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中国文化——中英文对照（下）

中国画

Traditional Chinese Painting

中国古代四大艺术“琴棋书画”的“画”特指国画。其绘画形式是用毛笔蘸水、墨、颜料作画于绢、帛、宣纸之上，古代称之为水墨丹青。为区别于西方的油画而称之为“中国画”，简称“国画”。其题材有人物、山水、花鸟等。技法可分为工笔和写意。国画的艺术特质在于“笔墨”，强调以形写神，画尽意在。国画在艺术创作上反映了中华民族的审美意识和情趣。

The four art forms in ancient China are guqin, chess, penmanship, and painting. And painting particularly refers to traditional Chinese painting. Traditional Chinese painting is done with a brush dipped into black or colored ink and is painted on silk or xuan paper. In ancient China, it was called "ink-painting". In order to distinguish it from Western oil-paintings, the Chinese people term their works "traditional Chinese painting" (abbreviated to "Chinese painting"). The subject matters of Chinese paintings are typically figures, landscapes, birds and flowers. The drawing skills and techniques employed by the Chinese painters can be divided into two forms: fine brushwork and free-hand brushwork. The artistic characteristics lie in "the writing brush and ink". Chinese painting emphasizes using the shape to convey the feelings of the painter. Even though a painting is a finished product, it endlessly conveys a meaning. In terms of the artistic creation, traditional Chinese painting is a reflection of the aesthetic consciousness and artistic sentiment of the Chinese people.

中国传统节日

Traditional Chinese Festivals

中国传统节日以中国的农历为依据。农历年的岁首称为春节，俗称“过年”，有祈年等多种习俗，是中国人民最隆重的传统节日，象征团结兴旺。其他主要的节日有元宵节、清明节、端午节、七夕节、中秋节、重阳节、冬至节、腊八节等等。各个节日都有其来源讲究和风俗习惯。农历节日与农历中的二十四节气不同。农历节日是中华民族凝聚力和生命力的体现。

Traditional Chinese festivals are usually fixed according to the Lunar calendar. January 1st on the lunar calendar has been designated as the Spring festival (generally referred to as guonian). There are several customs during the Spring Festival, such as praying for a good harvest, etc. the spring Festival is the most ceremonious traditional festival in China and symbolizes unity and prosperity. Some other significant Chinese festivals include the Lantern Festival, the Pure Bright Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Double-Seventh Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Double-Ninth Festival, the Winter Solstice, and the Eighth Day of the Twelfth Lunar Month, etc.  Each festival has its own unique origin and custom. These Chinese festivals that follow the Lunar calendar are different from the 24 Solar Terms in the Lunar calendar. They embody China's cohesion and vitality.

中国茶文化

Tea Culture

茶是中华民族的举国之饮，发端于神农，兴盛于唐宋（618-1279）。开门七件事，柴米油盐酱醋茶，是中国人日常生活的写照。茶文化是茶的自然和人文双重属性的引申与概括。中国茶道精神将儒释道三教融入其中，其主要目的是借助饮茶艺术来修炼身心，体悟大道，提升人生境界。

As a traditional drink for Chinese people, Chinese tea is believed to have first started with Chinese Emperor Shen Nong, and flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties (618AD-1279AD). Making tea was considered one of the seven basic daily necessities along with fuel, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, while drinking tea is an apt portrayal of daily life in China. Tea culture is the extension and generalization of the science and the humanities character of tea. In China, the tea spirit blends the thoughts of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and it aims to help people cultivate both mind and body, comprehend the truth, and elevate the realm of life through the art of drinking tea.

中国石窟

Chinese Grottoes

中国石窟主要反映的是佛教文化艺术。敦煌莫高窟、大同云冈石窟、洛阳龙门石窟、天水麦积山石窟，号称中国四大石窟艺术景观。佛教石窟随山雕凿、彩绘，形象生动自然，将崇高美与世俗情融为一体， 把天然造化与人工创造有机结合，是由建筑、绘画、雕塑等组成的博大精深、绚丽夺目的综合艺术殿堂。其艺术成就为世界所瞩目，已成为重要的世界文化遗产。

Chinese grottoes mainly reflect the art of Buddhist culture. In China, there are four major art landscapes of grottoes: the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang, the Yungagn Grottoes at Datong, the Longmen Grottoes at Luoyang, and the Maijishan Grottoes at Tianshui. Carved and painted on mountains, the Buddhist grottoes mingle both sublimity and secular feelings together, presenting us a vivid and natural appearance. They embody the systematic combination of both the exceptional artistry of great nature and the extremely fine craftsmanship of mankind. The Chinese Buddhist grottoes are regarded as a profound and stunning general art gallery, which are composed of architecture, painting, sculptures, etc. The artistic achievements of Chinese grottoes have attracted the attention of the world, and have become an important international cultural heritage.

