中国文化英语教程Unit15

1. 中国杂技以其丰富的节目、悠久的历史、独特绚丽的艺术特色，屹立于世界杂技艺术瑰宝之林。

Chinese acrobatics ranks among the best in the world thanks to its rich repertory, long history, as well as its distinctive and colorful artistic characteristics.2. 苏州因城内水道遍布而享有“东方威尼斯”之美誉。

With numerous waterways covering the town, Suzhou is crowned as the “Oriental Venice”.3. 上海博物馆陈列有600余件上自新石器时代，下至清末的历代陶瓷器精品。

Shanghai Museum displays over 600 pieces of finest ceramics from the New Stone Age to the end of the Qing Dynasty.4. 京剧是一种集歌剧表演、歌唱、音乐、舞蹈和武术于一体的表演艺术。

Beijing Opera is a performing art that integrates opera, singing, music, dancing and martial arts.5. 中国是一个历史悠久、文化灿烂的多民族国家。

China is a multi-ethnic nation with a long history and a splendid culture.6. 端午节吃粽子、赛龙舟是我们的传统习俗。

It has been a traditional custom of Chinese people to eat zongzi, rice wrapped in reed leaves and hold dragon boat races during the Dragon Boat Festival.7. 今天，中医以其独特的疗效和科学本质赢得了全世界的广泛赞誉。

Part I Wisdom and BeliefsUnit 1 Confucian thought on heaven and humanityConfucius (551-479 BC), known in China as Kongzi, given name Qiu and alias Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi (present-day Qufu in Shandong Province) of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). A great thinker, educator and founder of Confucianism, Confucius is an ancient sage to the Chinese people. His words and life story were recorded by his disciples and their students in The Analects (Lunyu).Confucius on Heaven: the source of EverythingIn the Shang (1600-1046 BC) and Zhou (1046-256 BC) dynasties, the prevalent concept of “Heaven”was that of a personified god, which influenced Confucius. Generally, however, Confucius regarded “Heaven”as nature. He said, “Heaven does not speak in words. It speaks through the rotation of the four seasons and the growth of all living things.”Obviously, heaven equaled nature, in the eyes of Confucius. Moreover, nature was not a lifeless mechanism separate from humans; instead, it was the great world of life and the process of creation of life. Human life was part and parcel of nature as a whole.Confucius on People: ren and liRen and Li are the two core concepts of Confucius's doctrine about people.When his students Fan Chi asked him about ren, Confucius replied, “love people”. This is Confucius' most important interpretation of ren. Love for the people is universal love. Confucius further emphasized that this kind of love should “begin with the love for one's parents”. He believed no one could love people in general if they did not even love their own parents. Confucius regarded “filial piety and fraternal duty”as the essence of ren. The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong) quotes Confucius as saying, “The greatest love for people is the love for one's parents.”He also said, “Children should not travel far while their parents are alive. If they have no choice but to do so, they must retain some restraint.”He did not mean that children should not leave their parents at all. What he meant was that children should not make the parents anxious about them while away from home. Confucius said again, “Children should think often of the age of their parents. They should feel happy for the health and longevity of their parents. They should also feel concern for the aging of their parents.”By ren, Confucius meant universal love based on love for one's parents. How should peoplelove one another then Confucius said, “One should be aware that other people may have similar desires as oneself. While fulfilling one's desires, allow others to fulfill their desires as well.”He further said, “Do not do toward others anything you would not want to be done to you.”Thus from oneself to one's family, from family to society, one should extend love to all people. Mencius (c. 372-289 BC), a great Confucian scholar, best summarized ren as, “loving one's parents, loving the people, loving everything in the world.”Li refers to rituals, traditions and norms in social life. Of these, Confucius regarded burial ritualsand ancestral worship rituals as the most important, because they rose from human feelings. He said, “A child should not leave his parents' bosom until he is three years old.”He naturally love his parents. The ritual of wearing mourning for a deceased parent for three years was an expression of thechild's love and remembrance.Confucius on the State of lifeBefore Confucius, only the nobility had the right to education. He was the first figure in Chinese history to initiate private education. According to historical records, Confucius taught for many years and trained 3,000 disciples. A total of 72 of them excelled in the “six arts”, ., ritual, music, archery, (carriage)driving, calligraphy, and mathematics. A great educator, Confucius has been admired by later generations as the “sage of sages”.Confucius believed the basic goal of education was to cultivate “persons of virtue”, whoshould have sound character and uplifted minds. Such people should be able to shoulder important social responsibilities and to make contributions to society. Confucius regarded lofty ideals, great virtue, love of people, and the “six arts”as the general principles of education. Of these, virtue was the most important. His students were involved in a variety of professions, including politics, trade, education, diplomacy, ritual ceremony, and classifying ancient books. Whatever they did, they all wanted to improve their learning of the humanities and to enhance their virtue.Unit 2 Laozi's philosophy of Non-actionThe book Laozi was written around the sixth century BC. The author is generally believed to beLao Dan, or Laozi –a recluse who lived during the Spring and Autumn Period. Few records have survived about Lao Dan, who was said to have once held a low civil position in the royal court, in chare of the archival records of the Zhou Dynasty. Yet, due to his great learning, even Confucius was said to have traveled miles to consult him.Laozi, also known as Classic of the Way and Virtue (Dao De Jing), consists of just over 5,000 Chinese characters. Its 81 chapters are divided into two parts, Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue). Short as it is, the book has played a tremendous role in the development of Chinese culture. It became the basis of Daoism, the school of philosophy parallel to Confucianism in ancient China. The thought of Laozi formed the foundation of Daoism, the most influential indigenous school of religion in China. It has also exerted a direct impact on the characteristics, trends of thought and aesthetic sensibilitiesof the Chinese nation. Today Laozi still plays a role in the development of Chinese thinking. Naturalness and Non-action“Naturalness”is an important concept of Laozi's philosophy. It refers to a natural state of being, an attitude of following the way of nature. Laozi emphasized that everything in the world has its own way of being and development: birds fly in the sky, fish swim in the water, clouds float in the sky, flowers bloom and flowers fall. All these phenomena occur independently and naturally without following any human will, and humans should not try to change anything natural. Laozi admonished people to give up on any desire to control the world. Following the way of nature is the way to resolving conflicts between humans and the world.“Non-action”is another important concept of Laozi's philosophy. It is the guarantee of “Naturalness”. Laozi said, “(Dao or the Way) acts through non-action,”by which he did no mean that one should do nothing and passively wait for something to be achieved. Neither did he deny human creativity. What he meant is that human enterprises should be built on the basis of naturalness, not on many attempts to interrupt the rhythm of nature. Human creativity should be in compliance with the ways of nature.The philosophy of Non-contentionOn the basis of “naturalness”and “non-action”, Laozi proposed the view of“overcoming the strong by being weak”. The era Laozi lived in was replete with endless wars. Therefore, war was an important treme for philosophers, and ant-war thinking was the norm. Even the great strategist Sunzi advocated “winning a war without fighting it”, not to mention the great thinker Confucius, who strongly championed a government based on love. Their contemporary Mozi (c. 468-376 BC), founder of Mohism, also condemned wars while calling for “love for all”.According to Laozi, war springs from humanity's bloated desires. Conflict arises out ofpeople's struggles to satisfy their desires, and conflict escalates into war. Therefore, Laozi's philosophy is based on “non-contention”. To him, human striving and competitive strife is the root cause of decline; desiring nothing is the natural way of life.Laozi said, “The greatest virtue is like water.”He compared his philosophy of“non-contention”to water, to distinguish it from the law of the jungle. He said, “Water nourishes everything but contends for nothing.”To Laozi, humans tend to seek higher positions while water always flows to lower places. Driven by desire, humans like whatever they think is superior while despising whatever they think is inferior. Yet water always flows downward. As the source of life, water nourishes all living things on Earth. No life can exist without water. Water contributes to the world without regard for gain or loss. Remaining low, level and tranquil, water embraces and reflects everything under heaven. The way of water is completely different from the way of people with avid desires.But the philosophy of Laozi is by no means weak. On the contrary, it is full of strength.According to Laozi, water accumulates great strength in its weakness and quietude. Its strength can break down all barriers in the world. He said, “Nothing in the world is weaker than water. Yet nothing is stronger than water when it comes to breaking something strong.”Water is a typical example of the weak winning over the strong. Water is invincible because it desires nothing and contends for nothing.Unit 3 Chinese Buddhist CultureWho am I Where am I from Where am I goingMen are mortal. But death is not an once-and-for-all thing. They enter the rotating Wheel of Six Realms:Heaven, Human, Asura, Animal, Hungry Ghost, Hell.Documents stored in computer can be canceled at will, but what we have done in our life, and actually in our innumerable lives, cannot. What has been done has been done. The information is stored in your true “self”, not the physical one, and will accompany you life after life, and determines which Realm you enter.Only when we are completely free from lust, hatred, and folly, can we manage to break away from the capture of the rotating Wheel, and achieve perpetual enlightenment, discovering your true “self”.In Buddhism there isn't any dominating god who controls your destiny. We are the maker of our own fate. What we are at present is a result of what we have done in the past; and what we will be in the future is decided by what we are doing at present. What we have done form the “karma”, which, like a gene, decides on your future story. But this “gene”can of course be modified, by doing good deeds and obtaining healthy biological and spiritual energy, so as to change our future course of career. We are, therefore, our own master. What are the basic requirements for a BuddhistFive Prohibitions for the laymen:1) Don't kill;2) Don't steal;3) Don't seek aberrant sensual pleasures;4) Don't talk irresponsibly;5) Don't drink alcohol.Part II Creativity and ExchangeUnit 4 The Silk RoadThe silk road refers to a transport route connecting ancient China with Central Asia, West Asia, Africa, and the European continent. It appeared as early as the second century BC and was traveled mainly by silk merchants. The term “Silk Road”, or “die Seidenstrasse”in German, was first noted down by the German geographer Ferdinand Von Richthofen at the end of the 19th century.The silk road began in Chang'an (present-day Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province), passingthrough Gansu and Xinjiang to Central Asia, West Asia, and to lands by the Mediterranean. Therewere no signs of communication between ancient Chinese civilization and Mediterranean civilizationin earlier history. In about the seventh century BC, the ancient Greeks began to learn about an ancient civilization to the east, yet knew little about it. Before the Silk Road, according to archeological findings, there had already existed an intermittent trade route on the grasslands from the Yellow River and the Indus River drainage areas to the Euphrates and the Tigris, and the Nile drainage areas. Yetreal communication between China, Central and West Asian countries, Africa and the European continent did not develop until the opening of the Silk Road.Zhang Qian, Trail BlazerThe pioneer who blazed the trail of the Silk Road was Zhang Qian (c. 164-114 BC). In ZhangQian's time, the Chinese has little knowledge about Central and West Asian countries, Africa or Europe, although they were aware of the existence of many different countries and cultures in faraway places to the west.During the reign of Emperor Wu (r. 140-135 BC), there were 36 small kingdoms in the Western Regions (present-day Xinjiang and parts of Central Asia). All of them were later conquered by the Huns, who then posed a direct threat to the Western Han and blocked the dynasty's path west.Under these circumstances, Emperor Wu appointed Zhang Qian to lead a team of more than 100 envoys to the Western Regions.The mission was to unite the Indo-Scythic people against the Huns, who once killed theirchieftain. Zhang Qian's team set out in 138 BC. No sooner had they entered the Hexi Corridor (northwest of present-day Gansu Province), than they were captured by the Huns. After being held under house arrest for over ten years, Zhang Qian and only one other remaining envoy managed to escape and return to Chang'an in 126 BC. Their accounts about the Western Regions were arevelation to Hun emperor and his ministers.In the next two decades, Emperor Wu launched three major campaigns against the Huns,forcing them to retreat from the Western Regions. In 119 BC, the emperor sent Zhang Qian on a second mission to the Western Regions. This time Zhang Qian went further west, while his deputies reached more than a dozen countries in South and West Asia, and the Mediterranean.Zhang Qian's two missions to the Western Regions opened up the road to the west. EmperorWu adopted a series of measures to strengthen ties with the Western Regions, including encouragingHan People to trade there.Soon the route was bustling with caravans of camels carrying goods of all types andreverberating with the tinkling of their bells. Through the Silk Road, trade flourished between China and Central, South and West Asian countries, Africa and Europe. In 166, envoys from Rome arrived via the Silk Road in Chang'an, were they set up an embassy.Part III Art and AestheticsUnit 5 Music: Govern the Country, Nourish the MindThe tradition of Chinese music dates back to remote antiquity. Governing the country and nourishing the mind through music are two of the main functions of this tradition.Governance Through MusicAccording to ancient Chinese culture, rituals provided the norms of conduct of people. The goalwas to maintain social order.Music was for the mind's cultivation and expression. Its purpose was to enhance people'soutlook on life and imbue them with energy and creativity, such that they could enjoy a more harmonious and happier spiritual life. Individual contentment would then lead to social harmony, as well as to a more harmonious relationship between people and nature. The highest level of ancient Chinese music was to represent spiritual with nature.The prominent stature of music in ancient China explains the emergence of sophisticated instruments from early times. Chime bells were one example. First used in the Shang Dynasty, they became quite popular during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC). In 1978, a fine set of chime bells was unearthed in Hubei Province, from the tomb of Marquis Yi, a local lord in a small state called Zeng during the Warring States Period.The Marquis Yi chime bells consist of 65 bells arranged in three rows. The first row includes 19niu bells, and the second and third rows include 45 yong bells. The bells in each row differ from one another in shape and size, emanating(发出) different tones. In addition, there is a separate and much larger bell used to adjust pitch. Like the bells, the from is made of bronze, weighing as much as five tons or more. The total weight of the bells is more than 440 kilograms. While the bells bear inscriptions totaling more than 2,800 Chinese characters relating to music and the making of the instrument, the frame is carved with exquisite patterns in relief (浮雕) and fretwork(回纹细工). Instruments of such a scale and such fine craftsmanship were quite rate in the world at the time. Five musicians were needed to play the instrument. Each bell produces two tones when struck at the respective sound points as marked. The entire set of chime bells is able to produce all the tones of a modern piano.Consoling the Mind with MusicWild Geese Landing on the The Chinese zither tends to create a tranquil air. The composition Shallow Shore is such an example. With a relaxed rhythm, the first part of the piece depicts a calm Yangtze River under a clear autumn sky. The second part progresses into livelier rhythms to imitatethe chirping of many birds. The third part presents a thematic scene of wild geese leisurely landing on the shallow shores of the Yangtze, as a gentle breeze makes the water ripple. To Chinese musicians and music lovers, the contentment of the wild geese represents the human heart.The zither was also instrumental in communication between ancient scholars and artist. The Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms, was based on an Eastern Jin Dynasty famous zither composition,One ) (-383).桓伊王子猷story of the poet Wang Ziyou () (c. 338-386) and the flute player Huan Yi (day the poet was taking a boat trip when he overheard someone on the riverbank say Huan Yi waspassing by. Although the two had never met before, they admired each other as poet and flute player. Despite his lower rank of office, Ziyou sent a family member to request Huan Yi to play the flute. Three Stanzas of Plum played and Yi dismounted from his carriage Without hesitation, Huan Blossoms, while Ziyou listened from his boat. After finishing, Huan Yi mounted his carriage and drove on. Ziyou, too, continued with his boat journey. The two of them exchanged not a single word, s three 'yet both were content with the communication of their hearts through the music.The flutestanzas were later converted into a composition for the Chinese zither, which has become one of thethe of its eulogy expression of otherworldly feelings through best-known musical works –as ans purity, fragrance and resistance to the cold.'plum flower Unit 6 Flying strokes of CalligraphyThe evolution of Chinese characters font甲骨文the Oracle bone script→金文Jinwen (Inscriptions on bronze )→篆书Seal script→隶书Official script→楷书Regular script→草书Cursive script→行书running scriptWang Xizhi and Preface to the Lanting Pavilion CollectionIn the Hall for Cultivation of Mind of the Palace Museum, there is a Three-treasurer Study,which derives its name for the three most valuable calligraphic works housed here. These three treasures, most valued and adored by Emperor Qianling (r. 1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty, were A Sunny Scene after a Quick Snow by Wang Xizhi, Mid-Autumn by Wang Xianzhi and Boyuan byWang Xun (349-400). As father and son, Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi hae been known as the“Two Wangs”, their works universally recognized as the peak of Chinese calligraphy.Unit 7 Porcelain –Calling Card of Chinese CultureIn English, the country and “porcelain”share the same name –“China”. This proves that Europeans have long known of China's relationship to porcelain. Porcelain found its way to Europein the 15th century, occupying an important position in the exchanges between China and other countries. The Keisel Randy Museum in Germany houses a blue-and-white bowl dating back to the Ming Dynasty. Throughout history, China, along with other Asian countries, and Europe maintaineda busy and vast trade in porcelain. From 1602 to 1682, the Dutch East India Company transported more than 16 million articles of porcelain to Europe. Porcelain garnered a good reputation for Chinafor its sophistication and elegance, and played an important role in the wave of the European idealization of China during the 17th and 18th centuries. In the rococo style popular in Europe of that time, one could sense, from time to time, the influence of “Chinese vogue”represented by China's styles of porcelain and gardens.Porcelain is of great significance in the history of Chinese civilization. Pottery was thepredecessor of porcelain, while glazed pottery was the basis for the emergence of porcelain. Aroundthe first century, porcelain production first emerged in China, and by The Song Dynasty it had become mature. Song-Dynasty porcelain represented the acme of Chinese porcelain technique. Fivefamous kilns, the Jun, Ding, Guan, Ge, and Ru, were all creative and original in their respective products, and their porcelain ware has been imitated by later generations throughout the ages. In the Yuan Dynasty, Jingdezhen became the center of the Chinese Porcelain industry.Pure Blue-and-White PorcelainPure and elegant beauty is the goal that porcelain pursues, and this ideal is best explained in the production of blue-and-white porcelain.Blue-and-white porcelain is a typical artifact of porcelain in China. Among the porcelainexported during the Ming and Qing dynasties, 80 percent was blue-and-white. Chinese-madeblue-and-white porcelain ware emerged long before the founding of the Tang Dynasty, but it was not until the Yuan Dynasty that this type of porcelain came to be produced in quantity, with the attendant masterpieces. The Ming Dynasty witnessed the maturity of the art, and a large number of valuable pieces were produced in this period. Jingdezhen, a small town that created the enchantingblue-and-white porcelain of the Yuan Dynasty, became its porcelain-producing center; and in the subsequent Ming Dynasty, the imperial kilns were established here. Blue-and-white porcelain is now the most representative of Chinese porcelain.To produce blue-and-white porcelain, cobalt oxide is requisite. It is employed to draw on thewhite roughcast before glaze is applied. After kilning at a high temperature, the roughcast turns into blue-and-white porcelain, since cobalt oxide turns blue with heat. The white surface with blue patterns and a shiny sheen of glaze produces a pure, elegant and transparent effect.Unit 8 Peking Opera: Artistry of PerformersThe Delights of Peking Opera MasksChina's Peking Opera radiates with the beauty of resplendent color –vivid, intense and glamorous. This artistic beauty comes not only from the costumes but also from the masks of exaggerated, dazzling designs, gleaming with red, purples, whites, yellows, blacks, blues, greens, every diverse color imaginable.Masks, applied to the two roles of the “jing”or “painted-face role”and the “chou”or “clown”, serve two purposes. One is to indicate the identity and character of the role. For example, a “red face”means the person is loyal and brave; a “black face”signifies the person is straightforward; and “a white face”identifies the person as crafty and evil. The other purpose is to express people's appraisal of the roles from a moral and aesthetic point of view, such as respectable, hateful, noble, ridiculous, etc.Peking Opera Performance: Sing, Speak, Act, and FightThe performance of a Peking Opera actor can be summarized into four basic aspects, of singing, speaking, acting, and fighting, the core of which is a combination of song and choreography. Singing is of utmost importance in the performance of Peking Opera, because first of all, Peking Opera is a singing art. Any famous Peking Opera boasts several wonderful arias that are well-known and popular with audiences. The charm of the melodies usually embodies the sublime realm of the art of Peking Opera. Unable to appreciate the magic of Peking Opera arias, one would fail to enjoy the profound beauty of the art itself.Speaking refers to character monologs and dialogs, which serve to propel the development ofthe story. Speaking, like singing, needs to be executed in an appealing way.Acting and fighting mean that actors employ physical movements to express the emotions of the characters and the circumstances. Acting includes body movements and eye movements, solo dancingor group dancing, etc. Most of the dancing is choreographed movements from everyday life. Fighting Pekingof art the As scenes. battle or fight depict to acrobatics and arts martial choreographed isOpera depends on movement to depict events, actors are given much room to perform on the the Picking up the Jade Bracelet, the young woman Sun Yujiao and the young scholar fall in love operawith each other, their eyes affixed on each other as if a thread connected them. Then, as MatchmakerLiu uses her pipe to pull the “virtual”line up and down, the young couple's eyes accordingly the significance to and add much and down. These actions produce great humor move up“world of images”, but at the or the ”“play performance.Acting and fighting serve the wholeKing Chu Bids same time they are themselves a beautiful art in both form and skill. For example, in Farewell to His Concubine, artist Mei Lanfang performed a sword dance in a miraculously skillful way, which became very popular with audiences. This is a type of beauty in form. As for the beauty of skill,.”this usually includes some very difficult acrobatic movements, often referred to as “superb skillsspeaking, singing, fact that the Peking Opera lies in the of The uniqueness performances inacting, and fighting, all focus on one or two actors in the play.“mingjue”was used to refer to famous , hence er”jueThese performers used to be called “'actors or actresses. In this sense, the world of imagery created in Peking Opera mainly relies on thesinging, speaking, acting, and fighting of actors, especially in the performance of the famous plays.This is the biggest difference between Peking Opera and other forms of performing arts in terms ofwell –art of performers”“And the remark –Peking Opera is the aesthetic appreciation. describes its quintessence.Visual World“”The Beauty of ais a distinctive feature of Peking Opera. Its virtually consists of two ”Depicting a “visual worldaspects: one is virtual movements, and the other virtual settings. Virtual movement refers to imitatingactions onstage. For example, riding a horse. Onstage, an actor cannot ride a real horse, but can onlyhold a whip and imitate the movement of galloping by walking around the stage, turning the body, wielding the whip, and pulling the reins. A virtual setting means creating an imagined environment onstage. For example, rowing a boat. As there is no water or boat on the stage, an actor usually takesthe rowing of a boat on water.”an oar and, through actions, makes the audience “see At the Crossroad. This opera describes the story of two yamen runners escorting Jiao One isZan to prison. On the way they stay at an inn for the night. Ren Tanghui, whose task is to protect Jiao Zan, checks in at the same time. The owner of the inn, however, suspects Ren Tanghui is planning tos room at night. Thus a fight starts. What is special murder Jiao Zan, so he gropes his way into Ren'the yet is brightly lit; fight happens about the performance is that, although the at night, the stagefeature which performances, from the actors' pitch-dark audience is able to sense it is a nights sword swishes down, only 'stealthy movements typical of people in darkness. Sometimes, one man s face, yet the latter feels nothing, thus producing a breathtaking 'a few inches away from the otheryet meaningful and humorous effect.RiverAutumn story Opera. This transplanted from The other example is Sichuan , a playdescribes a young nun, Chen Miaochang who leaves the nunnery to pursue her lover Pan Bizheng. Onstage, there is neither water nor boat, but through the performance of the young woman and thethat the stage is a river. The boat sways forward; “see”old boatman, the audience is able to obviously。

