In nearly two decades I have been working as an interpreter and a TESOL trainer, therefore, it is part of my life to introducing the Chinese culture or Chinese Way to people from various countries. There are questions I have been asked over and over again, such as 「Hugo, What do you think is the greatest part of the Chinese culture?」 「How do you know the Chinese civilization existed 5000 ago?」
在過去近二十年的時間裡，我的職業是口譯和一名頒發國際英語教師證書的教師培訓師，因此向全世界不同國家的外國人介紹中國文化和中國方式也是我生活的一部分。我常被外國友人問到一系列諸如此類的問題：「你認為中國文化中最偉大的部分是什麼？」「你是怎麼知道中國文明五千年前就存在？」
I hope this concept is to be accepted that people may understand 「civilization」 as a large and advanced culture, in contrast to the primitive cultures. The English word civilization comes from the 16th-century French, related to 「citizen」 and 「city」. However, the corresponding term in Chinese —— 「文明」 appeared in I-Ching, which was about 2,000 years before 「civilization」 was discovered in this planet. Regardless of types of livelihood, settlement patterns, forms of government, social stratification, economic systems and some other cultural traits, I will just take the Chinese literacy into account here as a mirror to reflect the greatness of the Chinese civilization, and, as an answer to questions above.
「文明」，我首先期待這一詞的內涵能被人們理解為一種博大和先進的文化——當然，這個概念是相對原始文化而言的。英語中該詞來源於十六世紀的法文，與「市民」和「城市」相關。而在中文裡，它最早見於戰國時期的《易傳》：「見龍在田，天下文明。」【1】這意味著這一概念成為文字比英語提前了2000年。撇開該詞涵蓋的廣義範圍，一如民生大計、人居模式，社群管控的形式，社會階層，經濟狀態以及其他一些文化和文明的特徵，在此我僅考慮以中國人的讀寫能力為例，管中窺豹，反映偉大的中國文明之一斑，同時，亦作為對上文提及的問題的回答。
With human nature, a man will have to solve various needs of the body, the needs of the 「five roots」, namely, eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body. Indispensably, people need to communicate with others in this process, in this way, languages and characters occur. Many people think that language forms the main difference between humans and animals, but in fact, animals also have their language. So, to be precise, this difference should be described as literacy. In the process of creating civilization, human beings continue to pass on civilization through literacy. Confucius said: 「If you don’t learn 『Poetry』, you can’t master the way to speak.」 【4】「The Book of Poetry」 was written more than 2500 years ago, and the 305 poems included in it were created in the period of 1100 BC and 500 BC. As a compiler, Confucius has made such a conclusion that 「There』are 300 poems in 『the Book of Peotry』, in one word, 『think without wickedness』.」 【5】As for languages, animals make their own sounds, such as a cock’s crow, a dog’s bark, a horse’s neigh, a tiger』 showl, a Loong’s snorting, and a paradise crane’s sing... 【6】 all of which are included. When humans are cursing in rage, the language used is as wild and vulgar as the beasts』 roar, who may be fighting for food. Through this vocal language, we can perceive a certain energy from lives when they are expressing their intentions and emotions. The appearance of poetry, from its soul-「thinking without wickedness」, to the beauty of the text itself and the refinement of expressing meaning, to the complete harmony that is made by its sound and rhythm, fused with the Sky and earth, is enough to transform the primitive people to truly civilized people. Now, let’s start to appreciate the beauty of the Book of Poetry by reading these poems, translated from the Chinese poems of 3000 years ago.
