Chinese Thought and Culture

mí bú yǒu chū, xiǎn kè yǒu zhōng 靡不有初，鲜克有终 All Things Have a Beginning, but Few Can Reach the End. 所有的事情都会有开始，但很少有人能够做到善终。“靡”，无，没有；“初”，开始；“鲜”，很少；“克”，能够。语出《诗经·大雅·荡》。原本斥责周厉王昏庸无道，政令多变而为害百姓。“靡不有初，鲜克有终”具有深刻的现实意义和哲学意义，做人、做事、为官、理政，有一个好的开端并不难，难的是始终如一地坚持到最后。它告诫我们，做事情不要轻易更改，不能开始时信誓旦旦但很快就忘记初衷，更不能轻言放弃，一定要做到有始有终、善始善终。 All undertakings have a beginning, but few people are able to see things through to the end. Mi (靡) means “nothing, none,” and chu (初) means “beginning.” Xian (鲜) means “few,” and ke (克) means “are able, can.” […]

máodùn 矛盾 Paradox of the Spear and the Shield / Contradiction 可以刺穿任何东西的矛和没有任何东西能够刺穿的盾。“矛盾”之说出自《韩非子》。可以刺穿任何东西的矛和没有任何东西能够刺穿的盾，这两个命题是不相容的。一个人不能同时肯定这样两个不相容的命题。后世即以“矛盾”指称事物之间的对立关系，也意指言行自相抵触。 The term comes from a story in Hanfeizi. In the story, mao (矛) is a spear that is said to be able to pierce anything; dun (盾) is a shield that is said to be able to be pierced by nothing. Mao and dun are a paradox

liùyì 六艺 The Six Arts “六艺”有两种不同的含义：其一，指《诗》《书》《礼》《乐》《易》《春秋》等六部经典。历代儒者通过对“六经”文本的不断解释，为这些经典赋予了丰富的意义。“六艺”之学体现着古人对于世界秩序与价值的根本理解。其二，指礼、乐、射、御、书、术等六种技能，是古代学校教育的基本内容。 The six arts may refer to two sets of content. They may refer to the Six Classics: The Book of Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Rites, The Book of Music, The Book of Changes, and The Spring and Autumn Annals. Confucian scholars through the ages kept

liùɡuān 六观 Six Criteria 文章鉴赏和批评的六个角度，亦是文章本身所具有的六方面要素，包括“位体”（谋篇布局）、“置辞”（遣词造句）、“通变”（对前人作品风格的继承与创新）、“奇正”（表现手法上的守正与新变）、“事义”（援引事例以证立论）、“宫商”（音律节奏）。“六观”作为批评方法论，是《文心雕龙》整个理论体系的重要一环，它使文章批评自此有章可循，避免了批评的主观性，对后世的诗文评论有着指导与规范的作用，也对现代文学理论建构具有显著影响。 The term refers to the following six criteria on literary appreciation and criticism which are also six key elements in writing: structural layout of writing, choice of words to construct sentences, acceptance and innovation in the style of earlier writers, inheriting and transforming traditional ways of expression, citing examples to

línyuān-lǚbó 临渊履薄 Be Discreet as if Standing on Cliff Edge or Treading on Thin Ice 像濒临深渊或脚踩薄冰之时一样小心谨慎。“临渊”、“履薄”都是极为危险的处境，人在这样境遇中，应以专注而谨慎的态度行事，以避免危险。而对道德、礼法的坚守或对应所担当的职责，同样需要始终保持专注而谨慎的态度，任何的放松懈怠都可能造成不良的后果，因此要像“临渊履薄”一样，心存敬畏，谨言慎行。 Be discreet and watchful as if one is standing on the edge of a cliff or treading on thin ice, both being precarious situations in which people need to exercise maximum caution to stay safe. One should observe the

lìcí 丽辞 Ornate Parallel Style 骈文中运用两两相对的方式遣词用句。“丽”即骈俪、对偶。单音独体汉字比较容易形成前后两句对偶的结构，对偶句具有音节配合、意义呼应的整齐美、和谐美。古人借此术语肯定了语言的形式美但又坚持形式与内容相和谐，以最终创作出文质相扶、尽善尽美的作品。 The term refers to a classical Chinese literary style generally known as “parallel prose,” largely composed of couplets of phrases with similar structure. Monosyllabic Chinese words, each represented with a single written character, are fairly easy to arrange in pairs of expressions with semantic symmetry and prosodic harmony. The

lí xínɡ dé sì 离形得似 Transcend the Outer Form to Capture the Essence 文艺创作描绘对象时要善于超越外形而捕捉其精神特征，达到高度真实。庄子（前369？—前286）认为生命的根本在于精神而非形体，应该忘记形体存在而让精神自由驰骋。晚唐诗人司空图（837—908）借鉴这一观点，认为诗歌描绘对象也要追求神似而超越形似。这一诗歌创作理念和批评术语后来也在书法、绘画领域得到贯彻。 When describing something, literary writing should be able to go beyond external appearance to capture the essence so as to reflect a high degree of reality. Zhuangzi (369?-286BC) considered that the essence of life lies in the inner spirit rather than

lí jiānbái 离坚白 Separate Hardness from Whiteness 分离一个事物所具有的坚和白的属性。“离坚白”是公孙龙子提出的一个命题。一块坚硬的白石，当眼睛看它时，只能看到石之白，看不到石之坚；当手触摸它时，只能摸到石之坚，摸不到石之白。坚与白是相互分离的，不能同时出现在石头上，因此不能将坚硬的白石称为“坚白石”。公孙龙子借由“坚白石”的例子，表达了对于事物属性的认识。事物的各种属性是相互独立的，不能同时关联在同一个事物中。 The separation of an object’s hardness from its whiteness is a proposition advanced by Gongsunlongzi. Looking at a hard and white stone, one can only see its whiteness but not its hardness; while touching the stone with one’s hand, one can only feel its hardness but not

lètiān-zhīmìng 乐天知命 Rejoice in Complying with Heaven and Know Its Mandate 乐于顺从天道并知晓命运的分限。出自《周易·系辞上》。天道规定了人事的法则，命运界定了人力的限度。这些都是人不能改易的，人应该知晓并坦然面对。同时，人在天、命的规范与限度内，又可以通过自身的不断努力，修养德行，拓展功业，故乐于顺从天、命。 Rejoice in complying with the Way of Heaven and recognize the limitations set by the Mandate of Heaven. This concept originates from The Book of Changes. The Way of Heaven regulates human affairs and its mandate defines the limit of human power. This

kuāshì 夸饰 Exaggeration and Embellishment 文学作品中所使用的夸张和藻饰的创作手法。目的是增加艺术感染力，吸引读者注意，夸饰运用得好，可以达到写实无法企及的艺术效果，但是过度运用，则会产生华而不实的反面作用，因而古人提出了“夸而有节”的观点，主张夸饰要善于把握尺度。 The term refers to the use of exaggeration and embellishment in a literary work to enhance its artistic appeal. When used as appropriate, exaggeration and embellishment can achieve an artistic effect beyond that of realistic descriptions. However, if overused, it will create the opposite effect, making the writing too