P a r t I W i s d o m a n d B e l i e f s Unit 1 Confucian thought on heaven and humanityConfucius (551-479 BC), known in China as Kongzi, given name Qiu and alias Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi (present-day Qufu in Shandong Province) of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). A great thinker, educator and founder of Confucianism, Confucius is an ancient sage to the Chinese people. His words and life story were recorded by his disciples and their students in The Analects (Lunyu).Confucius on Heaven: the source of EverythingIn the Shang (1600-1046 BC) and Zhou (1046-256 BC) dynasties, the prevalent concept of “Heaven”was that of a personified god, which influenced Confucius. Generally, however, Confucius regarded “Heaven” as nature. He said, “Heaven does not speak in words. It speaks through the rotation of the four seasons and the growth of all living things.”Obviously, heaven equaled nature, in the eyes of Confucius. Moreover, nature was not a lifeless mechanism separate from humans; instead, it was the great world of life and the process of creation of life. Human life was part and parcel of nature as a whole.Confucius on People: ren and liRen and Li are the two core concepts of Confucius’s doctrine about people.When his students Fan Chi asked him about ren, Confucius replied, “love people”. This is Confucius’ most important interpretation of ren. Love for the people is universal love. Confucius further emphasized that this kind of love should “begin with the love for one’s parents”. He believed no one could love people in general if they did not even love their own parents. Confucius regarded “filial piety and fraternal duty”as the essence of ren. The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong) quotes Confucius as saying, “The greatest love for people is the love for one’s parents.” He also said, “Children should not travel far while their parents are alive. If they have no choice but to do so, they must retain some restraint.” He did not mean that children should not leave their parents at all. What he meant was that children should not make the parents anxious about them while away from home. Confucius said again, “Children should think often of the age of their parents. They should feel happy for the health and longevity of their parents. They should also feel concern for the aging of their parents.”By ren, Confucius meant universal love based on love for one’s parents. How should people love one another then Confucius said, “One should be aware that other people may have similar desires as oneself. While fulfilling one’s desires, allow others to fulfill their desires as well.” He further said, “Do not do toward others anything you would not want to be done to you.” Thus from oneself to one’s family, from family to society, one should extend love to all people. Mencius (c. 372-289 BC), a great Confucian scholar, best summarized ren as, “loving one’s parents, loving the people, loving everything in the world.”Li refers to rituals, traditions and norms in social life. Of these, Confucius regarded burial rituals and ancestral worship rituals as the most important, because they rose from human feelings. He said, “A child should not leave his parents’ bosom until he is three years old.” He naturally love his parents. The ritual of wearing mourning for a deceased parent for three years was an expression of the child’s love and remembrance.Confucius on the State of lifeBefore Confucius, only the nobility had the right to education. He was the first figure in Chinese history to initiate private education. According to historical records, Confucius taught for many years and trained 3,000 disciples. A total of 72 of them excelled in the “six arts”, ., ritual, music, archery, (carriage)driving, calligraphy, and mathematics. A great educator, Confucius has been admired by later generations as the “sage of sages”.Confucius believed the basic goal of education was to cultivate “persons of virtue”, who should have sound character and uplifted minds. Such people should be able to shoulder important social responsibilities and to make contributions to society. Confucius regarded lofty ideals, great virtue, love of people, and the “six arts” as the general principles of education. Of these, virtue was the most important. His students were involved in a variety of professions, including politics, trade, education, diplomacy, ritual ceremony, and classifying ancient books. Whatever they did, they all wanted to improve their learning of the humanities and to enhance their virtue.Unit 2 Laozi’s philosophy of Non-actionThe book Laozi was written around the sixth century BC. The author is generally believed to be Lao Dan, or Laozi – a recluse who lived during the Spring and Autumn Period. Few records have survived about Lao Dan, who was said to have once held a low civil position in the royal court, in chare of the archival records of the Zhou Dynasty. Yet, due to his great learning, even Confucius was said to have traveled miles to consult him.Laozi, also known as Classic of the Way and Virtue (Dao De Jing), consists of just over 5,000 Chinese characters. Its 81 chapters are divided into two parts, Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue). Short as it is, the book has played a tremendous role in the development of Chinese culture. It became the basis of Daoism, the school of philosophy parallel to Confucianism in ancient China. The thought of Laozi formed the foundation of Daoism, the most influential indigenous school of religion in China. It has also exerted a direct impact on the characteristics, trends of thought and aesthetic sensibilities of the Chinese nation. Today Laozi still plays a role in the development of Chinese thinking. Naturalness and Non-action“Naturalness” is an important concept of Laozi’s philosophy. It refers to a natural state of being, an attitude of following the way of nature. Laozi emphasized that everything in the world has its own way of being and development: birds fly in the sky, fish swim in the water, clouds float in the sky, flowers bloom and flowers fall. All these phenomena occur independently and naturally without following any human will, and humans should not try to change anything natural. Laozi admonished people to give up on any desire to control the world. Following the way of nature is the way to resolving conflicts between humans and the world.“Non-action”is another important concept of Laozi’s philosophy. It is the guarantee of “Naturalness”. Laozi said, “(Dao or the Way) acts through non-action,”by which he did no mean that one should do nothing and passively wait for something to be achieved. Neither did he deny human creativity. What he meant is that human enterprises should be built on the basis of naturalness, not on many attempts to interrupt the rhythm of nature. Human creativity should be in compliance with the ways of nature.The philosophy of Non-contentionOn the basis of “naturalness”and “non-action”, Laozi proposed the view of “overcoming the strong by being weak”. The era Laozi lived in was replete with endless wars. Therefore, war was an important treme for philosophers, and ant-war thinking was the norm. Eventhe great strategist Sunzi advocated “winning a war without fighting it”, not to mention the great thinker Confucius, who strongly championed a government based on love. Their contemporary Mozi (c. 468-376 BC), founder of Mohism, also condemned wars while calling for “love for all”.According to Laozi, war springs from humanity’s bloated desires. Conflict arises out of people’s struggles to satisfy their desires, and conflict escalates into war. Therefore, Laozi’s philosophy is based on “non-contention”. To him, human striving and competitive strife is the root cause of decline; desiring nothing is the natural way of life.Laozi said, “The greatest virtue is like water.”He compared his philosophy of “non-contention” to water, to distinguish it from the law of the jungle. He said, “Water nourishes everything but contends for nothing.” To Laozi, humans tend to seek higher positions while water always flows to lower places. Driven by desire, humans like whatever they think is superior while despising whatever they think is inferior. Yet water always flows downward. As the source of life, water nourishes all living things on Earth. No life can exist without water. Water contributes to the world without regard for gain or loss. Remaining low, level and tranquil, water embraces and reflects everything under heaven. The way of water is completely different from the way of people with avid desires.But the philosophy of Laozi is by no means weak. On the contrary, it is full of strength. According to Laozi, water accumulates great strength in its weakness and quietude. Its strength can break down all barriers in the world. He said, “Nothing in the world is weaker than water. Yet nothing is stronger than water when it comes to breaking something strong.”Water is a typical example of the weak winning over the strong. Water is invincible because it desires nothing and contends for nothing.Unit 3 Chinese Buddhist CultureWho am I Where am I from Where am I goingMen are mortal. But death is not an once-and-for-all thing. They enter the rotating Wheel of Six Realms:Heaven, Human, Asura, Animal, Hungry Ghost, Hell.Documents stored in computer can be canceled at will, but what we have done in our life, and actually in our innumerable lives, cannot. What has been done has been done. The information is stored in your true “self”, not the physical one, and will accompany you life after life, and determines which Realm you enter.Only when we are completely free from lust, hatred, and folly, can we manage to break away from the capture of the rotating Wheel, and achieve perpetual enlightenment, discovering your true “self”.In Buddhism there isn’t any dominating god who controls your destiny. We are the maker of our own fate. What we are at present is a result of what we have done in the past; and what we will be in the future is decided by what we are doing at present. What we have done form the “karma”, which, like a gene, decides on your future story. But this “gene” c an of course be modified, by doing good deeds and obtaining healthy biological and spiritual energy, so as to change our future course of career. We are, therefore, our own master. What are the basic requirements for a BuddhistFive Prohibitions for the laymen:1) Don’t kill;2) Don’t steal;3) Don’t seek aberrant sensual pleasures;4) Don’t talk irresponsibly;5) Don’t drink alcohol.Part II Creativity and ExchangeUnit 4 The Silk RoadThe silk road refers to a transport route connecting ancient China with Central Asia, West Asia, Africa, and the European continent. It appeared as early as the second century BC and was traveled mainly by silk merchants. The term “Silk Road”, or “die Seidenstrasse”in German, was first noted down by the German geographer Ferdinand Von Richthofen at the end of the 19th century.The silk road began in Chang’an (present-day Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi Province), passing through Gansu and Xinjiang to Central Asia, West Asia, and to lands by the Mediterranean. There were no signs of communication between ancient Chinese civilization and Mediterranean civilization in earlier history. In about the seventh century BC, the ancient Greeks began to learn about an ancient civilization to the east, yet knew little about it. Before the Silk Road, according to archeological findings, there had already existed an intermittent trade route on the grasslands from the Yellow River and the Indus River drainage areas to the Euphrates and the Tigris, and the Nile drainage areas. Yet real communication between China, Central and West Asian countries, Africa and the European continent did not develop until the opening of the Silk Road.Zhang Qian, Trail BlazerThe pioneer who blazed the trail of the Silk Road was Zhang Qian (c. 164-114 BC). In Zhang Qian’s time, the Chinese has little knowledge about Central and West Asian countries, Africa or Europe, although they were aware of the existence of many different countries and cultures in faraway places to the west.During the reign of Emperor Wu (r. 140-135 BC), there were 36 small kingdoms in the Western Regions (present-day Xinjiang and parts of Central Asia). All of them were later conquered by the Huns, who then posed a direct threat to the Western Han and blocked the dynasty’s path west. Under these circumstances, Emperor Wu appointed Zhang Qian to lead a team of more than 100 envoys to the Western Regions.The mission was to unite the Indo-Scythic people against the Huns, who once killed their chieftain. Zhang Qian’s team set out in 138 BC. No sooner had they entered the Hexi Corridor (northwest of present-day Gansu Province), than they were captured by the Huns. After being held under house arrest for over ten years, Zhang Qian and only one other remaining envoy managed to escape and return to Chang’an in 126 BC. Their accounts about the Western Regions were a revelation to Hun emperor and his ministers.In the next two decades, Emperor Wu launched three major campaigns against the Huns, forcing them to retreat from the Western Regions. In 119 BC, the emperor sent Zhang Qian on a second mission to the Western Regions. This time Zhang Qian went further west, while his deputies reached more than a dozen countries in South and West Asia, and the Mediterranean.Zhang Qian’s two missions to the Western Regions opened up the road to the west. Emperor Wu adopted a series of measures to strengthen ties with the Western Regions, including encouraging Han People to trade there.Soon the route was bustling with caravans of camels carrying goods of all types and reverberating with the tinkling of their bells. Through the Silk Road, trade flourished between China and Central, South and West Asian countries, Africa and Europe. In 166, envoys from Rome arrivedvia the Silk Road in Chang’an, were they set up an embassy.Part III Art and AestheticsUnit 5 Music: Govern the Country, Nourish the Mind The tradition of Chinese music dates back to remote antiquity. Governing the country and nourishing the mind through music are two of the main functions of this tradition.Governance Through MusicAccording to ancient Chinese culture, rituals provided the norms of conduct of people. The goal was to maintain social order.Music was for the mind’s cultivation and expression. Its purpose was to enhance people’s outlook on life and imbue them with energy and creativity, such that they could enjoy a more harmonious and happier spiritual life. Individual contentment would then lead to social harmony, as well as to a more harmonious relationship between people and nature. The highest level of ancient Chinese music was to represent spiritual with nature.The prominent stature of music in ancient China explains the emergence of sophisticated instruments from early times. Chime bells were one example. First used in the Shang Dynasty, they became quite popular during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC). In 1978, a fine set of chime bells was unearthed in Hubei Province, from the tomb of Marquis Yi, a local lord in a small state called Zeng during the Warring States Period.The Marquis Yi chime bells consist of 65 bells arranged in three rows. The first row includes 19 niu bells, and the second and third rows include 45 yong bells. The bells in each row differ from one another in shape and size, emanating(发出) different tones. In addition, there is a separate and much larger bell used to adjust pitch. Like the bells, the from is made of bronze, weighing as much as five tons or more. The total weight of the bells is more than 440 kilograms. While the bells bear inscriptions totaling more than 2,800 Chinese characters relating to music and the making of the instrument, the frame is carved with exquisite patterns in relief (浮雕) and fretwork(回纹细工). Instruments of such a scale and such fine craftsmanship were quite rate in the world at the time. Five musicians were needed to play the instrument. Each bell produces two tones when struck at the respective sound points as marked. The entire set of chime bells is able to produce all the tones of a modern piano.Consoling the Mind with MusicThe Chinese zither tends to create a tranquil air. The composition Wild Geese Landing on the Shallow Shore is such an example. With a relaxed rhythm, the first part of the piece depicts a calm Yangtze River under a clear autumn sky. The second part progresses into livelier rhythms to imitate the chirping of many birds. The third part presents a thematic scene of wild geese leisurely landing on the shallow shores of the Yangtze, as a gentle breeze makes the water ripple. To Chinese musicians and music lovers, the contentment of the wild geese represents the human heart.The zither was also instrumental in communication between ancient scholars and artist. The famous zither composition, Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms, was based on an Eastern Jin Dynasty story of the poet Wang Ziyou (王子猷) (c. 338-386) and the flute player Huan Yi (桓伊) (-383).One day the poet was taking a boat trip when he overheard someone on the riverbank say Huan Yi was passing by. Although the two had never met before, they admired each other as poet and flute player. Despite his lower rank of office, Ziyou sent a family member to request Huan Yi to play the flute.Without hesitation, Huan Yi dismounted from his carriage and played Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms, while Ziyou listened from his boat. After finishing, Huan Yi mounted his carriage and drove on. Ziyou, too, continued with his boat journey. The two of them exchanged not a single word, yet both were content with the communication of their hearts through the music.The flute’s three stanzas were later converted into a composition for the Chinese zither, which has become one of the best-known musical works –as an expression of otherworldly feelings through its eulogy of the plum flower’s purity, fragrance and resistance to the cold.Unit 6 Flying strokes of CalligraphyThe evolution of Chinese characters font甲骨文the Oracle bone script→金文Jinwen (Inscriptions on bronze )→篆书Seal script→隶书Official script→楷书Regular script→草书Cursive script→行书running scriptWang Xizhi and Preface to the Lanting Pavilion CollectionIn the Hall for Cultivation of Mind of the Palace Museum, there is a Three-treasurer Study, which derives its name for the three most valuable calligraphic works housed here. These three treasures, most valued and adored by Emperor Qianling (r. 1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty, were A Sunny Scene after a Quick Snow by Wang Xizhi, Mid-Autumn by Wang Xianzhi and Boyuan by Wang Xun (349-400). As father and son, Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi hae been known as the “Two Wangs”, their works universally recognized as the peak of Chinese calligraphy.Unit 7 Porcelain – Calling Card of Chinese Culture In English, the country and “porcelain”share the same name –“China”. This proves that Europeans have long known of China’s relationship to porcelain. Porcelain found its way to Europe in the 15th century, occupying an important position in the exchanges between China and other countries. The Keisel Randy Museum in Germany houses a blue-and-white bowl dating back to the Ming Dynasty. Throughout history, China, along with other Asian countries, and Europe maintained a busy and vast trade in porcelain. From 1602 to 1682, the Dutch East India Company transported more than 16 million articles of porcelain to Europe. Porcelain garnered a good reputation for China for its sophistication and elegance, and played an important role in the wave of the European idealization of China during the 17th and 18th centuries. In the rococo style popular in Europe of that time, one could sense, from time to time, the influence of “Chinese vogue”represented by China’s styles of porcelain and gardens.Porcelain is of great significance in the history of Chinese civilization. Pottery was the predecessor of porcelain, while glazed pottery was the basis for the emergence of porcelain. Around the first century, porcelain production first emerged in China, and by The Song Dynasty it had become mature. Song-Dynasty porcelain represented the acme of Chinese porcelain technique. Five famous kilns, the Jun, Ding, Guan, Ge, and Ru, were all creative and original in their respective products, and their porcelain ware has been imitated by later generations throughout the ages. In theYuan Dynasty, Jingdezhen became the center of the Chinese Porcelain industry.Pure Blue-and-White PorcelainPure and elegant beauty is the goal that porcelain pursues, and this ideal is best explained in the production of blue-and-white porcelain.Blue-and-white porcelain is a typical artifact of porcelain in China. Among the porcelain exported during the Ming and Qing dynasties, 80 percent was blue-and-white. Chinese-made blue-and-white porcelain ware emerged long before the founding of the Tang Dynasty, but it was not until the Yuan Dynasty that this type of porcelain came to be produced in quantity, with the attendant masterpieces. The Ming Dynasty witnessed the maturity of the art, and a large number of valuable pieces were produced in this period. Jingdezhen, a small town that created the enchanting blue-and-white porcelain of the Yuan Dynasty, became its porcelain-producing center; and in the subsequent Ming Dynasty, the imperial kilns were established here. Blue-and-white porcelain is now the most representative of Chinese porcelain.To produce blue-and-white porcelain, cobalt oxide is requisite. It is employed to draw on the white roughcast before glaze is applied. After kilning at a high temperature, the roughcast turns into blue-and-white porcelain, since cobalt oxide turns blue with heat. The white surface with blue patterns and a shiny sheen of glaze produces a pure, elegant and transparent effect.Unit 8 Peking Opera: Artistry of PerformersThe Delights of Peking Opera MasksChina’s Peking Opera radiates with the beauty of resplendent color –vivid, intense and glamorous. This artistic beauty comes not only from the costumes but also from the masks of exaggerated, dazzling designs, gleaming with red, purples, whites, yellows, blacks, blues, greens, every diverse color imaginable.Masks, applied to the two roles of the “jing”or “painted-face role”and the “chou”or “clown”, serve two purposes. One is to indicate the identity and character of the role. For example, a “red face”means the person is loyal and brave; a “black face”signifies the person is straightforward; and “a white face”identifies the person as crafty and evil. The other purpose is to express people’s appraisal of the roles from a moral and aesthetic point of view, such as respectable, hateful, noble, ridiculous, etc.Peking Opera Performance: Sing, Speak, Act, and FightThe performance of a Peking Opera actor can be summarized into four basic aspects, of singing, speaking, acting, and fighting, the core of which is a combination of song and choreography.Singing is of utmost importance in the performance of Peking Opera, because first of all, Peking Opera is a singing art. Any famous Peking Opera boasts several wonderful arias that are well-known and popular with audiences. The charm of the melodies usually embodies the sublime realm of the art of Peking Opera. Unable to appreciate the magic of Peking Opera arias, one would fail to enjoy the profound beauty of the art itself.Speaking refers to character monologs and dialogs, which serve to propel the development of the story. Speaking, like singing, needs to be executed in an appealing way.Acting and fighting mean that actors employ physical movements to express the emotions of the characters and the circumstances. Acting includes body movements and eye movements, solo dancing or group dancing, etc. Most of the dancing is choreographed movements from everyday life. Fighting is choreographed martial arts and acrobatics to depict fight or battle scenes. As the art of PekingOpera depends on movement to depict events, actors are given much room to perform on the the opera Picking up the Jade Bracelet, the young woman Sun Yujiao and the young scholar fall in love with each other, their eyes affixed on each other as if a thread connected them. Then, as Matchmaker Liu uses her pipe to pull the “virtual” line up and down, the young couple’s eyes accordingly move up and down. These actions produce great humor and add much significance to the performance.Acting and fighting serve the whole “play”or the “world of images”, but at the same time they are themselves a beautiful art in both form and skill. For example, in King Chu Bids Farewell to His Concubine, artist Mei Lanfang performed a sword dance in a miraculously skillful way, which became very popular with audiences. This is a type of beauty in form. As for the beauty of skill, this usually includes some very difficult acrobatic movements, often referred to as “superb skills”.The uniqueness of performances in Peking Opera lies in the fact that the singing, speaking, acting, and fighting, all focus on one or two actors in the play.These performers used to be called “jue’er”, hence “mingjue” was used to refer to famous actors or actresses. In this sense, the world of imagery created in Peking Opera mainly relies on the singing, speaking, acting, and fighting of actors, especially in the performance of the famous plays. This is the biggest difference between Peking Opera and other forms of performing arts in terms of aesthetic appreciation. And the remark –“Peking Opera is the art of performers”–well describes its quintessence.The Beauty of a “Visual World”Depicting a “visual world”is a distinctive feature of Peking Opera. Its virtually consists of two aspects: one is virtual movements, and the other virtual settings. Virtual movement refers to imitating actions onstage. For example, riding a horse. Onstage, an actor cannot ride a real horse, but can only hold a whip and imitate the movement of galloping by walking around the stage, turning the body, wielding the whip, and pulling the reins. A virtual setting means creating an imagined environment onstage. For example, rowing a boat. As there is no water or boat on the stage, an actor usually takes an oar and, through actions, makes the audience “see”the rowing of a boat on water.One is At the Crossroad. This opera describes the story of two yamen runners escorting Jiao Zan to prison. On the way they stay at an inn for the night. Ren Tanghui, whose task is to protect Jiao Zan, checks in at the same time. The owner of the inn, however, suspects Ren Tanghui is planning to murder Jiao Zan, so he gropes his way into Ren’s room at night. Thus a fight starts. What is special about the performance is that, although the fight happens at night, the stage is brightly lit; yet the audience is able to sense it is a pitch-dark night from the actors’performances, which feature stealthy movements typical of people in darkness. Sometimes, one man’ s sword swishes down, only a few inches away from the other’ s face, yet the latter feels nothing, thus producing a breathtaking yet meaningful and humorous effect.The other example is Autumn River, a play transplanted from Sichuan Opera. This story describes a young nun, Chen Miaochang who leaves the nunnery to pursue her lover Pan Bizheng. Onstage, there is neither water nor boat, but through the performance of the young woman and the old boatman, the audience is able to obviously “see”that the stage is a river. The boat sways forward; all the way there the girl complains about the boat for being slow, while the old boatman keeps teasing her about her anxiety to see her lover. The performance is full of wit and humor.These examples describe the function of the “virtual world” in the art of Peking Opera, which provides limitless room for the performances of actors; and in return, performers present the audience with a world of images full of appealing wit. If in fact the stage of At the Crossroad was。

