mù nè 木讷 Simple and Sparing of Words 质朴而少言。“木”指为人质朴，“讷”指言语少而迟缓。人们对于道义的持守应发自内心的认同与追求，而不是为了以外在的表现去获取名声与利益。“木讷”即强调舍弃对名利的追求，避免浮华不实的行为与言语，专注于自身的德行修养。儒家认为，“木讷”作为一种重要的美德，接近于“仁”的要求。在这个意义上，“木讷”并不同于日常语用中的呆板迟钝之义。 The first of these two Chinese characters means simple and honest. The second one means sparing of words. People should embrace moral standards with all their hearts rather than cultivate an ostentatious appearance in an attempt to seek fame and gain. To be simple and sparing […]

mín wú xìn bú lì 民无信不立 Without People’s Trust the State Will Not Survive. 若是得不到百姓的信任，国家政权就不会稳固。中国人自古重“信”（诚信、信任）；孔子把它放在了官民关系上，并提到了事关政权稳固与否的高度。其意为：国家或国家的治理者要对百姓讲诚信，不倚仗权势而妄为，以使百姓信任自己，而百姓对自己也因此讲诚信。这是政权建立、坚固的基础和保障。它也是“民惟邦本”思想的引申表达。 Without the trust of the people, the government will not be stable. Chinese people have since antiquity put high value on “trust” (good faith). Confucius applied it to the relationship between officials and the people and saw it as a

lì 丽 Enthralling Charm “丽”有成对、美丽、绮丽、附丽等多种意涵，彰显华美、绮靡、艳丽等形式美感，是中国古典美学重要范畴之一。从风格而言，它既可表优美，亦可表壮美。就书法而言，它指字的结体之外有余味、余韵，让人兴发美感。就音乐而言，它表现为从清静中发出美妙声音，给人以古淡、素雅之美。 The notion of enthralling charm carries a variety of meanings, such as symmetry, beauty, splendor, and attachment. It highlights the formal aesthetic features of magnificence, intricate beauty, and colorfulness, thus forming a major component of classical Chinese aesthetics. Stylistically, this term indicates elegance and majestic beauty. When referring to calligraphy,

lì 力 Strength; Capability 人为的力量或能力。“力”既指一人之力，也可指团体、国家之力。“力”表现为施用者对自身及外在事物的控制与影响。“力”不应成为强者胁迫弱者的手段，“力”的施用应符合道德、礼法的要求。在力所能及的范围内，人们应克服外在条件所造成的阻碍与困难，尽力去达成合乎德礼的目标。不过，人力也有一定的限度。超出人力限度的事情即归之于“命”，不必强求。 The term means human strength or capability. Strength refers to the power of one person, an organization or a country. Strength represents control or influence one exercises over oneself or something outside oneself. It should not be used as a tool by the strong to threaten the weak; rather, it

Kǒnɡ Yán zhī lè 孔颜之乐 The Happiness of Confucius and Yanhui 孔子（前551—前479）、颜回（前521—前490）的自得之乐。“孔颜之乐”是儒家尤其是宋明理学家所推崇的一种精神境界。常人往往不堪忍受贫困的生活，但孔子、颜回却能不受简陋的物质条件的困扰，而保持一种快乐的精神境界。”孔颜之乐”体现着对物质欲求的超越，是在对天理、人伦的深刻体认与追求中所获得的一种内在的快乐与幸福。 This term means the happiness and contentment of Confucius (551-479 BC) and Yanhui (a disciple of Confucius, 521-490 BCa disciple of Confucius). The happiness of Confucius and Yanhui is a mental outlook admired and advocated by Confucian scholars, especially by Song and Ming

jūn zǐ zhī jiāo 君子之交 Relations between Men of Virtue 君子之间的交往。与“小人之交”相对。“君子”是品德高尚的人，他们之间的交往是因为志同道合，看似平淡，实则情深义重；“小人”是品德低下的人，他们之间的交往是为了谋取私利，表面亲密，实则利尽义绝。“君子之交”自古即为中国人所崇尚。它是“义利之辨”和“君子小人之辨”在人际交往中的体现，蕴涵着重道义、轻私利，褒君子、贬小人的健康的价值观。 Relations between men of virtue are the opposite of those between petty men. The former are people with moral integrity and their relations are based on shared values. These relations may not seem close, but they are in fact strong and deep. The latter

jūn zǐ yì yǐ wéi zhì 君子义以为质 Righteousness Is Essential for a Person of Virtue. 君子以义作为行事的根本原则。“君子”指地位尊贵或才德出众的人，“义”即道义、正义及其衍生出来的社会规范与责任；“质”即根本、本质。此语揭示了精英阶层的本质规定性在于道义担当与社会责任。 A person of virtue takes righteousness as a fundamental principle to guide his or her acts. A “person of virtue” refers to dignitaries or persons with great talent or moral quality. Righteousness means morality and justice, as well as

jǔ xián róng zhòng 举贤容众 Recommend People of Virtue and Be Magnanimous Toward the Masses 推举有才德的人，包容一般人。治国理政要达到良好状态，必须选拔、任用有品德、才能出众的人，但对于德行、资质都很一般的人也能放开襟怀，予以包容。这是中国传统政治思想中“尚贤”与“仁爱”精神的有机结合。 To govern a state well, the ruler must select and employ those with outstanding virtue and talent. However, he must also be tolerant and inclusive toward people of ordinary virtue and aptitude. This is a successful combination of the

jiāo xué xiàng zhǎng 教学相长 Teaching and Learning Promote Each Other. 教学与学习相互促进，教师与学生相互提升。中国古人早已认识到，教学过程不只是教师影响学生的单向过程，而是师生交互影响的双向过程；在此过程中，教学双方都不断取得进步和提高。其中蕴涵着教学双方互为主客体的观点，颇具现代教育智慧。 Teachers and students improve each other. The ancient Chinese realized that teaching is not just a matter of teachers influencing students, but a two-way process of mutual interaction. In this process, teachers and students continuously make their own progress and improvements. It embodies

huàn zài tǔ bēng, bú zài wǎ jiě 患在土崩，不在瓦解 Calamity Is Collapse Like a Landslide, Not a Few Roof-tiles Coming Loose. 国家的忧患，在于政权基础的崩溃，不在于统治者上层的分裂。国家政权存在的基础是民心的归顺与基层社会的治理。“土崩”比喻政权失去民心，整个社会呈断崖式崩塌，百姓走投无路，纷纷起而反抗；“瓦解”比喻统治者上层发生分裂，有人争权夺利、违法乱纪甚至谋反作乱。前一种情况会动摇国家政权的社会、经济基础，并对政权存在的正当性构成否定，故可怕；而后一种情况在现有制度框架内往往可以解决，故不可怕。这一政治智慧，包含着对顺应民心和治理基层社会的高度重视，与“民本”思想有相通之处。 Disaster for a state is the collapse of its political power base, not the disintegration of its upper ruling stratum. The foundation of state power is popular allegiance and control of grass-roots society.