15个汉字带你深入了解传统文化（中英文对照）

        教育部、国家语委近日发布“中华思想文化术语传播工程”首批术语。对“仁”、“义”、“道”等81条反映中华传统文化特征与思维方式的核心术语，中国官方正式对外发布了简明中文释义和英文翻译。这里是第一部分，15个代表汉字。宁静静静家长论坛为大家转载，既是对传统文化的学习，也是英文素材的积累。以后和老外交流高深的传统文化再也不会说不清了{:soso_e121:}

诚chéng

Sincerity

       “诚”是儒家思想的核心概念之一，其基本含义是真实无妄。儒家认为，“诚”是“天道”或“天理”的本质，是万物得以存在的根据。同时，“诚”也是道德的本原和基础，一切道德的行为必须建立在内心真实无妄之上，否则便是虚妄，《中庸》称之为“不诚无物”。圣人以“诚”为本性，其言行自然与“天道”“天理”相合；君子则以“诚”作为道德修养的目标以及达于“天道”“天理”的途径。

       Sincerity is among the coreconcepts of the Confucian school of thought. Basically, it means truthfulnesswithout deceit. Confucians believed that sincerity is the essence of the “way of heaven” or “principles of heaven,” a basis on which everything else is built. At the same time,sincerity is also the root and foundation of morality. All moral deeds must beconducted on the basis of sincerity from the bottom of the heart. Otherwise,they are nothing but pretensions. The Doctrine of the Mean maintains, “Nothing can be achieved without sincerity.”Sages are sincere by nature. Therefore, their words and deeds are naturallyconsistent with the “way of heaven” and the “principles of heaven.” Junzi (a man of virtue) upholds sincerity as his goal for moralattainment and an approach to achieving the “way ofheaven” and the “principles ofheaven.”

例句 Examples：

◎诚者，天之道也；诚之者，人之道也。（《礼记•中庸》）

（“诚”，是天的法则；达到“诚”，是人的修养路径。）

Sincerity is the way of nature;to be a sincere person is the way to achieve self-refinement. (The Book ofRites)

◎诚者，真实无妄之谓，天理之本然也。（朱熹《中庸章句》）

（“诚”就是真实不伪诈，是天理本来的状态。）

Sincerity means uttertruthfulness without any pretensions or deceit. It is the natural state of theprinciples of heaven. (Zhu Xi: Annotations on The Doctrine of the Mean)

道dào

Dao (Way)

      本义指人所行之路，引申而有三重含义：其一，指不同领域的事物所遵循的法则，如日月星辰运行的规律称为天道，人事活动所遵循的规律称为人道；其二，指万事万物所遵循的普遍法则；其三，指事物的本原或本体，超越于有形的具体事物，是万物生成的基始，又是万物存在和人类行为的根据。儒家、道家、佛教等都谈论道，其内涵差异甚大。儒家之道以仁义礼乐为基本内容，佛教和道家之道偏重“空”“无”方面的意义。

      In its original meaning, dao (道) is the wayor path taken by people. It has three extended meanings: 1) the general lawsfollowed by things in different spheres, e.g. the natural order by which thesun, moon and stars move is called the way of heaven; the rules that governhuman activities are the way of man; 2) the universal patterns followed by allthings and beings; and 3) the original source or ontological existence ofthings, which transcends form and constitutes the basis for the birth andexistence of all things, and for the activities of human beings. In their respectivediscussions of Dao, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism imbue it with verydifferent connotations. While benevolence, righteousness, social norms, andmusic education form the basic content of the Confucian Dao, the Buddhist andDaoist Dao tends to emphasize kong (空 emptiness) and wu(无 void).

