中国古代概况.docx

1、中国古代概况Section 1 The Geographical Surroundings and the Economic Structure of the Chinese CultureThe Chinese culture can be defined as a cultural system rich in distinct national style which took shape within the terrain of China. The culture includes the spiritual culture and behavioral culture as we

2、ll as their materialized presentations. It is these cultural forms that typify the fundamental features of the Chinese culture. It belongs to the historical category, having undergone 5 000-year development before it turns into todays splendid sight, both extensive and profound. To some extent the C

3、hinese culture indicates the Chinese tradition. Meanwhile it can be relegated to the national category. After a long process of relatively independent development followed by the collision and exchange afterwards between China and foreign countries, the Chinese culture assumed unique characteristics

4、, became an outstanding member in the brilliant global family of national cultures, and grew to be a main representative of Oriental national cultures.For anyone to understand the basic national conditions of ancient China, the Chinese culture is a must, and vice versa. The basic national conditions

5、 in China owed its formation to the development of the Chinese culture in the specific historical background and geographical surroundings. Grasping the basic national conditions promises an indispensable channel to the Chinese culture. The following is an introduction of the Chinese culture from th

6、e perspectives of the geographical surroundings, economic structure, and historical development and traits.第一节 地理环境和经济结构中国文化指产生发展于中国地域内的一种富有鲜明的民族特色的文化体系。我们这里讲的主要是精神文化和行为文化，以及这些精神文化和行为文化的某些物化的文化形式。这些文化形式最典型地反映展示了中国文化的概要面貌和基本特征。中国文化是一个历史的范畴，它经历了50000年的发展才形成了今天的面貌，底蕴厚重，博大精深。中国文化在某种程度上指的就是传统文化。同时它又是一个民族

7、的范畴，在长期的相对独立的发展以及中外文化的冲撞交流中，以我为主，中国文化形成了自己的特色，卓然立于世界民族文化之林，成为东方民族文化的主要代表。了解中国的基本国情，必须要了解中国文化。反之亦然。中国的基本国情，是中国文化的发展在特定的历史背景和地理环境下形成的，而把握中国的基本国情，也是我们了解中国文化的必要门径。下面依次介绍中国文化形成的地理环境、社会人文背景、历史发展和基本特征。The Geographical SurroundingsChina is a unitary multinational country with a vast territory and a large po

8、pulation. The geographical surroundings play a vital role in the formation and development of the Chinese culture. Situated in the continent of East Asia, China is located in relatively enclosed geographical surroundings. In the north stretches the vast desert and prairie; in the west, the vast expa

9、nse of Gobi and desert and Qinghai-Tibet plateau; in the southwest, Yunnan-Guizhou mountainous region and boundless tropical rain forests; in the east and southeast, the ocean. The relatively enclosed geographical surroundings provided exceptional natural advantages for the ancient Chinese culture t

10、o develop independently, for a fairly long period free from the impact of foreign cultures, especially those powerful ones. These facilitated the Chinese culture to evolve into a stable and independent system with distinctive regional features.Since the terrain of China is high in the west and low i

11、n the east, several long rivers running from west to east are distributed evenly to form the valleys of Liaohe River, Yellow River, Yangtze River and Pearl River. The large rivers and their tributaries facilitate the agricultural development and transportation as well as the growth of regional cultu

12、res. Chinese cultural system is an organic unity with multi-elements. Different styles of regional cultures enrich the connotation of the Chinese culture. Meanwhile, conflicts among different regional cultures came into being between various nationalities as well as regional regimes, due to the diff

13、erence in geographical surroundings and the regional cultures arising therefrom. The general trend, however, is cultural fusion and political unity.With the territory in the temperate and subtropical zones, the natural resources such as light, heat, water and soil are fit for the development of agri

14、cultural economy. Especially in the Yellow River Valley and the Yangtze River Valley, farming is the major economic mode. Ancient Chinese civilization is of agricultural nature, which is an early-maturing type of human civilization. Hence, Chinas ancient civilization originated mainly in the Yellow

15、River Valley and the Yangtze River Valley. Agricultural civilization developed early in the Yellow River Valley. People here enjoy seasonal climate of temperate zone. Besides, the thick and fertile layer of loess, and the water resources provided by the river and its tributaries also contribute to i

16、ts development. For quite a long period, the Yellow River Valley has been the major birthplace and base of the ancient civilization. Agricultural civilization plays a decisive role in forming and promoting the Chinese culture, which constitutes its fundamental differences from Western culture.地理环境中国

