第十讲中人民的个性特征.docx

第十讲中人民的个性特征.docx

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第十讲中人民的个性特征

Lecture10:

DifferencesbetweenChineseCultureandAmericanCulture

10.1.FeaturesofChineseCulture

（1）politicalsystem:

long-standingfeudalistimperialhighlycentralizedgovernance.

（2）.nationalcomposition:

relativelysingle-nationalitystatewiththeoverwhelmingpopulationofHannationalityChinese.

（3）.IdeologicalSource:

Confucianism（Benevolence,Righteousness,propriety,knowledgesincerity），nationalbeliefandpracticein“OfficialStandard”,obediencetotheauthoritiesatalllevels.

（4）.Socialstate:

nationalunification,politicalharmony,socialstability，collectivismorgrouppsychologyintermsofideologicalandintellectualconformity,behavioralagreementindailylifeandinworkplaces,evenincustomsandconventionsasaresultofnationalunicity（民族单一性），i.e.thenationality.

（5）.Nationalcharacter:

lackofthespiritofcriticism,ofindividualism,ofadventureandcreativity.Nationalservility.

（6）.Lifephilosophy:

pursuitofsimple,safe,peacefulfamilylifebasedonfamily-tie-orientatedharmony.Thehappinessandblissareacquiredfromtheintrinsicotherthanfromextrinsic.

10.2.ChineseCharacter

10.2.1Mellowness（老成温厚）

“Character”isatypicalEnglishword.ApartfromtheEnglish,fewnationshavelaidsuchstressoncharacterintheiridealofeducationandmanhoodastheChinese.（出英国人之外，很少有哪个国家像中国人这样重视性格的培养。

）TheChineseseemtobesopreoccupiedwithitthatintheirwholephilosophytheyhavenotbeenabletothinkofanythingelse.Todaydevoidofanyextra-mundaneinterests（即对世俗的欲望不存在任何非分的妄想）,andwithoutanygettinginvolvedinanyreligiousclap-trap（奢谈），thisidealofbuildingofcharacterhas,throughtheinfluenceoftheirliterature,theatre,andproverbs,permeatedtothelowestpeasant,andprovidedhimwithaphilosophyoflife.ButwhiletheEnglishword“character”suggestsstrength,courage”,“guts”（有种）andlookingmerelyglum（郁闷）inmomentsofangerordisappointment,theChinesewordfor“character”bringstousthevisionofmaturemanofmellowtemperamentanequanimity（镇静）ofmindunderallcircumstances,withacompleteunderstandingnotonlyofhimselfbutofhisfellowmen.Amellowunderstandingoflifeandofhumannatureis,andalwayshasbeen,theChineseidealofcharacter,andfromthatunderstandingotherqualitiesarederived,suchaspacifism,contentment,calmandstrengthofendurancewhichdistinguishtheChinesecharacter.

IfwereviewtheChineseraceandtrytopicturetheirnationalcharacteristics,weshallprobablyfindthefollowingtraitsofcharacter:

（1）sanity（稳健）

（2）simplicity（单纯）

（3）loveofpeace（酷爱自然）

（4）patience（忍耐）

（5）indifference（消极避世）

（6）oldroguery（超脱老猾）

（7）fecundity（多生多育）

（8）industry（勤劳）

（9）frugality（节俭）

（10）loveoffamilylife（热爱家庭生活）

（11）pacifism（和平主义）

（12）contentment（知足常乐）

（13）humor（幽默滑稽）

（14）conservatism（因循守旧）

（15）sensuality（耽于声色）

Theyare,onthewhole,simplegreatqualitiesthatwouldadornanynation.Someofthesecharactersarevicesratherthanvirtues,andothersareneutralqualities;theyaretheweaknessaswellasthestrengthoftheChinesenation.Toomuchmentalsanityoftenclips（cut）imaginationofitswingsanddeprivestheraceofitsmomentsofblissfulmadness;pacifismcanbecomeaviceofcowardice;patience,again,maybringaboutmorbidtoleranceofevil;conservatismmayattimesbeameresynonymforslothandlaziness,andfecunditymaybearacialvirtuebutanindividualvice（多生多育对于民族可能是美德，但对个人来讲却又可能是恶习）。

Butallthesequalitiesmaybesummedinthewordmellowness.Theyarepassivequalities,suggestiveofcalmandpassivestrengthratherthanofyouthfulvigorandromance.Theysuggestthequalitiesofacivilizationbuiltforstrengthandenduranceratherthanforprogressandconquest.

