中华思想文化术语(连载十)

“物”一般指天地之间有形有象的一切存在，大体有三种不同含义：其一，指有形的具体存在物，包括各种自然物、人造物，也包括各种生物和人。其二，指人伦关系中发生的事务、事情，如侍奉父母、为政治国等，这个意义上的“物”相当于“事”。其三，指具体存在物或人伦事务的总和，通常称“万物”。

Wu(物)usually denotes an existence in the universe that has a form or an image. In general，the word has three different meanings. First，it refers to any concrete existence，encompassing all natural and man-made objects，all organisms and human beings. Second，it covers interpersonal matters and activities such as taking care of one’s parents，entering politics，or managing state affairs. In this sense，wumeans “matter.” Third，the word sums up all existing physical and social matters，generally called “everything.”

引例 Citations：

◎有天地，然后万物生焉。盈天地之间者唯万物。(《周易·序卦》)

(先有天地，然后万物化生。充满天地之间的只是万物。)

First，there is the universe. Then everything comes into being and fills up the universe.(TheBookofChanges)

◎意之所用，必有其物，物即事也。如意用于事亲，即事亲为一物。(《传习录》卷中)

(良知感应运用，必然用于“物”上，“物”就是各种事，如良知感应运用于侍奉双亲，那么侍奉双亲就是一个“物”。)

Conscience must relate to“things，” which refer to various matters. If one’s conscience is applied to parents，then taking care of one’s parents is the “matter.”(RecordsofGreatLearning)

2.无为

Wuwei(Non-action)

“为”的一种状态。道家以“有为”与“无为”相对。所谓“有为”，一般是指统治者把自己的意志强加给他人或世界，不尊重或不顺应万物的本性。“无为”的意义与之相反，包含三个要点：其一，权力通过自我节制的方式遏制自己的干涉欲望；其二，顺应万物或百姓的本性；其三，发挥万物或者百姓的自主性。“无为”并不是不作为，而是更智慧的作为方式，通过无为来达到无不为的结果。

Wuwei(non-action) refers to a state of action. Daoism contrasts “action” to “non-action.”“Action” generally means that the rulers impose their will on others or the world without showing any respect for or following the intrinsic nature of things. “Non-action” is the opposite of “action，” and has three main points：first，through self-control containing the desire to interfere；second，following the nature of all things and the people；and third，bringing into play the initiative of all things and people. “Non-action” does not mean not doing anything，but is a wiser way of doing things. Non-action leads to the result of getting everything done.

引例 Citations ：

◎圣人处无为之事，行不言之教。(《老子·二章》)

(圣人以无为的方式处理世事，以不言的方式教导百姓。)

Sages deal with things through non-action and teach ordinary people through non-speech.(Laozi)

◎道常无为而无不为。(《老子·三十七章》)

(道总是对万物不加干涉而成就万物。)

Daoalways makes all things possible through non-interference with them.(Laozi)

3.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 the other is unchanging. Moderation can be maintained for over a longtime only when one practices it in everyday life.Zhongyongmeans the standard of moderation that one should follow in dealing with others and in one’s everyday conduct.

引例 Citations：

◎中庸之为德也，其至矣乎！(《论语·雍也》)

(中庸作为一种道德，是最高的准则吧！)

Zhongyongis the highest of virtues.(TheAnalects)

◎中庸者，不偏不倚，无过不及而平常之理。(朱熹《中庸章句》)

(中庸就是不偏颇，没有过或不及的平常的道理。)

Zhongyongdoes not bend one way or the other；it is the common principle of neither exceeding nor falling short of the line.(Zhu Xi：CommentaryonTheDoctrineoftheMean)

4.缘起

Dependent Origination

The term is a translation of the Sanskrit word pratītyasamutpda.Yuan(缘) means conditions；qi(起) means origination. That is to say，all things，phenomena，and social activities arise out of the combinations of causes and conditions. They exist in the continuous relationship between causes and conditions. Thus all things originate，change，and demise depending upon certain conditions. Dependent origination is the fountainhead of Buddhist thought and forms the common theoretical basis for all Buddhist schools and sects. Buddhism uses this concept to explain everything in the universe，the constant changes of social and spiritual phenomena，and the internal laws of origination，change，and demise.

