Text B Confucius and His Thoughts
导 读
在中国5 000年的历史上，对华夏民族的性格、气质产生最大影响的人，要算是孔子了。孔子（公元前551—公元前479），名丘，字仲尼，春秋末期鲁国人。鲁定公时，曾任鲁国大司寇，后来私人办学，周游列国，宣传自己的政治主张，晚年整理“六经”（《诗》《书》《易》《礼》《乐》《春秋》）。他是儒家学派的创始人。自汉代以后，孔子学说成为二千余年封建文化的正统，影响极大。封建统治者一直把他尊为圣人。他又是一个伟大的教育家，他的教育思想影响深远，以至于今。
If we were to characterize in one word the Chinese way of life for the last 2,000 years,the word would be “Confucian”.No other individual in Chinese history has so deeply influenced the life and thought of his people,as a transmitter,a teacher,a creative interpreter of the ancient culture and literature,and as a molder of the Chinese mind and character.
The Life of Confucius
Confucius was born in 551 B.C.in the small state of Lu in what is now Shandong Province.His family name is Kong,and his personal name is Qiu.“Confucius” is the Latinized form of “Kong Fuzi” or “Master Kong” first introduced to the West by Catholic missionaries in China during the early 17th century.The title was commonly used in referring to him in Chinese.It is probable that his ancestors were members of the lesser aristocracy who had,however,sunk to a position of poverty and insignificance by the time of his birth.His father died when he was very young,leaving him to struggle alone with the problem of securing an education and making his way in the world.Though very fond of learning,when he was young,Confucius had to earn a living minding cattle and looking after warehouses.Later he was a clerk in charge of marriage and funeral arrangements for wealthy families.Thus he became familiar with the hard life of ordinary people,but also with many upper-class rites and ceremonies of the day.Gradually he acquired a deep knowledge of China’s history and culture before his times.He became known for his erudition,and for a short time he was in charge of judicial matters for the state of Lu,discharging his duties well.
Confucius lived during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 B.C.—476 B.C.),when east central China was divided into over a dozen small warring states.The great disorder and suffering he witnessed undoubtedly influenced his political ideas,which emphasized order,hierarchy and the rule of a benevolent sovereign.
With full energy and utter selflessness,Confucius set about to bring order and peace to his age.He believed that his place was in the world of politics and with almost pathetic persistence he sought through the states of China for a ruler who would be willing to employ him and his ideas in the government.He managed to find employment for a while in his native state of Lu and,according to tradition,rose to a fairly high position.But this success was short-lived; on the whole his political career was a failure and more and more he turned his attention to the teaching of young men who,he hoped,might succeed in public life where he had failed.Judging from all accounts he was a teacher of rare enthusiasm and art; he was said to have had some 3,000 students,of who 72 were close personal disciples or known for their virtue.In his old age he retired to devote himself,so tradition says,to the editing and compiling of books.He died in 479 B.C.
The Classics of Confucius
The books edited and compiled by Confucius came to be known as The Classics.Much of the material in these works was old in his time,and it is not possible to say how much they owe to Confucius himself.These Classics include The Classic of Poetry,a collection of over 300 poems composed during the Zhou period; the poems frequently gave vivid accounts of the everyday life of the people.The Classic of History is a collection of documents and speeches of the Western Zhou period (11th century—770 B.C.).The Spring and Autumn Annals gives the history mainly of the state of Lu.The Classic of Rites is a description of the ceremonies and ritual associated with the everyday life in ancient China.The Classic of Changes is a manual of divination; it refers to hunting and fishing,agriculture,husbandry,war,marriage,food,drink and clothing.Another Classic,The Classic of Music,has not survived.The most reliable work on the life and teaching of Confucius is The Lunyu,or Analects of Confucius,a volume consisting of notes and journals on Confucius’ sayings and activities kept by his disciples and put together after his death.Confucius is said to have written The Chun Qiu,or The Spring and Autumn Annals ( of the State of Lu),and to have edited The ShiJing,or The Classic of Poetry,The ShuJing,or The Classic of History,The YiJing,or The Classic of Changes,and The LiJi or The Classic of Rites.This group of ancient texts is known as The Five Classics.During the Southern Song Dynasty (1127—1279 ),Zhu Xi,a Neo-Confucianist,brought together The Analects,The Mencius,and two chapters from The Classic of Rites—The Da Xue,or The Great Learning,and The Zhong Yong,or The Doctrine of the Mean.He named the collection The Four Books.The Four Books and The Five Classics are the Confucian texts and have for centuries served as the syllabus for education in China—The Four Books at the primary level and The Five Classics at the secondary level.These books were read and learnt by heart by scholars in later centuries.Their emphasis on loyalty to authority made a special appeal to rulers.