例句 Examples：

◎天道远，人道迩。（《左传•昭公十八年》）

（天之道遥远，人事之道切近。）

The way of heaven is far away;the way of man is near. (Zuo’s Commentary on The Spring and Autumn Annals)

◎形而上者谓之道。（《周易•系辞上》）

（有形之上者称为道。）

What transcends form is calledDao. (The Book of Changes)

德dé

De

      “德”有两种不同含义：其一，指个人的良好品格或人们在社会共同生活中的良好品行。“德”原初的意义与行为有关，主要指外在的道德行为，后兼指与道德行为相应的内在的情感、意识，“德”被认为是外在的道德行为与内在的道德情感、道德意识的结合。其二，指事物从“道”所得的特殊规律或特性，是幽隐无形的“道”的具体显现，也是事物产生和存在的内在依据。

      The term has two differentmeanings. One is an individual’s fine moral character, or his proper conduct insociety. At first de (德) was only related to anindividual’s behavior, referring to his external moralconduct. Later, it also referred to something that combined external behaviorwith internal emotions and moral consciousness. The other meaning of de refersto the special laws and features obtained from Dao, or the physicalmanifestation of the hidden and formless Dao, as well as the internal basis forthe origination and existence of all things.

例句 Examples：

◎天生烝民，有物有则，民之秉彝，好是懿德。（《诗经•大雅•烝民》）

（上天降生众民，有事物就有法则，民众遵守普遍的法则，崇好这样的美德。）

Heaven gives birth to people,provides them with goods and materials, and subjects them to rules. People obeyuniversal rules and value virtues. (The Book of Songs)

◎道生之，德畜之。（《老子•五十一章》）

（道生成万物，德蓄养万物。）

Dao creates all things underheaven while de nurtures them. (Laozi)

理lǐ

Li

       本义指玉石的纹理，引申而有三重含义：其一，指具体事物的样式或性质，如短长、大小、方圆、坚脆、轻重、白黑等物理属性；其二，指万事万物所遵循的普遍法则；其三，指事物的本原或本体。后两种含义与“道”相近。宋明时期的学者特别注重对“理”的阐发，以“理”为最高范畴，因此宋明时期占主导地位的学术体系被称为“理学”。

      The original meaning of li (理) was thetexture of jade; later it was extended to contain three meanings: 1) thephysical forms or proprieties of things, such as length, size, shape, tensilestrength, weight, and color; 2) the universal laws followed by all things andbeings; and 3) the original source or ontological existence of things. The lasttwo meanings are similar to those of Dao. Scholars of the Song and Mingdynasties were particularly interested in describing and explaining thephilosophy known as li (理), and considered it as thehighest realm, giving rise to the School of Principle which dominated academicthought in the period from the Song to the Ming dynasties.

例句 Examples：

◎物无妄然，必由其理。（王弼《周易略例》）

（事物没有随意而为的，必然会因循其理。）

Nothing happens at random; eachfollows its own li (laws). (Wang Bi: A Brief Exposition of The Book of Changes)

◎有物必有则，一物须有一理。（《二程遗书》卷十八）

（每一事物的存在必有其法则，但所有事物都须有万物皆同的理。）

Everything exists according toits objective law but all things must follow the common li (law). (Writings ofthe Cheng Brothers)

气qì

Qi (Vital Force)

      独立于主观意识之外的物质实体，是构成一切有形之物的原始物质材料，同时也是生命和精神得以发生和存在的基础。此外，某些思想家还为“气”赋予了道德属性。“气”没有具体的形状，永远处于运动变化之中。“气”的凝聚意味着事物的生成，“气”的消散意味着事物的消亡。“气”贯通于所有有形之物的内外。哲学意义上的“气”与常识性的“气体”概念不同，“气体”指各种非液体、非固体的存在；而从哲学层面来看，液体、固体既是有形之物，其生成、存在也是“气”凝聚的结果。

      Qi (vital force) has a materialexistence independent of subjective consciousness and is the basic element ofall physical beings. It is also the basis for the birth and existence of lifeand spirit. In addition, some thinkers have given a moral attribute to qi. Qiis in constant motion and change, and has no specific shape. Its concentrationgives birth to a thing and its evaporation signals the end of that thing. Qipermeates all physical beings and their surroundings. Qi, as a philosophicalconcept, is different from what is commonly understood by the word qi (气), namely,gas. Although things in liquid or solid form are different from things in gasform, from the perspective of the ancient Chinese philosophy, their formationand existence are the result of the concentration of qi.