中国古典文学名著

Chinese Classical Literature

中国古典文学包括诗歌、散文、小说及词、赋、曲等多种文体，艺术表现手法丰富各异。而小说中的《三国演义》、《水浒传》、《西游记》、《红楼梦》则被成为中国四大古典文学名著，至今在国内外都有着广泛而深远的影响。研读四大名著能够了解中国传统人文社会、民俗之心理，是汲取古代文明精粹、处世为人策略与智慧的重要途径。

Chinese classical literature includes poetry, prose, fiction, and ci (new lyrics written to preexisting tunes), fu ("descriptive poems" of prose-poetry), qu(a freer form based on the new popular songs and dramatic arias), and many other styles. Its artistic expressions are various in techniques. Four classics of Chinese literature are Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West, and Dream of Red Mansions, which have extensive and far-reaching significance both on a national and international level. Through reading "the four famous novels" carefully, you can experience traditional Chinese society and human culture, and folklore customs. And it is an important way to absorb the quintessence of traditional culture as well as to pick up strategies and wisdom on how to get along with others.

中草药

Chinese Herbal Medicine

中药主要由植物药（根、茎、叶、果）、动物药（内脏、皮、骨、器官）和矿物药组成。因以植物药为主，故也称中草药。中药的应用理论独特，认为中药有四气五味。“四气”指药性的“寒热温凉”，“五味”指药物的“辛酸甘苦咸”。中国人探索中草药已有几年内的历史，如今中医药及其诊疗方法以传播到世界各地。

Traditional Chinese medicine mainly consists of plant medicine (roots, stems, leaves, fruits), animal medicine (viscera, skins, bones, organs), and mineral medicine. Chinese herbal medicine is based on plant medicine. According to the unique application theory of traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that it contains "four natures and five flavors." "Four Natures" refers to the properties of "coldness, heat, mildness, and coolness," while "five flavors" refers to the properties of being "pungent, sour, sweet, bitter, and salty". It is said that Chinese people have been conducting research into herbal medicine for thousands of years. Nowadays, traditional Chinese medicine and its therapeutic methods have extensively been spread to the far corners of the globe.

儒家思想

Confucianism

儒家思想也称儒学，由春秋（前770年-前476年）末期伟大的思想家、教育家孔子所创立。历代代表人物有孟子、董仲舒、朱熹、王阳明等。主要经典有：四书（《大学》、《中庸》、《论语》、《孟子》），五经（《周易》、《尚书》、《诗经》、《礼记》、《春秋》）等。儒家学派以"仁、义、礼、智、信"为核心内容，构成了其伦理思想体系，是中国古代长达两千余年封建社会的主流意识。

Confucian thought, also called Confucianism, was established by Confucius, a great thinker and educator who live in the late Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC). Some representatives of Confucianism throughout Chinese history include Mencius, Dong Zhongshu, Zhu Xi, and Wang Yangming. The main classics of Confucianism are the Four Books (The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects of Confucius, and Mencius) and the Five Classics (Zhouyi, Shangshu (collection of Ancient Texts), The Book of Songs, The Rites, and The Spring and Autumn Annals). The Confucian school regards "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and fidelity" as being at the core of its ethical system. Confucianism was the main ideology of feudal society for more than 2,000 years in China.

中国象棋

Chinese Chess

中国象棋早在战国时期（前475-前221）就有记载，最初成为六博，用象牙做成。到了北宋（960-1127）末期定型为近代模式。棋盘为九竖十横线画成的长方形平面，是中国封建社会制度和文化的缩影----有中军帐（九宫）、士位（士、仕）、文官（象、相）、武将（车、马、炮）、士兵（兵、卒）。是世界四大棋类（中国围棋、中国象棋、国际象棋、日本将棋）之一。

The earliest records of Chinese chess can be traced back to the Warring States Period (475BC-221BC). The early-stage Chinese chess was composed of six pieces carved out of ivory, and was therefore called "Six Boxing". Its final form of play was fixed at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty (960AD-1127AD) after a long period of development. The chessboard is a rectangular board that is 9 lines wide by 10 lines long. Composed of marshal or general, advisors (scholar or official), civil officials (elephant or minister), military officers (chariots, horses, and cannons), and soldiers (soldiers or pawns), Chinese chess is Chinese social institution and culture in miniature. It is also one of the four most popular chess games in the world, the other three being the Chinese Weiqi, the game of chess, and shogi (or general's chess).

二十四节气

The 24 Solar Terms

中国古代的先民们，根据太阳在黄道（即地球绕太阳公转的轨道）上的位置，将一年均分为二十四个等分，并分别赋予具有特定含义的专有名称，如春分，清明等等，这便是二十四节气。二十四节气以黄河流域气候为背景，把自然季节现象与农事活动的相互联系作为内容列入历法，用以指导农业生产。它是中国古代先民们发明的一种独特而伟大的历法。

The ancient Chinese divided a year into 24 equal segments according to the positions of the sun on the ecliptic. Names were given with special connotations for these segments; such as vernal equinox (occurs on March 20 or 21) and pure brightness (occurs on April 4, 5, or 6); and hence they are called the 24 Solar Terms. Originating from the Reaches of the Yellow River, the 24 Solar Terms are basically a calendar to govern agricultural arrangements which takes into account the changes in climate and practical agricultural needs. The 24 Solar Terms are considered a great and unique creation of the ancient Chinese.

