Understanding Chinese Culture: The Challenge to the West西方的难题：理解中国文化

荣大伟　柴晚锁 武立红

China has become an indispensable global player. Yet in the West， the dominant narrative has failed to understand that this does not mean that China has become Westernised. China is creating an alternative2 to the West.

The West has not made a serious effort to understand a Chinese perspective， and to a great extent has not appreciated that an alternative understanding exists. Confucius said： “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”3 The West， with its Western-centric approach， through its ignorance and failure to understand China， has placed itself in peril4 of being left behind in a newly emerging world order.

We see this ignorance in headlines in Western newspapers， in which the Western perspective is dominant. There is selective reporting to portray5 negative impressions， and facts are often misrepresented. Too often Western reporting lacks critical evaluation， leading to very low credibility within the media to further the dialogue and promote a valid6 understanding of China. Fake news does exist.

A New Zealand newspaper reported that China was sending 120 medical doctors to a Pacific island to assist with its low level of community health. A positive action， one might think， but the focus of the story was to ask what was China doing in the Pacific， and how have we failed to the extent that we have allowed this to happen. What are the Chinese doing on “our patch”？

This kind of media attention does damage to the potential for the public to appreciate what China stands for， and gives a negative impression of China. China has little opportunity to present its own image to the West.

The challenge to the West， then， is to enhance an understanding and appreciation of what China is. How does China’s cultural heritage present a positive and optimistic advantage to the world in the longer term？

To understand this question it is important to consider the foundations of Chinese culture and society. China has more than 5，000 years of uninterrupted history and cultural development. We at least need to go back 2，500 years and study Laozi， and Taoism， for their cultural and philosophical roots， and Confucius for his social philosophy and impact on society.

While I am not an academic， I am a keen observer of China today， and where China has emerged from. To me， Taoism provides us with many aspects of the special nature of Chinese culture and philosophy. The concept of yin and yang is well known in the West， but not fully understood or practised by many， either individuals or leaders. Yin and yang bring us balance through the integration7 of opposites.

China has a cultural heritage of opposites creating balance. For example， crisis in Chinese， 危機， consists of two characters， wei and ji， to represent “peril” and “opportunity”.

In Chinese medicine， there is a holistic8 approach that treats the whole body， in which imbalance with yin and yang， hot and cold， are the cause of disease. The solution is to restore imbalance rather than targeting the specific symptom or problem area in isolation. The solutions offered tend to take a longer time to take effect， with a focus to work in harmony with the body. This is not to say that Western medicine is imperfect. I merely use this as an example of a Chinese approach to seeking solutions to problems.

I participated in an international forum titled Eco-civilisation and Anti-poverty in Guizhou. Throughout the speeches there was common reference to harmony between man and nature. This concept has very deep roots in Taoist thinking.

In 21st-century China， the economic loss through environmental degradation9 fits very comfortably into the Chinese approach to addressing the establishment of an eco-society. Several international speakers referred to a decreasing confidence in some Western countries to maintain a global consensus10. The speakers presented an increasingly positive impression of China’s determination to participate in leadership of this consensus.

With reference to an eco-civilisation， China is already a leader in the transition11 to clean energy， and of all countries has made the major contribution globally to lifting people from poverty.

Chinese food is a Chinese culture that most of us feel we are familiar with. Underlying the creation of dishes is the philosophy of creating balance through a simple combination of a range of different elements. Sweet and sour is a well-known example of apparently opposing tastes， but different textures and colour combinations are also valued.

Chinese traditional ink paintings are simple in presentation， but rich in images of the natural environment that mimic human nature. To fully appreciate Chinese art， these elements need to be understood. The bamboo is a symbol of elegance， and the hollow stem suggests modesty. The plum blossom is an element representing nobility and strength， emerging while the snow is still on the ground.

Confucius’ contribution to Chinese society also illustrates a difference from Western society. Eastern and Western philosophical aspects of society have a similar time span from Confucian and Greek times onwards， but the confluence is minimal. Put very basically， Eastern society places the community， or a concept of a big family， as the most important component of society. This can place all considerations of social issues in a subjective framework.

In Western society， it is the individual that is considered to be the unit of society， compatible12 with an objective analysis of issues.

