Chinese Thought and Culture

xiāngyǐnjiǔlǐ 乡饮酒礼 Banquet for Community Leaders and Rural Elders 于乡间设酒宴酬宾之礼，是古代人伦生活中的一项重要礼仪。“乡”是古代的基层行政区划单位。“乡饮酒礼”在“乡”间举行，因其用意的不同，可大体分为两类：一类是宴请乡中德行贤良之士，以彰显对贤者的尊崇；另一类则由基层行政长官主持，宴请乡中年长之人，以表达对长者的尊敬与关爱。“乡饮酒礼”对于维护、调和基层的人伦秩序具有重要意义。 This was an important social function in ancient China. On the basis of their purpose, such banquets can generally be divided into two kinds: one was to entertain virtuous people in the locality in a display of respect for them; the other was hosted by […]

xǐliàn 洗炼 Make Writing Succinct 精简词句，提炼要义。洗炼是一种文字干净、主旨鲜明的文学风格。“洗”指清洗矿石、去除杂质，喻指删除芜杂文字；“炼”指金属的冶炼提纯，喻指提炼文章的精义或本真性情。作为一种写作方式，它包括炼意和炼辞两个方面，较之南朝刘勰（465？—520）的“熔裁”有更明确的要求；作为一种文学风格，它要求文章的词句必须与情志理高度配合而又简明扼要。 This term means that wording should be refined to highlight the essential message. Terseness is a mark of neat and thematically explicit writing. The idea originates from the process of cleansing metal ores for the removal of impurities, or from that of smelting metals. Figuratively, it refers to an

wùjí-bìfǎn 物极必反 When Reaching an Extreme, Things Are Bound to Revert to Their Opposites. 事物到达某一极端必然会向其反面转化。古人很早就认识到，事物的属性或状态总会在一定情况下向与自身相反的对立面转化。北宋的程颐（1033—1107）则对这一事物变化的规则做出了更细致的描述，提出了“物极必反”之说。“物极必反”揭示的是事物在属性或状态上发展到极端时的变化趋向。事物在极端状态下，其属性或状态的反向转变是必然发生的。 The ancient Chinese came to know early that the nature or state of things change to their opposite under certain circumstances. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Cheng Yi (1033-1107) gave a detailed description of the rules of such change when

tóutáo-bàolǐ 投桃报李 Return Kindness with Kindness / Return Goodwill in Kind 你赠我木桃，我回赠你木李（“木桃”即樝（zhā）子，一种落叶灌木，果实圆，味酸涩，一说即桃子）。泛指互赠礼品，礼尚往来。其意义并不在于互赠的礼品本身，而在于以礼品为载体，传递对对方的善意，表达与对方永结友好的诚意，其中隐含平等互惠的关系原则。它是“以德报德”（相互善待）这一关系准则的形象表达，是“礼尚往来”理念积极面的体现。小到个人关系，大到国家关系，皆循此理。 Toutaobaoli, the Chinese original, literally means when you give me a peach, I will also give you a peach in appreciation. The term generally refers to reciprocating a gift in kind as an expression of mutual courtesy. What is important is not the

tóngbāo 同胞 Brothers and Sisters of the Same Parents; Compatriots 同胞胎，指同父母所生的兄弟姐妹。犹言亲人、一家人。北宋张载（1020—1077）依据万物皆由天地所生这一观念，提出了“民胞物与”的思想。“同胞”一词由此超越了血亲家族的范围，进而指同一民族或国家特别是具有共同语言和文化的人，有时甚至超越民族、国家等界限，泛指整个人类。它通过对共同的祖先、语言和文化的溯源，唤起并强化人们对自己民族或国家的归属感和认同感，其中所蕴含的平等、博爱观念，可以说是人类共同的精神财富。 This term originally referred to siblings in the same family. On the basis of the belief that all living creatures are created by heaven and earth, Zhang Zai (1020–1077) of the Northern Song Dynasty advanced the view that all people were brothers and sisters

