英语畅谈中国文化50主题.docx

英语畅谈中国文化50主题.docx

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英语畅谈中国文化50主题

英语畅谈中国文化50主题

1.TheArtofCalligraphy奇妙的书法

A:

SomecriticssuggestthatdifferentgenresofChinesecalligraphyhavedifferentpoliticalimplications.TakeWangXizhiforexample.Hiscalligraphywasrepudiatedasunorthodoxduringhislifetimebut,onlyafewdecadesafterhisdeath,wasestablishedasanorthodoxgenre.

B:

That’sforsure!

Historically,Chinesecalligraphyandpoliticswerecloselyintertwined.Over2,000yearsago,EmperorQinShihuang,thefirstEmperorinChinesehistory,establishedtheofficialChinesewritingcharacters.Thenew,simplifiedcharactersmadewritingcalligraphylesscomplicated.Itallowedpeopletousecharacterswithmorestraightstrokes,thusmakingiteasiertowritewithbrushes.ThiscreatedtheLigenre.Overtime,othervariationswerealsodeveloped,whicheventualllyleadtotheformationofthefivegenresinChinesecalligraphy.TheseweretheZhuan,Li,Kai,XingandCaogenres.

A:

I’veheardthatmostemperorsweregoodatcalligraphy.TheTangDynastyEmperorLiShiminwasanavidcollectorofWangXizhi’swritings.

B:

That’sright.QingDynastyEmperorQianLongplayedakeyroleincompilinganauthoritativecollectionofcalligraphy.Tosomeextent,preferencesoftheEmperorshadaninfluenceontheriseandfallofcertaincalligraphygenres.

A:

OrdinaryChinesepeoplealsoseemedtolikecalligraohyalot.

B:

PartofthereasonwasthesponsorshipbytheEmperors.AnotherreasonwastheImperialCivilServiceexaminationsthatstartedinthe7thcentury.Thoseexaminationswerefocusedonwritingandprovidedawayforordinarypeopletoachieveabetterlife.Asaresult,calligraphybecamewidelyaccepted.Calligraphyalsohaditspracticalvaluesbecauseitwasagoodwaytomakefriendsandwasmorepresentableasagiftratherthanjewelryormoney.

A:

Doescalligraphystillhavethesepracticalfunctionsnow?

B:

Yes.Manypeoplepracticecalligraphyasawaytoraisetheirculturalaccomplishment.Olderpeopleusecalligraphicwritingasamethodtokeepfit.Theybelievethatwhenapersonconcentratesonwritingcalligraphy,hisinnerwellbeingisstimulated.

A:

IhadthoughtcomputerswouldleadtothedisappearanceofChinesecalligraphy.NowIunderstandthat’snotlikelytohappen.Howcanyougiveyourbosscomputer-printedcalligraphyasagift?

B:

Youdon’t,unlessyouwanthimtofireyou.

2.TheSignificanceofChinesePaintings中国画的含意

A:

It`sinterestingthatChinesepaintingscanbecreatedonthespot,eventhoughmostofthemhavesimilarsubjects.Peony,plumblossoms,mountains,creeksorcottagesareverypopular.Thereareoftenpaintersatsignificantcelebratoryandcommemorativeevents.

B:

Theireducationalfunctionis,infact,auniquefeatureofChinesepainting.Humanprofileswereusedasamethodtoeitherglorifyheroesorcondemntraitors2,000yearsago.TangDynastyofficialseventriedtobringpaintingintoConfuctionideology.TheCourtoftheSongDynastypublishedanofficialguidetopaintings.Thisraisedcriterianotonlyforhumanprofilesbutalsoforlandscapeandobjectpaintings.

A:

Oh,whatwasthat?

B:

Itclassifiedpaintingsintotencategoriescoveringreligiousbeliefs,Confucianismandstatepower.Thisclassficationgaveanofficialdefinitionofthevalueandsignificanceofthepaintings.Thepurposeoflandscapepaintingswastoportraythefivemountains,whilefruitandbirdswereusedtoexemplifyoreulogizetheGods.Inthiscase,thesubjectswereusedasreferencestopeopleinordertodelivermoralmessages.Forexample,peonyandpeacocksrepresentedwealthandfortune;pinetrees,bamboo,plumblossomsandorchidsrepresentedeleganceandaccomplishment;andpinetreesandcypressessymbolizedloyalty.