中国文化英语教程the culture of teawhen a guest comes to my home from afar on a cold night, i light bamboo to boil tea to offer hi ancient chinese poechina is the home country of tea.before the tang dynasty, chinese tea was exported by land and sea, first to japan and korea, then to india and central asia and, in the ming and qing dynasties, to the arabian peninsula. in the early period of the 17th century, chinese tea was exported to europe, where the upper class adopted the fashionof drinking tea. chinese tea like chinese silk and china has become synonymous worldwide with refined culture. at the heart of the culture of tea the study and practice of tea in all its aspects is the simple gesture of offering a cup of tea to a guest that for chinese people today is a fundamental social custom, as it has been for centuries.china traces the development of tea as an artform to lu yu, known as the saint of tea in chinese history, who lived during the tang dynasty and who wrote the book of tea, the first ever treatise on tea and tea culture. the spirit of tea permeates chinese culture, and throughoutthe country there are many kinds of teas, teahouses, tea legends, teaartifacts and tea customs. better-known places to enjoy a good cup of tea in china include beijing noted for its variety of teahouses; fujian and guangdong provinces and other places in the southeast of china that serve gongfu tea, a formal serving of tea in tiny cups; the west lake in hangzhou, also the homeof the tea connoisseurs association, noted for its excellent green tea; and provinces in southwest china like yunnan where the ethnic groups less affected by foreign cultures retain tea ceremonies and customs in original tea-growing areas."when a guest comes to my home from afar on a cold night i light bamboo to boil tea to offer hi" — ancient chinese poechina is the home country of tea. before the tang dynasty chinese tea was exported by land and sea first to japan and korea then to india and centralasia and in the ming and qing dynasties to the arabian peninsula. in the early period of the 17th century chinese tea was exported to europe where the upper class adopted the fashion of drinking tea. chinese tea—like chinese silk and china—has become synonymous worldwide with refined culture. at the heart ofthe culture of tea—the study and practice of tea in all its aspects—is the simple gesture of offering a cup of tea to a guest that for chinese people today is a fundamental social custom as it has been for centuries. chinatraces the development of tea as an art form to lu yu known as "the saint of tea" in chinese history who lived during the tang dynasty and who wrote the book of tea the first ever treatise on tea and tea culture. the spirit of tea permeates chinese culture and throughout the country there are many kinds of teas teahouses tea legends tea artifacts and tea customs. better-known places to enjoy a good cup of tea in china include beijing noted for its variety of teahouses; fujian and guangdong provinces and other places in the southeast of china that serve gongfu tea a formal serving of tea in tiny cups; the west lake in hangzhou also the home of the tea connoisseurs association noted for its excellent green tea; and provinces in southwest china like yunnan where the ethnic groups less affected by foreign cultures retain tea ceremonies and customs in original tea-growing areas.china is the home of tea, is the birthplace of tea culture. the discovery and utilization of tea in china, has a history of four thousand or five thousand years, and long fill do not decline, spread throughout the world. tea is one of the world's most popular, the most popular, beneficial to the physical and mental healthy green drinks. tea into the world in one, advocate tea, a world.tea culture including tea tasting techniques, art appreciation, operation means of tea a better environment for the taste of the tea of my mood.the process of form and spirit of unity, is the process of the formation of the tea culture phenomenon. it originated long ago, has a long history, profound culture, and religious activity. the whole world has more than countries and area residents are fond of tea. some places tea tea as a kind of enjoyment of the arts to promote. the tea is identical, each has its own merits. the chinese people have always had a guest to tea custom, which fully reflects the chinese national civilization and politeness.since i started my major in the tea culture of china, i have been deeply impressed by its sophistication and beauty. i would like to share some fascinating aspects of the tea culture of china.in a country with the history of five thousand years, the chinese tea drinking habit dated back to the tang dynasty (-ad). it became a national tradition and led to development of a delicate tea drinking ritual. over the centuries, poets and artists in china wrote many marvelous masterpieces, in appreciation of tea and chinese people’s constant love of tea drinking .one of the best-known writers is lu yu, who was regarded as the “tea sage ” for he composed the first book on tea. in his classic book, he detailed hisstudies of tea, such as the origin of tea, tea tools, tea picking, tea cooking, tea ceremony and well-known areas where tea was grown. and the valuable knowledge he recorded has laid foundation for modern tea culture development.based on ways in which tea leaves are processed, there are five distinct types of tea. they are as follow: the green tea, the black tea, the wulong tea, the compressed tea and the scented tea. among them, may foreigners arefamiliar with the green tea. the longjing tea, of the green type, has a reputationin china, tea has a very long history, and has formed a chinese tea culture. at the same time, tea is good for our health and is loved by many people. chinese tea culture is broad and profound. it includes not onlymaterial culture, but also profound spiritual civilization. talking about chinese tea. can be traced back to ancient times, it is from the tang dynasty and song dynasty flourished.from then on, the spirit of tea permeated the court and society, and went deep into chinese poetry, painting, calligraphy, religion and medicine. for thousands of years, china has accumulated a large number of tea cultivationand production of material culture, but also enriched the spiritual culture of tea."when a guest comes to my home from afar on a cold night i light bamboo to boil tea to offer hi" — ancient chinese poechina is the home country of tea. before the tang dynasty chinese tea was exported by land and sea first to japan and korea then to india and centralasia and in the ming and qing dynasties to the arabian peninsula. in the early period of the 17th century chinese tea was exported to europe where the upper class adopted the fashion of drinking tea.chinese tea—like chinese silk and china—has become synonymous worldwide with refined culture. at the heart of the culture of tea—the study andpractice of tea in all its aspects—is the simple gesture of offering a cup of tea to a guest that for chinese people today is a fundamental social custom as it has been for centuries. china traces the development of tea as an art formto lu yu known as "the saint of tea" in chinese history who lived during the tang dynasty and who wrote the book of tea the first ever treatise on tea and tea culture.the spirit of tea permeates chinese culture and throughout the country there are many kinds of teas teahouses tea legends tea artifacts and tea customs. better-known places to enjoy a good cup of tea in china include beijing noted for its variety of teahouses; fujian and guangdong provinces and other places in the southeast of china that serve gongfu tea a formal serving of tea in tiny cups; the west lake in hangzhou also the home of the tea connoisseurs association noted for its excellent green tea; and provinces in southwest china like yunnan where the ethnic groups less affected by foreign cultures retain tea ceremonies and customs in original tea-growing areas.in the vast cultural tradition of the motherland, tea culture, as a real and enduring historical deposit, is no longer the topic of moving guests to talk about tea and meeting friends; it is no longer the support of literati to show off their lofty and smart, but is becoming a useful material for people to explore, utilize, research and develop.there are many young people who like to drink ice in summer. in fact, hot tea, especially some mellow famous tea, is more thirst quenching. in ancient china, people had already known how to use hot tea to relieve the heat and to release internal heat. usually, after drinking hot tea, the skin will sweat slowly, and sweat can help the body to dissipate heat, that is to say, with the drinking of hot tea, the heat will be discharged slowly. however, for cold drinks, the heat is difficult to volatilize in a short time and remains in the body, causing the mouth and esophagus to feel cold for a short time, and soon it will feel unbearably hot. after sweating to dissipate heat, the skin of the body will automatically cool down, making people feel cool and comfortable. the ancients said: a cup of tea, calm nature cool. in fact, it contains scientific theory and life accomplishment.of course, if the function of tea is only to quench thirst and relieve summer heat, there is no need to form a huge tea culture. according to the quality, materials and processing technology of tea, tea has the following health functions:1、 anti radiation chrysanthemum tea, made from white chrysanthemum and superior oolong tea, is an essential tea for office workers who are exposed to electronic pollution every day. because chrysanthemum in tea has the function of detoxification, it can resist and eliminate the accumulated summer heat, harmful chemicals and radioactive substances in the body.2、 puer tea, which can eliminate fat and flat stomach, has the effect of promoting fat metabolism in most chinese teas, and puer tea is an expert in removing excess fat. the elements contained in tea can enhance the decomposition of abdominal fat.3、 luohan fruit tea is a kind of sweet tea. for women who want to keep graceful but like sweet food, luohan fruit tea is not only a kind ofsubstitute but also a good drink.4、 chinese wolfberry tea can cure constipation. if a person cant defecate for three consecutive days, he should buy some chinese wolfberry tea to drink, or brew it himself, because chinese wolfberry can defecate the stool attached to the intestinal wall.5、 its good to smoke aloe tea with false and true, but once smoking causes pathological changes, its too late to repent. for the sake of health, its better to quit smoking as soon as possible. when you want to smoke, you can make a pot of aloe tea, which is similar to cigarettes. its the best substitute to relieve smoking addiction.6、 in modern society, it is necessary to drink oolong tea which can sober up in an appropriate amount. there are many times when drinking and getting drunk. in order to prevent the body from being empty and cold, expel the accumulated alcohol and cholesterol in the body, and sober up as soon as possible, you only need to drink the same amount of oolong tea as the wine.7、 we know that its really indecent for adults to eat snacks, especially when working in foreign enterprises. there is a kind of sweet tea extracted from rosaceae plants, because it stimulates the satiety center of the brain, it controls the appetite and achieves the effect of understanding hunger.therefore, it is not difficult to see that tea plays an important role in our daily life. in addition, tea has the following functions and medicinal value:1. gargling with tea can strengthen teeth. gargling with leftover teaafter a meal can gargle out food residue. when gargling, let the tea move repeatedly in the mouth, it can remove the tartar, improve the physiological function of oral mucosa, and enhance the acid resistance and anti-corruption ability of teeth.2. tea has the functions of hair care and beauty. it can remove dirt and greasy. after washing, it can make the hair black, soft and glossy. moreover, the tea does not contain chemicals and will not hurt the hair and skin. after washing face in the evening, use cotton ball dipped in tea to smear face, adhere to often, can eliminate the black spots on the face. wipe your eyes with tea in the morning to eliminate dark circles.3. relieve the symptoms of cold, throat inflammation, hoarseness, may be a cold, drink a few cups of strong tea with rock sugar, immediately feel fresh mouth, pain reduced.4. tea contains a lot of tannic acid, which has a strong bactericidal effect, especially for filamentous bacteria causing beriberi. beriberi patients, if the tea is boiled into thick juice every night to wash their feet for a long time, they will be cured. however, tea washing feet, to persevere, a short period of time will not have a significant effect. when making tea, it is best to use green tea; after fermentation of black tea, tannic acid content is much less.in addition, the tea residue or air dried waste tea is wrapped with gauze and put into the refrigerator, which has a good effect on eliminating the odor in the refrigerator. the washed tea still has inorganic salts, carbohydrates and other nutrients, which can promote the growth of flowers and plants when piled in the flower bed or pot.there are many traditions in china, such as going to spring festival on tomb sweeping day and sticking window decorations on spring festival. but what i want to talk about today is tea culture. china is not only the hometown of tea, but also the birthplace of tea culture. the discovery and utilization of chinese tea has a history of four or five thousand years, and has spread all over the world for a long time. tea culture is a wonderful flower in chinese culture. chinese tea culture has a long history!one day, i saw my grandfather brewing tea, and found that the tea was small and round, with a little sharp on the top.i saw that my grandfather was going to make tea. he first put the tea into the cup, and then poured some hot water. a few minutes later, the tea slowly melted away, just like a beautiful butterfly dancing in the water, floating to the surface of the water. the color of the water changed from transparent to light green, beautiful! finally, a cup of tea is ready. i opened the lid andsmelled a faint fragrance. i found that the speed of these tea brewing is much faster than that of cooking and boiling water. i have never seen tea brewing so fast. i was surprised to open my mouth! tea not only has a sweet smell, but also has a unique taste, a little green and a little bitter.chinese tea culture has a long history!china is the home of tea, is the birthplace of tea culture. the discovery and utilization of tea in china, has a history of four thousand or five thousand years, and long fill do not decline, spread throughout the world. tea is one of the world's most popular, the most popular, beneficial to the physical and mental healthy green drinks. tea into the world in one, advocate" tea, a world".tea culture including tea tasting techniques, art appreciation, operation means of tea a better environment for the taste of the tea of my mood. the process of form and spirit of unity, is the process of the formation of the tea culture phenomenon. it originated long ago, has a long history, profound culture, and religious activity. the whole world has more than countries and area residents are fond of tea. some places tea tea as a kind of enjoyment of the arts to promote. the tea is identical, each has its own merits. the chinese people have always had a "guest to tea" custom, which fully reflects the chinese national civilization and politeness.it is 4, years since the chinese began to grow and drink tea.there’re many kinds of tea in china, of which longjing tea is famous all overthe world. tea is usually drunk in tea sets. a tea set is made up of a tea pot and someteacups, which are both made of china.most chinese are fond of drinking tea. tea is served not only at tea house and restaurants but also at home. people also drink tea during breaks at offices or factories. it has been discovered that drinking tea does a lot of go od to people’s health.a cup oftea can make you relaxed and refreshed. and it’s said that green tea can prevent cancers. that’s why tea is becoming more and more popular with people.last week,a group of foreign students visited our school to experience the tea culture,which attracts them a lot.and l,on behalf of thestudents'union,showed them around the tea house of our school.there are all sorts of tea pots and cups in the tea house.impressed by the unique shapes of tea sets and good smells of the tea,they couldn't wait to know how to make tea.then i displayed the process of making tea and gave them a detailed introductio of tea,including its long history,its rich varieties and so on.with my encouragement,students decided to have a try by themselves.they were all absorbed in the charming tea culture.at the end we took a picture together to memorize the unforgettable activity.the tea house witnessed an enjoyable time for all of us.。