例句 Examples：

◎通天下一气耳。（《庄子•知北游》）

（贯通天下万物的就是一个“气”罢了。）

It is qi that permeateseverything under heaven. (Zhuangzi)

◎天地合气，万物自生。（王充《论衡•自然》）

（天地之气相互交合，万物自然而生。）

The convergence of qi of heavenand that of earth gives life to all things. (Wang Chong: A Comparative Study ofDifferent Schools of Learning)

情qíng

Qing

      “情”有三种不同含义：其一，泛指人的情感、欲望。“情”受外物感动而发，是人的自然本能，不是后天习得的。其二，特指人的某些情感、欲望，通常被规定为好、恶、喜、怒、哀、乐等六者，或喜、怒、哀、惧、爱、恶、欲等七者。前者也被称作“六志”或“六情”，后者被称作“七情”。其三，指情实或实情。对于前两个意义上的“情”，历代学者持有不同态度，或主张抑制“情”，或承认“情”的合理性而加以引导和安处。

      The term has three differentmeanings. First, it means human emotions and desires, referring to the naturaland instinctive reaction to external circumstances, not a learned response.Second, it refers to specific human emotions and desires, commonly known as thesix human emotions: love, hatred, happiness, anger, sadness, and joy, or as theseven human emotions: happiness, anger, sadness, fear, love, hatred, anddesire. Third, it means the true state of affairs, or actual situation. Forcenturies, scholars have had different interpretations on the first two meanings.Some advocated that emotions should be restrained or controlled, while othersbelieved that emotions and desires were natural and should be properly guided.

例句 Examples：

◎何谓人情？喜、怒、哀、惧、爱、恶、欲，七者弗学而能。（《礼记•礼运》）

（什么叫做人之情？就是喜爱、恼怒、悲哀、恐惧、爱慕、憎恶、欲求，这七者不用学习就能产生。）

What are human emotions? Theyare happiness, anger, sadness, fear, love, hatred, and desire that ariseinstinctively. (The Book of Rites)

◎上好信，则民莫敢不用情。（《论语•子路》）

（地位高的人讲求诚信，则民众没有人敢不以实情相待。）

If those in high positions actin good faith, the people will not dare to conceal the truths. (The Analects)

趣qù

Qu

       指文学艺术作品中所表现的作者的志趣、情趣、意趣等。作者的“趣”决定他们对自然、人生的独特体验和理解，以及对作品主题的选择和作品的表现风格。“趣”是作品中无形的精神韵味，通过审美活动而体现出它的价值与品位高下。

      Qu is the aspirations, emotions,and interests expressed in the work of awriter or artist. His pursuit of qu determines his unique perception andcomprehension of nature and life. It also determines what theme he chooses forhis work and how he gives expression to it. Qu is invisible but manifests its value and appeal through aestheticappreciation.

例句 Examples：

◎（嵇）康善谈理，又能属文，其高情远趣，率然玄远。（《晋书•嵇康传》）

（嵇康善谈玄理，又擅长写作，他的情趣高雅，率真而旷远。）

Ji Kang was good at explainingprofundities and writing. He had a high style and fine taste. A forthright andbroad-minded man, indeed! (The Jin History)

◎世人所难得者唯趣。趣如山上之色，水中之味，花中之光，女中之态，虽善说者不能下一语，唯会心者知之。……夫趣得之自然者深，得之学问者浅。（袁宏道《叙陈正甫〈会心集〉》）

（世人难以领悟的只有“趣”。“趣”好比山的颜色、水的味道、花的光彩、女人的姿容，即使擅长言辞的人也不能一句话说清楚，只有领会于心的人知道它。……趣，如果从自然之性中得来，那是深层次的“趣”；如果从学问中得来，往往是肤浅的“趣”。）