10.2.2．Patience（遇事忍耐）

WehavemanyChinesesayingsaboutthegoodnessofpatience,suchas,“Amanwhocannottoleratesmallillscanneveraccomplishgreatthings”（小不忍则乱大谋）,“Ifonecanputupwiththeoneday’sanger,hecanbefreeoftroublesforonehundreddays”（忍得一日之气，免除百日之忧）,“Peaceablenessbringsgoodluck”（和气生财）.

“Letustakethreeworstandmoststrikingcharacteristics,patience,indifferenceandoldroguery,andseehowtheyarose.IbelievethattheseareeffectsofcultureandenvironmentandhencearenotnecessarilyapartoftheChinesementalmake-up.Theyareheretodaybecauseforthousandsofyearswehavebeenlivingundercertainculturalandsocialinfluences.Thenaturalinferenceisthatwhentheseinfluencesareremoved,thequalitieswillalsocorrespondinglydiminishordisappear.Thequalityofpatienceistheresultofracialadjustmenttoconditionwhereoverpopulationandeconomicpressureleaveverylittleelbowroom（自由活动的空间）forpeopletomoveaboutandis,inparticular,aresultoffamilysystem,whichisaminiatureofChinesesociety.Indifferenceislargelyduetothelackoflegalprotectionandconstitutionalguaranteeforpersonalliberty.Oldrogueryisdue,forlackofabetterword,totheTaoistviewoflife”（林语堂《MyCountryAndMyPeople》p.42-45）.

“Perhapshadourcapacityforsufferancebeensmaller,oursufferingswouldalsobeless.Asitis,thiscapacityforputtingupwithinsultshasbeenennobledbythenameofpatience,anddeliberatelyinculcatedasacardinalvirtuebyConfucianethic”.（或许我们对苦难的承受力小一些，我们的苦难就会少一些。

然而这种对污辱的承受力被赋予了忍耐的美名，又被儒家伦理学谆谆教诲为做人最重要的品德（ibid,p.46）

10.2.3．Indifference（消极避世）

ButifChinesepeopleareuniqueintheirpatience,theyaremorejustlyfamousfortheirindifference.ThereisnomoresignificantcontrastthanthatbetweenthepartinginstructionofTomBrown’smother,intheEnglishclassicTomBrown’sSchool-Days,（英文经典小说《汤姆布朗的学生时代》）to“holdhisheadhighandanswerstraight”,andthetraditionalpartinginstructionoftheChinesemotherthathersonshould“notmeddlewithpublicaffairs”（少管闲事）.

10.2.4.Oldroguery（超脱老滑）

Anoldrogueisamanwhohasseenalotoflife,andwhoismaterialistic,andnonchalant,andskepticalofprogress.Atitsbestoldroguerygivesusmellownessandgoodtemper,whichinoldmenmakemanygirlspreferthemforhusbands.Foriflifeisworthanything,itisthatitteachesalessonofkindliness.TheChinesepeoplehavearrivedatthispointofview,notbyhavingfoundreligioussanction（认可）forit,butfromaprofoundobservationandaknowledgeofthevicissitudesoflife（“一位超脱老猾者是有很多生活阅历的人，他是实利主义者，麻木不仁，对进步持怀疑态度。

超脱老猾的最大优点是能使人老成持重，性格温和。

持这种性格的老年人也往往能使很多女孩子倾倒，从而被选做丈夫。

因为假如生活能给人们什么的话，那就该是和蔼温良。

中国人总结出这条经验，并不是因为他们为之找到了宗教的认可，而是因为深切的观察了生活，体会到了人生的沉浮”）.Typicalofthisextremelyshrewdphilosophyisthefollowingfamousdialogueoftwopoet-monksoftheTangDynasty:

OnceHanshanaskedShihteh:

“Ifoneslandersme,indultsme，sneersatme,despisesme,injuresme,hatesme,anddeceivesme,whatshouldIdo?

