Chinese Thought and Culture

jūnzǐ móu dào bù móu shí 君子谋道不谋食 A Man of Virtue Seeks Dao, Not Livelihood. 君子所谋求的是大道的确立与践行，不会去谋求个人生计。“君子”本指统治者和贵族男子，后泛指才德出众的人；“道”指根本的原则、道理等；“食”即饭食，泛指基本的生存资源。君子作为社会精英，应当以“道”的确立与践行为己任。这并不是对君子的苛求，作为君子，他首先想到的不应该是个人的生计，而是自己对社会大众的引领使命。 A man of virtue seeks to establish and practice Dao rather than pursue his own livelihood. Men of virtue originally referred to males from the ruling class and aristocracy, but later referred generally to virtuous and talented individuals. Dao […]

jué dì tiān tōng 绝地天通 Keep Earthly and Heavenly Affairs Separate 断绝地上之事与上天之事的相互干犯与无序沟通。见于《尚书》与《国语》。“绝地天通”是针对民神杂糅所导致的混乱状态，对神人关系做出的一次重新规范。古人认为，神灵祭祀之事属天，民众治理之事属地。天地两个领域的事务应由专人分别管理，以避免人们任意、无序地与神灵沟通，从而维护神灵的权威及其统摄之下的人世秩序。 The need to keep earthly affairs from heavenly affairs separate was first mentioned in The Book of History and the Discourses on Governance of the States. This was aimed at countering disorderly interaction between the people and the gods and redefining the relationship between

Jìnglíng pài 竟陵派 The Jingling School of Literary Writing 明代后期的文学流派。因代表人物钟惺（1574—1624）、谭元春（1586—1637）都是竟陵（今湖北天门）人，故称为竟陵派，又称钟谭派。竟陵派重视作家个人的情性流露、反对复古模拟，与公安派主张相同，但他们又认为以袁宏道（1568—1610）等为代表的公安派作品俚俗、浮浅，因而倡导一种幽深孤峭的作品风格，主张文学创作应抒写“性灵”。竟陵派所宣扬的“性灵”，其实是为了追求新奇深奥、与众不同，而刻意雕琢字句，极力造成幽深孤峭、艰涩隐晦的诗歌风格。竟陵派对晚明以后的反拟古文风和小品文的大量产生有促进之功，但他们的创作题材狭窄、语言艰涩，束缚了这一派的发展。 This was a school of literary creation in the late Ming Dynasty represented by Zhong Xing (1574-1624) and Tan Yuanchun (1586-1637), who were both natives of Jingling (today’s Tianmen, Hubei Province). It was also known as the ZhongTan School. Like members of the Gong’an School

jìnɡjiàn 劲健 Strength and Vigor 强劲刚健。用于文艺批评，主要指作品所显示出的强劲的生命张力、刚劲的语言和矫健的文思，以及所具有的自由奔放的气势和激荡读者心怀的感染力。它要求作者心境澄明、浩气充盈、内在涵养深厚、情志高远深沉，文思纵横无碍，语言丰富多变，强大的精神力量贯穿整个作品。 This term is used mostly in literary criticism to refer to a vigorous life force, the intensity of language, a burst of literary talent, an overwhelming impact, as well as a powerful appeal to readers’ hearts. It requires the author to maintain a lucid mind, be filled with positivity,

jīnwén 金文 Bronze Script 金文是商周时期铸刻在青铜器上的铭文，是在甲骨文基础上发展起来的一种文字。古代青铜器的种类很多，一般分为礼器与乐器两大类，乐器以钟为代表，礼器以鼎为代表，故前人将钟鼎作为古代青铜器的总称，因此金文也称为“钟鼎文”。金文应用的年代起于商代，盛行于周代，下至秦灭六国，计有800多年。据统计，金文有3700多字，其中能认识的字有2420个，较甲骨文略多。金文的内容多是关于当时祀典、赐命、诏书、征战、围猎、盟约等活动或事件的记录，反映了当时的社会生活。 Bronze script refers to writings inscribed on bronze ware in the Shang and Zhou dynasties; it was developed from inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells. There were many sub-types of bronze ware in ancient China, but they were roughly under two main categories: sacrificial vessels and musical instruments. Sacrificial vessels

jiànwēi-zhīzhù 见微知著 Learn About What Is Forthcoming by Observing Tiny Clues 发现细微苗头，就能知道事物的演变趋势或整体状态。“微”即隐微、不明，指事物尚处于不易被察觉的潜在状态；“著”即显著、明显，指事物的本质已经充分显现或事物的发展已处于充分展开的状态。任何事物都有一个由隐而显、由小变大的过程，其间还可能引发其他连锁反应。做任何事情，都要深刻认识、精准把握事物演变的内在规律，既要着眼全局，又要关注细微处，提前防范可能出现的差错、问题，保障行动顺利进行。其中隐含着对于科学认知的诉求。 By finding tiny signs of change, one is able to learn about trends and developments in the status of things. Tiny things are unobtrusive and hard to notice. But they may later cause very obvious consequences. Everything goes from being hidden to being

jiāntīng 兼听 Listen to Both Sides 广泛听取各种意见。“兼”有俱、同时之义。领导者在决策之前，一定要广泛听取各种意见，综合、吸纳其中的合理部分。它被认为是贤明领导者的基本特质之一。它要求领导者站在公正的立场上，无偏无私，虚怀若谷。这样，各方都能畅所欲言，提出合理建议，而领导者也能集思广益，权衡利弊，从而保障决策的正确和施策的畅通。 It means to listen to diverse points of view. Before making decisions, leaders must listen to all kinds of opinions and synthesize them so as to extract the most sensible arguments. That is deemed a basic characteristic of a wise and worthy leader. To do so, a leader

jiǎgǔwén 甲骨文 Inscriptions on Bones or Tortoise Shells 商周时期用于占卜记事而刻在龟甲或兽骨上的文字，又称“契文”“甲骨卜辞”“殷墟文字”，是中国迄今为止发现的最古老文字，距今有三千多年。甲骨文最初出土于河南安阳的小屯村殷墟，一般认为由晚清金石学家王懿荣（1845—1900）于1899年最早发现。商周时期，王室及贵族上自国家大事，下至私人生活，如祭祀、气候、收成、征伐、田猎、病患、生育等等，无不向上天卜问，以占卜结果决定行止。占卜是国家政治生活中的一件大事，有刻辞的甲骨，会被作为国家档案保存起来。目前已出土的甲骨达十万余片，发现的甲骨文单字约4500个，其中能认识的字约1700个。甲骨文已经有较严密的系统，汉字的“六书”造字法在甲骨文中都有所体现，而且有大批形声字产生。甲骨卜辞也是今天研究商周时期历史的第一手资料。 Such inscriptions include oracles and events recorded on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. They are also known as “script chiseled out with a knife,” “oracles on bones or tortoise shells,” or “script from Yin ruins.” They are the earliest known characters

hé shí shēng wù 和实生物 Harmony Begets New Things. 不同的事物相互调和生成新的事物。由西周末年的周太史史伯提出。史伯认为，不同的事物在和谐共处中可以相互补充、相互辅助，从而生成新的事物。这一原则体现在政治治理中，即要求为政者保全并发挥不同人、物的特质，从而促进新事物的生成、增益与社会整体的发展。 The notion that harmony begets new things was advanced by Grand Astrologer Shibo in the late Western Zhou Dynasty. He believed different things, when coexisting in harmony, would complement each other and beget new things. When applied to political governance, this concept requires those in