引例 Citation：

◎物从因缘故不有，缘起故不无。(僧肇《肇论》引《中论》)

(万物依因缘的聚合而成，故不能说“有”；又依一定的缘而有生灭变化，故不能说“无”。)

All things originate out of the combinations of causes and conditions，thus they cannot be regarded as original existence；at the same time，they arise，change，and demise upon certain conditions，so they cannot be said as non-existence.(Sengzhao：TreatisesofSengzhao)

5.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 patriarchal chiefs system. Taking shape during the Western Zhou Dynasty，this system and the feudal system were mutually dependent and complementary. The feudal clan system had two levels：one was the familiallevel，where the eldest son by the wife was the first in line to inherit the family’s property and thus enjoyed the greatest authority. Other members of the clan were allotted their status and authority according to their closeness of kinship，ancestry，or seniority. In the families of the emperor，kings，and other nobility，this pattern was extended to the state or national level. It had a decisive impact on the inheritance of the imperial throne and on state politics. The feudal clan system greatly influenced the Chinese way of life and thinking for several thousand years.

引例 Citation：

◎宗法者，佐国家养民教民之原本也。(冯桂芬《复宗法议》)

(所谓宗法，是帮助国家养育、教化民众的原始基础。)

The feudal clan system is a state’s bedrock for fostering and educating itspeople.(Feng Guifen：MyArgumentforRestoringtheFeudalClanSystem)

6.顺天应人

Follow the Mandate of Heaven and Comply with the Wishes of the People

顺应上天的旨意和民众的意愿。“天”即“天命”，指上天旨意。古人认为，有德行的人秉承上天意志而确立政权，成为君主，故称为“天命”。“人”指人心、民意。它与西方“君权神授”思想相似，但它还强调人心、民意，体现了人本思想。在古代它常被用于称扬新朝代的建立和社会重大变革的实施，以表明其正当性、合法性。

The ancient Chinese believed that virtuous men followed the will of heaven in establishing a political regime and becoming its sovereigns；hence their success came from the mandate of heaven. This thought is similar to the Western notion of the divine right of kings；but it also emphasizes the wishes and will of the people，or people-centered thinking. In ancient China，this phrase was often used in praise of the founding of a new dynasty，and the implementation of major social reforms to justify its legitimacy.

引例 Citation：

◎天地革而四时成。汤武革命，顺乎天而应乎人。(《周易·革》)

(天地有阴阳的变化而形成一年四季。商汤、周武王变革天命[推翻旧政权，建立新政权]，是顺应了上天的旨意和人民的意愿。)

Changes ofyinandyangin heaven and earth give rise to the four seasons.Following the mandate of heaven and complying with the wishes of the people，King Tang and King Wu overthrew old regimes and established the Shang and Zhou dynasties respectively.(TheBookofChanges)

7.为政以德

Governance Based on Virtue

以道德原则执掌国政，治理国家。孔子在西周统治者一向秉承的“明德慎罚”的基础上提出了为后世儒家所遵循的“德政”理念。“德政”与“威刑”相对。“为政以德”并非不要刑法，而是突出强调道德对政治的决定作用，将道德教化视为治国的根本原则与方法。

Governance of a state should be guided by virtue. Confucius expounded this philosophy—which his followers in later eras promoted—on the basis of the approach advocated by the rulers in the Western Zhou Dynasty that prized high moral values and the virtue of being cautious in meting out punishment. Governance based on virtue stands in contrast to rule by use of harsh punishment as a deterrent. It does not，however，exclude the use of punishment，but rather highlights the decisive role of virtue in governance，and regards moral edification both as the fundamental principle and the essential means for achieving good governance.

引例 Citation：

◎为政以德，譬如北辰居其所，而众星共之。(《论语·为政》)

(以道德教化来治理政事，就像北极星位于天空一定的方位，而众星都环绕着它运行。)

Governance based on virtue is like the North Star taking its place in the sky，while all the other stars revolve around it.(TheAnalects)

8.文以载道

Literature Is the Vehicle of Ideas.

