Chinese Thought and Culture

yǐ xínɡ mèi dào 以形媚道 Natural Shapes Adapting to Dao 山水以其外在形貌亲近与契合“道”。南朝画家宗炳（375—443）在《画山水序》中发挥孔子“仁者乐山，智者乐水”的思想，认为山水不仅向人类竞相展示了大自然的造化之功，也向人类婉转展示了宇宙天地的变化规律，因而为有德行的人所喜爱。这一术语表现出六朝人的山水审美观念。 Mountains and rivers accord with Dao by way of their shapes. Zong Bing(375-443), a painter of the Southern Song Dynasty, in his “On the Creation of Landscape Paintings” expanded on a saying by Confucius – “A virtuous man loves mountains and a wise man […]

yǐ xíng qù xíng 以刑去刑 Abolishing Punishment with Punishment 以刑罚去除刑罚。这是法家的“法治”思想的具体表现。与儒家的“刑期于无刑”貌合神离。儒家崇礼，重在以德去刑；法家尚刑，意在使用重刑，使百姓心生畏惧，不敢犯法，从而达到不必再用刑罚的境地。从追求天下大治的理想状态来看，法家的“去刑”与儒家的“无刑”相接近，但缺少儒家所具有的人文关怀。 Abolishing punishment with punishment is a concrete manifestation of the Legalist school’s “rule of law.” Seemingly the same as the Confucian notion that punishment is meted out for the purpose of eliminating punishment, it is in fact quite different. Confucians esteemed rites, wanting to get

yǐ guó wéi guó, yǐ tiān xià wéi tiān xià 以国为国，以天下为天下 Rule a State or a Country with Different Methods 以治国的方法治国，以治天下的方法治天下。管子认为，治理者不能拿治理“家”的方法直接用于治“乡”，不能拿治“乡”的方法直接用于治“国”（诸侯国），也不能拿治“国”的方法直接用于治“天下”（天子的统治范围）。而必须随着治理范围的变化而调整治理方法；必须随着治理范围的扩大，开拓自己的视野和胸襟。而在现代语境下，“国”可理解为国家，“天下”可理解为世界。 To rule a state, use the methods for governing a state. To rule a country, use the methods for governing a country. Guanzi held that a ruler must not use the methods for governing

yī huà 一画 All Forms of Painting as Multiplied from a Single Stroke / Oneness in Painting 字面义指绘画用的线条，实际指绘画艺术的根本法则，亦为宇宙一切事物生成发展的普遍法则。由清代画家石涛提出，其具体含义今人有不同理解。石涛借鉴老子学说及禅宗的理论（或说取自伏羲从阴阳一画创制八卦，进而创建文明世界），认为宇宙万物都生成于原始的“一”，画家笔下的有形万物，亦由“一”创生并贯之以“一”。在石涛那里，“一”指“无”，绘画就是从“无”创生有形物象的过程；“一”又指“道”，既是绘画之“道”，又是宇宙万物之“道”，两者相通合“一”；“一”还是蕴含、贯通于各种绘画手法的普遍法则，画家笔下的每一笔、每一根线条都体现着这一普遍法则。“一画论”包含“一”与“道”、与“无”、与“有”、与“多”等多重关系，有着丰富的哲学意蕴和艺术思想。这一术语后来成为中国传统美学思想、画论的重要范畴。 While this literally means “lines employed in painting,” it is used to refer to the fundamental rules guiding the art of painting and, furthermore, to the universal laws of the formation and development of everything in the

yě wú yí xián 野无遗贤 No Sagacious Person Ignored 民间没有遗漏不用的贤人，但凡德才兼备的人都能为国所用。这是古人“尚贤”理念的具体体现。中国自古注重任人唯贤，人尽其才，认为这是实现国家良好治理状态的重要保障。察举制、科举制等中国古代各种人才“选举”制度，都是基于这种理念而建立的。“野无遗贤”也被认为是国家良好治理状态的标志之一。 When no sagacious person was ignored, all men with virtue and talent were employed by the government. This is a demonstration of the ancient concept of “holding man of sagacity in high esteem.” Since ancient times, China has emphasized that people should be appointed to