I like to ask people： “Considering a monkey， cow and banana， which is the odd one out？ Monkey， cow， banana？” The vast majority of Chinese will choose the cow as the odd one out because of the relationship between the monkey and the banana. The monkey eats the banana， so the banana gives sustenance13 to the monkey.

Western people invariably see the banana as the odd one out because they see the objective classification of the monkey and cow， with both being animals.

The consideration of these two responses， and extension into deeper philosophical understanding， presents a major difference between Chinese and Western thought. The Chinese have a much stronger sense of community and the interrelationship of things， compared with an individualistic approach.

Confucian scholar Mozi promotes a concept of da ai， a “big love” or， more appropriately， “respect for others and things”14. If expressed in an altruistic15 way， this makes for an easy， positive unification of people， countries， man and nature. Embracing an eco-civilisation and the Belt and Road Initiative are examples of the potential this unification can offer.

The challenge to the West is to embrace an alternative perspective on issues. It is time for Western media to seek a balance in reporting affairs， and critique the Western perspective. It is time for a Chinese voice to be allowed to be heard in the West.

Then public opinion can begin to adopt an appreciation of what China has to offer. Understanding Chinese culture has become indispensable to appreciate the complex world where China plays an increasingly crucial role. Leaders need this understanding.

Only then will a harmonious world order be allowed to develop freely， and the global consensus can become a peaceful one， and conflict diminished16.

中国已在国际社会中不可或缺，然而，西方主流叙事体系却仍未意识到，这并不意味着中国已然西化。中国正沿着有别于西方的道路前进。

西方并未真正努力去理解中国视角，而且很大程度上并未认识到还存在一種不同的思维方式。孔子曾说过：“知之为知之，不知为不知，是知也。”在西方中心论的指导下，由于无知且对中国缺乏了解，西方已将自己置于一个可能被新兴的世界秩序抛在后面的危险境地。

浏览以西方视角为主导的西方报纸，便能从各大头条新闻中发现这一无知。为了刻画中国的负面形象，选择性报道、歪曲事实成了家常便饭。西方报道往往缺乏批判性的价值判断，致使媒体信誉严重降低，对话从而无法深度展开，真实可信地了解中国无从谈起。伪新闻确确实实存在。

新西兰一家报纸曾报道中国向一座太平洋小岛派驻了120名医生，以帮助改善当地低劣的社区医疗条件。人们可能认为这是一项积极之举，然而，该报道关注的焦点却是在问中国在太平洋做了些什么？我们怎么就沦落到听任这件事发生的地步？中国人正在“我们的地盘上”干什么？

类似的媒体关注有损于公众理解中国理念的可能性，并传递出一种负面的中国印象。中国鲜有机会向西方展示自己的真实形象。

因此，西方的难题就在于增进对中国的全面理解。从长远角度看，中国的文化传统对世界具有何种积极、乐观的影响呢？

要理解这一问题，就离不开考量中国文化及社会的立足根基。中国历史及文化发展绵延逾5000年，未曾间断。我们需将视线回溯至少2500年，以了解老子及道家的文化和哲学根源，了解孔子的治世之道及其对社会的影响。

我虽不是学者，却一直热切关注当今的中国及其历史渊源。在我看来，道家学说可供我们了解中国文化及哲学特质中的很多方面。阴阳合一这一概念在西方广为人知，但无论是普通民众还是领袖人物，真正理解并践行这一理念的人却为数不多。阴阳二元对立融合，带给我们一种平衡状态。

对立产生平衡是中国的一个文化传统。举例来说，crisis一词的中文表达是“危机”，由“危”“机”两个汉字组成，分别表示“危险”和“机遇”。

中医秉持整体概念，将人体视作统一的整体，认为阴阳失调、冷热不均是致病的原因。治病的思路在于恢复平衡，不能孤立地针对某种特定症状或病灶来实施治疗。开出的方子往往需要些时日才能见效，其核心在于让药物与身体和谐地发挥作用。这并不是说西医就不完美，我只是以此为例，来阐释中国人在寻求解决问题的方案时所依循的思路。

我参加了在贵州举行的一场题为“生态文明与反贫困”的国际论坛。其间，各位演讲者普遍提到的话题便是人与自然的和谐。这一概念深深扎根于道家思想体系中。

在21世纪的中国，环境恶化导致经济损失（的观点）与着力建设生态型社会的中国思路完美契合。多位国际演讲者提到，西方某些国家在维持全球共识方面信心下降。中国参与并引领这一共识的坚定决心在他们心中树立了日益积极正面的印象。