A:

AsfarasIknow,painterswhodidnothavetomakealivingbypaintinguseddiffferentskillstothosespecifiedintheguide,eventhoughtheypaintedthesamesubjects.

B:

Artistsareusuallyagainstpragmatism.Theyliketogivemeaningtothesubjectstheypaint.Bamboosymbolizesintegrityandpinetreessymbolizenevergivingup.Artistsalsolikelandscapes.Itdoesn`ttakealotoftrainingtopaintlandscapes.Italldependsonthepainter`spersonalityandability,aswellashisuniquetouch.Mostoftoday`snon-professionalpaintersfollowthelandscapestyle.Theobjectiveofthesepaintersispurelyentertainmentandself-satisfaction.Themoresuccessfulartistshavetheopportunitytoexhibitatpublicfunctions.Thatisprobablytheclimaxoftheirpaintingcareers.

A:

Whatareprofessionalpaintersdoing?

B:

Someofthemmakeagreatefforttoimprovetheirpaintingskills.Theywanttodevelopnewandinnovativepaintingmethodsbyborrowingfromothergenres.Othersarebusymakingmoney.Theyhavefoundwaystoprodurecommerciallyattractivepaintings.Somepeoplesaytheyarenolongerartists.Insteadtheyhavebecomemanufacturersofpaintings.

3.RediscoverConfucius重新发现孔子

DidyouseethestatueofConfuciuslaunchedbytheChinaConfuciusFund?

A:

你看到中国孔子基金会发布的孔子标准像了吗？

B:

Yes,Idid.Itdoesn`tquitematchtheConfuciusimageinmymindthough.Iheardtherearemanydifferentopinionsaboutthisso-calledofficialstatue.But,tobefait,it`sanimpossiblejobtocreateanofficialstatueofsomeonewholivedmorethan2,500yearsago.Nooneknowswhathelookedlike,justlikenooneintheWestknowswhatPlatolookedlike.Nevertheless,Confuciuswasagreatphilosopher,aneducator,aplitician,aswellasthefounderofConfucianism,whichstillhasatremendousinfluenceoverpeopletoday.

B:

看到了，但它不完全是我心目中的孔子形象。

据说有很多人对这个标准像持不同意见。

这也难怪，也已毕竟生活在２５００多年前，没有谁能够想像他真实的长相，就像你们西方人不知道柏拉图的面孔一样。

但是，孔子对今天中国人的生活和思想依然有着重大的影响。

他是中国古代的思想家、教育家、政治家，也是儒学的创始人。

A:

Confucianismseemstobebackinfashinagain.AsfarasIknow,aboutfivetosixmillionChinesestudentsarecurrentlystudyingTheanalectsofConfucius.SomecompaniesareusingConfucianismasamanagementtool.ThegovemmentisalsopromotingtheConfucianvaluesofethics,fairness,andhonesty.Theyseeitasawaytoaddressthesocialproblemsthathaveemergedasaresultoftheacceleratedeconomicgrowth.

A:

儒家思想似乎又风行起来了。

就我所知，中国有五六百万的孩子在学习《论语》；不少企业家把儒家思想引进到企业管理中；中国政府也试图通过倡导道德、公正和廉洁的儒家思想，来解决经济调整发展带来的社会问题。

B:

ConfucianismisthebackboneofChineseculture.Confuciusdevelopedhisphilosophyaroundtheconceptofbenevolence.TheAnalectsofConfuciusisarecordofhispoliticalviews.Confucianismrepresentsasetofmoralprinciplesbecauseitstressesfairnessandharmonyingumanrelationships,aswellastheindividual`ssocialresponsibilityfortheircountry.ForConfucius,politicalhonestyisbasedonindividualethicalintegrity.