Part I Wisdom and BeliefsUnit 1 Confucian thought on heaven and humanityConfucius (551-479 BC), known in China as Kongzi, given name Qiu and alias Zhongni, was a native of Zouyi (present-day Qufu in Shandong Province) of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). A great thinker, educator and founder of Confucianism, Confucius is an ancient sage to the Chinese people. His words and life story were recorded by his disciples and their students in The Analects (Lunyu).Confucius on Heaven: the source of EverythingIn the Shang (1600-1046 BC) and Zhou (1046-256 BC) dynasties, the prevalent concept of “Heaven”was that of a personified god, which influenced Confucius. Generally, however, Confucius regarded “Heaven”as nature. He said, “Heaven does not speak in words. It speaks through the rotation of the four seasons and the growth of all living things.” Obviously, heaven equaled nature, in the eyes of Confucius. Moreover, nature was not a lifeless mechanism separate from humans; instead, it was the great world of life and the process of creation of life. Human life was part and parcel of nature as a whole.Confucius on People: ren and liRen and Li are the two core concepts of Confucius’s doctrine about people.When his students Fan Chi asked him about ren, Confucius replied, “love people”. This is Confucius’ most important interpretation of ren. Love for the people is universal love. Confucius further emphasized that this kind of love should “begin with the love for one’s parents”. He believed no one could love people in general if they did not even love their own parents. Confucius regarded “filial piety and fraternal duty”as the essence of ren. The Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong) quotes Confucius as saying, “ The greatest love for people is the love for one’s parents.” He also said, “Children should not travel far while their parents are alive. If they have no choice but to do so, they must retain some restraint.” He did not mean that children should not leave their parents at all. What he meant was that children should not make the parents anxious about them while away from home. Confucius said again, “Children should think often of the age of their parents. They should feel happy for the health and longevity of their parents. They should also feel concern for the aging of their parents.”By ren, Confucius meant universal love based on love for one’s parents. How should people love one another then? Confucius said, “One should be aware that other people may have similar desires as oneself. While fulfilling one’s desires, allow others to fulfill their desires as well.” He further said, “Do not do toward others anything you would not want to be done to you.” Thus from oneself to one’s family, from family to society, one should extend love to all people. Mencius (c. 372-289 BC), a great Confucian scholar, best summarized ren as, “loving one’s parents, loving the people, loving everything in the world.”Li refers to rituals, traditions and norms in social life. Of these, Confucius regarded burial rituals and ancestral worship rituals as the most important, because they rose from human feelings. He said, “A child should not leave his parents’ bosom until he is three years old.” He naturally love his parents. The ritual of wearing mourning for a deceased parent for three years was an expression of the child’s love and remembrance.Confucius on the State of lifeBefore Confucius, only the nobility had the right to education. He was the first figure in Chinese history to initiate private education. According to historical records, Confucius taught for many years and trained 3,000 disciples. A total of 72 of them excelled in the “six arts”, i.e., ritual, music, archery, (carriage)driving, calligraphy, and mathematics. A great educator, Confucius has been admired by later generations as the “sage of sages”.Confucius believed the basic goal of education was to cultivate “persons of virtue”, who should have sound character and uplifted minds. Such people should be able to shoulder important social responsibilities and to make contributions to society. Confucius regarded lofty ideals, great virtue, love of people, and the “six arts” as the general principles of education. Of these, virtue was the most important. His students were involved in a variety of professions, including politics, trade, education, diplomacy, ritual ceremony, and classifying ancient books. Whatever they did, they all wanted to improve their learning of the humanities and to enhance their virtue.Unit 2 Laozi’s philosophy of Non-actionThe book Laozi was written around the sixth century BC. The author is generally believed to be Lao Dan, or Laozi – a recluse who lived during the Spring and Autumn Period. Few records have survived about Lao Dan, who was said to have once held a low civil position in the royal court, in chare of the archival records of the Zhou Dynasty. Yet, due to his great learning, even Confucius was said to have traveled miles to consult him.Laozi, also known as Classic of the Way and Virtue (Dao De Jing), consists of just over 5,000 Chinese characters. Its 81 chapters are divided into two parts, Dao (the Way) and De (Virtue). Short as it is, the book has played a tremendous role in the development of Chinese culture. It became the basis of Daoism, the school of philosophy parallel to Confucianism in ancient China. The thought of Laozi formed the foundation of Daoism, the most influential indigenous school of religion in China. It has also exerted a direct impact on the characteristics, trends of thought and aesthetic sensibilities of the Chinese nation. Today Laozi still plays a role in the development of Chinese thinking.Naturalness and Non-action“Naturalness” is an important concept of Laozi’s philosophy. It refers to a natural state of being, an attitude of following the way of nature. Laozi emphasized that everything in the world has its own way of being and development: birds fly in the sky, fish swim in the water, clouds float in the sky, flowers bloom and flowers fall. All these phenomena occur independently and naturally without following any human will, and humans should not try to change anything natural. Laozi admonished people to give up on any desire to control the world. Following the way of nature is the way to resolving conflicts between humans and the world.“Non-action”is another important concept of Laozi’s philosophy. It is the guarantee of “Naturalness”. Laozi said, “(Dao or the Way) acts through non-action,” by which he did no mean that one should do nothing and passively wait for something to be achieved. Neither did he deny human creativity. What he meant is that human enterprises should be built on the basis of naturalness, not on many attempts to interrupt the rhythm of nature. Human creativity should be in compliance with the ways of nature.The philosophy of Non-contentionOn the basis of “naturalness” and “non-action”, Laozi proposed the view of “overcoming the strong by being weak”. The era Laozi lived in was replete with endless wars. Therefore, war wasan important treme for philosophers, and ant-war thinking was the norm. Even the great strategist Sunzi advocated “winning a war without fighting it”, not to mention the great thinker Confucius, who strongly championed a government based on love. Their contemporary Mozi (c. 468-376 BC), founder of Mohism, also condemned wars while calling for “love for all”.According to Laozi, war springs from humanity’s bloated desires. Conflict arises out of people’s struggles to satisfy their desires, and conflict escalates into war. Therefore, Laozi’s philosophy is based on “non-contention”. To him, human striving and competitive strife is the root cause of decline; desiring nothing is the natural way of life.Laozi said, “The greatest virtue is like water.”He compared his philosophy of “non-contention” to water, to distinguish it from the law of the jungle. He said, “Water nourishes everything but contends for nothing.” To Laozi, humans tend to seek higher positions while water always flows to lower places. Driven by desire, humans like whatever they think is superior while despising whatever they think is inferior. Yet water always flows downward. As the source of life, water nourishes all living things on Earth. No life can exist without water. Water contributes to the world without regard for gain or loss. Remaining low, level and tranquil, water embraces and reflects everything under heaven. The way of water is completely different from the way of people with avid desires.But the philosophy of Laozi is by no means weak. On the contrary, it is full of strength. According to Laozi, water accumulates great strength in its weakness and quietude. Its strength can break down all barriers in the world. He said, “Nothing in the world is weaker than water. Yet nothing is stronger than water when it comes to breaking something strong.” Water is a typical example of the weak winning over the strong. Water is invincible because it desires nothing and contends for nothing.Unit 3 Chinese Buddhist CultureWho am I? Where am I from? Where am I going?Men are mortal. But death is not an once-and-for-all thing. They enter the rotating Wheel of Six Realms:Heaven, Human, Asura, Animal, Hungry Ghost, Hell.Documents stored in computer can be canceled at will, but what we have done in our life, and actually in our innumerable lives, cannot. What has been done has been done. The information is stored in your true “self”, not the physical one, and will accompany you life after life, and determines which Realm you enter.Only when we are completely free from lust, hatred, and folly, can we manage to break away from the capture of the rotating Wheel, and achieve perpetual enlightenment, discovering your true “self”.In Buddhism there isn’t any dominating god who controls your destiny. We are the maker of our own fate. What we are at present is a result of what we have done in the past; and what we will be in the future is decided by what we are doing at present. What we have done form the “karma”, which, like a gene, decides on your future story. But this “gene” can of c ourse be modified, by doing good deeds and obtaining healthy biological and spiritual energy, so as to change our future course of career. We are, therefore, our own master. What are the basic requirements for a Buddhist?Five Prohibitions for the laymen:1) Don’t kill;2) Don’t steal;3) Don’t seek aberrant sensual pleasures;4) Don’t talk irresponsibly;5) Don’t drink alcohol.Part II Creativity and ExchangeUnit 4 The Silk RoadThe silk road refers to a transport route connecting ancient China with Central Asia, West Asia, Africa, and the European continent. It appeared as early as the second century BC and was traveled mainly by silk merchants. The term “Silk Road”, or “die Seidenstrasse”in German, was first noted down by the German geographer Ferdinand V on Richthofen at the end of the 19th century.The silk road began in Chang’an (present-day Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi Province), passing through Gansu and Xinjiang to Central Asia, West Asia, and to lands by the Mediterranean. There were no signs of communication between ancient Chinese civilization and Mediterranean civilization in earlier history. In about the seventh century BC, the ancient Greeks began to learn about an ancient civilization to the east, yet knew little about it. Before the Silk Road, according to archeological findings, there had already existed an intermittent trade route on the grasslands from the Yellow River and the Indus River drainage areas to the Euphrates and the Tigris, and the Nile drainage areas. Yet real communication between China, Central and West Asian countries, Africa and the European continent did not develop until the opening of the Silk Road.Zhang Qian, Trail BlazerThe pioneer who blazed the trail of the Silk Road was Zhang Qian (c. 164-114 BC). In Zhang Qian’s time, the Chinese has little knowledge about Central and West Asian countries, Africa or Europe, although they were aware of the existence of many different countries and cultures in faraway places to the west.During the reign of Emperor Wu (r. 140-135 BC), there were 36 small kingdoms in the Western Regions (present-day Xinjiang and parts of Central Asia). All of them were later conquered by the Huns, who then posed a direct threat to the Western Han and blocked the dynasty’s path west. Under these circumstances, Emperor Wu appointed Zhang Qian to lead a team of more than 100 envoys to the Western Regions.The mission was to unite the Indo-Scythic people against the Huns, who once killed their chieftain. Zhang Qian’s team set out in 138 BC. No sooner had they entered the Hexi Corridor (northwest of present-day Gansu Province), than they were captured by the Huns. After being held under house arrest for over ten years, Zhang Qian and only one other remaining envoy managed to escape and return to Chang’an in 126 BC. Their accounts about the Western Regions were a revelation to Hun emperor and his ministers.In the next two decades, Emperor Wu launched three major campaigns against the Huns, forcing them to retreat from the Western Regions. In 119 BC, the emperor sent Zhang Qian on a second mission to the Western Regions. This time Zhang Qian went further west, while his deputies reached more than a dozen countries in South and West Asia, and the Mediterranean.Zhang Qian’s two missions to the Western Regions opened up the road to the west. Emperor Wu adopted a series of measures to strengthen ties with the Western Regions, includingencouraging Han People to trade there.Soon the route was bustling with caravans of camels carrying goods of all types and reverberating with the tinkling of their bells. Through the Silk Road, trade flourished between China and Central, South and West Asian countries, Africa and Europe. In 166, envoys from Rome arrived via the Silk Road in Chang’an, were they set up an embassy.Part III Art and AestheticsUnit 5 Music: Govern the Country, Nourish the MindThe tradition of Chinese music dates back to remote antiquity. Governing the country and nourishing the mind through music are two of the main functions of this tradition.Governance Through MusicAccording to ancient Chinese culture, rituals provided the norms of conduct of people. The goal was to maintain social order.Music was for the mind’s cultivation and expression. Its purpose was to enhance people’s outlook on life and imbue them with energy and creativity, such that they could enjoy a more harmonious and happier spiritual life. Individual contentment would then lead to social harmony, as well as to a more harmonious relationship between people and nature. The highest level of ancient Chinese music was to represent spiritual with nature.The prominent stature of music in ancient China explains the emergence of sophisticated instruments from early times. Chime bells were one example. First used in the Shang Dynasty, they became quite popular during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC). In 1978, a fine set of chime bells was unearthed in Hubei Province, from the tomb of Marquis Yi, a local lord in a small state called Zeng during the Warring States Period.The Marquis Yi chime bells consist of 65 bells arranged in three rows. The first row includes 19 niu bells, and the second and third rows include 45 yong bells. The bells in each row differ from one another in shape and size, emanating(发出) different tones. In addition, there is a separate and much larger bell used to adjust pitch. Like the bells, the from is made of bronze, weighing as much as five tons or more. The total weight of the bells is more than 440 kilograms. While the bells bear inscriptions totaling more than 2,800 Chinese characters relating to music and the making of the instrument, the frame is carved with exquisite patterns in relief (浮雕) and fretwork(回纹细工). Instruments of such a scale and such fine craftsmanship were quite rate in the world at the time. Five musicians were needed to play the instrument. Each bell produces two tones when struck at the respective sound points as marked. The entire set of chime bells is able to produce all the tones of a modern piano.Consoling the Mind with MusicThe Chinese zither tends to create a tranquil air. The composition Wild Geese Landing on the Shallow Shore is such an example. With a relaxed rhythm, the first part of the piece depicts a calm Yangtze River under a clear autumn sky. The second part progresses into livelier rhythms to imitate the chirping of many birds. The third part presents a thematic scene of wild geese leisurely landing on the shallow shores of the Yangtze, as a gentle breeze makes the water ripple. To Chinese musicians and music lovers, the contentment of the wild geese represents the humanheart.The zither was also instrumental in communication between ancient scholars and artist. The famous zither composition, Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms, was based on an Eastern Jin Dynasty story of the poet Wang Ziyou (王子猷) (c. 338-386) and the flute player Huan Yi (桓伊) (?-383). One day the poet was taking a boat trip when he overheard someone on the riverbank say Huan Yi was passing by. Although the two had never met before, they admired each other as poet and flute player. Despite his lower rank of office, Ziyou sent a family member to request Huan Yi to play the flute. Without hesitation, Huan Yi dismounted from his carriage and played Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms, while Ziyou listened from his boat. After finishing, Huan Yi mounted his carriage and drove on. Ziyou, too, continued with his boat journey. The two of them exchanged not a single word, yet both were content with the communication of their hearts through the music.The flute’s three stanzas were later converted into a composition for the Chinese zither, which has become one of the best-known musical works –as an expression of otherworldly feelings through its eulogy of the plum flower’s purity, fragrance and resistance to the cold.Unit 6 Flying strokes of CalligraphyThe evolution of Chinese characters font甲骨文the Oracle bone script→金文Jinwen (Inscriptions on bronze )→篆书Seal script→隶书Official script→楷书Regular script→草书Cursive script→行书running scriptWang Xizhi and Preface to the Lanting Pavilion CollectionIn the Hall for Cultivation of Mind of the Palace Museum, there is a Three-treasurer Study, which derives its name for the three most valuable calligraphic works housed here. These three treasures, most valued and adored by Emperor Qianling (r. 1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty, were A Sunny Scene after a Quick Snow by Wang Xizhi, Mid-Autumn by Wang Xianzhi and Boyuan by Wang Xun (349-400). As father and son, Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi hae been known as the “Two Wangs”, their works universally recognized as the peak of Chinese calligraphy.Unit 7 Porcelain – Calling Card of Chinese CultureIn English, the country and “porcelain”share the same name –“China”. This proves that Europeans have long known of China’s relationship to porcelain. Porcelain found its way to Europe in the 15th century, occupying an important position in the exchanges between China and other countries. The Keisel Randy Museum in Germany houses a blue-and-white bowl dating back to the Ming Dynasty. Throughout history, China, along with other Asian countries, and Europe maintained a busy and vast trade in porcelain. From 1602 to 1682, the Dutch East India Company transported more than 16 million articles of porcelain to Europe. Porcelain garnered a good reputation for China for its sophistication and elegance, and played an important role in the wave of the European idealization of China during the 17th and 18th centuries. In the rococo stylepopular in Europe of that time, one could sense, from time to time, the influence of “Chinese vogue”represented by China’s styles of porcelain and gardens.Porcelain is of great significance in the history of Chinese civilization. Pottery was the predecessor of porcelain, while glazed pottery was the basis for the emergence of porcelain. Around the first century, porcelain production first emerged in China, and by The Song Dynasty it had become mature. Song-Dynasty porcelain represented the acme of Chinese porcelain technique. Five famous kilns, the Jun, Ding, Guan, Ge, and Ru, were all creative and original in their respective products, and their porcelain ware has been imitated by later generations throughout the ages. In the Yuan Dynasty, Jingdezhen became the center of the Chinese Porcelain industry.Pure Blue-and-White PorcelainPure and elegant beauty is the goal that porcelain pursues, and this ideal is best explained in the production of blue-and-white porcelain.Blue-and-white porcelain is a typical artifact of porcelain in China. Among the porcelain exported during the Ming and Qing dynasties, 80 percent was blue-and-white. Chinese-made blue-and-white porcelain ware emerged long before the founding of the Tang Dynasty, but it was not until the Yuan Dynasty that this type of porcelain came to be produced in quantity, with the attendant masterpieces. The Ming Dynasty witnessed the maturity of the art, and a large number of valuable pieces were produced in this period. Jingdezhen, a small town that created the enchanting blue-and-white porcelain of the Yuan Dynasty, became its porcelain-producing center; and in the subsequent Ming Dynasty, the imperial kilns were established here. Blue-and-white porcelain is now the most representative of Chinese porcelain.To produce blue-and-white porcelain, cobalt oxide is requisite. It is employed to draw on the white roughcast before glaze is applied. After kilning at a high temperature, the roughcast turns into blue-and-white porcelain, since cobalt oxide turns blue with heat. The white surface with blue patterns and a shiny sheen of glaze produces a pure, elegant and transparent effect.Unit 8 Peking Opera: Artistry of PerformersThe Delights of Peking Opera MasksChina’s Peking Opera radiates with the beauty of resplendent color –vivid, intense and glamorous. This artistic beauty comes not only from the costumes but also from the masks of exaggerated, dazzling designs, gleaming with red, purples, whites, yellows, blacks, blues, greens, every diverse color imaginable.Masks, applied to the two roles of the “jing”or “painted-face role”and the “chou”or “clown”, serve two purposes. One is to indicate the identity and character of the role. For example, a “red face”means the person is loyal and brave; a “black face”signifies the person is straightforward; and “a white face”identifies the person as crafty and evil. The other purpose is to express people’s appraisal of the roles from a moral and aesthetic point of view, such as respectable, hateful, noble, ridiculous, etc.Peking Opera Performance: Sing, Speak, Act, and FightThe performance of a Peking Opera actor can be summarized into four basic aspects, of singing, speaking, acting, and fighting, the core of which is a combination of song and choreography.Singing is of utmost importance in the performance of Peking Opera, because first of all, Peking Opera is a singing art. Any famous Peking Opera boasts several wonderful arias that are well-known and popular with audiences. The charm of the melodies usually embodies the sublime realm of the art of Peking Opera. Unable to appreciate the magic of Peking Opera arias, one would fail to enjoy the profound beauty of the art itself.Speaking refers to character monologs and dialogs, which serve to propel the development of the story. Speaking, like singing, needs to be executed in an appealing way.Acting and fighting mean that actors employ physical movements to express the emotions of the characters and the circumstances. Acting includes body movements and eye movements, solo dancing or group dancing, etc. Most of the dancing is choreographed movements from everyday life. Fighting is choreographed martial arts and acrobatics to depict fight or battle scenes. As the art of Peking Opera depends on movement to depict events, actors are given much room to perform on the stage.In the opera Picking up the Jade Bracelet, the young woman Sun Yujiao and the young scholar fall in love with each other, their eyes affixed on each other as if a thread connected them. Then, as Matchmaker Liu uses her pipe to pull the “virtual” line up and down, the young couple’s eyes accordingly move up and down. These actions produce great humor and add much significance to the performance.Acting and fighting serve the whole “play”or the “world of images”, but at the same time they are themselves a beautiful art in both form and skill. For example, in King Chu Bids Farewell to His Concubine, artist Mei Lanfang performed a sword dance in a miraculously skillful way, which became very popular with audiences. This is a type of beauty in form. As for the beauty of skill, this usually includes some very difficult acrobatic movements, often referred to as “superb skills”.The uniqueness of performances in Peking Opera lies in the fact that the singing, speaking, acting, and fighting, all focus on one or two actors in the play.These performers used to be called “jue’er”, hence “mingjue” was used to refer to famous actors or actresses. In this sense, the world of imagery created in Peking Opera mainly relies on the singing, speaking, acting, and fighting of actors, especially in the performance of the famous plays. This is the biggest difference between Peking Opera and other forms of performing arts in terms of aesthetic appreciation. And the remark –“Peking Opera is the art of performers”–well describes its quintessence.The Beauty of a “Visual World”Depicting a “visual world”is a distinctive feature of Peking Opera. Its virtually consists of two aspects: one is virtual movements, and the other virtual settings. Virtual movement refers to imitating actions onstage. For example, riding a horse. Onstage, an actor cannot ride a real horse, but can only hold a whip and imitate the movement of galloping by walking around the stage, turning the body, wielding the whip, and pulling the reins. A virtual setting means creating an imagined environment onstage. For example, rowing a boat. As there is no water or boat on the stage, an actor usually takes an oar and, through actions, makes the audience “see”the rowing of a boat on water.One is At the Crossroad. This opera describes the story of two yamen runners escorting Jiao Zan to prison. On the way they stay at an inn for the night. Ren Tanghui, whose task is to protect Jiao Zan, checks in at the same time. The owner of the inn, however, suspects Ren Tanghui is planning to murder Jiao Zan, so he gropes his way into Ren’s room at night. Thus a fight starts. What is special about the performance is that, although the fight happens at night, the stage isbrightly lit; yet the audience is able to sense it is a pitch-dark night from the actors’performances, which feature stealthy movements typical of people in darkness. Sometimes, one man’ s sword swishes down, only a few inches away from the other’ s face, yet the latter feels nothing, thus producing a breathtaking yet meaningful and humorous effect.The other example is Autumn River, a play transplanted from Sichuan Opera. This story describes a young nun, Chen Miaochang who leaves the nunnery to pursue her lover Pan Bizheng. Onstage, there is neither water nor boat, but through the performance of the young woman and the old boatman, the audience is able to obviously “see”that the stage is a river. The boat sways forward; all the way there the girl complains about the boat for being slow, while the old boatman keeps teasing her about her anxiety to see her lover. The performance is full of wit and humor.These examples describe the function of the “virtual world” in the art of Peking Opera, which provides limitless room for the performances of actors; and in return, performers present the audience with a world of images full of appealing wit. If in fact the stage of At the Crossroad was really all black to represent the dark night, and there was a real boat on the stage of Autumn River, what could the actors do? And what we still find as much wit and meaning in the performances? We doubt it.Part IV Folk CustomsUnit 9 Life with Fragrant TeaTea is a wonderful beverage originally produced in China about 4,000 years ago. During the Tang Dynasty, Japanese monks introduced tea seeds to Japan, and by combining tea with Zen Buddhism, created the world-famous Japanese tea ceremony. In the 17th century, the Dutch took to Europe the Chinese habit of tea drinking, which then became a tradition of the Europeans. In England in particular, people developed the custom of afternoon tea. Prior to the 19th century, all the tea in the world was grown in China, and even the English word “tea”was a transliteration of the pronunciation of “tea”in the Fujian dialect of China. Tea is an important contribution of the Chinese people to the world.Ways of Savoring TeaThe Chinese people look to tea drinking as an art, which incorporates a wide range of knowledge; the taste of tea might be light, yet the meaning is rich and deep.The Chinese attach great importance to the water, tea leaves, tea set, and fire, when making and drinking tea.Water is an element of priority in the making of tea. To make a good cup of tea, quality water is a must. The ancient Chinese commented on tea making thus: the tea must be new, and water must be live, or flowing. Lu Yu(陆羽) (733-804), the Saint of the Tang Dynasty, pointed out that, to make fine, water from high mountains is the best, followed by water from rivers and wells. In the cloud-enveloped high mountains, crystal clear spring water is the best for making tea; water in the brooks though also good, is not pure because it smells of the earth, therefore is only second best. Considered third is water from wells, as artificial springs from underground are often stagnant and tinted with the flavor of salt. It is thus no match at all for uncontaminated mountain spring water. Unluckily for us today, we do not even have the third type of water to make tea; we use either tap water or artificially purified water – a true pity indeed!。