The only thing really hard tounderstand in the world is qu. Qu is like the hues of hills, the taste ofwater, the splendor of flowers, or the beauty of a woman. Even an eloquentperson can hardly find words to put it clearly. Only those with empathy know itwell… Qu that comes from nature is deep and mellow; if it comes from booklearning, it is often shallow. (Yuan Hongdao: Preface to Chen Zhengfu’s Inspirations of the Mind)

仁rén

Ren

      “仁”的基本含义是爱人，进而达到人与人之间、天地万物之间一体的状态。“仁”既是道德行为的基础和依据，又是一种内在的与道德行为相应的心理意识。大体来说，“仁”有如下三重含义：其一，指恻隐之心或良心；其二，指根源于父子兄弟关系基础上的亲亲之德；其三，指天地万物一体的状态和境界。儒家将其作为最高的道德准则，并将“仁”理解为有差等的爱，即爱人以孝父母敬兄长为先，进而关爱其他家族成员，最终扩大为对天下之人的博爱。

      The basic meaning of the term islove for others. Its extended meaning refers to the state of harmony amongpeople, and the unity of all things under heaven. Ren (仁) constitutesthe foundation and basis for moral behavior. It is also a consciousness thatcorresponds to the norms of moral behavior. Roughly put, ren has the followingthree implications: 1) compassion or conscience; 2) virtue of respect builtupon the relationship between fathers and sons and among brothers; and 3) theunity of all things under heaven. Confucianism holds ren as the highest moralprinciple. Ren is taken as love in the order of first showing filial piety toone’s parents and elder brothers, and then extendinglove and care to other members of the family, and eventually to everyone elseunder heaven.

例句 Examples：

◎克己复礼为仁。（《论语•颜渊》）

（约束自己使言语行为都合于礼，就是仁。）

Ren means to restrain one’s self andfollow social norms. (The Analects)

◎仁者，爱之理，心之德也。（朱熹《论语集注》）

（仁，是爱的道理，心的德性。）

Ren is the principle of love andthe moral nature of human mind. (Zhu Xi: The Analects Variorum)

天tiān

Tian (Heaven)

      “天”是中国古代思想中具有神圣性和终极意义的一个概念。主要有三种不同的含义：其一，指自然意义上的天空或人世之外的整个自然界，其运行呈现出一定的规律和秩序；其二，指主宰万物的具有人格意志的神灵；其三，指万事万物所遵循的普遍法则，同时也是人的心性、道德以及社会和政治秩序的依据。

      Tian (天) is a sacredand fundamental concept in ancient Chinese philosophy. It has three differentmeanings. The first is the physical sky or the entirety of nature (notincluding human society), the operations of which manifest certain laws andorder. The second refers to a spiritual being, which possesses ananthropomorphic will and governs everything in the universe. The third denotesthe universal law, which is observed by all things and beings, and which isalso the basis of human nature, morality, and social and political orders.

例句 Examples：

◎天行有常，不为尧存，不为桀亡。（《荀子•天论》）

（天的运行有其固定的规律，不因为尧的贤明而存在，不因为桀的暴虐而消失。）

Heaven acts according to itsinherent laws. It does not exist due to the virtue of Yao, nor will itdisappear because of the tyranny of Jie. (Xunzi)

◎上天孚佑下民。（《尚书•汤诰》）

（上天信任并保佑百姓。）

Heaven trusts and blesses thepeople. (The Book of History)

◎天者，理也。（《二程遗书》卷十一）

（天就是宇宙的普遍法则。）

Heaven is the overarching law ofthe universe. (Writings of the Cheng Brothers)

王wáng

King

       本为夏、商、周三代天子的称号，春秋以后周天子一统天下的局面遭到破坏，至战国时期列国君主皆可称王。秦汉以后，“王”一般是皇帝对自己直系男性亲属的最高封爵。在儒家特别是孔孟的政治哲学论述中，“王”一方面代表上天的旨意，具有至高无上的权力；另一方面又被赋予了极强的道德特质和政治理想。儒家认为，用仁义治理或统一天下、以道德手段使天下人都来归顺叫做“王（wànɡ）”，依靠仁义道德形成天下一统的政治局面叫做“王道”。

