dāngrén-búràng 当仁不让 When Facing an Opportunity to Exercise Benevolence, Do Not Yield. 面对正义之事，主动担当，不推让。“仁”本指仁德，它是孔子的最高理念；泛指一切应该做的事情，即符合道义、正义的事情。犹言“义不容辞”“责无旁贷”。它弘扬的是一种以道义或正义为己任、勇于担当、勇于践行的主体精神。 This phrase means that one should behave ethically and never dodge one’s responsibility. Ren (仁 benevolence) is the highest virtue upheld by Confucius. In general, it refers to everything that is right to do, namely things compatible with moral principles and social justice. […]

dàzhàngfu 大丈夫 Great Man 一种对理想人格的称谓。是否能成为“大丈夫”，并不是由个人的功业大小所决定的。评判“大丈夫”的根本标准，在于其对“道”的认知与坚守。不过由于各家对“道”的理解不同，因此对“大丈夫”的具体要求也有所差别。孟子强调“大丈夫”应有行道于天下的远大志向，并始终坚守道义，立身端正，不受外在事物的影响。老子则认为“大丈夫”应舍弃浮华的礼仪规范，以无为的方式回归朴实的自然状态。 This is a term used to describe someone of ideal moral quality. How much one achieves does not determine whether he can be called a great man. The criterion is whether or not a person can know and hold fast to Dao. Given that there are different interpretations of Dao,

Chūnqiū bǐfǎ 春秋笔法 The Style of The Spring and Autumn Annals 指编撰《春秋》的原则、方法。即用简洁的文字语句，婉转含蓄地表达一定的思想倾向和对历史人物及事件的褒贬和评判。也称“春秋书法”“春秋笔削”，或说“一字褒贬”“微言大义”。《春秋》相传为孔子编撰，其主旨在于维护周朝礼制。书中没有用议论性文字正面阐明作者观点，而是通过对史实的简要记述，依据周礼选用一些有特殊含义的称呼或精妙字眼，婉转表达出对历史人物和事件的褒贬和评判。后来，它成为编撰史书的一个传统方法。 The style of The Spring and Autumn Annals is characterized by simple and concise language expressing ideas and commending or criticizing historical figures and events in an indirect way. The style is well known for “what is included or excluded has profound meanings.” Also

chóngběn-xīmò 崇本息末 Revere the Fundamental and Dismiss the Specific 尊崇“本”以止息“末”，是对待“本”“末”关系的一种方式。王弼在解释老子思想时提出了“崇本息末”的思想，与“崇本举末”相对。这里的“本”指无形、无名者，即“道”；“末”指人为造作的各种形、名。“崇本息末”即是要发挥“道”或“无”的作用以实现万物的自然，同时止息对人为造作的各种形名之物的追逐。在政治领域，“崇本”特指君主以“道”为依据，施行无为之治。君主通过“崇本”，止息有关道德、礼法的教化以及各种浮华、虚伪的言行。 This term deals with the relationship between the fundamental and the specific. In interpreting Laozi, Wang Bi put forth the idea of “revering the fundamental and dismissing the specific,” as opposed to the idea of “revering the fundamental and keeping the specific unchanged.” The fundamental

chóngběn-jǔmò 崇本举末 Revere the Fundamental and Keep the Specific Unchanged 尊崇“本”以成就、保全“末”，是对待“本”“末”关系的一种方式。王弼在解释老子思想时提出了“崇本举末”的思想，与“崇本息末”相对。这里的“本”指无形、无名者，即“道”；“末”指自然之形、名。“崇本举末”即是要充分发挥“道”或“无”的作用，以使万物自然生成并得以保全。在政治领域，“崇本”特指君主以“道”为依据，施行无为之治。君主通过“崇本”，使百姓依自然本性而生活。 This concept, as opposed to “revere the fundamental and dismiss the specific,” originates in Wang Bi’s interpretation of Laozi. The fundamental, namely, Dao, is shapeless and nameless, while the specific refers to natural shapes and names. The term “revere the fundamental and keep the

chéngrén 成人 Complete Man 具备了健全德性与全面技能的人。在古人看来，“成人”的标志并不是年龄的增长所带来的身体的成熟，而是通过学习、修养获得了健全的德性和全面的技能。“成人”需要具备智慧、勇气，能够节制自己的欲望，并掌握各种技能，从而恰当地应对、处理生活中的各种事务，使自己的言行始终合于道义。 A complete man refers to a person of sound moral integrity who also has command of various skills that in ancient times were needed to deal with social life. In the view of the ancient Chinese, a complete man did not just mean that a man reached adulthood. It also

