Chinese Thought and Culture

cǎoshū 草书 Cursive Script 汉字发展演变中的一种书体。按发展历程可分为草隶、章草、今草、狂草等阶段。它始于汉代，主要是为了书写便捷，提高效率，当时通行的是草隶，后书家损益笔法，逐渐发展为章草。传至汉末，相传张芝（?—192？）摆脱了章草中所保留的隶书形迹，上下字之间的笔势牵连相通，并省减偏旁、相互假借，形成为今草（即今天俗称的草书）。发展到唐代，张旭、怀素（725-785，一说737-799）等草书大家相继产生，他们抒发性情、解放怀抱，将草书写得更为自由纵放，笔势绵延环绕，章法跌宕起伏，结字大胆奇诡，形态变化多端，成为“狂草”。后人又称狂草为“大草”，称今草为“小草”。 Cursive script, also known as running hand, is a particular style of Chinese calligraphy. It went through four stages of development: cursive clerical, semicursive, regular cursive and wild cursive. It began in the Han Dynasty, aiming to facilitate handwriting and increase efficiency. The first popular form of cursive script was […]

bùpíngzémíng 不平则鸣 Cry Out Against Injustice 本义是物体没有放平就容易发出声响，引申为人受到了不公正的对待就要发出不满的声音。唐代著名文学家韩愈（768—824）意在说明文学作品的创作是因为作者受到外界的激发，心中产生“不平之气”，这种不平之气推动作者用文学语言表达出来。这一理论是对孔子（前551—前479）“诗可以怨”和司马迁（前145或前135？—？）“发愤著书”说的继承与发展，北宋欧阳修（1007—1072）进一步提出了“诗穷而后工”的见解，认为诗人在困厄艰险的环境中，幽愤郁积于心，才能写出精美的诗歌作品。 This expression originally denotes an observation that when objects lose their balance, they make sounds. Figuratively, it means that an ill-treated person will make sounds of protest and complaint. Han Yu (768-824), a famous writer in the Tang Dynasty, used the phrase to point out that writers will

bù fèn bù qǐ, bù fěi bù fā 不愤不启，不悱不发 Instruct Only Who Is Anxious to Learn; Teach Only Who Wants to Express Himself but Does Not Know How. 教导学生，不到他想弄明白而不得的时候，不去开导他；不到他想说却说不出来的时候，不去启发他。“愤”是将懂未懂时非常着急的状态，“启”即开导、引导，“悱”是想表达但表达不出来心里郁闷的状态，“发”即阐发、说明。这是孔子提出的教育智慧。它强调学生在教学过程中的主体地位。现代中国教学论中的“启发性原则”即渊源于此。 One should not instruct a student until he is anxious to learn; one should not give guidance to a student until he wants to express himself

bīng zhě xiōngqì, zhēng zhě nì dé 兵者凶器，争者逆德 Weapons Kill; War Is Immoral. 兵器是杀人的工具，战争是违背道德的恶行。“兵”本义是兵器，引申指军队；“争”指冲突、争斗，在此指战争；“逆德”即违反人性，背弃仁爱之德。中国古人，即便是兵家，也都将武力、战争视为凶事，是不到万不得已才采取的非正常手段；即便采取了这种手段，也主张坚持仁义原则。这是中国人崇尚仁爱和平的“文”的精神的又一表达式。 Weapons are tools of death; war is wicked and against morality. The original meaning of bing (兵) is “weapon” and is extended to mean “army”; zheng (争) means “conflict” and “struggle” and here means “war”; nide (逆德) means inhuman, contrary to benevolence and compassion.

bǐ’érbùdǎng 比而不党 Be Close but Not Cliquish 以道义相结交而不结党营私。“比”有亲近、亲附之义，这里指为道义而结成的群体；“党”有偏私、朋党之义，这里指为私情、私利而结成的群体。前者出以公心，是建设性的，为历代正直之士所推崇；后者以权谋私，是破坏性的，为历代正直之士所摒弃。 This expression means forming ties among people based on a common just cause and not forming ties for selfish purposes. Bi (比), meaning to be “close,” implies affinity or attachment. Here it describes a group brought together by a common just cause. Dang (党), referring to “cliquish,” implies bias

bào fǎ chǔ shì 抱法处势 Upholding Law by Means of Power 坚守法度，凭借权势。“抱法处势”是韩非子（前280？—前233）提出的一种法治观念。“法”是所有民众都必须共同遵守的法令，规范着人们的行为与是非善恶的判定。“势”是指统治者占有的地位和掌握的权力。“抱法处势”即要求统治者凭借自己占有和掌握的“势”，以赏罚的手段确保法令的执行，从而维护统一的社会秩序与价值。 This expression means to uphold the law by means of power. This is a way of governance advocated by Hanfeizi (280?-233 BC). Law is what all people have to abide by, regulating people’s conduct as well as the judgment of right or wrong,