       King was originally the titlefor the “Son of Heaven,” namely, the country’s supreme ruler in the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties. From theSpring and Autumn Period onward, the power of the Zhou court gradually weakenedand the kingdom disintegrated. By the time of the Warring States Period, anymonarch could call himself a king. Up to the Qin and Han dynasties, king becamethe highest title granted by the emperor to a male member of the imperialfamily. In the political philosophical discourse of Confucianism, especially inthe works of Confucius and Mencius, a king represents heaven’s will and therefore ought to have supreme, unchallengeable power;at the same time, he is imbued with a high moral attribute and politicalideals. According to Confucianism, to be a king is to unify or govern thecountry with benevolence and righteousness, or to win over people by morallyjustified means. Likewise, the pursuit of the kingly way means using benevolentand righteous means to unify and govern the country.

例句 Example：

◎天下归之之谓王，天下去之之谓亡。（《荀子•正论》）

（天下人归顺他，就可以称王；天下人抛弃他，就只会灭亡。）

He to whom the people swearallegiance can rule as a king (王); he perishes (亡) whenthe people desert him. (Xunzi)

物wù

Wu (Thing or Matter)

      “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) usuallydenotes 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 concreteexistence, encompassing all natural and man-made objects, all organisms andhuman beings. Second, it covers interpersonal matters and activities such astaking care of one’s parents, entering politics, ormanaging state affairs. In this sense, wu means “matter.” Third, the word sums up all existing physical and social matters,generally called “everything.”

例句 Examples：

◎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. (The Book ofChanges)

◎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’sconscience is applied to parents, then taking care of one’s parents is the “matter.” (Wang Yangming: Records of Great Learning)

心xīn

Heart/Mind

       “心”是人之情感、认识和价值的基础，生命的主宰。与耳、目、鼻、口等被动地感知外物不同，“心”具有思考的能力，可以辨别和整理感官所获得的材料，进行知识和道德判断。孟子认为“心”包含恻隐、辞让、羞恶、是非等四端，道德实践的核心就是保存并扩充人固有的善心。道家则认为虚静是心的根本状态，如静止之水，由此可以把握天地万物的本原。

      The heart, a vital organ oflife, underpins one’s emotions, awareness, and value judgments. Different from the ears,eyes, nose, and mouth, which sense the outer world in a passive way, the heartis capable of thinking and performing intellectual and moral evaluations on thebasis of analyzing and sorting out what these organs have sensed. Menciusbelieved that the heart consists of four aspects: compassion, deference, senseof shame or detestation, and conscience. Preserving and expanding one’s good heart is the central aim in practicing moral teachings. Accordingto Daoism, a serene and uncluttered heart is the highest state for a humanbeing, much like a peaceful pool of still water. Such calmness is the way inwhich the heart can capture the essence of all things in the world.

例句 Examples：

◎耳目之官不思，而蔽于物。物交物，则引之而已矣。心之官则思，思则得之，不思则不得也。（《孟子•告子上》）

（耳目等器官不能思考，因而被外物的表象遮蔽。耳目与外物相接触，就会被其引向歧途。“心”这个器官能够思考，思考便能有所得，不思考便无所得。）

The sensory organs like ears andeyes cannot think. Therefore, they tend to be overwhelmed by the representationof external objects, and be led astray by those objects when coming intocontact with them. The heart, however, is an organ capable of thinking.Thinking yields insight, while lack of it will get one nowhere. (Mencius)

◎心者，一身之主宰。（《朱子语类》卷五）

（心是人身体的主宰。）

Heart is the dominant organ ofone’s body. (Classified Conversations of Master Zhu Xi)

性xìng

Xing (Nature)

       古人所讨论的“性”的观念，主要指“人性”。“性”的概念包含两个要点：其一，是事物天生所具有的属性，非后天人为；其二，是某类事物普遍具有的属性，非某些个体所特有。据此而言，“人性”观念也有两种不同的含义：其一，指人天生所具有的普遍属性，包括身体上的各种生命特征及欲望、知觉等；其二，指人天生所具有的人之所以为人的本质属性，亦即人区别于禽兽的道德本性。历代学者对人性善恶的问题有着许多不同的看法，或性善，或性恶，或性无善恶，或性有善有不善，或有性善有性不善。