”Shihtehreplied:

‘Onlybearwithhim,yieldtohim,lethim,avoidhim,endurehim,respecthim,andignorehim.Afterafewyears,youjustlookathim.”（“一日，寒山谓拾得：

“今有人侮我，冷笑笑我，藐视我，毁我伤我，嫌恶恨我，诡谲欺我，则奈何？

”拾得曰：

“子但忍受之，依他，让他，苦苦耐他，装聋作哑，漠然置他。

冷眼观之，看他如何结局。

”）

Thetypicalideasare:

⑴.“Bylosingthatpawn,onewinsthewholegame.”（丢一卒而胜全局）

⑵.“Ofallthethirty-sixalternatives,runningawayisthebest.”（三十六计走为上）

⑶.“Atrueheroneverincurspresentrisk”（好汉不吃眼前亏）

⑷.“Takingastepbackwardsinyourthought.”（退一步海阔天空）

⑸.“Greatthingscanbereducedintosmallthings,andsmallthingscanbereducedintonothing.”（大事化小，小事化了）

⑹.“Onebidisnotsogoodasonepass”（多一事不如少一事）

Atitsworst,thisoldroguery,whichisthehighestproductofChineseintelligence,worksagainstidealismandaction.Itshattersalldesiresforreform,laughsatthefutilityofhumaneffortandrenderstheChinesepeopleincapableofidealismandaction.Ithasastrangewayofreducingallhumanactivitiestothelevelofthealimentarycanalandothersimplebiologicneeds.Menciuswasagreatroguewhenhedeclaredthechiefdesiresofmankindtobefoodandwomen,oralimentationandreproduction.（“超脱老猾是中国人聪明才智的结晶，它的最大缺点是与理想主义和行动主义相抗衡。

它击碎了人们任何改革的欲望，它嘲笑人类的一切努力，认为它徒劳无益。

它使中国人失了理想，不去行动。

它能神奇地将人们的活动限制到消化道以及其他简单的生活需求水平上。

孟子是一个伟大的超脱老猾者，他宣扬人类的愿望是吃喝与女人，或者说滋养与繁殖。

”）（ibid,p.53）

10.2.5．Pacifism（和平主义）

FortheChineseareahard-boiled（不动感情的）lot.Thereisnononsenseaboutthem;theydonotliveinordertodie,astheChristianspretendtodo,nordotheyseekforaUtopiaonearth,asmanyseers（先知）oftheWestdo.Theyjustwanttoorder（整理，驾驭）thislifeonearth,whichtheyknowtobefullofpainandsorrow,sothattheymayworkpeaceably,endurenobly,andlivehappily.OfthenoblevirtuesoftheWest,ofnobility（豪爽）,ambition（雄心）,zealforreform（改革热情）,publicspirit（参与精神）,senseforadventure（冒险意识）andheroiccourage（英雄胆识）,theChinesearedevoid.TheycannotbeinterestedinclimbingMontBlanc（勃朗峰，法国东部山峰）orinexploringtheNorthPole.Buttheyaretremendouslyinterestedinthiscommonplaceworld,andtheyhaveanindomitablepatience,anindefatigableindustry,asenseofduty,alevel-headedcommonsense,cheerfulness,humor,tolerance,pacifism,andunequalledgeniusforfindinghappinessinhardenvironmentswhichwecallcontentment____qualitiesthatmakethiscommonplacelifeenjoyabletothem.Andchiefofthesearepacifismandtolerance,whicharethemarkofamellowculture,andwhichseemtobelackinginmodernEurope.

10.2.6．Contentment（知足常乐）

TravelersinChina,especiallythosewaywardtravelerswhogothroughtheseldomvisitedpartsoftheChineseinland,areequallyamazedatthelowstandardoflivingoftheChinesetoilingmassesandattheircheerfulnessandcontentmentundersuchconditions.Eveninthefamine-strickenprovinces,likeShanxi（陕西）,thisspiritofcontentmentgenerallyprevailsinallexceptextremecases,andsomeShanxifarmersprobablycanstillevennow.Nowaloto