Chinese Thought and Culture

yì bù chèn wù, wén bù dài yì 意不称物，文不逮意 Ideas Cannot Match Actual Things and Words Cannot Fully Express Ideas. 人的心意或文章的构意不能完全反映事物的情状，而文章的语言或文辞又无法完全表达内心的想法。这是西晋陆机（261—303）《文赋》中对创作心理的描述和分析，具体所指是：由外物激发的意念或创作想法丰富而不明确，作者难以完全把握由外物所激发的全部心意，所捕捉到的可能只是其中一部分；而语言又难以将它们完全表达出来，更不可能穷尽由外物激发或与外物关联的全部意蕴。在认识及实践领域，主体对外物产生明确的认识或意愿，语言能够比较明确地记录认识并表达意愿，而文学创作则常常存在词不达意、言不尽意的难题。这也表明文学阐释较之学术经典解释具有更大的空间。陆机揭示了文学创作与接受的特征，推动了文学自觉。 This happens when inner thoughts or a written text’s general idea cannot fully reflect the actual state of things, and when diction cannot fully express inner thoughts. It is a description and analysis of […]

yīzhě-rénxīn 医者仁心 The Caring Heart of a Physician 医者要有仁爱之心。其基本精神，古已有之。唐朝著名医学家孙思邈（581—682）在《千金方·论大医精诚》中，已经有医者应存有恻隐之心也即“仁心”的相关论述。它要求医者对患者要有大爱之心、悲悯之情、救苦之志，不计个人得失，一心治病救人，而医者也因此成为“苍生大医”（众生景仰的伟大医者）。此语可谓中华医学人文精神的典型表达。 A physician must have a caring heart. This essential spirit has existed since ancient times. In the chapter “On the Skill and Sincerity of a Master Physician” of his work Essential Formulas for Emergencies, the famous Tang Dynasty physician Sun Simiao (581-682) discussed how a physician

yīchǎntí 一阐提 Icchantika 字面意思为“有欲求的人”，指因为缺乏引生善果的根本条件，而无法成就觉悟、实现解脱的人。又称“断善根者”。关于一阐提的义理争论，主要集中在众生能否成佛的问题上。如唯识法相一系，就一阐提缺乏善因而言，主张必不得成就；如来藏、华严等系则认为一切众生皆有佛性，且待开显而已。前者将一阐提作为本性，后者似以其为暂时的状态。 Icchantika literally means one who desires. It refers to a person who is destitute of good conditions that lead to favorable results, such as awakening and liberation. Hence, it is also glossed as one deprived of merits. The major doctrinal debate over this concept is whether all sentient beings, including icchantikas, are

yán zhī wú wén, xíng ér bù yuǎn 言之无文，行而不远 Lackluster Wording Never Travels Far. 语言如果缺乏文采和技巧，就不可能流传广泛久远。孔子（前551—前479）原话的意思是说，在外交场合，使臣须要擅长辞令，讲究语言技巧，才能达成目标、建立功业。进而引申出，一种思想如果想久远传播，就必须借助于有章法、有文采的书面文字。南朝刘勰（465？—520）在《文心雕龙》中征引了孔子的话，一方面充分肯定文辞的功效，另一方面是为了强调文章形式与技巧的重要性。该语阐明了语文对于明道经世的工具性作用，提升了文艺批评在思想文化史上的地位。 Lackluster writing or speech never travels far. What Confucius (551-479 BC) meant when he said this is that, in foreign relations, a diplomat should be eloquent and persuasive to achieve goals and become meritorious. Likewise, if an idea is to

yánzhě-wúzuì, wénzhě-zújiè 言者无罪，闻者足戒 Those Who Speak Shouldn’t Be Punished While Those Who Listen Should Take Warning. 无论意见是否正确，说的人没有罪责，而听的人足以获得警示。上到国家治理，下至组织、企业管理，执政者与管理者若要保障国家或组织、企业的良好运行，就必须充分了解下面的实际情况和群众意愿，调动各方面力量，发挥各方面作用。为此，必须造成一种健康和谐的人际环境，让人们畅所欲言，以便从各种言论中汲取有价值的意见。即便群众或下属所提意见不正确，领导者也不应责难，而要引以为戒。其中隐含有言论自由的思想和宽容精神。 Whether their opinions are correct or not, people who speak their minds should not be penalized and their messages should not be lost on their listeners. The term implies freedom of speech and a tolerant attitude towards criticism.