隨著人類的天性而來的，首先是解決身體的各類需求問題——眼耳鼻舌身「五根」的需求，這個過程，人必不可少地需要和他人進行交流，語言和文字就這麼產生了。很多人都認為語言形成了人類和動物之間的主要區別，其實不然，動物也是有它們的語言的。所以，準確來說，這種區別應該說成是讀寫能力。人類在創造文明的過程中，不斷通過讀寫能力對文明進行傳承。孔子說：「不學《詩》，無以言。」【2】《詩經》成書於2500多年前，而其中收錄的305首詩，創作於距今3100年到2500多年之間。孔子作為收錄者，對《詩經》有一句概括的話：「《詩》三百，一言以蔽之，曰『思無邪。』」【3】說到語言，動物的發聲——雞鳴犬吠、馬嘶虎嘯、龍吟鶴唳……都要包含在內的。當人類在怒罵、詛咒時，使用的語言和獸類為了爭奪食物而發出的示威聲一樣充滿了野性。通過這種有聲的語言，我們能感知到生命在表達自身意圖和情感時的某種能量。詩的出現，從它的靈魂——「思無邪」，到文字本身的優美和表意的精煉，再到聲音韻律與天地交融的和諧，足以讓原始人搖身一變，成為真正的文明人。下面，我從《詩經》的幾首詩入手，和大家一起來好好欣賞《詩經》之美。
Reeds 【7】
The reeds grow green,
The dew turns to rime.
That person I’m thinking,
Maybe the other side she is.
Up the stream I’m going,
The journey is tough 『n』 long.
Down the stream I’m going,
As if she’s in midstream.
The reeds grow dreary,
The dew is yet humid.
That person I’m thinking,
Maybe the other side she is.
Up the stream I’m going,
The journey is tough 『n』 steep.
Down the stream I’m going,
As if she’s on an island.
The reeds grow thick,
The dew is not gone.
That person I’m thinking,
Maybe the other side she is.
Up the stream I’m going,
The journey is tough 『n』 winding.
Down the stream I’m going,
As if she’s on an islet.
「Reeds」 is collected in chapter the Songs of Qin of 「the Book of Poetry」，as one of the ten songs that were written by people who were lived in Qin district in Zhou dynasty. The Qin area by that time included the Guanzhong area of Shaanxi and the southeastern part of Gansu. The Guanzhong area is now located in the middle of Shaanxi province, including Xi』an, Baoji, Xianyang, Weinan, Tongchuan, Yangling, five cities and one district, with a total area of 55,623 square kilometers and a permanent population of 23,850,600. 【8】 The Qin people have always been rough, with clearcut stand on what to love and what to hate. Weather in the frost’s Descent, fallen leaves were everywhere, windy but not as chilly as that in the northeast, yet a little bit cooler than that in the South, endowed autumn the desolate and solemn atmosphere.
《蒹葭》
蒹葭蒼蒼，白露為霜。所謂伊人，在水一方。
溯洄從之，道阻且長。溯遊從之，宛在水中央。
蒹葭萋萋，白露未晞。所謂伊人，在水之湄。
溯洄從之，道阻且躋。溯遊從之，宛在水中坻。
蒹葭採採，白露未已。所謂伊人，在水之涘。
溯洄從之，道阻且右。溯遊從之，宛在水中沚。
《蒹葭》是《詩經·秦風》中的一篇，當時的秦地包括了陝西關中到甘肅東南一帶。《秦風》共收錄了十篇，大都是東周時期秦地的民歌。秦人向來粗獷，愛憎分明。晚秋霜降時節，秋風掃落葉，既沒有東北那股刺骨般的嚴寒，較之南方卻又多了幾分蕭瑟肅穆之氣。蘆葦生於江河湖澤的岸邊和溼地，繁殖力強。蘆葦單薄的身軀經不起狂風驟雨的摧殘，所以往往需要成群結隊的抱團生長，不至於輕易被連腰折斷。而它的花，那是註定要和它的軀體分開的。大風起兮雲飛揚，蘆花一去兮不復返。倖存的一部分，紮根在溼地，落地為安。王維寫《相思》，以紅豆起興：「願君多採擷，此物最相思。」 世人多把紅豆喚作「相思子」，這還要歸因於中國人對紅色情有獨鍾。
【1】見《易傳·乾·文言》
【2】見《論語·季氏》
【3】見《論語·為政》
【4】Quoted & translated from 「The Analects of Confucius · Ji Shi」
【5】Quoted & translated from 「The Analects of Confucius · Wei Zheng」
【6】"Loong": A new term started by Hugo Lan, to replace 「dragon」, which is a wrong translation made by westerners from the Chinese word 「龍」
【7】This version is translated by Hugo Lan
【8】Guanzhong: Within the 「Four Passes」
【申明】以上摘自藍教授所著《新中國人的精神》/ The Spirit of the Chinese People （廣東旅遊出版社），轉載請註明出處。