17、是一个疆域辽阔、人口众多的多民族的统一国家。它立国的地理环境对中国文化的形成发展起到了至关重要的作用。中国位于东亚大陆，处于一个相对隔绝封闭的地理环境中：北部是辽阔的大漠与草原，西部是浩瀚的戈壁沙漠和青藏高原，西南部是云贵山地和莽莽雨林，东部和东南部的平原与丘陵地带则面向大洋。这种相对封闭的地理环境为中国古代文化相对独立的发展提供了自然条件。所以在相当长的一段时间里，中国文化与外来文化的武力冲撞较少。这对中国文化形成一个历史悠久又自成体系，具有鲜明的地域特征且具有一定的稳定性的文化系统，有着重要的作用。中国内部的地理环境西高东低，东西走向的几条大河较为均匀地分布于其间，构成了辽河、黄河、长江、

18、珠江几个流域。流域内纵横其间的支流为农业的发展和交通提供了有利的自然条件，也促成了区域文化的发展。风格多样各异的区域文化融合为一体，丰富了中国文化的内涵。但又产生了区域文化间几次的冲突，这里面既有民族间的，也有地方政权间的，但最终是复归于文化的融合和政治的一统。中国的疆域处于温带和亚热带地区，光、热、水、土和生物等自然资源和自然条件都比较适合农业经济的发展。特别在黄河流域与长江流域，农耕生产是其主要的经济方式。中国的古代文明，其性质是农业文明，这是一种早熟型的人类文明。中国的古代文明主要发生在黄河流域和长江流域，尤其是黄河流域。黄河流域那四季分明的温带气候，肥沃厚实的黄土层，大河及其支流所提供

19、的可资开发利用的水利资源，使黄河流域的农业文明很早就发展起来，在很长的一段历史时期内，成为中华古代文明的主要发祥地和根据地。农业文明给予中国文化的形成和发展以决定性的影响，是构成中国文化不同于西方文化的基本点。The Economic StructureChinese economic structure has undergone a process of change from the ancient pattern composed mainly of agriculture to that of technology in a modern industrial society. Th

20、e agricultural society, which lasted for several thousand years, with the small-scale peasant economy in the leading position, exerted a strong influence on the development of the Chinese culture.In ancient China, the natural economic pattern went like this: farming was the major mode of production

21、and family, the basic unit. In primitive society, three types of regional economy farming, pasturage and fishing gradually came into existence because of the discrepancies in natural geographical surroundings. After the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, some relatively stable economic zones developed:

22、the farming zone in the middle and lower valleys of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, the nomadic zone in the northern and northwestern frontiers and the fishing and hunting zone in the northeast. However, due to the early-maturing prosperity and wide dispersion, the agricultural economy alway

23、s had a leading role in ancient China. The mainstream of the ancient Chinese culture was based on the agricultural civilization. The nationalities engaged in pasturage or fishing and hunting in the north mounted large-scale offences southward many times by taking advantage of their military might, a

24、nd managed to establish their political power successively, but each time they were brought under the control of the agricultural civilization of the Central Plains. Assimilated by and integrated with the Hua Xia and Han nationalities, they reverted to the traditional social pattern with Han nationa

25、lity as its main body and agricultural economy as its foundation.Agriculture was fundamental to the development of ancient China. Farming, the origin of which can at least be traced back to 8 000 years ago, has been instrumental in molding the basic social outlook of ancient China. Agriculture shape

26、d the political system and ideology. In ancient China, rulers of each dynasty happened to coincide in their policy of protecting agriculture, i.e. encouraging farming but limiting commerce. Incentive measures were adopted to develop farming. With the beginning of the Western Zhou Dynasty, emerged th

27、e system of household land. Every year at the Beginning of Spring (first solar term) of each year, a grand ceremony would be held. The Emperor, as well as dukes and princes would plough their own household land, setting a model for the common people to follow, and conveying the message that the gove

28、rnment attached high importance to agriculture. Later, this became a conventional practice. The government also commended those who had scored outstanding achievements in the area of farming. In order to discourage the development of the craft and commercial sector, measures were taken to punish and

29、 restrain those handicraftsmen and businessmen. The punishments were sometimes very stern, such as forbidding businessmen to wear silk clothes, carry swords or use a chariot and even to confiscate their property. All these measures guaranteed the dominant role of agricultural economy in the ancient

30、society.The economy of ancient China, no matter which type it took, suzerain economy, landlord economy or owner-peasant economy, judging from the nature and mode, belonged to the category of a small-scale economy. This kind of economy had the following characteristics.Firstly, the family was the bas

31、ic unit. In ancient China, farming was conducted for thousands of years with each household as a productive unit. Originally each family was fairly large with a complex structure. During the three dynasties of Xia, Shang and Zhou, the extended families consisting of three or four generations were th

32、e basic cells of the social economy. Since then, it became popular to divide the family property and to live apart, which led to a trend of reducing the size and structure of the family. During the Warring States Period and the Qin Dynasty, a nuclear family of five members became the most common pat

33、tern, and this continued to the present.Secondly, the major productive mode was the natural family economy with the man cultivating the land and the woman weaving at home. This type of economy and the simple division of labor were sufficient to meet peoples needs. Therefore, it was a type of self-sufficient natural economy, with limited reli