but not be bound by them; one should encourage change and innovation. The opposite of literary flexibility is literary rigidity under whose influence the writer mechanically imitates the forms of established writers without innovation. One way

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浑沌 – Chinese philosophy and culture

hùndùn 浑沌 Chaos “浑沌”又作“混沌”,有两种不同含义:其一,指天地分化形成以前宇宙浑然一体的状态。常以未分化之“气”言之。天地万物皆由“浑沌”分化演变而成。其二,特指《庄子》一则寓言中的中央之帝。中央之帝浑沌无七窍,被南海之帝儵(shū)和北海之帝忽凿开七窍而亡。庄子以此形象寓指人无知无识、无善恶彼我之分,与整个世界浑然一体的状态。 The term has two meanings. First, it refers to the state of one whole mass that existed before the universe took shape, often said to exist before qi (vital force) emerged. The multitude of organisms on earth all emanated from this state. Second, it refers to Chaos, king of the Central Region

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