中国英语文化教程习题答案中国英语文化教程习题答案中国英语文化教程是一本广泛使用的教材，旨在帮助学习者更好地了解中国的文化背景和英语的应用。

然而，对于许多学习者来说，教材中的习题往往是一个困扰。

本文将为大家提供一些中国英语文化教程习题的答案，以便帮助大家更好地学习和理解。

第一章：中国的传统节日1. 中国的春节通常在哪个月份庆祝？答案：中国的春节通常在农历的正月初一庆祝。

2. 中国人为什么会放鞭炮？答案：中国人放鞭炮是为了驱赶恶鬼和带来好运。

3. 中国的中秋节通常在哪个月份庆祝？答案：中国的中秋节通常在农历的八月十五庆祝。

第二章：中国的饮食文化1. 中国人为什么喜欢使用筷子？答案：中国人喜欢使用筷子是因为筷子在中国文化中象征着团结和和谐。

2. 中国的四大菜系是哪些？答案：中国的四大菜系是川菜、粤菜、湘菜和鲁菜。

3. 在中国，吃饭时为什么要碰杯？答案：在中国，碰杯是为了表达对彼此的祝福和尊重。

第三章：中国的传统艺术1. 中国的京剧是哪个省份的传统戏曲？答案：中国的京剧是北京的传统戏曲。

2. 中国的国画通常使用什么颜料？答案：中国的国画通常使用水墨颜料。

3. 中国的传统音乐中常见的乐器有哪些？答案：中国的传统音乐中常见的乐器有古筝、琵琶、二胡等。

第四章：中国的历史名胜1. 中国的长城建于哪个朝代？答案：中国的长城建于秦朝。

2. 中国的故宫位于哪个城市？答案：中国的故宫位于北京市。

3. 中国的西湖位于哪个城市？答案：中国的西湖位于杭州市。

通过以上习题的答案，我们可以更好地了解中国的文化背景和传统习俗。

同时，希望这些答案能够帮助大家更好地学习和掌握中国英语文化教程中的知识点。

祝大家学习进步！。

练习答案Unit 1Before You Read2. Give the name of the following myths according to the pictures.1) Houyi Shot the Suns 2) Chang’e Flying to the Moon3) the Eight Immortals4) Kua Fu Chasing the SunKnowledge Focus2.Fill in the blanks according to the knowledge you’ve learned about Chinese mythology.1)myths 2)religion 3)myth, legend 4)encyclopedia 5) Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism 6) Reverence 7) Pangu3.Match the information in Column A with the time period in Column B according to Chinese culture.1) C 2) E 3) A4) B5) D4.Tell whether the following statements are true or false. Write T if the statement is true and F if it is false.1) F 2) F 3) F 4) F 5) T 6) F7) TLanguage Focus1. Write the correct word next to its definition.1)potion 2)extol 3)worship 4)chaos 5)intertwine 6)cult 7)gigantic 8)stifle 9)tenet 10)tapestry 11)deity 12)prophecy 13)reverence 14)reincarnation15)hierarchy 2. Fill in the blanks with the words or expressions taken from Exercise 1 andtranslate the sentences into Chinese.1)tenets: 他是信奉自然主义信条的作家之一。

