Chinese Thought and Culture

sìxiàng 四象 Four Images “八卦”生成过程中由“两仪”分化出的四种物象或特性。《周易·系辞上》言：“易有太极，是生两仪，两仪生四象，四象生八卦。”“两仪”继续分化形成相互区别而又相互关联的四种物象或特性，就是“四象”。对于“四象”的具体内容，古人有着不同的理解：其一，从万物生成的角度来看，“四象”或指春、夏、秋、冬四时，或指金、木、水、火四种基本元素。其二，从占筮的角度来理解，“四象”或指揲（shé）分蓍草时每组被分出的四根蓍草，或指画卦时所确定的太阴、太阳、少阴、少阳等四种爻象。 This term means the four images, or features of the four images, which are engendered through the division of the two modes in the process of the formation of the eight trigrams. As explained in The Book of Changes, “Changes involve taiji (太极 the supreme ultimate), which produces two modes. The […]

shì dé zhě chāng，shì lì zhě wáng 恃德者昌，恃力者亡 Those Who Rely on Virtue Will Thrive; Those Who Rely on Force Will Perish. 依靠道义的就会兴旺，依靠暴力的就会消亡。见于《史记·商君列传》引《尚书》。“德”即道义、恩德、德行，“力”即强力、暴力、武力。受儒家政治伦理思想影响，中国人自古提倡“王道”（以德服人），反对“霸道”（以力压人）。认为以德服人才能使人心悦诚服，从而形成合力，使事业兴旺发达；而以力压人只能使人被迫屈从，不能达成真实持久的和谐与团结。管理一单位如此，治理一国家如此，处理国与国之间的关系亦如此。作为处理国与国之间关系的原则，其含义可以诠释为：穷兵黩武、弱肉强食有违文明发展，只有坚守道义、互信互谅才能造就世界的持久和平与安全。 Relying on moral strength will bring prosperity, whereas relying on violence will bring doom. The saying is described in Records of the Historian as coming from The Book of History. De (德) refers to

shènɡ Tánɡ zhī yīn 盛唐之音 Poetry of the Prime Tang Dynasty 指唐玄宗开元（公元713—741年）、天宝（公元742—756年）年间的诗歌创作与艺术成就。与初唐、中唐、晚唐时期的诗歌相对应。这一时期是“安史之乱”前唐帝国的黄金时代，当时，社会稳定、政治清明、经济繁荣，南北文化融合，中外交通发达，这一切为“盛唐之音”营造了很好的社会氛围和文化基础。在唐诗初、盛、中、晚四个阶段中，盛唐最短，但艺术成就最为辉煌，被后人誉为“盛唐气象”。这一时期，不但出现了诗仙李白、诗圣杜甫，而且还出现了张说（yuè）、张若虚、张九龄、孟浩然、王维、高适、岑参（shēn）、王昌龄、王之涣、崔颢、李颀、王翰等一大批卓有成就的诗人。他们赞美山川，向往功业，抒发个人情志，记述社会现实，诗风豪迈浑厚、意境宏阔高远，语言清新天然，富有生命活力与进取精神，创造了中国古典诗歌的最高成就。就诗派而论，这一时期则有山水田园诗派、边塞诗派等。 This term refers to the poetic creation and achievements during the Kaiyuan(713–742) and Tianbao (742–756) reign periods of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, as compared with poetic writing in the early Tang, mid-Tang, and late Tang periods. This period, marked by good

shēngshēng 生生 Perpetual Growth and Change 生生不息的变化。《周易·系辞上》言：“生生之谓易。”《周易》所言“生生”包含两层含义：其一，就万物的存在而言，“生生”指天地万物处于永恒的生成、变化之中，阴阳的交互作用构成了“生生”的内在动力。“生生”是天地万物的根本属性，也是道德之善行的来源。其二，就占筮而言，“生生”指奇画与偶画相交错，卦爻之象处于不断变化之中。 The term stands for perpetual change. According to The Book of Changes, while shengsheng (生生) here means continued growth and perpetual change, it can be understood at two levels. First, in regard to the existence of all things, it is the interaction of yin and yang that drives the

shàngxián 尚贤 Exalt the Worthy 崇尚贤才。中国古代很多学派都提出过“尚贤”或类似的主张。“尚贤”即要求执政者崇尚贤能之士，并依据其德行、才能赋予相应的政治权力与地位，使其在国家治理中充分发挥其作用。良好的德才应成为选任官吏的优先原则。对儒家而言，“尚贤”是对“亲亲”原则的有益补充。墨家则将其作为实现“尚同”之治的重要条件。 In ancient China, many schools of thought advocated “exalting the worthy” or similar ideas. They asked those in power to employ worthy and able men and make effective use of them in governance by assigning them political power and positions corresponding to their virtues. Virtue and talent were to