说到生态文明，中国早已引领了向清洁能源的过渡，并为帮助全球人口摆脱贫困做出了所有国家中极为巨大的贡献。

中餐是中国文化中我们多数人自认为非常熟悉的一个方面。中式菜肴烹制的背后，隐藏着将各色不同要素通过简单配搭而产生平衡的哲学理念。酸甜搭配是一个众所周知的例子，将表面截然不同的口味融合在一起，但色泽、食材的配搭也同样重要。

中国传统水墨画呈现方式很简单，但却蕴含着大量与人性相呼应的自然环境意象。如欲深入赏鉴中国艺术，必须了解以下要素。竹子是优雅的象征，中空的躯干代表谦和。梅花傲雪怒放，喻示高贵和坚韧。

孔子对中国社会的贡献同样彰显了不同于西方社会的一面。从孔子和古希腊时代算起，就哲学层面来看，东西方社会有着大体类似的时间历程，但两者之间的交集却少之又少。概括而言，东方社会将族群，或者说庞大的家族，视作社会中最重要的构成要素。所有涉及社会问题的考量都建立在主观的框架之内。

而在西方社会，个体被视作社会单位，这点更适于客观分析事件。

我想问问大家：“比方说有猴子、奶牛、香蕉三种东西，你认为哪种东西（与其他两种）格格不入？是猴子、奶牛还是香蕉？”绝大多数中国人倾向于选择奶牛，因为猴子与香蕉有关系。猴子吃香蕉，所以香蕉是猴子维持生命的命脉所系。

西方人无一例外地认为香蕉才是格格不入的东西，因为他们关注的是猴子和奶牛的客观分类，两者都是动物。

仔细分析這两种反应及其背后更深层次的哲学见解，我们发现东西两种思想之间存在重大差别。相比个体的观点而言，中国人更加看重群体及事物之间的相互关联。

儒家思想的代表之一墨子崇尚“大爱”，或者更恰当地说，主张“尚他、尚物”。从利他主义角度来看，这有助于人与人、国与国、人与自然之间达成积极和谐的统一状态。拥抱生态文明和“一带一路”倡议便表明了这种和谐统一的局面所能带来的潜力。

西方的难题在于要悦纳一种不同的处事待物理念。西方媒体是时候在报道中寻求一种平衡并对西方视角予以批判，是时候让西方听到中国的声音了。

那么公众民意才能开始赏识中国的贡献。为了理解当今纷繁复杂、中国日益发挥关键作用的世界，领会中国文化已是不容忽视的要务。各国领袖都需如此。

只有到了那时，和谐的世界秩序才有望得到自由发展;全球共识才有望和平达成;冲突才有望减少。        （译者单位：北京林业大学）

1新西兰—中国友好协会主席。  2 alternative替代方案;不同于常规的（观点、见解等）。  3语出《论语·为政》：“知之为知之，不知为不知，是知也。”  4 peril危险;险境。  5 portray描绘;刻画（人物等）。

6 valid合理的;有效的。

7 integration融合;一体化。  8 holistic整体的;统一的。

9 degradation恶化;降级。  10 consensus共识。  11 transition过渡;转折。

12 compatible协调一致;匹配。

13 sustenance维持（生计）;生存。  14墨子的核心思想包括兼爱、非攻、尚贤、尚同、天志、明鬼、非命、非乐、节葬、节用等。其中，“兼爱”（也就是文中提到的“大爱”）是他针对儒家“爱有等差”的说法提出的新主张，强调“爱无差别等级，不分厚薄亲疏”，即：爱和尊重不同的人及事物。  15 altruistic利他的。

16 conflict diminished本句为省略句，完整句子为：... and conflict can become dimin-ished.

时 政 新 词

岁月不居，时节如流  Time stops for no one， and the seasons keep changing.

乡村振兴战略  the rural revitalization strategy

为基层减负 to reduce burdens on community-level officials

跨境电商 cross-border e-commerce

人工智能、无人驾驶汽车、物联网 the artificial intelligence， autonomous vehicles， and the Internet of Things

可持续城市联盟 coalition of sustainable cities

垃圾强制分类 mandatory garbage sorting

追梦、筑梦、圆梦 to cherish， pursue and fulfill their dreams

（王长春 辑）