bāɡuà 八卦 Eight Trigrams 由“—”（阳爻）和“–”（阴爻）每三个一组合成的一套符号系统。三“爻”合成一卦，共有八种组合，故称“八卦”。“八卦”的名称分别是乾（）、坤（）、震（）、巽（）、坎（）、离（）、艮（）、兑（）。古人认为“八卦”象征着自然或社会中的一些基本事物或现象，其基本的象征意义分别是天、地、雷、风、水、火、山、泽。古人借由“八卦”彼此之间的交互演变及其象征意义，来理解和阐发自然与社会的运行变化及其法则。 Each of the eight trigrams consists of three lines and each line is either divided (–) or undivided (—), representing yin or yang respectively. The eight trigrams are: qian (), kun (), zhen (), xun (), kan (), li (), gen (), and dui (). According to the ancient Chinese, the eight trigrams symbolized basic things and phenomena […]

āntǔ-zhònɡqiān 安土重迁 Attached to the Land and Unwilling to Move 安于故土生活，不轻易迁往他处。这是传统农业社会一般民众普遍具有的一种思想观念和情感。其实质，首先是离不开土地，因为土地是农业社会人们赖以生产、生活的基本资源；其次是离不开祖宗坟茔和血亲家族，因为传统中国是宗法制社会，祖宗崇拜是基本信仰，聚族而居是社会常态。此外，离开自己生于斯长于斯的环境和社会，人们会感到不便或不安。这种思想观念和情感偏于消极或保守，但也体现了人们热爱家乡、热爱土地、热爱亲人、热爱和平的纯良品格。 Feeling attached to the native land and reluctant to move to another place. This was a widespread way of thinking and sentiment among the common people in a traditional agricultural society. In essence, it is because they depended on the land to make a

zōngfǎ 宗法 Feudal Clan System 中国古代以家族为中心，按血统、嫡庶来组织、治理家族、国家、社会的原则、方法。宗法由父系氏族的家长制演化而来，定型于西周，与封建制等互为表里。宗法分为家国两个层面，在家的层面，宗族的嫡长子是家族的嫡系继承人，拥有家族的最高权力，其余家族成员依据亲疏、世系各自确定其在家族中的地位和权力。帝王公侯或者世家大族的宗族等级制扩展到国家的层面，对于王位继承与国家政治具有决定性的作用。宗法制数千年来对中国人的生活方式、思维方式影响深远。 This system was central to life in ancient China; it was a system of principles and measures by which a clan, a state, or society was run, based on bloodline or whether a son was born from the wife or a concubine. The feudal clan system evolved from the

zìrán yīngzhǐ 自然英旨 Charm of Spontaneity 在诗歌创作中不假雕饰地呈现自然万物之美和人的真情实感。“英旨”本义是美好的滋味，用为文学术语，指诗歌美妙的内容和意境。南朝钟嵘在《诗品序》中，要求诗人用自己的语言直接抒写思想感情，反对借用前人的诗句来吟咏自己的情志，批评五言诗创作中过度讲究辞藻和声律，认为符合“自然英旨”的创作才是最为珍贵的诗歌作品。后世文论中的“自然”“天真”等词传承了上述内涵。 This term means poetry creation should present the unembellished beauty of nature and the genuine sentiments of human beings. The original meaning of yingzhi (英旨) is good taste. Used as a literary term, however, it refers to charming content and imagery in poetry. In “Preface to ‘The Critique of Poetry,’” Zhong

zìrán 自然 Naturalness 事物的本来状态，旨在与“人为”的意义相区别。哲学意义上的“自然”的概念，与常识性的“自然界”的概念不同。在日常语义中，“自然界”指人与社会之外的物质世界，这一领域是不受人为干扰的。但从哲学层面来看，人与社会也有其“自然”状态。在政治哲学领域，“自然”特指百姓在不受行政教化干预的情况下自己而然的状态。道家主张，君主治理国家应遵循、顺应百姓的“自然”状态。 The term refers to the primordial state of things, unaffected by the various meanings imposed on it by man. The concept of naturalness in philosophy is different from that of nature in the ordinary sense. In daily language, the term refers to the physical world, which is independent of human interference,

zǐ zhī duó zhū 紫之夺朱 Purple Prevailing over Red 指社会生活与文学艺术等领域以邪乱正、真伪混淆的现象。朱指红色，古人认为是正色，而紫色则看作杂色，“夺”是胜过的意思。孔子对于在春秋时期出现邪正不分、淫靡的音乐取代雅正音乐的现象十分反感，提出要加以正本清源、拨乱反正。南朝刘勰借此批评有的作者在文章写作上背离了儒家经典，迎合人们的猎奇心理。后世以此倡导确立儒家的文学标准与规范。 This refers to evil prevailing over good and falsehood being mistaken for truth in literature and art as well as in social life. It is red, not purple, that was viewed as a truly proper color by the ancient Chinese. Confucius, upset by the loss

zīwèi 滋味 Nuanced Flavor 诗歌中能够使欣赏者反复回味的意蕴，实即诗歌美感。南朝诗论家钟嵘在《诗品》中提出，五言诗歌创作时应重视内容与形式的配合，从而使欣赏者在品读中回味无穷。后来“滋味”也指从事文艺创作时的一种趣味。 This term refers to an effect that allows lasting satisfaction and rewarding in poetry appreciation, which is a particular sense of beauty offered by poetry. In the Southern Dynasties, poetry critic Zhong Rong proposed in “The Critique of Poetry” that in writing five-character-per-line poems, one should pay special attention to the

zhōngyōng 中庸 Zhongyong (Golden Mean) 孔子和儒家所肯定的最高德行。“中”指言行没有过或不及的状态或标准。凡事都有某种限度，超过和达不到这个限度都是不好的。“庸”包含两个相关的含义：其一指平常，其二指恒常。“中”只有在平常日用之中才能恒常不易。“中庸”即指在人伦日用中始终遵循、符合无过无不及的标准。 Zhongyong (golden mean) was considered to be the highest level of virtue by Confucius and Confucian scholars. Zhong (中) means moderate in one’s words and deeds. Everything has its limits, and neither exceeding nor falling short of the limits is desirable. Yong (庸) has two meanings. One is common or ordinary and

zhōnghuá 中华 Zhonghua “中华”是“中国”与“华夏”复合的简称。“华”同“花”，喻指文化灿烂。华夏的先民建国于黄河中下游，自认为居天下之中央，且又文化发达，所以称“中华”。随着华夏族为主体的多民族国家的不断扩张，凡所统辖之地，皆称中华。在近现代历史中，“中华”成为指称中国、中国人及中国文化的一种符号。 This term is an abbreviation of the compound word formed by Zhongguo (中国) and Huaxia (华夏). Here, hua (华) also means “flower” or “flowery,” which was used as an analogy for a splendid culture. The ancestors of the Huaxia people established their state in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow

zhōngguó 中国 Zhongguo (China) 古代华夏族、汉民族以黄河中下游流域为中心生活和活动的区域。“中国”最初是一个地域兼文化的概念。华夏族多建国于黄河流域一带，以为居天下之中，故称“中国”（与“四方”相对）。后泛指中原地区以及在中原地区建立的政权和国家。清以来，“中国”始专指我国的全部领土与主权，现在只作为“中华人民共和国”的简称。 This term refers to the areas along the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River where ancient Huaxia (华夏) people or the Han people lived. Originally, the term Zhongguo (中国) meant both this region and its culture. The Huaxia people established their states along the Yellow River. Believing the