儒家关于文学与道关系的论述。“文”指的是文学创作及作品；“道”指的是作品中的思想内容，但古代文学家与理学家将“道”主要理解为儒家所倡导的思想和道德。中唐时期古文运动的领袖韩愈等人提出“文以明道”的观点，认为文章主旨应合乎并发挥圣人的经典。宋代理学家周敦颐进一步发展为“文以载道”，提出文学像“车”，“道”即是车上运载的货物，文学不过是用以传播儒家之“道”的手段和工具。这一命题的价值在于强调文学的社会功用，强调文学作品应该言之有物、有正确的思想内容。但它轻视文学自身的审美特性，故后来受到重视文学自身价值的思想家与文学家的反对。

This term is a Confucian statement about the relationship between literature and ideas.Wen(文) refers to literary creations and works，whiledao(道) refers to the ideas conveyed by literary works. Writers and philosophers in ancient China explicated these ideas as Confucian thought and ethics. Han Yu (leader of the mid-Tang-dynasty movement advocating the prose style of the Qin and Han dynasties)and some others proposed that the purpose of writings should be in line with the classics of the ancient sages as well as promote them. Zhou Dunyi，aneo-Confucian philosopher of the Song Dynasty，expounded the principle of literature serving as a vehicle of ideas. He concluded that literature was like a vehicle while ideas were like goods loaded on it，and that literature was nothing but a means and a vehicle to convey Confucian ideas. This theory was valuable because it stressed the social role of literature and emphasized that writers should know what they were writing about to ensure that their works conveyed correct ideas. However，it underestimated the aesthetic value of literature and later met opposition from thinkers and writers who emphasized the value of literature per se.

引例 Citation：

◎文所以载道也。轮辕饰而人弗庸，徒饰也，况虚车乎？文辞，艺也；道德，实也。(周敦颐《通书·文辞》)

(文章是用来承载思想和道德的。车轮与车辕过度装饰而没人使用，白白装饰了，更何况那些派不上用场的车呢？文辞，只是一种技艺，而道德才是文章的实质。)

Writings are meant to convey ideas and ethics. When vehicles are not used，even if the wheels and shafts are excessively decorated，it is simply a waste. Fine language is only a means for writing，whereas ethics are the essence of writings.(Zhou Dunyi：TheGistofConfucianThought)

9.兴观群怨

Stimulation，Contemplation，Communication，and Criticism

孔子所提出的《诗经》的四种主要功能，实际也是对文学基本功能与价值的高度概括。“兴”是指通过作品的欣赏引发联想，激发欣赏者对于社会人生的思考与志趣提升；“观”是通过作品认识自然与社会人生的各种状况，透视政治得失；“群”是围绕作品与别人展开讨论，交流思想感情；“怨”是表达对社会时政的不满，宣泄内心的情感。这四种功能有着内在的联系，涉及文学的审美功能、认识功能与教育功能。后世学者对此不断有新的阐发。

According to Confucius，TheBookofSongsserved these four purposes，which summarize the basic functions and values of literature. “Stimulation” means that the appreciation of literary works arouses imagination，stimulates reflection on society and life，and inspires aspirations and interests. “Contemplation” means that reading leads to understanding nature，society，life，and politics. “Communication” means that reading encourages discussion with others，and exchange of thoughts and feelings. “Criticism” means learning how to critically express oneself about state affairs and voice inner feelings. These four functions are closely associated and involve the aesthetic，cognitive，and educational functions of literature. Later scholars have continued to make original contributions to the study of these themes.

引例 Citations：

◎《诗》可以兴，可以观，可以群，可以怨；迩之事父，远之事君；多识于鸟、兽、草、木之名。(《论语·阳货》)

(《诗经》可以感发志向，引发思考，认识世界，可以交流思想感情，表达不满情绪。在家可以用它来侍奉父母，出外可以用它来侍奉国君，还可以从中学到鸟兽草木等众多事物的知识。)

TheBookofSongsstimulates the mind，inspires contemplation，enables one to understand society，exchange feelings and thoughts with others，and express resentment. The book guides one on how to support and wait on one’s parents at home and how to serve one’s sovereign in public life. One can also learn about birds，beasts，and plants from the book.(TheAnalects)

◎于所兴而可观，其兴也深；于所观而可兴，其观也审；以其群者而怨，怨愈不忘；以其怨者而群，群乃益挚。(王夫之《姜斋诗话》卷上)

(经过作者感兴后的作品又具备认识价值，那么这种感兴一定深刻；经过认识又能够激发情感的，那么这种认识一定真实明察；因为聚在一起而产生某种怨恨，那么这种怨恨更加使人难忘；因为某种怨恨而聚成群体，这样的群体一定会更加紧密。)