中国文化核心词 Key Chinese Concepts



中国文化核心词 Key Chinese Concepts

1. 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 sacred and fundamental concept in ancient Chinese philosophy. It has three different meanings. The first is the physical sky or entirety of nature (not including human society), whose operations are manifest in a certain law and order. The second refers to a spiritual being, which possesses an anthropomorphic will and governs everything in the universe. The third denotes the universal law, which is observed by all things and beings, and which is also the basis of human nature, morality, and social and political order.

引例 Citations:

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 its inherent laws. It does not exist due to the virtue of Yao, nor will it disappear 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 the people. (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 of the universe. (Writings of the Cheng Brothers)

2. 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 way or path taken by people. It has three extended meanings: 1) The general laws followed by things in different spheres, e.g. the natural order in which the sun, moon and stars move is called the way of heaven; the rules that govern human activities are the way of man; 2) The universal patterns followed by all things and beings; and 3) The original source or ontological existence of things, which transcends form and constitutes the basis for the birth and existence of all things, and for the activities of human beings. In their respective discussions of Dao, Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism imbue it with quite different connotations. While benevolence, righteousness, social norms, and music education form the basic content of the Confucian Dao, the Buddhist and Daoist Dao tends to emphasize kong (空 emptiness) and wu (无 void).

引例 Citations:

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 called Dao. (The Book of Changes)

Selected from Key Concepts in Chinese Thought and Culture published by Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.