中華文化術語選篇

“中華思想文化術語”，是濃縮了中華哲學思想、人文精神、價值觀念等的以詞或短語形式固化的概念和文化核心詞。它們是中華民族幾千年來對自然與社會進行探索和理性思索的成果，積淀著中華民族最深沉的歷史智慧。本文選登“中華文化術語”詮釋和英文翻譯，使中國人更加理解中國古代哲學思想，也使世界更加了解中華思想文化。

良 知

Liangzhi （Conscience）

人天生所具有的道德本性與道德上的認識和實踐能力。“良知”一詞最初由孟子提出，認為人不加思慮便能知道的便是“良知”。“良知”的具體內容包括親愛其父母、尊敬其兄長。而親愛父母是仁，尊敬兄長是義。“良知”說是孟子性善論的重要內容。明代的王守仁提出“致良知”，進一步發展了孟子的“良知”說。他認為，“良知”就是天理，一切事物及其規律都包含在“良知”之中。將“良知”擴充到底，即能達到對一切道德真理的認識和實踐。

Humans are born with innate conscience and the ability to know and act upon it. The term liangzhi （良知） was first used by Mencius， who believed that what man knew by instinct was liangzhi （knowledge of goodness）. The term includes ren （仁）， i.e. love for ones parents and yi （義）， i.e. respect for ones elder brothers. The concept is an important component of Mencius belief in the innate goodness of human nature. The Ming-dynasty philosopher Wang Shouren raised the idea of “attaining liangzhi.” He extended the Mencius liangzhi to mean the principles of heaven， maintaining that all things under heaven and their laws were covered by liangzhi. With liangzhi being extended to its fullest （through self-cultivation and moral practice）， it is possible to know and put in practice all moral truths.

引例 Citations：

◎所不慮而知者，良知也。（《孟子·盡心上》）

（人所不加思慮便能知曉的，就是良知。）

What is known without thinking is the innate knowledge of goodness. （Mencius）

◎天理即是良知。（《傳習錄》卷下）

（天理就是良知。）

Principles of heaven and conscience are the same in essence. （Records of Great Learning）

文 明

Wenming （Civilization）

指社會文治教化彰明昌盛的狀態。“文”指“人文”，指禮樂教化以及與此相關的有差等又有調和的社會秩序；“明”即光明、昌明、通達之義。中華民族崇文而不尚武，自古便將文治教化的彰明昌盛作為自己的最高理想和追求，并以此作為評判異國他域政治是否清明的最重要標準。

This term refers to a thriving， prosperous， and perceptibly refined society in which people behave in a cultured fashion. Wen （文） refers to the arts and humanities， including social norms， music education， moral cultivation， and a social order that is hierarchical（等級森嚴的）yet harmonious. Ming （明） means bright， prosperous， and highly civilized. The Chinese nation has always preferred wen to wu （武 force）. This is the loftiest ideal pursued by the Chinese nation since ancient times. It was also the criterion by which to judge whether the governance of a nation was well conducted.

引例 Citation：

◎文明之世，銷鋒鑄鏑。（焦贛《易林·節之頤》）

（文明時代，銷毀兵器，停止戰爭。）

In a civilized society weapons are destroyed and war ceases. （Jiao Gong： Annotations on The Book of Changes）