Chinese Thought and Culture

shījiā sānmèi 诗家三昧 The Key to Poetic Creation 指诗歌创作的秘诀。“三昧”一词，源于梵文samādhi音译，意思是止息杂念、使心神平静，是佛教的重要修行方法，后借指事物的要领、真谛，被诗歌、绘画、书法等各领域借用，成为各领域要领、技巧、秘诀的代名词。“诗家三昧”由南宋著名诗人陆游（1125—1210）在《九月一日夜读诗稿有感走笔作歌》中使用，后用以指代诗歌创作过程中出现的一种灵感突发、文思泉涌的生命状态。陆游在这首诗中讲述年轻时学诗未有心得，后从军，驻守南郑，火热、紧张、刺激的军营生活，使其诗风发生巨变，灵感纷至沓来。从陆游的创作历程可以看出，诗歌来源于生活，“诗家三昧”只有在表现生活、反映现实的创作活动中才能获得。 Sanmei (三昧) originates from the Sanskrit word samādhi, meaning “the mental state of being firmly fixed on a single object” or “meditative absorption.” Samadhi used to be Buddhism’s important way to engage in self-cultivation. Later, it took on the meaning of “the gist or true essence of […]

shīhuà 诗话 Criticism on Poetry / Shihua (Story-telling with Song and Speech) 主要含义有二：其一，指评论诗人、诗作、诗派及记载诗人逸事及相关考订的著作，是中国古代诗学文献的一个组成部分。诗话肇始于南朝梁代钟嵘（？—518？）的《诗品》，第一部完整意义上的诗话是北宋欧阳修（1007—1072）的《六一诗话》，南宋严羽（？—1264）的《沧浪诗话》是宋代最负盛名、对后世影响最大的诗话。此后，诗话成为评论诗作、发表诗歌创作理论的主要著作形式，明、清两代诗话作品数量巨大，其中以清代王夫之（1619—1692）的《姜斋诗话》和袁枚（1716—1798）的《随园诗话》成就最大。明清时期还刊行了《历代诗话》《历代诗话续编》《清诗话》等，辑集了历代重要的诗话著作。诗话的一般特点是，不追求系统严密的理论体系，主要以评论者的细腻感悟为特色，以若干短句为一则，对诗歌创作中的具体问题或某些艺术规律提出自己的感受和意见。诗话具有较强的文学性和文学欣赏价值。中国诗话以其鲜明的文化特色，有别于西方思辨式的文学理论体系建构和科学严密的语言表述。其二，指中国古代的一种说唱艺术。有说有唱，韵文、散文并用，韵文多为七言诗赞，用于唱；散文即“话”，用于说。现存最早的作品是宋元时期刊印的《大唐三藏取经诗话》。 This term has a two-fold meaning. First, it refers to any work that contains critiques or commentaries on poets, poems, schools of poetry, anecdotes about poets, and textual research. This type of work is a constituent part of scholarly inquiry into classical Chinese

shēngwú’āilè 声无哀乐 There Is No Such Thing as Joyful or Sad Music. 音乐本身没有哀乐之情，只是可以寄寓和激发情感。由三国时期的嵇康（223—262，或224—263）提出。嵇康将心情、意志与音乐区分开，认为情志由心灵主宰，可以表现为多种音乐形式，作者用音乐所表现的情志不等于听者由音乐所激发的情志，以乐观政的实质是执政者先了解社会状况和民众情志，然后借助音乐进行教化：乐师将正确的道理、健康的情志、美好的理想表现为和谐优美的音乐，使音乐与某种特定的意蕴结合，成为广大受众共同的认定，由此影响人心、改变社会风俗，并进而强化音乐的特定意蕴。“声无哀乐”说启示后世文艺批评家将历史变迁、社会风俗、作者的精神世界与受众的心理接受等多种要素结合起来进行考察，更为合理地认识文艺的本质与功能。 Music itself should not be divided into joyful music and sad music – it can only accommodate or inspire feelings. This idea was first raised by Ji Kang (223-262 or 224-263) of the Three Kingdoms period. Ji held that music should be

shènzhōng-rúshǐ 慎终如始 Be as Discreet at the End as at the Beginning; Remain Discreet Throughout the Whole Process 结束时要像开始时一样谨慎。意思是，做事情自始至终都应小心谨慎，始终如一。决定事情成败的因素很多，单从主观方面说，成功多取决于人的谨慎与坚持，失败则往往由于人的懈怠和放弃。当事情即将完成，尤其是向好的方向发展的时候，人的心理最易松弛，因而出现疏漏，使事情功败垂成，故须强调“慎”字。“慎”源于诚，“诚”就是认真谨慎地对待自己所担负的事情。 One should be discreet at the beginning and all the way through to finish. Many factors determine success or failure. Generally speaking, discreetness and perseverance are the sure way to success, while negligence and laxity invariably

