1、Chapter 1 A General Introduction to Chinese CultureWords and Expressions:the descendants of Yan and Huang 炎黄子孙 porcelain 瓷器The appellation of ChinaChinese history began with two legendary figuresEmperor Huang and Emperor Yan, who, together with their tribes, inhabited the drainage area along the mid
2、dle reaches（中游） of the Yellow River. By the time of Xia Dynasty, after centuries of living side by side, these two tribes had gradually merged into（合并，融合） one. Consequently, the Chinese people usually call themselves “the descendants of Yan and Huang”.People at that time believed that the land they
3、lived on was the center of the world, and called their state the “Middle Kingdom“(中国), thus giving China its country name.China is the appellation of our country given by foreigners. The porcelain china is the transliteration of the place name Changnan(昌南), which was the old name for Jingdezhen（景德镇）
4、. The porcelain made in Changnan was smooth and bright, and earned another name of artificial jade. It became famous both home and abroad and was exported to Europe in large quantities.In Europe, people regarded Changnan porcelain as something precious and delicate and would take pride in possessing
5、 one. As time passed, people in Europe forgot the meaning of Changnan and switched the original meaning of porcelain of the word “china” to the place of its origin.Chapter 2 Chinese Philosophy and ReligionPart 1 Chinese Thoughts and PhilosophyWords and Expressions:Confucianism 儒家 Taoism 道家The Analec
6、ts 论语benevolence 仁慈，善行ritual 礼制，仪式，惯例filial piety 孝，孝心The Development of Ancient Chinese Philosophy The philosophy in Pre-Qin times (先秦子学)The orthodox philosophy during the Han Dynasty (两汉经学)Metaphysics during the Wei and Jin dynasties (魏晋玄学)The buddhist philosophy during the Sui and Tang dynasties
7、(隋唐佛学)Neo-confucianism in Song and Ming dynasties (宋明理学)Application philosophy in the Ming and Qing dynasties (明清实学) The philosophy in Pre-Qin times (先秦子学)The philosophy in Pre-Qin times was marked by the emergence of various ancient philosophical views. The most influential schools were Confucianis
8、m (儒家), Taoism (道家), Mohism (墨家) and Legalism (法家)1.ConfucianismConfucianism is a school of thought represented by Confucius and Mencius. Confucianism has influenced the Chinese for thousands of years and is deeply rooted in Chinese culture. It is an integration of intellectual, political, and relig
9、ious tradition with the focus on the individual morality and ethics in daily life and the proper exercise of political power.Who is Confucius?Family name: Kong; Given name: Qiu; courtesy name: ZhongniHe is a great thinker, an educator, a statesman, a philosopher, the founder of the Confucian school
10、and Confucianism. The landmark of Confucianism is the Analects, which was written by his disciples after his death.The core of Confuciuss philosophy are the concepts of Ren (benevolence)Ren(仁): Confucius defines it as “Airen ”(爱人） ，that is , to love others.The Chinese character “仁” （benevolence) con
11、sists of “a person （人） ” on the left and “two(二)”on the right indicating the relationship between people.Li (ritual)Li （ritual- 礼）refers to the rules of human conduct and moral norms such as politeness, courtesy, propriety, proper etiquette and good manners ranging from speech and behavior to the pe
12、rformance of rituals which are usually codified and treated as an all-embracing system of social norms.Xiao (filial piety) Xiao(孝）refers to the filial piety, which was regarded as one of the greatest of virtues in Chinese tradition, denoting the respect and obedience that the children should show to
13、 their parents.Zhong (loyalty)Zhong (loyalty-忠）is a great virtue, which emphasizes the obligations and duties to the superior, to friends, family, and spouse.2. TaoismFounded by Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi, the school advocates the doctrine that the Dao is the course, the principle, the substance, and the
14、standard of all things, to which all of them must conform. Based on the work of Dao De Jing, Taoism promotes the belief that a person should live a simple life, not to strive for wealth, fame or power, which will only give one worries and trouble. The school favours the political principle of “achie
15、ving good government through non-action”(无为而治) 3. MohismBase on the teaching of Mozi, the school cherishes universal love which states that if all the people in the world loved one another, there will be no hatred, calamities, and hostilities. In politics and ethics, Mohism proposes honoring virtuou
16、s people, opposing fatalism (宿命论) and aggressive wars, and upholding thriftiness(节俭). 4. LegalismLegalism, begun by Hanfeizi, espouses (主张) laying down laws to unify the thought of people, promoting agriculture to achieve affluence (富裕), waging (进行) wars to gain strength and power, and establishing
17、a system of bureaucracy (官僚制度). The orthodox philosophy during the Han Dynasty (两汉经学)In the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wudi instituted the campaign of “banning all schools of thought except Confucianism(罢黜百家，独尊儒术)”. He chose officials from those who were steeped in Confucianism only. Consequently, Confuci