中国书法

Chinese Calligraphy

中国古代四大艺术“琴棋书画”的“书”特指书法。它是用毛笔书写篆、隶、楷、行、草等各体汉字的艺术。中国书法在技法上讲究笔法、墨法、章法等，其艺术的和谐之美体现在字里行间。隶书的蚕头燕尾，楷书的中规中矩，草书的龙飞凤舞，行书的潇洒飘逸，可谓异彩纷呈，千姿百态。中国书法体现了中华民族的豪爽大气、端庄含蓄的特点。

The four ancient Chinese artistic forms are called quyin, chess, penmanship, and painting; and penmanship particularly refers to Chinese calligraphy. Chinese calligraphy is a kind of art using a brush to write seal script, official script, regular script, running script, and cursive script, and other various writing styles of Chinese characters. The writing techniques of Chinese calligraphy are highlighted by the manner of using a brush, the way ink is used, the art of composition, and so on. Its harmonious beauty of art is reflected in between the lines. Chinese calligraphy exhibits its beauty in different poses, such as the uniqueness of the official script's "silkworm head and swallow tail," the regular script's requirement to "stick to the norm and rules," the characteristic of cursive script's "flying dragon and dancing phoenixes," and the distinctive "natural grace" of the running script. Indeed, Chinese calligraphy reflects the personality of Chinese people's straightforwardness, dignity, and reticence.

中国古琴

Chinese Guqin

中国古代四大艺术“琴棋书画”的“琴”特指古琴，亦称瑶琴、玉琴、七弦琴，是中国古老的一种弹拨乐器。据《史记》记载，琴的出现不晚于尧舜时期。为区分于西方乐器，现被成为"古琴"。古琴依凤之身形而制并命名各部位，反映出儒家的礼乐思想及中国人所重视的和合性。

As one of the four art forms (namely guqin, penmanship, and painting ) in ancient China, guqin is a kind of plucked string instrument which is also known as yaoqin, yuqin and qixian qin. According to the Chinese history book Shih Chi, qin appeared no later than the Yao and Shun eras. In order to distinguish it from similar musical instruments of the West, it was called guqin. The guqin's design imitates the shape of a phoenix. People also named different parts of the guqin after the names of various body parts of the phoenix. This naming method reflects Confucius' thoughts on music and the ideology of harmony that Chinese people value.

十二生肖

The Chinese Zodiac

十二生肖是中国用十二种动物所组成的纪年方法。我国自古就有“干支纪年法”，而我国西北地区游牧的少数民族则以动物记年，两种记年法相互融合，形成了现在的十二生肖，即：子鼠、丑牛、寅虎、卯兔、辰龙、巳蛇、午马、未羊、申猴、酉鸡、戌狗、亥猪。属相的基本意义在于使人们圆融通达、和衷共济。

The Chinese Zodiac is the Chinese way of numbering the years. It attributes an animal to each year, according to a 12-year cycle. Since ancient times, the Chinese people began to use the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to record the passing of years. At this same time, Chinese nomadic people who lived in northwest china instead used animals to number the years. The two ways of numbering the years were smoothly integrated, and the Chinese Zodiac took shape. The 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac are: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. The meaning of the symbolic animal of the birth year is that it can make people magnanimous and be of one mind in times of difficulty.

唐诗宋词

Tang Poetry and Song Ci

唐诗代表了中华诗歌的最高成就。知名诗人多若星辰，李白、杜甫、白居易都是世界闻名的伟大诗人。唐诗分为古体诗、律诗、绝句，又有五言、七言之分，其题材广泛，数量庞大，风格和流派多样。宋词是继唐诗后中国古代文学史上的又一座高峰，历来与唐诗并称双雄。宋词以长短句为主，依词牌填词，豪放派和婉约派词风各异，主要代表有辛弃疾、苏轼、柳永、李清照等。

Tang Poetry represents the highest achievement of Chinese poetry. There were many distinguished poets in the Tang Dynasty, including Li Bai, and Bai Juyi, who are world-famous. There are various forms of Tang Poetry, such as pre-Tang poetry, regular poems, and short poems. Regular poems and short poems can also be divided into pentasyllabic and heptasyllabic according to the charaters contained in each line. There is an enormous collection of Tang Poetry, with a wide range of subjects, styles, and schools. Its artistic charm touches everyone deeply. Song Ci is anther summit in the history of classical Chinese literature. Tang Poetry and Song Ci have consistently been called the two literary giants. The main form of Song Ci is a king of poetry that chiefly consists of seven-character lines interspersed with shorter and longer ones. The writers poetize according to particular tunes. There are two major styles of Song Ci, called the Powerful and Free School, and the Soft and Tuneful School. Xin Qiji, Su Shi, Liu Yong and Li Qingzhao are the representatives of the two schools.

（资料来源于网络）