Chapter 1答案1. Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1) c 2) b 3) a 4) d 5) c2. Fill in the blanks.6) Sumerian, Egyptian, Chinese characters7) red, rectangular, five stars8) form, sound, meaning9) family name, the given name, xing, shi, ming, zi3. Translate the following terms into English.10) a. the Imperial palace/the Forbidden City b. nature reserve c. autonomous region d.special administrative region11) a. the Han nationality b. ethical tradition c. social status d. Chinese character4. Explain the following in English.12) paper making, printing, the compass and gunpowder.13) 甲骨文，钟鼎文，小篆，隶书，楷书5. Answer the following questions.14) Chinese characters mainly have four ways of formation, namely pictographs,indicatives, ideographs and pictophonetic.15) A person‟s ming and zi were normally given by his or her elders.Hao wasdifferent from both ming and zi in that it was chosen by oneself rather than by others. A person often had more than one hao. Hao was not used to address one another but as a signature in one‟s poetic and artistic works. Hao usually revealed one‟s aspiratio ns and moral values.16) A Chinese surname is generally composed of one character or syllable, such asZhang, Wu, Li, or Yang. There are also two-syllable, three-syllable or even four-syllable surnames, such as Ouyang, Zhuge, Sima, Gongsun, Zhukehun, Buliugu, Houmochen and Jingjiangliushi.Chapter 21．Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1)Primitive characters were invented and carved on _______.a. stonesb. bamboosc. potsd. rocks2)Li Bing and his son directed the construction of _______which made possiblerationalized irrigation supply, flood diversion and sand discharge.a. the Grand Canalb. the Great Wallc. the Silk Roadd. the Dujiang Dam3)During the _______, people learned how to smelt bronze and use iron tools.a. Shang Dynastyb. Qin Dynastyc. Han Dynastyd. Xia Dynasty4)The “times of prosperity” refers to the _______ reign periods.a. Genghis Khanb. Ying Zhengc. Li Shimind. Kangxi and Qianlong5)In the _______ Dynasty, remarkable progress was made in agriculturalproduction and handicrafts, and toward the end of the dynasty, the rudiments of capitalism appeared.a.Mingb. Qingc. Songd. Shang2. Fill in the blanks.6)In __________, Qin Shihuang, the First Emperor, established China‟s f irstcentralized autocracy, the Qin Dynasty, thereby ushering Chinese history into feudalism.7)In the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), the Han regime reached the periodof its greatest prosperity. Emperor Wudi conquered the Xiongnu nomads, and sent Zhang Qian as envoy to the Western Regions (Central Asia), and in the process pioneered the route known as ____________ from the Han capital__________ (today‟s Xi‟an，Shaanxi Province), through__________ and onward, finally reaching the east coast of the _____________.8)The __________ was the turning point in Chinese history which marked theclose of the ancient period and the beginning of the modern history.9)The Bourgeois Democratic Revolution of 1911 led by __________ toppled therule of the Qing Dynasty and put an end to more than 2,000 years of__________________.3. Translate the following terms into English.10) a. 旧石器时代____________ b. 新石器时代________________c. 奴隶社会______________d. 《红楼梦》________________11) a. 彩陶 _________________ b. 春秋战国时期 _____________c. 社会主义市场经济___________d. 鸦片战争__________________4. Explain the following in English.12)the Silk Road13)“a hundred schools of thought contend”5. Answer the following questions.14)Why the Opium War was the turning point in Chinese history?15)Why the construction of the Dujiang Dam was so important in Chinese ancienttimes?16) What are the main contributions of Qin Shi Huang?答案1．Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1) c 2) d 3) a 4) d 5) a2. Fill in the blanks.6) 221 B.C.7) Silk Road, Chang'an, Xinjiang, Mediterranean Sea8) Opium War9) Sun Yat-sen, feudal monarchical system3. Translate the following terms into English.10) a. the Paleolithic Era b. the Neolithic Age c. slave society d. Dream of RedMansions11) a. painted pottery b. the spring and Autumn Period c. socialist market economyd. Opium War4. Explain the following in English.12) During the reign of Emperor Wudi (Liu Che, r. 140-87 B.C.), the Han regimereached the period of its greatest prosperity: The emperor conquered the Xiongnu nomads, and sent Zhang Qian as envoy to the Western Regions (Central Asia), and in the process pioneered the route known as the "Silk Road" from the Han capital Chang'an (today's Xi'an, Shaanxi Province), through Xinjiang and onward, finally reaching the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea.13) During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, philosophy and otherbranches of scholarship were unprecedentedly thriving, with the representatives of various schools vying with each other in writing books to discuss politics and analyze society. Hence the appearance of a situation in which "a hundred schools of thought contended."5. Answer the following questions.14) The Opium War was the turning point in Chinese history in that it marked theclose of the ancient period and the beginning of the modern history.15) The reason why the construction of the Dujiang Dam was so important in Chineseancient times is that it made possible rationalized irrigation supply, flood diversion and sand discharge.16) During his reign, Qin Shi Huang standardized the script, currencies, and weightsand measures, established the system of prefectures and counties, and constructed the world-renowned Great Wall as well as a large palace, mausoleum and temporary regal lodges respectively in Xianyang, Lishan and other places. In addition, the life-size terracotta horses and armored warriors excavated from sites near the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang are known as the eighth wonder of the world.Chapter 31．Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1)During the late Spring and Autumn Period, _______ started the trend byproviding private teaching.a . Xun Zi b. Mo Zi c. Mencius d. Confucius2)Ideologically speaking, both Confucius and Mo Zi were idealists, but there arenoteworthy elements of _______ in Mo Zi‟s theory of knowledge.a. socialismb. materialismc. capitalismd. idealism3)According to Xun Zi‟s theory of _______, the good qualities man had wereacquired through learning after birth.a.innate evilb. benevolent governancec. innate goodd. universal love4)_______ is the most important theoretician of the Legalist school of thought.a. Xun Zib. Han Feizic. Sun Zid. Mo Zi5)_______ was a well-known military strategist in late Spring and AutumnPeriod.a.Mo Zib. Han Feizic. Xun Zid. Sun Zi2. Fill in the blanks.6)It is said that Confucius had more than _______ students, _______ of whomwere considered to be excellent.7)Unlike Confucius, __________ did not deny the quest for________ (profits, orgains), but he attached more importance to ________ (righteousness) and considered ________ as his top priority.8)________ advocated universal love, the love for all without discrimination.9)________‟s concep t of ________ was a step forward compared to the naive________ or ________ initiated during the Spring and Autumn Period.3. Translate the following terms into English.10) a. 儒家思想___________________ b. 孙子兵法_____________c. 孔子语录___________________d. “亚圣”_____________11) a. 封建地主阶级_______________ b. 保守主义_____________c. 仁政 _______________d. 井田制_______________4. Explain the following in English.12)The six documents (The Six Classics) under Confucius compilation13)Mencius‟“Good Nature Doctrine”5. Answer the following questions.14)What is the ideal moral personality according to Mencius‟ belief?15)What‟s the notable difference between Han Feizi and Confucius on the view ofhuman nature?16)What are the main contributions of Confucius?17)In Sun Zi‟s view, what factors are of pivotal importance in military affairs?答案1．Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1) d 2) b 3) a 4) b 5) d2. Fill in the blanks.6) 3000, 727) li, yi, yi8) Mo Zi9) Xun Zi, nature, materialism, atheism3. Translate the following terms into English.10) a. Confucianism b. (Sun Wu‟s) the Art of War c. Confucian analects d. SecondSage11) a. the feudal landlord class b. conservatism c. the policy of benevolence d. thenine-square field system4. Explain the following in English.12) The six documents (The Six Classics) under Confucius compilation include Shi(The Book of Songs), Shu(Collection of Ancient Texts), Li(The Rites), Yue (The Music), Yi (I Ching, or The Classic of Changes), and Chun Qiu (The Springand Autumn Annuals), which are considered as the classics of Confucianism. 13) Mencius believed that human beings are good by nature. He held that thisgoodness is innate and can be acquired without learning or thinking; one‟s natural goodness is presented by the exercise of benevolence, righteousness, proprieties and prudence. Evil comes into being when one rejects their natural goodness.5. Answer the following questions.14) According to Mencius, the ideal moral personality is that one should never be“corrupted by neither riches nor honors, shaken by neither poverty nor adversity, faltered by neither threats nor force”.15) Han Feizi argued that human nature is basically selfish, and thus the social ordercan be maintained only when the ruler imposes rules and his subjects must obey without questioning and enforces them with strict punishments. As a moral and ethical system, “ren” is the central theme of Confucius Analects, which focuses on human love that is hierarchical and differentiated. Thus Confucius created his version of humanism. In his idea, human nature is partially good and partially evil. Based on “ren”, Confucius objected to the fantastic powers that confused the human spirit.16) As one of the greatest thinkers and educators in the history of China, Confucius‟contributions lie in the following three aspects. Firstly, he compiled and preserved literary works of three generations. The six documents (The Six Classics) under his compilation, including Shi (The Book of Songs), Shu (Collection of Ancient Texts), Li (The Rites), Yue (The Music), Yi (I Ching, or The Classic of Changes), and Chun Qiu (The Spring and Autumn Annuals), are considered as the classics of Confucianism. Secondly, Confucius established a system of philosophical thoughts with “ren”(benevolence) as its fundamental virtue. Thirdly, Confucius established private schools and founded a systematic educational framework.Chapter 41．Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1)It is widely believed that _______was the author of Tao Te Ching.a. Confuciusb. Menciusc. Mo Zid. Lao Zi2)Politically, Lao Zi advocated ruling by _______.a. the governmentb. peoplec. godd. non-action or inaction3)From Zhuang Zi‟s point of view, only _______ was absolute, while everythingelse was relative.a.loveb. the Wayc. “ren”d. god4)_______ was born at Ku Prefecture (today‟s Luyi County of Henan province)in the later years of the Spring and Autumn Period.a. Confuciusb. Lao Zic. Menciusd. Mo Zi5)Lao Zi was a philosopher of ancient China and is a central figure in__________.a.Buddhismb. Islamc. Daoismd. Confucianism2. Fill in the blanks.6)The idealistic state in Lao Zi‟s description is __________, even __________and in isolation.7)For Lao Zi, it was more important to “see _______________, to realize one‟s____________, to cast off __________, and to temper__________”.8)Lao Zi literally means "___________" and is generally considered anhonorific.9)Lao Zi‟s philosophy reflects the exploration of an intellectual for the u ltimatesolution of _____________ and _____________.3. Translate the following terms into English.10) a. 史前时期______________ b. 悲观主义______________c. 道教__________________d. 天人相应______________11) a. 中华武术______________ b. 占星学 _______________c. 中国炼丹术____________d. 社会秩序______________4. Explain the following in English.12)the Three Jewels of the Tao13)the “Four Sacred Daoist Mountains”5. Answer the following questions.14)What does Lao Zi‟s “Tao” mean?15)Why Taoism is so important in Chinese religion?16) How do you understand Lao Zi‟s “ruling by non-action or inaction”?答案1．Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1) d 2) d 3) b 4) b 5) c2. Fill in the blanks.6) naturalistic, primitive7) the simplicity, true nature, selfishness, desire8) Old Master9) the social order, individual freedom3. Translate the following terms into English.10) a. prehistoric times b. pessimism c. Taoism d. men-cosmos correspondence11) a. Chinese martial arts b. astrology c. Chinese alchemy d. social order4. Explain the following in English.12) compassion, moderation, and humility13) Mount Longhu (Mount Dragon and Tiger) in Jiangxi Province, Mount Qingchengin Sichuan Province, Mount Wudang in Hubei Province, and Mount Qiyun in Anhui Province.5. Answer the following questions.14) The core of Lao Zi‟s thought is “Tao” (the Way), by whi ch he refered to thecondition of the universe before the creation of the heaven and the earth.Therefore, it is from Tao that all the elements of the universe are derived.Reversal enables Tao to have a circular movement, that is, when the development of anything brings it to one extreme, a reversal to the other extreme takes place.15) Taoism is one of the most important religions in China, which refers to a varietyof related philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. These traditions have influenced East Asia for over two thousand years and some have spread to the West. As the native religion of China, Daoism, together with Confucianism and Buddhism, comprises the main body of traditional Chinese culture. Daoists, in pursuit of the ideal of becoming immortals by practicing Dao, made great efforts to transcend conventional wisdom about life and knowledge and thus helped both to define ancient science in China and to advance it through a great number of inventions. Chinese alchemy, astrology, cuisine, several Chinese martial arts, Chinese traditional medicine, fengshui, and many styles of qigong breath training disciplines have been intertwined with Daoism throughout history.16) Lao Zi‟s “ruling by non-action or inaction” reflects the exploration of anintellectual for the ultimate solution of the social order and individual freedom.His pursuit of vacuity and action through non-action echoes the reality of his time, a period torn by ceaseless wars among states. Lao Zi used the term broadly with simplicity and humility as key virtues, often in contrast to selfish action. Ona political level, it means avoiding wars, harsh laws and heavy taxes. For him, itwas more important to “see the simplicity, to realize one‟s true nature, to cast off selfishness, and to temper desire”.Chapter 51．Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1)Buddhism originated in _______ in the 6th century BC. Sakyamuni is said tobe the founder of Buddhism.a . China b. Japan c. India d. Korea2)In 1996, Mount _______ was included in the List of the World FamousCultural Relics.a. Jiuhuab. Wutaic. Emeid. Putuo3)Buddhism is the number _______ religion in China.a. oneb. twoc. threed. four4)Mount _______ is known in and out of the country as “the m ost worshippedsacred place” and “the first mountain in Southeast China.”a. Jiuhuab. Wutaic. Emeid. Putuo5)Mount _______ has numerous temples and nunneries, and is therefore called a“Buddhist Kingdom on the Sea”.a. Jiuhuab. Wutaic. Emeid. Putuo2. Fill in the blanks.6)Buddhism was spread to China in 67 AD during ________________ (206 BC-220) from Hotan in Xinjiang to Central China. During ________________ dynasties, Buddhism entered its golden age.7)Buddhism has always co-existed with __________ and ________.8)____________ is the most well-known one among the “Four Sacred BuddhistMountains” in China and the only Chinese mountain mentioned in Buddhist scriptures. Standing at 3,058 meters above sea level, it was seen as the ______________________.9)The biggest attractions of Mount Wutai are the numerous _____________. Sofar there remain a total of ____________ here, ranking _______ in China.3. Translate the following terms into English.10) a. 佛教____________________ b. 冥想________________c. 儒家思想________________d. 佛寺________________11) a. 大雄宝殿________________ b. 佛经________________c. (中国祭祀用之)香___________d. 避暑圣地____________4. Explain the following in English.12)The Four Wonders of Mount Emei13)the Ten Schools of Chinese Buddhism5. Answer the following questions.14)What is the cornerstone of Buddhist philosophy?15)What does the doctrine of Four Noble Truths refer to?16)How did Mount Jiuhua obtain its fame?答案1. Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1) c 2) c 3) a 4) a 5) d2. Fill in the blanks.6) the Han Dynasty, the Sui and Tang7) Confucianism, Taoism8) Wutai, the “roof of northern China”9) Buddhist temples, 76 temples, first3. Translate the following terms into English.10) a. Buddhism b. meditation c. Confucianism d. Buddhist temple11) a. the Great Buddha Hall b. Buddhist scripture c. joss stick d. summer resort4. Explain the following in English.12) The Four Wonders of Mount Emei are the “Golden Summit Sunrise”, “Sea of Clouds”, “Buddha‟s Halo” and the “Holy Lamp”.13) The Ten Schools of Chinese Buddhism are as follows:a. Reality School or Kosa School or Abhidharma School.b. Satysiddhi School or Cheng-se School.c. Three Sastra School or San-lun School.d. The Lotus School or T'ien-t'ai School.e. The Garland School or Hua-yen.f. Intuitive School or Ch'an School or Dhyana School.g. Discipline School or Lu School or Vinaya School.h. Esoteric School or Chen-yien School or Mantra School.i. Dharmalaksana School or Ch'u-en School or Fa-siang School.j. Pure-land School or Sukhavati School or Ching-t'u School.5. Answer the following questions.14) The cornerstone of Buddhist philosophy is the view that all life is suffering.15) the doctrine of Four Noble Truths refers to: life is suffering, the cause of sufferingis desire, the answer is to quench desire, and the way to this end is to follow the Eight-Fold Path, which consists of right knowledge, right thought, right speech, right behavior, right livelihood, right effor t, right mindfulness and right concentration.16) When Li Bai, famous Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty, was invited to MountJiuhua, he was overwhelmed by the scene of nine peaks that look like lotus blooms from heaven. Out of admiration he composed the lines: “Two forces preserve between the World and the Heaven; Nine lotuses blossom on the Jiuhua Mountain.” Since then the mountain has been attracting men of letters throughout the ages, and thus Jiuhua obtained its fame.Chapter 61 Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1) The comments about Classic of Changes are on the following EXCEPT .a. one of the oldest of the Chinese classic textsb. a symbol system used to identify order in random eventsc. sometimes regarded as a system of divinationd. a compilation of documentary records related to events in ancient history of China2) is the source of Chinese verse and the starting point of the Chinese epic.a. The Analects of Confuciusb. Classic of Historyc. Spring and Autumn Annalsd. The Classic of PoetryThe comments about Shijing are on the following EXCEPT .a. It covers all aspects of the society of the Zhou Dynastyb. It is a mirror reflecting the Zhou Dynasty.c. it is the most valuable and important material in the study of the Chineselanguage from the 11th century to the 6th century B.C.d. it includes the basic theories of self-improvement and how to administrate thecountry.4) The Four Books refer to The Great Learning, The Analects, Mencius and .a. The Spring and Autumnb. The Classic of Historyc. The Classic of Ritesd. The Doctrine of the Mean2 Fill in the blanks.5) _______, ________, ________, ________, ________, ________ are collectivelyknown as the “six divisions”.6) Five Classics refer to _______, _______, _______, _______ and _______.7) The poems in Shijing were divided into three categories, namely, _______,_______ and _______.3 Translate the following terms into English8) a.《大学》 The Great Learning b. 《论语》The Analects of Confucius9) a.《中庸》The Doctrine of the Mean b. 《尚书》The Classic of History10) a. 《易经》The Classic of Changes b. 四书五经The Four Books and FiveClassics4.Explain the following in English.11) “Confucian Way of the Heart”.12) “To know something is not so good as to like it; to like it is not so good as todelight in it.”5.Answer the following questions.13) Can you give specific examples to illustrate what is Zhongyong?14)Confucius advocates universal love, do you think it is contradicted with principles? Keys1. 1) d 2) d 3) d 4) d2. 5) Feng, Ya, Song, Fu, Bi, Xing6) The Classic of Poetry; The Classic of History; The Classic of Rites; The Classic ofRites; The Classic of Changes; The Spring and Autumn Annals.7) Feng (Ballads); Ya (Odes); Song (Sacrificial Songs)3. 8) a. The Great Learning b. The Analects of Confucius9) a. The Doctrine of the Mean b. The Classic of History10) a. The Classic of Changes b. The Four Books and Five Classics 4. 11) “Confucius Way of the Heart”means if everyone makes strict demands onhimself/herself, and does everything according to the Confucian rites, then the relations between the king and the minister, the father and the son will eventually be harmonized, and the society will go smoothly.12) “To know something is not so good as to like it; to like it is not so good as todelight in it.” It means a person who prefers it can learn better than one whomerely understands it; but a person who delights in it learns even better than one who only prefers it.5. 略Chapter 71 Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1) When Yao was the leader of the confederation of tribes, suns appeared in thesky.a. tenb. ninec. eightd. thirteen2) taught people how to grow crops and thus brought agriculture to the earth.a. Yub. Yandic. Huang Did. Hou Yi3) is the hero of controlling flood.a. Yub. Yandic. Huang Did. Hou Yi4) It is said that Nuwa used to mend the cracks in the sky.a. five-colored stonesb. yellow clayc. cottond. cloth2 Fill in the blanks.5) Yu is the hero of . He was revered as of his achievement andselected to succeed to the throne by .6) It is said that there was no man when the sky and the earth were separated by .It was who made human being after with .3 Translate the following terms into English7) a.炎黄子孙 b. 大禹治水8) a.八仙过海____ b. 女娲造人9) a. 盘古开天 b.夸父追日4 Answer the following questions.10) Why does Chinese people call themselves the descendants of Yan and Huang?11) Do you know the story of Genesis? Are there any similarities and differencesbetween Genesis and Nüwa Creates Man?5 Retell the stories with the help of the following pictures.参考答案1 Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1) a 2) b 3) a 4) a2 Fill in the blanks.5)controlling flood, Yv the Great, Shun6)Pan Gu, Nv Wa, her own model, yellow clay3 Translate the following terms into English7)a. the descendants of Yan and Huang b. Yv the Great controlling the flood8)a. the Eight Immortals crossing the sea. b. Nv Wa creating man9)a. Pan Gu creating the world b.Kua Fu chasing the Sun4 Answer the following questions.10)Huang Di is resourceful in invention as well as in war and is credited with the invention of many things, like carts and boats, clothes, houses, writing and silkworm breeding and Silk weaving. Yan Di is credited with the invention of farming and medicine. He invented the wooden plow and taught people how to treat diseases. Wars urged the mixture and the assimilation of different tribes and eventually formed a tribal alliance of Huang Di and Yan Di. Traditions has it that Chinese civilization originated from the era of Huang Di and Yan Di, for they are the ancestors of the Chinese people. That is why the Chinese call themselves the descendants of Yan and Huang.11)略5 Retell the stories with the help of the following pictures.略Chapter 8 Poetry1 Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1) The three most famous poets in Tang dynasty were .a. Wang Wei, Li Bai and Du Fub. Wang Wei, Su Tung-po and Du Fuc. Su Xun, Ouyang Xiu and Li Qingzhaod. Su Tung-po, Li Qingzhao and Tao Yuanming2) Guti refers to the verse forms used in pre-Tang times, which includethe following EXCEPT:a. shijingb. chucic. yuefud. blank verse3) The following poems are written by Li Bai (712-770 ) EXCEPT:a. Thoughts of a Quiet Nightb. Seeing Meng Haoran Off at Yellow Crane Towerc. The Waterfall in Mount Lu Viewed from Afard. Wild Honey Suckle4) Which poem is Written by Du Fu？a. Happy Rain on a Spring Nightb. Leaving at Dawn the White Emperor Townc. The Peacock Flying Southeastd. The Goddess2 Fill in the blanks.5) Chinese Classical poetry is mainly classified in two categories:and . “Gu” (古) in Chinese means “”, “ti”(体) means “” ; “jin”(近，今) means “” .6) The earliest anthology of poetry is (Classic of Poetry, cf. pp48-49).7) is Qu Yuan‟s masterpiece and the most i mportant lyric and romantic poem ofchuci.8) Du Fu (712 - 770), was crowned the “” by later generations. He is also regardedas of ancient China.9) There are two genres of ci in Song Dynasty. One is represented by , the otheris represented by .3 Translate the following terms into English10) a.唐诗 b.宋词11) a.元曲 b.楚辞4 Explain the following in English.12) Yuefu Folk Songs13) Ci14) Fu5 Answer the following questions15) Can you make a comparison between The Peacock flew to the Southeast and Romeo and Juliet?16) Can you list some literary works which reflect the progressive idea of “Letting all those in love be finally joined in perfect union”?参考答案:11) a 2)d 3)d 4) a25) the guti verse forms, jinti verse forms, classical, verse form, moder6) Shijing7) Li Sao8) Sage Poet, the greatest realist poet9) Su Shi, Li Qingzhao3.10) a. Tang Poems b. Songci11) a. yuanqu b. Chuci4.12) Yuefu originally referred to the “music bureau” in the Han Dynasty, responsible for collecting or writing poems, folk songs and ballads, and having them set to music. Later, poems, folk songs and ballads collected and compiled by yufu were given the name Yuefu.13) Ci is a kind of poetry written to certain tunes with strict tonal patterns and rhyme schemes, in fixed numbers of lines and words, originated in Tang Dynasty and fully developed in Song Dynasty.14) Apart from the above verse forms, there is also Fu, it‟s something between poetry and prose, similar to rhapsody: a descriptive poem, and much cultivated from Han times to the Six Dynasties. Examples are Su Shi's “Fu on the Red Cliff”, Ban Gu‟s Rhapsody on Two Capitals”, etc.5. 略Chapter 9 Chinese Fiction1 Multiple choice (choose the best answer).1) is the first novel in the history of Chinese literature that depicts the whole developmental process of peasant uprising.a. Three Kingdomsb. Outlaws of the Marshc. Border Townd. Marvelous Tales of the Past and Present2) is generally recognized as a master piece about deities and ghosts.a. Fortress Besiegedb. The True Story of Ah Qc. Goddessd. Journey to the West3) Which one is not known as 《红楼梦》?a. The Story of the Stoneb. The Treasured Mirror of Romantic Affairsc. Rebirth of the Goddessd. The Anecdotes of the Romantic Bronze4) The following stories are written by Lu Xun EXCEPTa. The True Story of Ah-Q.。