18、anism became an orthodox school that served as the ideological foundation of the feudal rule throughout the dynasties in China.Traditional Chinese ethicsTraditional Chinese ethics includes both good and bad elements. Some reflect the high standard of moral pursuit of the Chinese people, while others
19、 seem less relevant in modern society. For example, the three obediences and four virtues (三从四德) and the three basic rules and five constant virtues (三纲五常) have long been abandoned by the Chinese people.The traditional ideal of a woman is that she is a dependant being whose behavior is governed by “
20、three obediences” (to father before marriage, to husband after marriage, and to son after becoming a widow: 未嫁从父, 既嫁从夫, 夫死从子) and four “virtues” (morality, proper speech, modest manner, and diligence: 品德、言语、仪态、女工).These were the social norms prescribed by feudal morality.The three basic rules: a kin
21、g should rule over his subjects; a father, his son; a husband, his wife (君为臣纲、父为子纲、夫为妻纲). The five constant virtues: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and fidelity (仁、义、礼、智、信).Part 2 Religions and BeliefsWords and Expressions:Heaven worship 祭天Ancestor worship 祭祖Confucianism 儒教The Confuc
22、ian Temple 孔庙Taoism 道教The Five Elements 五行Buddhism 佛教 Buddha 佛像，佛祖，佛陀nirvana 涅槃Heaven worshipThe heaven worship was the bureaucratic(官僚的) belief system adopted by most dynasties of China until the overthrow(推翻) of the Qing Dynasty.Heaven was believed to manifest itself through the powers of the weat
23、her and natural disasters. Heaven was seen as a judge of humans.The emperors are Sons of Heaven(天子), and their power are authorized by heaven. Such beliefs actually consolidated(巩固) the authority of the Emperor.Ancestor worshipChinese worship of ancestors dates back to the prehistory. Chinese cultur
24、e, Confucianism, and Chinese Buddhism all value filial piety as a top virtue, and the act is a continued display of piety and respect towards departed ancestors.Confucianism 儒教Confucianism is not a real religion, it is just an ethical(伦理道德的 ) and philosophical system, which developed from Confucius
25、thoughts and later was treated as a kind of belief to educate common people(教化大众). The Taoist ReligionA General Introduction of TaoismTaoism is the indigenous (土生土长的 ) religion in China.The Taoist religion evolved out of witchcraft (巫术), necromancy（方术 ) and self-cultivation techniques. Its highest b
26、elief is called “Dao”, its bible is called “Dao De Jing”. It had great impact on the thinking of the Chinese people, as well as on the political, economic and cultural life of the country.BeliefsYin-yang Theory Yin-yang are opposing, Yin-yang are mutually rooted, Yin-yang mutually transform, Yin-yan
27、g mutually wax and wane The Five Elements/Wuxing“五行”The relationship between the five elements:The Generating Cycle Wood feeds Fire; Fire creates Earth; Earth bears Metal; Metal carries Water; Water nourishes Wood. The Overcoming Cycle Wood parts Earth; Earth absorbs Water; Water quenches Fire; Fire
28、 melts Metal; Metal chops Wood.BuddhismBuddhism is the most important religion in China. It is generally believed that it was spread to China in 67 AD during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220) from Hotan（和田） in Xinjiang to Central China. During its development in China, it has a profound （深远的）influence on
29、 traditional Chinese culture and thoughts, and has become one of the most important religions in China at that time.Its Deity is Sakyamuni(释迦牟尼 );Its doctrine is based on transmigration(轮回). What is the fundamental cause of all suffering?Desire!What did the Buddha teach?The doctrine of Four Noble Tr
30、uths (四谛) life is suffering, the cause of suffering is desire, the answer is to quench (抑制) desire, the way to this end is to follow the Eight-Fold Path (八正道).What do Buddhists believe?Nirvana is a peaceful, detached state of mind.Achieving Nirvana means escape from the cycle of rebirth.Buddhism in
31、China has developed into three sections, namely the Han, Tibetan and Southern Buddhism. Chapter 3 Chinese Characters, Calligraphy and PaintingWords and Expressions:Chinese Characters 汉字calligraphy 书法 calligrapher 书法家Oracle bone script 甲骨文The regular Script 楷书Four Treasures of the Study 文房四宝 brush 毛笔
32、 ink stick 墨 ink stone 砚台The origin of the Chinese characters 1.Keep records by tying knots (结绳说）2.The Eight Diagrams (八卦说)3.Cang Jie created the characters(仓颉造字说)The evolution of Chinese characters font(汉字的字体演变)Oracle bone scriptIt refers to incised(雕刻的 ) ancient Chinese characters found on oracle
33、bones, which are animal bones or turtle shells used in divination(预言) in ancient China.Bronze ware script 金文It refers to characters found engraved on bronze vessels, utensils, weapons etc. The Seal Characters (篆书) Soft lines of strokes and upright rectangular shape keep the seal form characters more