ānshí-chǔshùn 安时处顺 Face Reality Calmly 坦然面对现实，安于时运，顺其自然。这是古代哲学家庄子（前369？—前286）所提出的一种处世态度和人生智慧。庄子认为，一切事物都是不以人的意志为转移的，面对死生等变化所造成的境遇，人们要泰然处之。但它并非要人们消极地逆来顺受，而是强调人本身精神的适应性和超越性；提示人们用一种坦然、超拔的心态对待自己的生命和境遇，获得自我安顿，达到自由境界。它是老子“道法自然”命题的延伸与发挥。 One should face reality calmly and follow its natural course. This is an attitude to life espoused by the ancient philosopher Zhuangzi (369?-286 BC). He believed that all things undergo spontaneous transformations independent of man’s will and that humans should face the changes of life and death calmly. However,

zūn bēi biǎn tiè 尊碑贬帖 Praising Stone Inscriptions while Belittling Copying from Stone Rubbings 推崇碑刻书法，贬抑单纯摹仿名家帖书。它是一种书法思潮，也是追求自然多变、推崇个性与创新的书论主张。阮元（1764—1849）反对独尊二王、以学帖为法的悠久传统，指出帖书和碑刻书体各有所长。包世臣（1775—1855）详论碑刻书体的特点，有以其优点补帖书之不足的意思。康有为（1858—1927）指出帖书辗转相传、失却原貌是尊碑的客观原因，碑刻能够呈现书体的阶段性变化和历史多样性。康有为认为书论“可著圣道，可发王制，可洞人理，可穷物变”，应该立足现状考察历史，穷则思变，其维新变法思想在此初露端倪。 This term means to advocate stone-borne calligraphy while deprecating handcopied script in mere imitation of famed calligraphers. It reflects a calligraphic trend toward natural variation and individual creativity. Ruan Yuan (1764-1849), for example, opposed the age-old tradition of lauding master

zhuǎnyìduōshī 转益多师 Learn from Many Masters, Form Your Own Style 尽可能博采众长，以丰富自己的文艺创作。“转益”意为辗转自益，只要对自己创作有益的东西都应该加以学习吸收；“多师”谓广泛师法，不必专主一家。出自唐代诗人杜甫（712—770）《戏为六绝句》。它包含相互联系的两个方面：第一，尽可能广泛学习、师法古人或时贤的创作经验，博采众长，兼收并蓄；第二，在无所不师的同时既有继承也要有所批判。只有这样，才能合乎或接近《诗经》的风雅传统，形成自己的艺术风格。后来这一术语的使用范围由诗歌创作而扩展至文学艺术等各个领域。 The expression means to learn widely from others so as to enrich one’s own artistic creation. Zhuanyi (转益) means to learn and absorb everything that can further one’s creativity; duoshi (多师) means to learn from many teachers. This comes from “Six Playful Quatrains” by Du Fu

Zhūgōngdiào 诸宫调 Song-speech Drama 一种源于北宋、流行于金元的说唱艺术。同一宫调的多首曲子，可组成一个套曲，诸宫调则是不同宫调的多个套曲的组合。其表演形式是唱完一个宫调的套曲，即换韵演唱另一个宫调的套曲。在套曲与套曲的演唱间隙，表演者通过说白来叙述情节，衔接前后。套曲之间，有时也夹有单曲小令。诸宫调对于元杂剧的成型与发展影响较大。董解元创作的《西厢记诸宫调》是存世最完整的诸宫调作品，代表了金代戏曲的最高水平。 The term refers to a form of theatrical performance combining song and speech popular in the Jin and Yuan periods. The drama is composed of sets of songs. Each set of songs is composed of the same mode of music, or gongdiao. During the performance, one set of songs is