Chinese Thought and Culture

kèjǐ-fùlǐ 克己复礼 Restrain Yourself and Follow Social Norms 克制自己的言行以符合礼的要求。出自《论语》，是孔子提出的实现仁德的基本方法。孔子认为，仁德的养成应以礼为标准。个人的言行应受到外在的礼的规范，但更重要的是通过约束自身的私欲，使自己的所见、所闻、言语、行为都符合礼的要求。能够做到“克己复礼”，就达成了仁德。 Restrain your words and deeds to comply with social norms. This term comes from The Analects. It is the fundamental method Confucius recommended for achieving benevolence. According to Confucius, social norms should be the standard for cultivating benevolence. Externally, your words and deeds should be subject […]

jīngqì 精气 Vital Energy 最精致细微的“气”。对“精气”较为详细的解释，最早见于《管子》。在《管子·内业》等篇的讨论中，“精气”指“气”中最精致细微的部分，是“道”的具体呈现。一切有形之物及人类都是由“精气”构成的。此外，人的生命、精神、智慧也被看作是“精气”作用的结果。 Vital energy refers to the finest and most subtle energy. The earliest detailed explanation of vital energy is found in Guanzi. According to the book, the finest and most subtle energy is a concrete manifestation of Dao. All things with shapes and all human beings are made up of vital

jiěbì 解蔽 Clear the Mind of Enigmas 解除认识上的蔽塞，以求获得对“道”的认识。“解蔽”一说出自《荀子》。荀子认为，人的良好的道德行为乃是基于人心对“道”的认识，但人心时常受到自身的好恶、欲求及各种外界因素的影响，从而形成片面的、狭隘的认识。要解除人心所受到的遮蔽，就需要锻炼心知“道”的能力，使心处于“虚壹而静”的状态。 This term, from Xunzi, means to clear the mind of enigmas so that one may understand Dao. Xunzi believes that man’s moral integrity depends on his understanding of Dao. However, man’s likes and dislikes, desires and external factors are likely to jaundice his understanding of Dao. To

Jiàn’ān fēnɡɡǔ 建安风骨 The Jian’an Literary Style 又称“汉魏风骨”。指汉献帝建安年间（公元196—220年）至魏初这一时期的文学作品中由刚健悲慨的思想感情与清朗遒劲的文辞凝结而成的时代精神和总体风格。汉末政治动荡，战乱频繁，人民流离失所。这一时期的代表作家“三曹”（曹操、曹丕、曹植）、“七子”（孔融、陈琳、王粲、徐干、阮瑀、应玚、刘桢）和女诗人蔡琰等人，继承了汉乐府民歌的现实主义传统，在创作中多直面社会动乱，反映民生疾苦及个人怀抱，抒发了建功立业的理想和积极进取的精神，表现出刚健、向上的抱负和豪迈、悲慨的情怀。“建安文学”的总体风格是悲凉慷慨、风骨遒劲、华美壮阔，具有鲜明的时代特征和个性特征，形成了文学史上独特的“建安风骨”，从而被后人尊为典范，其中又以诗歌成就最为突出。 The Jian’an literary style, also known as the Han–Wei literary style, refers to the literary style from the Jian’an era (196–220) of the Han Dynasty to the early Northern Wei Dynasty, featuring powerful expression of passion, anxiety, and indignation. The final years of the Han Dynasty saw

jǐ suŏ bù yù，wù shī yú rén 己所不欲，勿施于人 Do Not Do to Others What You Do Not Want Others to Do to You. 自己不愿意的，不要强加给别人。这是孔子所提倡的“恕道”（推己及人的原则），以自己的心意推测、理解别人的心意，亦即今之所谓设身处地，换位思考。其哲学基础是“性相近”（人的本性是相近的）。它是儒家处理人与人关系的重要原则，如今也被引申为反对强权政治的国际关系原则，其基本精神是仁爱、平等与宽容。 Do not impose on others what you do not want yourself. That is the “way of being considerate” advocated by Confucius. It calls for using one,s own mind to infer and

jī 几 Ji / Omen 事物产生或变化的征兆。古人认为，新事物产生或旧事物发生变化，以及人心善恶的分化之前，都会出现微小的征兆，也即是“几”。“几”或显现于外，或隐藏于旧事物的内部。人应培养发现、把握几兆的能力。只有善于发现事物出现或变化的几兆，并适时加以利用，才能够预见、把握事物发展变化的方向，以实现趋利避害。 Ji (几) refers to an omen indicating the emerging or changing of things. Ancient Chinese believed that a subtle omen would appear before something new emerged or when something old was about to change, or before the differentiation of good and evil in human nature occurred. An omen is either visible

huìmín 惠民 Benefit the People 惠爱民众，施惠于民。“惠民”属于“仁政”，是“爱民”理念的具体体现，重在把财富分给百姓，给百姓好处。它所强调的是，治国者及各级官员要得到百姓的拥护，就必须把百姓的实际利益放在第一位。亦即说，各项政策、措施必须代表、保障、实现百姓的实际利益，必须藏富于民，不能与民争利，更不能巧取豪夺。 The term means to benefit and provide for the people. Huimin (惠民) is a concrete manifestation of benevolent governance and loving the people, with focus on dividing wealth among the people and benefiting them. The emphasis is on placing the interests of the people first, so that they will support

Huáng Hé 黄河 The Yellow River 中国第二大河，发源于青藏高原，自西向东流经青海、四川、甘肃、宁夏、内蒙古、陕西、山西、河南、山东9个省（自治区），注入渤海，全长约5464公里，为世界著名大河。因多泥沙色黄而得名，是中华民族的摇篮和中国古代文化的重要发源地，被称为中国人的“母亲河”。她不仅是一条自然河流，而且已经成为中国人重要的文化意象和文化符号，象征中华民族自强不息、百折不挠、勇往直前的精神品格。 Originating in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Yellow River is the second longest waterway in China, flowing eastward through the provinces of Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as well as the provinces of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, and Shandong before emptying

huānghán 荒寒 Grim and Desolate 古代诗词绘画作品中所描写的荒僻凄寒的环境及所体现出的孤寂凄凉的心境。唐宋时期一些远戍边关或遭贬谪的诗人，因仕途失意或不为时人理解而倍感环境的荒凉和内心的孤独，在诗歌作品中常常营造一种荒僻凄寒的氛围或意境，以此传达自己百折不回、独善其身的心志，使之成为一种独特的审美追求和超越现实的审美方式。追求荒寒意境的绘画则更充满一种独与天地往来的精神和与自然融为一体的情趣。这类诗画代表着中国文化的一种独特品位与风格。 This term refers to desolate and barren landscapes described or portrayed in classical poems or paintings that convey a feeling of loneliness and desolation. During the Tang and Song dynasties, some poets who were either exiled or sent to work at border garrisons did not only dwell in desolate

héwéiguì 和为贵 Harmony Is Most Precious. 以和谐为贵。“和”，和谐、恰当，是在尊重事物差异性、多样性基础上的和谐共存。本指“礼”的作用就是使不同等级的人既保持一定差别又彼此和谐共存，各得其所，各安其位，相得益彰，从而实现全社会的“和而不同”，为儒家处理人际关系的重要伦理原则。后泛指人与人之间、团体与团体之间、国家与国家之间和谐、和睦、和平、融洽的关系状态。它体现了中华民族反对暴力冲突、崇尚和平与和谐的“文”的精神。 Make harmony a top priority. He (和) indicates congruity and appropriateness. It is a state of congenial co-existence on the basis of due respect for differences and diversity. At first, this phrase referred to the role of li (礼rites / social norms) which is to keep citizens of distinct social