xuánhú-jìshì 悬壶济世 Hang a Gourd (Practice Medicine) to Help the World 行医救助世人。“悬壶”即把装药的葫芦挂起来，作为行医卖药的招牌，泛指从事医疗职业；“济世”是对困苦之人提供救助。这一观念，使行医卖药超越了一般职业与谋生手段而被赋予了人文关怀的意义。它既是世人对于医者救死扶伤、治病救人行为的一种赞颂，也是医者用以自励的道德准则和价值判断。 This term means to help people by practicing medicine. “Hanging a gourd” refers to the tradition of using a gourd containing medications as a sign for those practicing and selling medicine; it is used more broadly to refer to those in the medical

xìnglín 杏林 Apricot Trees / Venerable Doctors with Good Skills 杏树林，对德行高尚、医术精湛的医生的美称，亦指代医学医药界。据东晋葛洪（281？—341）《神仙传》记载，三国时期名医董奉隐居庐山，无偿给人治病，只要求重症治愈者种杏五棵，轻症治愈者种杏一棵。几年后，他的住处就有了大片茂盛的杏树林。他用杏子换粮食，储存起来，用于救济贫苦人及其他需要帮助的人。后来，人们用“杏林”代指医德高尚、医术精湛的医生，近代一些医药团体和专业报刊也常以“杏林”取名，“杏林”遂成为医学医药界的代名词。它是“悬壶济世”理念的另一种表达形式。 This term refers to venerable doctors with good skills and by extension the entire profession of Chinese medicine. According to Biographies of Deities and Immortals by Ge Hong (281?–341), the famous doctor Dong Feng of the Three Kingdoms period lived on Mount Lu where he

xíngmíng 形名 Form and Name “形”指事物的形体，“名”指事物的名称。古人认为事物是有形的，有形之物具有自身的规定性，并与他者相区别。而“名”则用以指称这些有形之物。由“名”所构成的秩序，明确了有形之物彼此间的关系及其在整体秩序中的地位。有学派认为，事物固有的“形名”即已包含某种合理的秩序，为政者应遵循并维护这一“形名”秩序。也有学派认为，可以通过后天的刑罚、教化来塑造“形名”秩序。在强调刑罚所需的对事物、行事的分辨、判断时，“形名”又作“刑名”。 Xing (形) refers to the form of an object, and ming (名) refers to its name. The ancient Chinese believed that objects have forms, and that each formed object has its own specific nature which distinguishes it from other objects, whereas its name specifies the object. An order comprised of names

xīnshù 心术 The Art of the Mind 心的运作规则。最早见于《管子》《荀子》《礼记》等典籍。古人认为，心的作用的发挥遵循着一定的规则，这一规则即被称为“心术”。不过，各家对于“心术”具体内容的认识有所不同。“心术”或指心任使五官的原则，也指心与外物交接、认知外物的方式或态度。 This refers to the workings of the mind or heart, a term which first appeared in such classics as Guanzi, Xunzi, and The Book of Rites. In ancient times it was believed that a person’s mind or heart played out its role in accordance with certain laws,

xiéjǔzhīdào 絜矩之道 Principle for the Application of Rules and Norms 执掌法度的原则。出自《礼记·大学》。《大学》主张，为政者在执政、处事时应以“絜矩之道”对待他人。“絜”本指量物体粗细的绳子，“矩”是画方形或直角的曲尺，“絜矩”连用，意为所执持的规矩、法度。这里的规矩、法度即是要求为政者推己及人，以自身所好所恶体察他人的诉求，不以己所不欲强加于人，并以此作为政治、行事的法度。 This is a principle for the application of rules and norms, first cited in The Great Learning, a section of The Book of Rites. The book advocates the use of xieju by administrators in governance when dealing with people. Xie (絜) originally meant a string used