中英-高级英语1-何兆熊-Unit-1-Chinese-Humanism

中英-高级英语1-何兆熊-Unit-1Chinese-Humanism中英-高级英语1-何兆熊-Unit-1Chinese-HumanismPAGEPAGE6/6Unit1 ChineseHumanismTounderstandtheChineseidealoflifeonemusttrytounderstand Chinese humanism. The term 'humanism' isambiguous.Chinesehumanism,however,hasaverydefinitemeaning.Itimplies,firstajustconceptionoftheendsofhumanlife;secondly,acompletedevotiontotheseends;andthethirdly,the attainment of these ends by the spirit of humanreasonablenessortheDoctrineoftheGoldenMean,WhichmayalsobecalledtheReligionofcommonsense.这个词含义模糊含混，然而中国的人文主义却有它明确的界说。它的意思是：第一，对人生目的的确切认识；第二，为实现这一目的而行动；第三，实现的方式是心平气和，即中庸之道，也可称作“庸见的崇拜”。ThequestionofthemeaningoflifehasperplexedWesternphilosophers,andithasneverbeensolved-naturally,whenonestartsoutfromthetechnologicalpointofview,accordingwhichallthings,includingmosquitoesandtyphoidgerms,arecreatedforthegoodofthiscocksurehumanity.Asthereisusuallytoomuchpainandmiseryinthislifetoallowaperfectanswertosatisfyman'spride,teleologyisthereforecarriedovertothenextlife,andthisearthlylifeisthenlookeduponasapreparationforthelifehereafter,inconformitywiththelogicofSocrates,whichlookeduponaferociouswifeasanaturalprovisionforthetrainingofthehusband'scharacter.Thiswayofdodgingthehomesofthedilemmasometimesgivespeaceofmindforamoment,but thentheeternalquestion,“whatisthemeaningoflife?”comesback.Others,likeNietzsche,takethebullbythehornsandrefusetoassumethatlifemusthaveameaningandbelievethatprogressisinacircle,andhumanachievementsareasavagedance,insteadofatriptothemarket,butstillthequestioncomesbacketernally,liketheseawaveslappingupontheshore:“whatisthemeaningofthelife?”TheChinesehumanistsbelievetheyhavefoundtheendoflifeandare consciousofit.Forthe Chinesetheendoflifeliesnotinlifeafterdeath,fortheideathatweliveinordertodie,astaughtbyChristianity,isincomprehensible;norNirvana,forthatistoovainglorious;noryetinprogressforsake,forthatismeaningless.Thetrueend,theChinesehavedecidedinasingularlyclearmanner,liesinenjoymentofasimplelifeespeciallythefamilylife,andinharmonioussocialrelationships.Thefirstpoemthatachildrenlearnsinschoolruns:Whilesoftcloudsbywarmbreezesarewaftedinthemoon,Luredbyflowers,pasttheriverIroamonandon.They’llsay“lookattheoldmaninthespree!”Andknownotthatmyonhappinessborne.中国的人文主义者认为自己找到了人生的真谛，并时时意识到这一点。在中国的欢乐而奋斗，纯属虚荣；为了进步而去进步，则是毫无意义。过前川。时人不识余心乐，将谓偷闲学少年。ThatrepresentstoChinese,notjustapleasantpoeticmoodbutthesummerbonumoflife.TheChineseidealoflifeisdrunkthroughwiththissentiment.Itisanidealoflifethatisneitherparticularly ambitious nor metaphysical, but neverthelessimmenselyreal.Itis,Imustsay,abrilliantlysimpleidea,sobrilliantlysimplethatonlythemater-of-factChinesemindcouldhaveconceivedit,andyetoneoftenwondershowthecouldhavefailedtoseethatthemeaningofliesinthesaneandhealthyenjoymentofit.ThedifferencebetweenChinaandWestseemstobethatthewesternershaveagreatercapacityforgettingandmakingmorethingsandalesserabilitytoenjoythem,whilethe Chinese haveagreaterdetermination andcapacitytoenjoythefewthingstheyhave.Thistrait,ourconcentrationonearthyhappiness,ismuchasaresultasacauseoftheabsenceofreligion.Forifonecannotbelieveinthelifehereafterastheconsummationofthepresentlife,oneisforcedtomakethemostofthislifebeforethefarceisover.absenceofreligionmakesthisconcentrationpossible.在中国人看来，这不仅代表片刻的诗意般的快乐心境，并且是追求人生幸福的的幸福，这一特性是我们缺乏宗教的原因，也是它的结果。切消逝之前尽情享受，而宗教的缺乏又使这种想法变成可能。Fromthisahumanismisdevelopedwhichfranklyproclaimsaman-centereduniverse,andlaysdowntherulethattheend ofallknowledgeistoservehumanhappiness.Thehumanizingofknowledgeisnotaneasything,forthemomentmanswerves,heiscarriedawaybyhislogicandbecomesatoolofhisownknowledge.Onlybyasharpandsteadfastholdingtothe true end of human life as one sees it canhumanismmaintainitself.Humanismoccupies,instance, a mean position between other-worldlinessofreligionandthematerialismthemodernworld.BuddhismmayhavecapturedpopularfancyinChina,butagainstitsinfluencethetrueConfucianistwasalwaysinwardlyresentful,foritwas,intheeyesofhumanism,onlyanescapefromlife,oranegationoftrulyhumanlife.由此生发出一个人文主义，它坦白地宣告了人类是宇宙的主义，并规定一切知识都是为人类的幸福服务。知识同人类的结合并非易事，因为人类一旦动摇起来，就会被自己的逻辑所左右，成为知识的工具。人文主义只有坚定地把握住人生的真谛才能保佑自己。比方说，人文主义只是在宗教信仰的来生来世与现代世界的实利主义之间，占据一个中间位置。佛教也许在中国引起了人们的普遍兴趣，然而与之相对的真正的儒家，对它的影响总感到忿然不平，因为在人文主义看来它只是一种对生活的逃避和对真正人生的否定。On the other hand, the modern world, with over-developmentofmachinery,hasnottakentimetoensure that man enjoys what he makes. glorificationoftheplumberinAmericahasmademanforgetthatonecanliveaveryhappylifewithouthotand cold running water, and that in France Germanymanymenhavelivedtocomfortableoldageandmadeimportantscientificdiscoveriesandwrittenmasterpieceswiththeirwaterjugandbasin. There needs to be a religion whichwilltranscribeJesus’famousdictumabouttheSab