yánɡ zhōu bā ɡuài 扬州八怪 The Magical Eight Painters of Yangzhou 清代康熙到乾隆年间，活跃于扬州一带的八位画家，因其个性独特、画风怪诞，被称为“八怪”。一般指汪士慎（1686—1762？）、李鱓（shàn，1686—1762）、金农（1687—1763）、黄慎（1687—1768后）、高翔（1688—1753）、郑燮（1693—1765）、李方膺（1695—1754）、罗聘（1733—1799）等八人，亦有其他说法。他们多为失意官吏或无功名的文人，借书画表现心中不平，作画不拘成法，反对正统画风，在题画诗、书法、篆刻创作领域锐意创新，成就卓著，被当时人视为“偏师”“怪物”，“扬州八怪”由此而得名。他们对近代画家如陈师曾（1876—1923）、齐白石（1864—1957）等产生了很大影响。 These were the eight outstanding artists active in the Yangzhou area during Qing Emperors Kangxi’s and Qianlong’s reigns. They boasted unique personalities and magical styles of painting. Their names are: Wang Shishen(1686-1762?), Li Shan (1686-1762), Jin Nong (1687-1763), Huang Shen (1687-1768?), Gao Xiang

xiū jǐ ān rén 修己安人 Cultivate Oneself to Benefit Others 修养自己，使人安乐。“修己”即努力使自己的才能、德性等各方面不断提升，实现完满境界，达于“内圣”；“安人”即发挥自己的才能、德性，建立事功，惠及他人，达于“外王”。这是孔子对于“君子”概念的界说，也是儒家道德政治理论的简约表达。 “Cultivating oneself” means taking pains to elevate one’s talent and virtue constantly to achieve perfection, thus inwardly becoming a sage. “Benefiting others” means displaying one’s own talent and virtue to make contributions to society and benefit others, thus outwardly becoming a person like a

xiōng dì xì yú qiáng, wài yù qí wǔ 兄弟阋于墙，外御其侮 Brothers Quarrel within the Walls of the Home; Outside They Resist Bullying by Others. 兄弟虽然在家里争吵，但能一致抵御外人的欺侮。“阋”，争吵；“墙”，门屏，指家里。多用来比喻内部虽有分歧、冲突，但能团结起来抵抗外来侵略。它是中华民族家国情怀的典型表达式，近现代以后成为中国自我意识觉醒的标志。 Although brothers may quarrel at home, they always stick together to resist bullying by outsiders. This refers to people who have internal conflicts and disputes can still put together to

xìng wú shàn wú è 性无善无恶 Human Nature Is Neither Good nor Evil. 人性无所谓善与恶。“性无善无恶”之说是古代的一种人性论观点，告子即主张此说。这里所言人性，指人天生所具有的属性。在告子看来，人天生所具有的仅仅是对于外物的生理上的诉求，如食色之欲等。这样的本性并不具有道德含义，是无所谓善恶的。人之善恶是后天人为塑造、影响而成的。受到好的影响即可以为善，而在不好的环境中即会为恶。 Human nature has nothing to do with good or evil, which is a view held by ancient Chinese people. The philosopher Gaozi was one of the advocates of this “neither good nor evil” theory. Here, human nature refers to the in-born

xìng shàn è hún 性善恶混 Human Nature Is A Mixture of Good and Evil. 人性善恶混杂。“性善恶混”之说是古代的一种人性论观点。该说认为，人性既非全善，也非全恶，而是善恶并存。人之为善或为恶，取决于后天的修养。因此，在“性善恶混”的观念之下，学习和教化成为塑造良好德行的关键。 Human nature is a mixture of good and evil. This is a view of human nature held by ancient Chinese people. According to this theory, human nature can neither be all good nor all evil, but instead good and evil