B:

儒家思想是中国传统文化的主干。

孔子的哲学体系以“仁”为核心，《论语》记载着他的政治学说。

儒学是一套伦理道德，强调的是为人处事的正派、人际关系的和谐以及个人对国家的责任感。

在孔子看来，政治的说法是以人品的正直为基础的。

A:

SomeAmericanscholarsdidacomparativestudyofconfuciuswithGreekandRomanphilosophers.TheirconclusionwasthatthereismorepracticalvalueinConfucianism.Whyitthat?

A:

有的美国学者将孔子与古希腊哲人相比较，认为他的思想更具有实用价值。

为什么？

B:

WellithasextensiveapplicationinChinesesociety.Confuciuswasalsoanaccomplishededucator.Hetreatedhisstudentsashisequalbyteachingthemdemocraticandopen-mindedideas.InthewordsoftheAmericanscholars,Confuciuswantedtotrainhisstudentstobecomemoreunrestrainedandadaprabletoexternalinfluences.

B:

因为它被广泛运用于中国社会。

孔子还是个了不起的教育家，他平等对待学生，教给他们民主、开放的观念。

用美国学者的话说就是：

培养能够自然从容并适应环境的君子。

A:

ThereisalsoanincreasingawarenessofConfucianisminotherpartsoftheworld.Thismaybearesultofvariouspolitical,cultural,andenvironmentalchallengesduetoChina`sgrowingeconomicimportance.Asaresult,theriseofindividualisminthecommunityhasbecomeaseriousthreattosocialharmonyandprogress.Adifferentsetofvaluesareneededasacounterbalance.Confucianismemphasizes"courtesy"and"respect"whendealingwithpeopleornaturesoitshouldbeverybeneficialforbuildingharmonyinanysociety.

A:

据我所知，儒家学说也在世界其他地方逐渐引起了重视。

这也许与中国经济的高速发展所带来的各种政治、文化，以及环境等问题的巨大挑战有关。

个人主义在商品社会中的极端发展，对社会的和谐与进步构成威胁，必须寻求另一种价值观来取得平衡。

而孔子的学说恰好提倡以“礼”来处理人际关系及与自然的关系，对于和谐社会的构建大有益处。

B:

Youareright.AscholaroncesaidthatanswersconcerningoursurvivalcanbefoundinthewisdomofConfucius,eventhoughhelivedmorethan25centuriesago.

B:

有道理。

正如一位学者所说：

２１世纪的生存问题，必须回到２５个世纪之前孔子的智慧中去寻求解决的答案。

04-DifferencesBetweenChineseandWesternMedicines中西医的差异

A:

Formanyyears,therehavebeenrepeateddiscussionstogiveupChinesemedicine.Itsrecentlybecomeahottopiconceagain.AndbecausebelievetheChinesemedicineisnotscientificallybasedincomparisontoWesternmedicine.

B:

AlthoughitisdebatablewhyChinesemedicineisscientificallysound.Youcannotdenyithasarichphilosophicsignificance.ThisisverydifferentfromWesternmedicine.Usually,aChinesemedicinepractitionerapproachesonthehomeandabroadperspective,emphasisitsentiretyanddialecticalimplications.Thisiswhysomepeopleviewitasaholisticmedicine.Incontrast,aWesterndoctordealstorecipewithsymptoms.Forinstance,ifsomeonehasasorethroat,aWesterndoctorwilltreateditasathroatproblemwhileaChinesedoctormaylinkittothedisorderofthepatient’sstomach.

A:

What'sthedifferencebetweenChineseandWesternmedicines?

B:

AChinesedoctorexaminesitspatientsbyusingmethodslikeobserving,smelling,askingandfeeling.HisWesterncounterpartsreliesonsymptomsorevidence,likebodytemperatureandlabtests.AChinesedoctordeterminestheproblemofpatientsinteriororgansbyinfluencethroughobservingveryexteriorsignssuchascomplexionorthetongue.AWesterndoctor,ontheotherhand,makeshisjudgementbasedontheresultsoflabtestsontheinternalorgans.Hethenreinforcesitsjudgementbyexaminingexteriorsymptoms.AW