xuán 玄 Xuan (Mystery) 原义为幽深玄妙，用以描述万物的本原状态。老子用它形容“道”“德”的幽深玄妙，称“道”“玄之又玄”，又倡“玄德”。扬雄、葛洪等人则进一步将“玄”描述为天地万物的最高本原或本体。在这个意义上，“玄”是超越一切具体事物、无形无象的某种绝对存在。后世有“玄学”之称，指探讨世界本原或本体的学问。 The term first described the original state of everything, which is profound and mysterious. Laozi used it to describe Dao and virtue as being in a profound and mysterious state, calling Dao “a mystery within a mystery,” or “virtue of mystery.” Ancient Chinese thinkers like Yang Xiong and Ge Hong went […]

xínɡxiān-zhīhòu 行先知后 First Action, Then Knowledge 对“知”“行”关系的一种认识。王夫之等人在“知”“行”关系问题上提出了“行先知后”的主张。王夫之承认对人伦日用之道的体认与践行是相互关联的，但就先后而言，只有先“行”才能获得“知”。“行”是“知”的来源，对“知”起着决定性的作用。能“行”必然对所行之事有所“知”，但能“知”却未必能“行”。 The term represents one interpretation of the relationship between “knowledge” and “action.” Regarding the relationship between “knowledge” and “action,”Wang Fuzhi and others argued that “action precedes knowledge.” Wang acknowledged that an understanding of the principles underlying human relations in everyday life is interrelated with the application of these

xīnzhī 心知 Mind Cognition 基于心的一种认识活动。由于人们对心及其与外物关系的理解不同，因此对“心知”的认识也有所差异。有人强调，人需要通过心的作用认识日用伦常之道，并使之成为某种内在的诉求。“心知”是人实现道德行为与伦理生活的必要条件。而人心时常处于被遮蔽或不确定的状态，只有通过对心的培养与引导，才能发挥其应有的作用。但也有人认为，“心知”会使人焦灼于变动、繁复的外物，从而造成生命的不安。因此需要排除“心知”，使心进入虚静的状态，不受外物的干扰。 The term means cognitive activities of the mind. As there are different views on the relationship between the mind and the external world, people’s understanding of the mind’s cognitive process also varies. Some people emphasize the role of the mind in shaping ethical standards in daily life and making them

xiěyì 写意 Freehand Brushwork 中国画表现手法之一。以简练恣纵的笔墨勾勒描绘物象的意态神韵，重在抒发创作主体的意兴情趣。用笔灵活，不拘工细，不求形似（与“工笔”相对）。写意看似草率随意，实则谨严而内蕴法度，不仅要求画家在创作前对物象进行深入的观察和体验，营构好画面中诸多物象的位置关系，而且还须具备精深娴熟的技法功底，才能意居笔先而神出形外。写意有小写意、大写意之分，后者多采用泼墨技法。写意对后来的戏曲创作及表演手法有较大影响，戏曲中的写意，主要通过虚拟性、程式化的动作，并融合一定的歌舞表演来呈现舞台艺术的审美意象。 Freehand brushwork is one of the traditional methods of brushwork expression in Chinese painting. Using abbreviated and willful brushwork, the artist suggests graphically the meaning and character of the object and its shape. The chief aim is to give rein to the artist’s subjective state and mood. It stresses flexibility

xiǎoshuō 小说 Fiction 以人物形象刻画为中心，通过完整的故事情节和环境描写来反映社会生活的一种文学体式。人物、情节、环境是小说的三要素。按照篇幅及容量，小说可分为长篇、中篇、短篇。中国古典小说，按照所表现的内容，可分为神怪小说、历史演义小说、英雄传奇小说、世情小说等几大类；按照体制可分为笔记体、传奇体、话本体、章回体等；按照语言形式，可分为文言小说和白话小说。中国古典小说经过了不同的发展阶段，有着鲜明的时代特点：先秦两汉时期的神话传说、史传文学，以及诸子散文中的寓言故事等，是中国古代小说的源头；魏晋南北朝时期出现的文人笔记小说，是中国古代小说的雏形；唐代传奇标志着古典小说的正式形成；宋、元出现的话本小说，为小说的成熟奠定了坚实的基础；明清小说标志着中国古典小说发展的高峰，出现了《三国演义》《水浒传》《西游记》《红楼梦》等四大古典名著。“五四”新文化运动之后，现代白话小说创作大量涌现，传播着现代的科学与民主精神。 Fiction is a literary genre primarily concerned with depicting characters to tell a complete story about social life within a setting. Fiction has three main elements, namely, characters, a plot, and a setting. Depending on the length, fiction can be divided into novels, novellas, and short stories. In terms of content,