shàngtóng 尚同 Conform Upwardly 指是非标准同一于上级统治者。“尚同”是墨家的基本主张之一。墨子认为，在没有国家、政治之时，人们会因为是非标准的混乱而导致相互非议、争斗，造成彼此之间的伤害。因此主张立贤能之人为天子及各级官吏，所有人的言行是非标准皆服从于上级，并最终同一于天子；天子则服从于上天的要求。墨家认为“尚同”是实现天下大治的重要手段。 This term means conforming to the superior in applying standards for right and wrong. It is one of the basic positions of the Mohist school. Mozi believed that in the absence of a state and political power, confusion over right and wrong would give rise to conflict and fighting, causing

shānshuǐshī 山水诗 Landscape Poetry 一种以描写山水名胜为主要题材的诗歌流派。主要摹写自然山川的秀美壮丽并借以抒发闲情逸致，特点是写景状物逼真细致，语言表达富丽清新。东晋时期，南渡的士大夫在自然山水中寻求精神抚慰和解脱，激发了山水诗创作的灵感。其开创者是晋末宋初的大诗人谢灵运，他把自然美景引入诗歌创作，将诗歌从枯燥乏味的玄理中解放出来，后经谢朓（tiǎo）、何逊、阴铿等人的创作实践而逐步成为诗歌史上的一个重要诗派。到唐代特别是盛唐时期，山水诗的创作更是蔚为大观，涌现出王维、孟浩然等著名山水诗人，中唐时期的刘长卿、韦应物、柳宗元等人的创作也有特色。山水诗开启了新的诗歌风貌，标志着一种新的审美观念的产生。 Landscape poetry, as the name suggests, describes the beauty and charm of natural scenery, and landscape poets express their emotions through extolling the enchanting scenery. Landscape poetry is characterized by vivid description of sights with rich and refreshing language. During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, scholars who had fled war-torn homes

sānbùxiŭ 三不朽 Set Moral Examples, Perform Great Deeds, and Spread Noble Ideas 世间三种永不磨灭或永远受人怀念、称颂的业绩，即“立德”“立功”“立言”，也称“三立”。最高的是“立德”，确立典范的道德，垂范后世；其次是“立功”，建立伟大的功业，为国家百姓兴利除害；最后是“立言”，提出包含真知灼见的言论，以启迪后人，或撰文著述，成一家之言。据《左传》记载，“三不朽”由鲁国叔孙豹提出。在叔孙豹看来，个人或家族的私利，无论是财富还是官爵、地位，总会随时间的推移而逐渐消失。只有真正利于国家百姓的“德”“功”“言”，才能长期流传而不朽。“三不朽”后来成为古代士人及每一位有抱负的人的毕生追求。 This term refers to three great accomplishments that are forever remembered and eulogized by the people. The first and foremost is to set a high moral standard for people of later generations to follow. The second is to perform meritorious deeds, bringing

rénmín-àiwù 仁民爱物 Have Love for the People, and Cherish All Things 仁爱百姓，爱惜万物。这里的“物”泛指一切禽兽草木，而“爱”意思是取之有时、用之有节。它是孟子提出的一种思想。孟子认为，人类对待自己亲人的态度是亲爱，对待百姓的态度是仁爱，对待动植物的态度是爱惜，这是自然形成的情感差异。爱虽然有亲疏差等，但君子能以“亲亲”为原点，推己及人，广被万物，即由爱亲人进而仁爱百姓，进而爱惜万物。它是一种源于家族本位而又超越家族本位，甚至超越人类本位、遍及万事万物的博大的爱，是达成人自身、人与人、人与自然关系和谐完满的基本原理。张载的“民胞物与”思想与此不无渊源。 The term means to have love for the people, and cherish all things in the world. Here wu (物) includes plants and animals, while ai (爱) implies using them in a measured and appropriate way. This was first proposed by Mencius who differentiated natural emotions

qīngcí-lìjù 清词丽句 Refreshing Words and Exquisite Expressions 指立意新颖、情感真挚、物象鲜明而语言清新美妙的诗句。“清”主要针对堆砌辞藻和典故而言，不仅指词句清新自然，还指格调高雅而意境淡远；“丽”指的也不是词语本身的华丽，而是指尽脱俗气，物象鲜明而有真情。作为一个诗学术语，它实际是指包括语言风格在内的诗歌整体风格。 This term refers to verses original in theme, sincere in feeling, distinctive in image, and refreshing in diction. “Refreshing” stands opposed to ornate phrases and excessive literary quotations, and indicates both fresh and natural expressions as well as elegant style and subtle aesthetic conception. What “exquisite” indicates