chàngshén 畅神 Free Flow of One’s Mind 指精神与自然合一时所达到的自由舒畅的一种审美状态。特指欣赏山水画、山水诗时精神融入自然及物象的审美效应。宗炳在《画山水序》中指出，欣赏山水画可以领悟古代圣贤寄寓在山水中的哲理与乐趣；可以进入一种摒弃了一切外物和杂念的绝对虚无境界，是一种全身心的极度愉悦和精神的最高自由。他提出这一术语，不仅揭示了山水画、山水诗及自然美的特殊审美功能，也反映了传统文学艺术对天人和谐、心灵和谐的价值追求。 The term describes a state of mind one achieves when appreciating an artwork, in which process one’s inner feelings interact freely and joyfully with nature. In particular, it describes one’s aesthetic experience of appreciating landscape paintings and landscape poems, when one feels absorbed with the natural scenes

Chángchéng 长城 The Great Wall 也称“万里长城”。由城墙、敌楼、关城、烽火台等多种建筑工事构成的完整的防御体系。公元前3世纪，秦王朝在统一中国后，为防御匈奴南侵，将战国时期燕、赵、秦等诸侯国修筑的长城连成一体并加固延长，修筑了西起临洮（今甘肃岷县）东至辽东（今辽宁省）、蜿蜒一万余里的长城。此后，两汉、北朝、隋等各代都曾在与北方游牧民族接壤的地带修筑长城。明朝是最后一个大修长城的朝代，自洪武至万历年间，先后修筑长城18次，今天人们看到的长城多是明长城。明长城西起嘉峪关，东至山海关，总长度为8851.8千米。长城是中国古代最伟大的军事防御工程，后世常用“长城”或“万里长城”比喻担负国家重任的人，长城还成为中华民族团结一心、众志成城、坚不可摧的一种文化象征。 The Great Wall, also known as the “10, 000-li (5, 000 kilometer) long Great Wall,” was a complete defensive system consisting of walls, watchtowers, gated passes, and beacon towers. After unifying China in the 3rd century BC, the Qin Dynasty sought to ward off southward incursions of the northern nomadic

cānglǐn shí ér zhī lǐjié 仓廪实而知礼节 When the Granaries Are Full, the People Follow Appropriate Rules of Conduct. 粮仓充实了，人们才会懂得礼节。出自《管子·牧民》：“仓廪实则知礼节，衣食足则知荣辱。”“仓廪”是古代储藏米谷的地方或设施。“仓廪实”“衣食足”指粮食储备充足，民众不愁吃穿，代指人们生产、生活所需的物质条件非常充足，即物质文明发展到一定阶段；“礼节”“荣辱”指社会的礼仪规矩和内心的道德准则，包括了制度文明和精神文明。这句话揭示了物质文明和制度文明、精神文明之间的关系：物质文明是制度文明和精神文明产生的基础和条件，制度文明和精神文明是物质文明发展到一定阶段的产物。如果民众的基本生活条件都得不到保障，即使有良好的制度也难为人们所遵循，人们的精神品格也不可能得到提升。在任何时候，物质文明建设都应当成为治国理政的基本要务。这是一种非常务实的治国理念。 The full quote from Guanzi reads: “When the granaries are full, the people follow appropriate rules of conduct, and when there is enough to eat and wear, the people know honor and shame.” Here “granaries” and “eat

cānyàn 参验 Cross-checking and Verification 通过观察、比较获得验证，是检验认识与言论正确与否的一种方法。“参验”之法在先秦时期即屡被提及，韩非子对这一方法做出了较为深入的阐发。韩非子认为，要判断某一认识或言论的正确性，需要从天、地、物、人等多方面进行比较、检验，这就是“参验”。“参验”应注重认识或言论的实际功用。只有通过比较、检验而证明能够发挥实际功用的认识或言论才是正确的。如果不经“参验”就盲目加以肯定，是愚昧的做法。 One way to confirm whether one’s assessments and opinions are correct is to verify them through observation and comparison. The method of crosschecking and verification was frequently mentioned in the pre-Qin period. Hanfeizi expounded this method in detail. He believed that to determine whether something was correct or not,