东方哲学 - 孔子：英语精读讲义

We know very little for certain 短語搭配

我们确切知晓的

about the life of the Chinese philosopher Confucius.

关于中国哲学家孔子生平的信息少之又少。

He's said to have been born in 551 BC in China. 語法

据说他于公元前551年出生在中国。

He may have been a student of the Daoist master Laozi. 語法

他可能是道家大师老子的学生。

According to tradition, 表達脈絡

根据传说，

he began government service and served many roles,

他开始在政府任职并担任过多个职务，

including Minister of Crime under Duke Ding

包括在鲁国定公手下

in the state of Lu.

担任大司寇。

However,

然而，

Confucius and the duke fell out 短語動詞

孔子和定公闹翻了，

after the duke received a present from a neighboring ruler,

因为定公收到了邻国君主送来的礼物，

80 beautiful women and 124 horses.

80个美女和124匹马。

The duke spent all his time riding horses 語法

定公把所有的时间都花在骑马上，

and being entertained by the women,

沉溺于女色之中，

which Confucius found deeply improper for a ruler. 語法

孔子认为这对于一个君主来说极不合体统。

So, he left the court and wandered for years. 用詞

于是，他离开了朝廷，周游列国多年。

Around between the third and fifth century BC,

大约在公元前三到五世纪之间，

Confucius's works were collected into The Analects, 文化背景

孔子的著作被汇编成了《论语》，

a collection of sayings written down by his followers. 短語動詞

这是由他的追随者记录下来的一本语录。

Some of the morals Confucius taught are easily recognizable,

孔子教导的一些道德规范很容易被认同，

most notably his version of the Golden Rule. 文化背景

最著名的就是他的黄金法则（恕道）。

Do not do unto others what you don't want done to yourself. 用詞

己所不欲，勿施于人。

But some of them also sound very strange or old-fashioned to modern ears, 習語

但其中有些对现代人来说听起来很奇怪或老派，

especially to Western ones.

尤其是对西方人而言。

But we need his advice all the more for this.

但正因如此，我们才更加需要他的建议。

It serves as an antidote to the troubles we currently face. 習語

它能成为我们目前所面临困境的一剂良药。

Here are a few examples of what Confucius helps us to remember. 表達脈絡

以下是孔子帮助我们铭记的几个例子。

1. Ceremony is important.

1. 礼仪很重要。

The Analects are filled with strange conversations

《论语》中充满了这样奇怪的对话，

between Confucius and his disciples like this one.

发生在孔子和他的弟子之间，比如这一段。

Zigong wished to do away with the offering of a sheep. 短語動詞

子贡想废除告朔之饩羊。

Confucius said, "Zi,

孔子说，‘赐，

you love the sheep,

你爱惜那只羊，

I love the ceremony."

我却爱惜那种礼。’

At first, this is baffling,

乍一看，这让人很困惑，

if not also humorous. 語法

甚至觉得有点好笑。

Why not save the sheep? 語氣意圖

为什么不把羊救下来呢？

But Confucius is reminding Zi and us about the importance of ceremony.

但孔子是在提醒子贡和我们礼仪的重要性。

In the modern world,

在现代社会，

we tend to shun ceremony and see this as a good thing, 短語搭配

我们往往会回避礼仪，并认为这是一件好事，

a sign of intimacy or a lack of pretension.

是亲密无间或不加掩饰的象征。

But Confucius believed in the value of ceremonies over sheep because he valued what he called ritual propriety. 文化背景

但孔子认为礼仪比羊更有价值，因为他看重他所说的‘礼’（合乎礼节）。

This might seem a very outdated and conservative idea,

这似乎是一个非常过时和保守的观念，

but in fact, many of us long for particular rituals, 短語動詞

但事实上，我们中很多人都渴望特定的仪式，

that meal mum cooked for us whenever we were sick,

比如每次生病时妈妈为我们做的饭菜，

or the yearly birthday outing,

或者是每年生日时的出游，

or our wedding vows.

或者是我们的结婚誓言。

We understand that certain premeditated,

我们明白，某些预先想好的、

deliberate, and precise gestures stir our emotions deeply. 短語搭配

刻意的、精确的举动会深深触动我们的情感。

Rituals make our intentions clear, 短語搭配

仪式能让我们的意图变得清晰，

and they help us to understand how to behave.

它们帮助我们懂得该如何行事。

2. We should treat our parents with reverence. 短語搭配

2. 我们应该怀着敬畏之心对待父母。

In particular,

特别是，

Confucius had a very strict idea about how we should behave towards our parents.

孔子对于我们应该如何对待父母有非常严格的标准。

He believed that we should obey them when we are young,

他认为我们在年轻时应该顺从他们，

care for them when they are old, 短語動詞

在他们年老时照顾他们，

mourn at length when they die, 短語搭配

在他们死后要长期服丧，

and make huge sacrifices in their memory thereafter. 短語搭配

并在那之后为纪念他们进行隆重的祭祀。

He even said that we shouldn't travel far away while our parents are alive

他甚至说，父母在世时我们不应该远游，

and should cover for them if they steal a sheep. 短語動詞

并且如果他们偷了羊，我们要为他们掩护。

This attitude is known as filial piety. 文化背景

这种态度被称为‘孝’。

This sounds strange now,

这在现在听起来很奇怪，

when many of us leave our parents' home as teenagers and rarely return to visit.

因为我们中很多人在十几岁时就离开父母家，很少回去探望。

We may even see them as strangers arbitrarily thrust upon us by fate. 習語

我们甚至可能把他们看作是命运任意强加给我们的陌生人。

After all, 表達脈絡

毕竟，

our parents are so out of touch, 習語

我们的父母是如此脱节，

so pitifully human in their shortcomings,

在缺点上是如此令人可怜的凡夫俗子，

so difficult, so judgmental,

如此难相处，如此爱评判人，

and they have such bad taste in music.