xiànɡ 象 Xiang (Semblance) 可见而不具有形体的物象或图形。“象”大致包含四种不同的含义：其一，指“道”的某种显现形态。老子将“道”描述为“无物之象”，也称为“大象”。其二，指事物的某种显现形态。“象”的具体化或固定化程度要低于有形之物。常指“天象”，即日月星辰的运行、风雷云雨的施降。“天象”与“地形”相对。其三，指人的气象，即人的精神、意志在言行、姿态上的显现。其四，指象征或模拟天地万物的图形。古人创造了多种“象”的系统，并通过对“象”的观察与解释，来阐发自然与社会的运行变化及其法则。其中《周易》的卦象系统影响最为广远。 Xiang (象) refers to a visible but formless image or figure. It approximately has four different meanings. First, it refers to a manifest shape of Dao. Laozi described Dao as “a semblance of the unsubstantial,” also called “the great semblance.” Second, it indicates a manifest shape of objects. Xiang is less concrete or

xiānɡfǎn-xiānɡchénɡ 相反相成 Being both Opposite and Complementary 处于对立关系中的两个事物之间既相互排斥又相互成就、相互转化。一切事物都处于与他者的对立之中。对立双方具有相反的性质或意义，因而彼此间是相互排斥的，如有与无、长与短、高与下、善与恶、美与丑等。但同时，事物的性质或意义又是借由与之对立的事物而获得确立的，对立双方在一定条件下还可以相互转化。这一观念在先秦时期即已出现，在班固《汉书·艺文志》中始被概括为“相反相成”。 This term refers to two things that are mutually opposite to but complementing each other and that they mutually transform between them. Everything is an antithesis to something else. Both antithetic sides are opposite to each other. Therefore there is mutual exclusion between them, such as you and

wúyù-zégāng 无欲则刚 People with No Covetous Desires Stand Upright. 人没有非分的贪欲，就能做到刚正凛然。“欲”指各种私欲、贪欲；“刚”即刚正公道、正直有力。“无欲”并不是绝对禁止人们有“欲”，而是提倡克制自己的私欲、贪欲。“无欲则刚”讲的是立身处事尤其是执政做官的基本道理：一个人面对来自各方的种种诱惑，应该大公无私、端正品行、淡泊守志，不要有非分的贪图，这样就能一身正气，无所畏惧，就像高高的峭壁一样，挺立于天地之间，坚不可摧。 People with no covetous desires stand upright and maintain integrity. Yu (欲) refers to all sorts of selfish and covetous desires. Gang (刚) means fairness, justice, integrity, and forcefulness. Wuyu (无欲) does not mean that people should not have any desires, but rather, people should not harbor any

wēngù-zhīxīn 温故知新 Review the Old and Learn the New 温习旧有的知识，并获得新的理解与体会。也指回顾历史，对当代有新的指导意义。“温”，温习；“故”，指旧的、已知的知识；“新”，指新的、未知的知识。前人对“温故知新”的理解主要有两种：其一，将“温故”与“知新”理解为并列的两方面，认为在“温故”的同时就逐步获得新知，“知新”在“温故”的过程中得以实现。其二，将“温故”理解为“知新”的前提与基础，认为没有“温故”，就不可能“知新”；“新”是“故”的进一步发展，并且摒弃了其中陈腐的旧见。“温故知新”在今天已经超出一般学习方法的意义，也是个体、企业、组织甚至一个国家自我成长的基本机理。其中包含新与旧、古与今、已知与未知、继承与创新的辩证思想。 This term means to review what has been learned and to gain new understanding and new insights. It also means to obtain guidance in the present moment by recalling the past. Wen (温) means to review; gu (故) means knowledge that has been acquired in the past;

tónɡɡuī-shūtú 同归殊途 Arrive at the Same Destination via Different Routes / Rely on a Common Ontological Entity 虽然有着相同的目标，但所走的道路不同。“同归殊途”语出《周易·系辞下》，大致包含两方面的含义：其一，指不同学派、不同人对于社会秩序、价值的理解虽然不同，主张的社会治理方法也有差异，但他们的目标是一致的，都是谋求社会的安定、繁荣。其二，指万事万物虽然呈现出不同的样态，但他们都归附或依赖于一个共同的本体。 This term means to reach the same goal through different routes. Coming from The Book of Changes, the term has two meanings: First, different schools of thought and different people have different understandings of social order and