34、 close to pictography (象形文字). Each of the characters has a balanced and symmetrical (对称的) pattern. The Official Script(隶书) It was the turning point in the evolution of Chinese scripts and is the foundation of the later script forms. It turned the remaining curved and round strokes of the seal form i
35、nto linear (直线的) and flat square (扁方形) shapes. The regular Script (楷书) It is still todays standard writing. It is square in form, and non-cursive in strokes. The running Script (行书) The running form is somewhere between the regular and the cursive forms allowing simpler and faster writing. The Cursi
36、ve/Grass Character(草书) This style of calligraphy is smooth and lively with strokes flowing and characters linking together.The characters are often joined, with the last stroke of one merging into the initial stroke of the next. It is executed freely and rapidly so that parts of the characters appea
37、r exaggerated (夸张的). CalligraphyPlaying musical instruments, playing chess, calligraphy and painting were considered as the four essential skills for a learned scholar.The Chinese saying “The handwriting reveals the person” (字如其人), is directly related to calligraphy.Four Treasures of the Study 文房四宝b
38、rush 毛笔 ink stick 墨 paper 纸 ink stone 砚Famous Chinese Calligraphers in HistoryWang Xizhi the sage of Chinese calligraphy Zhang Xu (张旭）the “sage of the cursive hand” ”草圣”Yan Zhenqingthe four greatest masters of Regular script. Liu Gongquana master of Regular Script and Running-cursive(行草) Painting Pa
39、intingChinese Traditional Painting refers to ink - wash painting (水墨画) .Traditional Chinese paintings are not “purely” paintings. They combine fine art, poetry, calligraphy, and seal engraving to achieve an artistic unison (一致 ). Human figures, landscapes, flowers, birds, and pavilions are the most
40、important themes of traditional Chinese painting. The classification of Chinese paintingAccording to subject matterFigure paintingLandscape paintingBird-and-flower paintingAccording to the techniqueThe xie yi schoolThe gong bi schoolChapter 4 LiteratureWords and ExpressionsCelestial Poet (诗仙)Saint P
41、oet (诗圣) Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三国演义 Water Margin水浒传Journey to the West西游记Dream of the Red Mansions红楼梦 The Tang PoemThe Tang Dynasty saw the continued development of Chinese poetry. The Complete Anthology of Tang Poems (全唐诗), edited in the early Qing Dynasty, is the biggest-ever collection of
42、 Chinese poetry. It contains 48,977 poems by 2,208 poets who wrote in different styles.The development of poetry in the Tang Dynasty can be classified into four stages, namely Early Tang, High Tang, Mid Tang, and Late Tang (初唐，盛唐，中唐，晚唐）Early Tang The Four Literary Eminences(初唐四杰)Wang Bo, Yang Jiong,
43、 Luo Binwang, and Lu ZhaolinHigh TangA whole generation of literary giants appeared during the High Tang period when society enjoyed prosperity and stability. Li Bai and Du Fu are regarded as the twin master poets of the Tang Dynasty.Li Bai, the “Celestial Poet (诗仙)”, has long been regarded the grea
44、test romantic poet in Chinese literature. In his poems, imagination, exaggeration, diction and sonorous rhythms are blended effortlessly. Du Fu, the “Saint Poet (诗圣 )”, has been considered as the greatest realistic poet in Chinese literature. A mirror of the times, his poems faithfully and profoundl
45、y reflect the social realities of Tang Dynasty in decline, like a poetic historical account. Because he reached perfection in developing a depressing literary style, his works have been considered as the classics of realism. The other poets in this period can be grouped into two categories: frontier
46、 poets (边塞诗人）represented by Gao Shi and Cen Shen, and pastoral poets (田园诗人）represented by Meng Haoran and Wang Wei.Mid-TangThe outstanding poet Bai Juyi succeeded Du Fu with poems reflecting the reality of society.Late TangWith the deterioration of the government in the late Tang Dynasty, the poems
47、reflected, more and more, the hopeless and helpless feelings of the people. Poets turned to the theme of nostalgia (怀旧) for the former splendor (辉煌 )of old times. The most talented of these were Li Shangyin and Du Mu, who were often called “Young Li Bai and Du Fu”. Fiction in the Ming and Qing Dynas
48、tyIn the Song Dynasty, huaben (话本), the earliest novels written in colloquial language started to appear. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, novels grew rapidly as a lively and free literary form. The language of the novels was simple, easy to understand, and welcomed by the public.Four famous Chinese
49、classical novelsRomance of the Three Kingdoms 三国演义 Water Margin水浒传Journey to the West西游记 Dream of the Red Mansions红楼梦 Winner of the Noble Prize in Literature, Mo YanOn 11 October 2012, the Swedish Academy announced that Mo Yan had received the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work . Aged 57 at the time of the announcement, he was the 109th recipient of the award and the first ever resident of mainland China to receive it .Mo Yan has written 11 novels, and several novellas and short story collections. 红高粱家族 Red Sorghum, 天堂蒜薹之歌 The Garlic Ballads,