而且他们对音乐的品味是如此糟糕。

Yet Confucius recognized that in many ways,

然而，孔子认识到，在很多方面，

moral life begins in the family.

道德生活始于家庭。

We cannot truly be caring, 語法

我们无法真正做到关爱、

wise, grateful, and conscientious

明智、感恩和有责任心，

unless we remember mum's birthday and meet dad for lunch.

除非我们记得妈妈的生日并和爸爸共进午餐。

3. We should be obedient to honorable people.

3. 我们应该顺从值得尊敬的人。

Modern society is very egalitarian.

现代社会是非常崇尚平等的。

We believe that we're all born equal and should ultimately be able to say and do whatever we like. 語法

我们相信人生而平等，并最终能够想说什么就说什么，想做什么就做什么。

We reject many rigid hierarchical roles. 用詞

我们拒绝许多僵化的等级角色。

Yet Confucius told his followers,

然而孔子告诉他的追随者，

"Let the ruler be a ruler, 文化背景

‘君君，

the subject a subject,

臣臣，

a father a father,

父父，

and a son a son."

子子。’

This might sound jarring,

这听起来可能很刺耳，

but it is in fact important to realize that there are people worthy of our deep veneration, 短語搭配

但实际上，重要的是要认识到，有些人值得我们深深的敬仰，

even our simple and humble obedience.

甚至是我们简单而谦卑的顺从。

We need to be modest enough to recognize the people whose experience or accomplishments outweigh our own. 講解

我们需要足够谦虚，以承认那些在经验或成就上超越我们的人。

We should also practice peaceably doing what these people need,

我们也应该心平气和地去实践这些人所需要的、

ask or command.

要求的或命令的事情。

Confucius explained,

孔子解释说，

"The relation between superiors and inferiors 用詞

‘君子之德风，小人之德草。

is like that between the wind and the grass. 習語

草上之风，

The grass must bend when the wind blows across it."

必偃。’

Bending gracefully is in fact not a sign of weakness, 語法

优雅地弯腰其实并不是软弱的表现，

but a gesture of humility and respect.

而是谦逊和尊重的姿态。

4. Cultivated knowledge can be more important than creativity.

4. 后天修养的学识可能比创造力更重要。

Modern culture places a lot of emphasis on creativity, 短語搭配

现代文化非常强调创造力，

unique insights that come to us suddenly.

也就是我们突然产生的独特见解。

But Confucius was adamant about the importance of the universal wisdom 用詞

但孔子坚信普遍智慧的重要性，

that comes from years of hard work and reflection.

那是来自于多年的刻苦努力和反思的。

He listed benevolence, ritual propriety,

他将仁、礼、

righteousness, wisdom, integrity,

义、智、信，

as the five constant virtues. 文化背景

列为五常之德。

While Confucius believed that people were inherently good,

虽然孔子相信人性本善，

he also saw that virtues like these must be constantly cultivated, 習語

但他也看到了像这样的美德必须不断培养，

just like plants in a garden.

就像花园里的植物一样。

He spoke about moral character and wisdom

他谈到道德品质和智慧

as the work of a lifetime. 習語

是一生的功课。

We can see now why he had such reverence for his elders.

现在我们可以明白他为什么对长辈如此敬重了。

Of course,

当然，

a burst of inspiration 短語搭配

灵感的爆发

may well be what we need to start our business 語法

很可能是我们创业、

or redo our rough draft

重做草稿

or reinvent our life.

或重塑生活所需要的。

But if we're being very honest with ourselves, 語氣意圖

但是，如果我们对自己非常诚实的话，

we'll have to admit that we also need to devote more energy 短語搭配

我们将不得不承认，我们还需要投入更多的精力

to slowly changing our habits.

来慢慢改变我们的习惯。

This, more than anything else, 表達脈絡

正是这一点，比其他任何事都

is what prevents us from becoming truly intelligent, 短語搭配

更阻碍我们成为真正聪明、

accomplished, and wise.

有成就和充满智慧的人。

Confucius died without reforming the decadent duke and his officials.

孔子去世时并未能使腐败的定公及其官员改变。

But after his death,

但在他死后，

his followers created schools and temples in his honor 短語搭配

他的追随者为纪念他建立学校和孔庙，

across East Asia,

遍布东亚，

passing his teachings along for over 2,000 years. 短語動詞

将他的教诲传承了两千多年。

Today,

今天，

millions of people still follow Confucius's teachings

数以百万计的人仍遵循孔子的教诲，

as a spiritual or religious discipline. 用詞

将其作为一种精神或宗教修行。

And his thought has been a huge influence 短語搭配

他的思想产生了巨大的影响，

on Eastern political ideas about morality,

对东方关于道德、

obedience, and good leadership.

服从和优秀领导力的政治观念。

We might find Confucian virtues a bit strange or old-fashioned,

我们可能会觉得儒家美德有点奇怪或过时，

but this is what ultimately makes them all the more important. 短語搭配

但这正是使它们最终显得更加重要的原因。

We need them as a corrective to our own excesses. 用詞

我们需要它们来纠正我们自身的过度行为。

The modern world is almost surprisingly totally un-Confucian,

现代世界几乎完全不符合儒家思想，这令人惊讶，

informal, egalitarian,

它不拘小节、崇尚平等、

and full of innovation.

充满了创新。

So, we're conversely at risk of becoming impulsive, 短語搭配

因此，反过来说，我们就有陷入冲动、

irreverent, and thoughtless

不敬和粗心大意的危险，

without a little advice from Confucius

如果没有一点来自孔子的建议，

about good behavior and sheep. 表達脈絡

关于良好行为和羊的建议。