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

rúláizàng 如来藏 Tathāgatagarbha / Womb of the Tathāgata 一切众生都藏有的成就觉悟的潜能。如来藏为觉悟的可能性提供了本体基础，且在相关经典中，一般认为一切众生都有这种觉悟的潜能，它其实是被淹没的意识本质。由于如来藏与阿赖耶识一样清净圆满，提供了相似的解脱依据，故有时混为一谈。魏晋至隋唐之间，“如来藏缘起”的观念趋于显流，即将如来藏分为真如门和生灭门，前者指寂静的本体，后者指阿赖耶识的作用表象，用以解释性寂的本体何以有缘起生灭的问题。 Tathāgatagarbha refers to the potential to realize the Buddhahood inherent in all sentient beings. As an ontological foundation for Buddhahood, this potential is described in related sutras as the submerged essence of consciousness possessed by all sentient beings. It is sometimes confused with ālāyavijñāna, because both of them,

rénzhě-yàoshān, zhìzhě-yàoshuǐ 仁者乐山，智者乐水 The Virtuous Love Mountains and the Wise Love Water. 有德行的人喜爱山，有智慧的人喜爱水。山崇高持固，以其深厚而滋养万物，仁者由此联想到平和安静、心怀仁德而欣喜；水奔流不息，以其顺势而周流无滞，智者由此联想到顺势而动、随时应变而快乐。此二句互文见义：仁爱而有智慧的人从自然山水中看到自己的天性和追求，乃至看到自己精神的映照，所以见山水而欣悦。这是君子修养的两方面，是君子比德于山水进而移情山水带来的拟人化的自然之美以及赏会之乐。山水因此联系着人类美好的情感，成为常见的审美意象，而徜徉于山水也成为文人修养身心的重要方式。比德是一种富有中国特色的艺术表现方式和思维方式。 According to this term, a mountain is lofty and steadfast, conserving everything with its infinite forbearance. Thus, a virtuous man feels elated by associating this with poise, serenity and benevolence. Water, on the other hand, runs on incessantly, finding its way around

rényuàn-shāngguó 人怨伤国 People’s Grievances Harm the Country. 民心有怨，会伤及国家。“人怨”即民怨，指广大民众对施政不满甚至心怀怨恨。如果广大民众对施政普遍不满或怨恨，说明国家治理中可能存在这样或那样的问题，人民不能安居乐业，社会就容易失序进而引发动乱，对于国家来说这不是好事情。对此，执政者或施政者须及时调整政策，努力使民众心情舒畅，保障国家长治久安。这和“国无怨民曰强国”是一个道理，也可以认为是“民本”思想的体现。 The country will be harmed if the people harbor grievances. “People’s grievances” refers to dissatisfaction or even anger among the people over government policies. Broad dissatisfaction or anger among the general public indicates there may be problems of one sort or another in the country’s governance. If

rénxīn 人心 Human Heart / Human Desires 对外物的知觉欲求。“人心”与“道心”对举，见于古文《尚书》、《荀子》等典籍。宋儒特别重视“人心”与“道心”的概念，对其含义进行了解释和发挥。宋儒认为，心的知觉活动包含两类内容：其一，由耳目等身体官能所生发的对外物的欲求，称为“人心”。其二，依循于道德原则的知觉意识，称为“道心”。“人心”源自形体所禀受之气带来的私欲。“人心”的私欲容易过度而造成危害，因此应发挥“道心”的功用，以克服过度的欲望。 The “human heart” here refers to human awareness of outside attractions and desires for such attractions. It is in contrast with consciousness of moral principles, and was used in classics such as the “Old Text” version of The Book of History, and Xunzi. Confucian scholars in the

rénmìng-guāntiān 人命关天 Life Is as Important as Heaven. 人之生死，事关重大。“人命”即人的性命，“天”比喻极其重要的事物。同“人命至重”。中国古人认为，人是天地之间最尊贵的生命存在，而生命属于每个人只有一次，最可宝贵。所以，断案、用兵、行医等，但凡事关人命，都要格外慎重。它体现了尊重人、尊重生命的中华人文精神。 Life and death are of the utmost importance. “Life” refers to the lives of people, and “heaven” means the most important matters. The meaning of this phrase is similar to the expression that “life is of supreme importance.” The ancient Chinese regarded human beings as the