tāoguāng-yǎnghuì 韬光养晦 Keep a Low Profile 隐己之长，补己之短。“韬”本指剑衣或弓袋，引申为内藏；“光”即光芒、光彩，比喻实力、才华等优长；“韬光”即收敛自己的光芒，指不以自身优长而炫耀、张扬。“养”即修养、培养；“晦”即昏暗不明，与“光”相对，比喻自身的劣势、短处；“养晦”指加强修养，弥补自身不足。此语体现了中国人低调、内敛，注重自我完善和发展的精神气质。 This term means not to publicize one’s strong points but make up for one’s weak points. Tao (韬) means a sword sheath or an arrow box. Guang (光) means light, indicating one’s capability and talent. Taoguang (韬光) means not to advertise one’s strong points, and never boast about or show off

shūmì 疏密 Sparsity and Density 由“疏”“密”两个意义相反的词构成，有稀疏与稠密、简略与详细、粗疏与精密、宽松与严密、疏远与亲密等含义。在书法绘画等艺术批评中，疏密主要指结构或布局方面的安排以及笔墨运用的浓淡粗细等。在文学批评中，“疏”与“密”经常联用，“疏”义为疏荡、疏阔、粗略等，多指诗文创作中的随意、粗疏、不严密；“密”义为精密、严密、紧凑等，多指诗文创作中在构思、逻辑、用语等方面严谨周密，有时亦指密集堆砌的毛病。中国古人认为，“疏”与“密”对立统一，好的作品在结构、布局上应当疏密相间。 This concept consists of several pairs of opposites: sparsity and density, brevity and thoroughness, roughness and precision, flexibility and rigor, and estrangement and intimacy. In the artistic criticism of painting and calligraphy, the term is used to mainly describe the structural arrangement, general layout, as well as dark or

shòuyìng 瘦硬 Thin and Strong 细瘦而劲硬。“瘦”义为细瘦、不丰满，与“硬”连用，侧重指作品的骨力。用于诗歌创作，主要指少铺陈，不堆砌华美的辞藻，不做细腻柔媚的描写，而通过峭拔新奇的声律、刚劲简洁的词句，达成瘦硬的艺术风格；用于书法绘画，主要指笔触细瘦遒劲，具有刚劲挺拔的气质，但又不同于雄浑风格为主的刚健气质。 As employed in traditional Chinese art and literature, “thin” here means bony or not plump; it is used in collocation with “strong,” emphasizing a work’s strong structural force. Used in poetic composition, the term refers to a layout devoid of elaborate writing, flowery wording or excessively subtle description. Instead,

shíxiàng 实相 Bhūtatathatā / True Suchness 指万物如实的状态。由于佛教反对实有论，同时需提供一种关于真实的认识，因此佛教的真实勉强描述为如实的状态，而不是实际存在的事物。实相的观念在大乘佛教中尤受重视，并以万法空性为实相。既然一切没有可以被把握的自性，便没有可以作为实相的内容，而只能以“实相”指称智者能够观察到的实情。 Bhūtatathatā refers to the suchness of all existents. Buddhism rejects ontological claims but still needs to deal with reality. Therefore, Buddhist reality can be roughly described as a state of suchness rather than actuality. Bhūtatathatālies at the core of Mahayana Buddhism, where it is defined as the emptiness of all

shí 识 Vijñāna / Consciousness 其字面义为理解、认识、识见，在佛教当中主要指意识功能。因为它的特殊作用，凡夫对于世界的认识产生了偏差因而导致痛苦，转变这种状态也就要从意识入手。唯识学以世间一切为意识本身的造作，通常被视为一种唯心主义。其意识内部又至少分为见分和相（xiàng）分，即能见和所见的两个方面，因而能够在没有外在世界存在的前提下，提供认知活动的基本条件。其中根据特定的认知对象又分八识：除眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意六种分别以色、声、香、味、触、法为对象的意识以外，还有末那识和阿赖耶识。第七末那识指恒常思量的功能，一方面为第六识提供依托，一方面将阿赖耶识恒常执持为实有的“自我”。而第八阿赖耶识能含藏业力种子，因而使得一切意识功能处在染污的状态下，与此同时它本身清净的本质却不发生改变。为了解决阿赖耶识这种染净同体的问题，摄论宗另举第九阿摩罗识，即清净识，以区分真妄。 Vijñāna, literally “understanding,” “recognition,” or “knowledge,” refers to the function of consciousness in Buddhism. It distorts a common man’s perception of the world and inflicts mental pain on him. To relieve the pain and restore a correct view, the man has to enhance his own consciousness. Generally regarded as a