I. Chinese Cultural Terms :1.绿茶green tea2.红茶black tea3.乌龙茶oolong tea4.黑茶dark tea5.花茶scented tea6.茉莉花茶jasmine tea7.八大菜系eight major schools of cuisine /8 Regional Chinese Cuisines8.茶道tea ceremony9.茶具tea set10.紫砂壶boccaro teapot11.北京烤鸭Beijing roast duck12.清蒸鱼steamed fish13.狗不理包子Goubili steamed buns14.佛跳墙Buddha Jumping the Wall15.《论语》The Analects16.《诗经》The Book of Songs17.《道德经》Classic of the Way and Virtue18.道家Daoism19.汉字Chinese character20.象形文字pictograph21.甲骨文oracle-bone inscription/ oracle-bone script22.篆文seal character/ seal script23.文房四宝four treasures of study24.丝绸之路the Silk Road25.海上丝绸之路the Maritime silk road26.一带一路倡议The Belt and Road Initiative27.西域the Western regions28.敦煌石窟the Dunhuang Grottoes29.春秋时期the Spring and Autumn Period30.方块象形文字the square-shaped pictographic character31.颜(真卿）体the Yan style32.民间艺术folk arts33.年画New Year pictures34.剪纸paper cutting /papercuts35.皮影戏shadow play36.苏绣Suhou Embroidery37.造纸术paper making38.印刷术printing39.佛经Buddhist scripture40.行书running script /semi-cursive script41.草书cursive script42.楷书regular script/standard script43.隶书official script/ clerical script44.砚the ink slab/ the ink stone; 墨ink stick45.六艺：礼乐射御书数“six arts” : ritual,music,archery, carriage driving , calligraphy , and mathematics46.毛笔the writing brush47.宣纸xuan paper/ rice paper48.中国书法Chinese calligraphy49.简体字：simplified characters50.繁体字complex characters/ traditional characters51.中国结Chinese knots52.佛教Buddhism53.国徽national emblem54.国旗national flag55.国歌national anthemII. Multiple choices （每题三个选项中选一个最佳答案）1)Which of the following is irrelevant to the pictographic symbols of Chinese characters? （下列哪项与汉字的象形符号无关？）___A●Aspiration. 吸●Imagination.想象●Creativity.创造力●Allusion.典故2) Which of the following statements is true of the name of Fudan University（关于复旦大学的名称，下列哪个陈述是正确的？）___D●The characters both stand for "the sun rising on the horizon".这些字符都代表着“太阳在地平线上升起”●The name is taken from a Chinese classical poem.这个名字取自中国古典诗歌●The name encourages the students to get up early in the morning.这个名字鼓励学生早上早起●The characters are intended to tell the students to make progress dayby day.这些字旨在让学生们一天天地进步3) Which of the following languages mostly consists of language pictures（下列语言中哪一种主要由语言图片组成？）? B___●Mandarin Chinese. 普通话●Hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt.古埃及的象形文字●Oracle-bone inscription. 甲骨文●Seal characters.篆书4) The symbol for “swimming”is closest to（“游泳”的符号最接近的是）___.C●oracle-bone inscription甲骨文●Mandarin Chinese普通话●seal characters 篆书●none of the above没有选项5)The symbol for “athletics”contains the ingredients of （“运动”的符号包含了）___.A●dancing and running跳舞、跑步●running and swinging 跑步和摆动●dancing and swinging 跳舞和摆动●triathlon and football铁人三项和足球6)All the following are the titles of Confucius except（以下孔子的头衔除了）___.B●an educator一个教育家● A biologist 一个生物学家● A scholar 有识之士● A philosopher一个哲学家7)The expression “filial piety” most probably means being （“孝”的意思很可能是指）___.D●Loyal to the state忠于国家●Obedient to sister(s) 听姐姐的话●Responsible for the family 对家庭负责●Dutiful to parents孝顺父母8)Which of following can best describe Confucius’ view on the relationship between man and nature （下面哪一个最能说明孔子对人与自然关系的看法？）___.D●Brothers兄弟●Husband and wife 夫妇●Doctor and patient 医生和病人●Mother and son母子9)Through burial and ancestral worship rituals,people can learn that （通过丧葬和祭祖仪式，人们可以了解到。