      Xing (性) mainlyreferred to human nature in ancient times. The concept of xing has twoessential points. First, it refers to the inherent nature of all things, not asa result of nurture. Second, it refers to the common nature of certain kind ofthings, not the nature of individual things of that kind. Similarly, humannature, too, has two meanings. First, it refers to inherent attributes allpeople share, including physical features, desires, and consciousness. Second,it is the essential and distinct attribute that distinguishes people from birdsand beasts, in other words, human’s moral nature.Scholars throughout history held varied views over the question whether humannature was good or evil. Some believed it was good. Some thought it was evil.Some held that it was neither good nor evil. Some held that human nature couldbe both good and evil in the same person. Some thought that human nature wasgood in some people, but evil in others.

例句 Examples：

◎食、色，性也。（《孟子•告子上》）

（对饮食和美色的追求是人的本性。）

To love food and good looks isbut human nature. (Mencius)

◎性即理也。（《二程遗书》卷二十二上）

（性就是理。）

Human nature is in line with theprinciples of heaven. (Writings of the Cheng Brothers)

虚xū

Xu

       “虚”指世界或者心灵的一种状态。大体有两种不同的含义：其一，指世界的本原，万物皆由虚无中来。但古人对“虚”的这一含义又有不同理解：或认为“虚”就是空虚无有；或认为“虚”指“气”的存在状态，因为“气”的存在隐微无形，故以“虚”称之，但并非完全空无。其二，指虚静的或没有成见的内心状态。

       Xu refers to a state of thecosmos or a state of mind. Basically, it has two different meanings. The firstrefers to the origin of the universe, indicating that everything originatesfrom xu. Different ancient thinkers have different interpretations of thisnotion: Some take xu as being devoid of anything; others believe it is thestate of existence of qi (气). Because qi is invisible and formless, it issaid to be empty, but not a vacuum totally devoid of anything. The secondmeaning of xu refers to a state of mind that is peaceful, not preoccupied orsimply free of any preconceptions.

例句 Examples：

◎太虚无形，气之本体。（张载《正蒙•太和》）

（“虚”是无形的，是“气”的本来状态。）

Xu is formless; it is theoriginal state of qi. (Zhang Zai: Enlightenment Through Confucian Teachings)

◎唯道集虚，虚者心斋也。（《庄子•人间世》）

（只有道汇集并呈现于虚静的心灵，“虚”就是心斋。）

Dao gathers and presents itselfin an unoccupied and peaceful mind; being unoccupied means the pure state ofthe mind. (Zhuangzi)

义yì

Righteousness

      “义”的基本含义是合理、恰当，引申而有两重含义：其一，指人行事的合理依据与标准；其二，指在道德意识的判断与引导下，调节言行使之符合一定的标准，以获得合理的安处。宋代学者用“理”或“天理”的概念来解释“义”，认为“义”就是“天理”所规定的合理的标准，同时要求言行符合“天理”。

      The basic meaning of yi (义) is “reasonable” and “proper.” It has two extended meanings. One is the proper basis and standardfor people’s actions. The other is to adjust one’s words or deeds to meet certain standards, under the guidance ofmoral judgments. Scholars in the Song Dynasty used li (理) or “principles of heaven” to interpret yi, and considered yi to be the reasonable standarddefined by the “principles of heaven,” and hoped that people’s words and deedswould fall in line with the “principles of heaven.”

例句 Examples：

◎君子喻于义。（《论语•里仁》）

（君子知晓并遵循义。）

Junzi (a man of virtue)understands things and acts in accordance with righteousness. (The Analects)

◎义者，心之制，事之宜也。（朱熹《孟子集注》）

（义就是约束自己的内心，使事情合宜。）

Righteousness means exercisingself-restraint in order to do everything properly. (Zhu Xi: Mencius Variorum)

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