Confucius,the Great Teacher
The greatest contribution Confucius made to Chinese culture is in the field of education.He was later called the “Model for 10,000 Generations of Teachers” and the “Sage” of feudal society.He was the first to proclaim “In education there is no class distinction,” thus breaking the privilege of the aristocracy and expanding the social base of education.This had a profound and important effect on the continuation,popularization and development of ancient academic thinking.Confucius was the first private teacher in China and the first to engage in teaching as a means of reform as well as livelihood.Confucius might be said to be the founding father of a new class in Chinese society,namely,the powerful class of literati or scholars,which eventually replaced the imperial court and aristocracy as the seat of the cultural authority of the nation.
Confucius is revered as “the Foremost Teacher of China”,because basically he had a deep conviction in the native integrity and dignity as well as the equality and educability of all men.He said,“By nature all men are pretty much alike; it is by custom and habit that they are set apart.” Confucius kept an open-door school,and young men were admitted on the sole consideration of their eagerness to learn.He saw abundant potential in each of the students,and in each he sought to develop the total man.The objective was to help each student to develop his virtue and talent to the full,and to provide society and government with leaders.Confucius’ method of instruction was personal and informal.Conversations with individual students or small groups seemed to be the favorite practice.Sometimes the same question was given with different answers when different pupils asked it.When his students disagreed with him,he was not affronted and sometimes acknowledged that they could be right.In spite of his open-minded approach,however,he did insist on intellectual honesty and alertness.Confucius said,“When you know a thing,say that you know it; when you do not know a thing,admit that you do not know it.That is knowledge.”
Words & Expressions
1.transmitter[trænz'mitə，træns-，trɑːn-] n.发射机，发报机；传达人
2.interpreter[in'tə：pritə] n.口译者；解释者；［机］注释器
3.molder['məuldə] vi.腐朽；崩塌
n.铸工；造模者
vt.使……崩塌；使……腐朽
4.aristocracy[，æri'stɔkrəsi] n.贵族；贵族统治；上层社会；［法］贵族政治
5.erudition[，eruː'diʃən] n.博学；学识
6.benevolent[bi'nevələnt] adj.慈善的；仁慈的；亲切的
7.utter['ʌtə] vt.发出；表达；发射
adj.完全的；彻底的；无条件的
8.disciple[di'saipl] n.门徒；信徒；弟子
9.compile[kəm'pail] vt.编译；编辑；汇编；编制
10.syllabus['siləbəs] n.教学大纲；摘要；课程表
11.sage[seidʒ] n.圣人；贤人；哲人
adj.贤明的；明智的；审慎的
12.literati[，litə'rɑːtiː] n.文人（literatus的复数）；文学界
Notes
1.The ShiJing（《诗经》）：The ShiJing，the Classic of Poetry translated as The Book of Songs，or The Book of Odes，and often known simply as The Odes，is the earliest extant collection of Chinese poems and songs.It comprises 305 poems and songs，with many dating from 10th to the 7th century B.C.
2.Zhu Xi（朱熹）：Zhū Xī or Chu Hsi （October 18，1130，Youxi，Fujian Province，China—April 23，1200，China） was a Song Dynasty （960—1279） Confucian scholar who became the leading figure of the School of Principle and the most influential rationalist Neo-Confucian in China.His contribution to Chinese philosophy included his assigning special significance to The Analects of Confucius，The Mencius，The Great Learning，and The Doctrine of the Mean （The Four Books），his emphasis on the investigation of things （ge wu），and the synthesis of all fundamental Confucian concepts.
Exercises
I.Fill in each of the following blanks according to the passage.
1.The books edited and compiled by Confucius came to be known as ________.
2.The most reliable work on the life and teaching of Confucius is ________.
3.The Four Books and The Five Classics are the Confucian texts and have for centuries served as ________for education in China.
4.Confucius was the first to proclaim “In education there is no class distinction,” thus breaking the ________and expanding the social base of education.
5.Confucius was the first ________in China and the first to engage in teaching as a means of reform as well as livelihood.
II.Translate the following phrases.
1.性相近，习相远。
2.过而不改，是谓过矣。
3.己所不欲，勿施于人。
4.言必信，行必果。
5.君子以文会友，以友辅仁。