shēnjiào 身教 Teach by Example 用实际行动教导人。与“言教”（用语言讲述教导人）相对。本指执政者不要满足于简单的发号施令和言语说教，而要以自身的实际行动，为民众起到道德示范作用，以达成社会治理的目标。与“人治”思想相通。后转为重要的教育理念：教师不仅要用语言讲授知识、教育学生，更要以自己的实际行动，在治学、修德等方面成为学生的表率，以便更好地感化学生，实现既定的教育目标。犹言“以身作则”“为人师表”。 This means teaching by one’s deeds as opposed to explaining in words. Originally it referred to a ruler who should not just issue orders and tell people what to do. Rather, he should set an example to his subjects with his own actions as a model of virtue, thereby

shèlǐ 射礼 Rites of Archery 射箭之礼，是古代人伦生活中的一项重要礼仪。“射”指射箭，是古代学子需要掌握的六种基本技能之一。“射礼”即是按照特定的仪程，安排宾主三番轮射。因射者的身份及礼仪场合不同，“射礼”又有大射、乡射、燕射之别。“射礼”中的射箭活动，除了追求中的（dì）的准度等实际射击效果，也要求射者身体和心态的端正，射的不中则反省自己的身心状态。这种射箭的要求和自省的态度，正符合道德修养的要求。因此，“射礼”除了比较射箭技艺，也具有辅助道德修养的意义。 The rites of archery were an important element in ancient Chinese etiquette. Archery was one of the six basic skills that scholars in ancient China needed to master. For a host and his guests, rites of archery involved three rounds of shooting. Based on the status of the participants

shàngyī-yīguó 上医医国 Great Healers Heal the Country. 高明的医生可以医治国家的疾病。“上医”义同“上工”，指高明、上等的医生；“医国”指的是治理并消除国家的各种疾患。此语本用来比喻高明的政治家像给人治病一样解决国家治理中存在的各种问题和弊病，现在也用来说明高明的医生，能够凭借自己的一技之长，帮助国家防治重大疾患（如各种传染病等），使百姓的生活福祉得到保障。它隐含两个基本观念：其一，治国与治病在基本原理上有相通之处；其二，医者不仅要有高超的医术，而且要有救助苍生、心怀国家的情怀。 A great healer can treat the ills of a country. Like a “great physician,” a “great healer” is a skillful, first-rate doctor; “to heal a country” is to treat and eliminate its various ills. Originally this expression was used to describe how a great statesman resolved the

shànggōng zhì wèibìng 上工治未病 Great Physicians Treat Before the Outbreak of an Illness. 高明的医生施治于病发之前。“上工”指高明、上等的医生；“未病”指疾病稍有症候，但尚未真正发作的状态。作为中华医学的重要原则，它要求医者精通病理、医理，对病症、病势、病程等有超强的预见力、判断力和控制力，做到早发现、早预防、早治疗，其核心在于预防——预防疾病的发作，预防疾病的转移、变化与传播。它也是中华卫生医学的基础理念，体现了中国人“未雨绸缪”“防患于未然”的治事智慧。 The best physicians start treatment before the outbreak of an illness. Shanggong (上工) means skillful, first-rate doctors; weibing (未病) is when the slightest symptoms appear but before the actual onset of an illness. This important principle of Chinese medicine requires a doctor to

shàn wéi guó zhě bù qī qí mín 善为国者不欺其民 A Good Ruler Does Not Cheat the People. 好的治国者不会欺骗民众。民众的信任是国家政权建立与巩固的基础和保障。这并不是说国家对民众无秘密可言，而是说治国者应坚守诚信，依法施政，正大光明，取信于民，不可滥用公权力，弄虚作假，欺骗民众，以致失去民众信任，离心背德。这和“民无信不立”是一个道理，是“民本”思想的延伸。 Public trust is the foundation underlying state power. A good ruler does not cheat the people. This does not mean that the state has no secrets from the public. Rather, it means the ruler should keep his

shàn bài zhě bù wáng 善败者不亡 Those Adept at Coping with Defeat Cannot Be Destroyed. 善于应对败局者不会灭亡。用兵打仗，任何一方都不可能保证只胜不败。高超的统帅，不仅要善于把握优势和胜局，还要善于应对劣势和败局。当败局无可挽回时，要尽可能地发挥主观能动性，力争将己方的损失降到最低，避免一败涂地，引发总体性、根本性的动摇、崩溃和覆灭。这一术语体现了在被动中寻求主动的辩证法，在现代社会具有更为广泛的应用。 Those who are adept at coping with defeat cannot be destroyed. No party in a war can always be sure of victory and never be defeated. An outstanding commander must not only be skilled at using his advantages when