The Olympic games are drawing attention to China, which is undergoing sweeping changes as it modernizes. Yet some in China look to the past for inspiration, to the ideas of social harmony of the philosopher Confucius. Political scholar Daniel Bell, author of a book called "China's New Confucianism," who says the thought of the ancient Chinese sage is being revived.
北京奥林匹克运动会吸引了全球目光注视急速现代化的中国。但是有些中国人现在回头向孔子的学说、即儒家思想来寻找灵感，比如孔子有关社会和谐的理念。“中国的新儒家学说”一书作者、政治学者贝尔表示，孔子这位中国古代大哲学家的思想目前正在中国复兴。
For more than 2,000 years, China was guided by the teacher and moral philosopher Confucius. For 600 years, this Confucian temple and university complex in Beijing was at the heart of a national system that trained the scholar-officials who ran imperial China.
在过去两千多年的时间里，中国一直遵循古代大哲学家孔夫子的学说的指导。有六百年之久，在北京的孔庙和众多的大学，曾经是专门训练统治中华帝国的科举制度产生的官员的系统的中心。
Twentieth century communist revolutionaries rejected Confucianism as a part of China's oppressive feudal past. But Chinese and Western scholars say the ancient sage is being rehabilitated.
但是中国和西方学者表示，这位古代大哲学家的思想现在又再次被奉为神圣。
Daniel Bell teaches political philosophy at Beijing's Tsinghua University.
贝尔在北京清华大学教授政治哲学。
"Throughout most of the 20th century, China felt itself weak and vulnerable and they blamed their own traditions for their problems, and they looked to the West, whether it was Marxism or liberalism for inspiration," he said.
“20世纪大部分时间里，中国自认衰弱的原因是自己的传统所造成的，因此向西方取经，学习马克思主义或自由主义。”
"They sill look to the West to a certain extent, but more and more now they're looking at their own traditions," he added.
“现在，在某种程度上中国人仍然崇尚西方，但是越来越多人在开始重新推崇自己的传统。”
Confucius taught that society should be based on well-defined relationships, observance of ritual, personal rules of conduct, virtues like loyalty, and on learning, accomplishment and merit. Bell says that for the ancient sage, social life begins with relationships in the family.
孔夫子教导说，社会的基础应该是经过细致规范的人际关系，应该人人遵守礼仪，个人行为规范。坚守忠诚、好学、以勤奋谋取功名等美德。贝尔说，按照这位古代大哲人的说法，社会生活应该起自家庭关系。
"And you're supposed to learn about morality through the family," he said. "And then you extend morality outside non-family members, first to the nation and then it reaches eventually to the whole world."
“你应该从家庭学习道德。然后再扩大到社会。即所谓的齐家、治国、平天下。”
Bell says China's early communist leaders rejected Confucianism and turned to a rival ancient system known as Legalism, which elevates the government and embraces force as a means of control. They were not the first to do that.
Qin Shi Huang, the emperor who unified China, rejected Confucian learning more than 2,000 years ago, executing Confucian scholars and burning their writings. But Confucianism revived, with its softer approach to power. Bell says that like the first emperor, the early communists struggled to consolidate their power.
统一中国的秦始皇在两千年前就摒弃过儒家学说，甚至还焚书坑儒。但是儒家思想因其推崇以柔克刚的权力手段得以复兴。
"But once the country becomes stronger, less vulnerable to foreign bullying and more self-confident, then I think the Confucian ways of soft power can begin to reassert themselves, just as they did 2,000 years ago," he said. "I think we have a similar development now, where there won't be this very harsh kind of authoritarian way of governing, which owes much more to Legalism than to Confucianism."
“但是一旦国家开始强大，不再受外国欺负，变得更加自信，我认为孔子的仁政思想便开始再度受到重视，就好像在两千年前一样。我认为我们现在处于类似的发展状况，不需要用那种类似法家思想的非常严酷的集权统治方式，而改取儒家思想。”
Bell sees renewed interest in Confucius at all levels of Chinese society, among government leaders and ordinary people.
贝尔看到，在中国社会的各个阶层，从政府领导人到普通百姓，人们再度对孔子表现出兴趣。
A 2006 book by Chinese Confucian scholar Yu Dan sold 10 million copies, and Bell says students are flocking to classes on the subject at Tsinghua university.
中国儒学学者于丹2006年撰写的一本书卖出了1千万册。贝尔说，清华大学的学生在争相选修这方面的课程。
Some Chinese commentators have criticized this focus on the past, known as "national studies fever." But Bell says parts of the tradition mesh well with the modern Chinese goal of building a harmonious society.
一些中国评论人士批评了这种专注过去的所谓“国学热。”但是贝尔认为，一些传统的东西可以和现代中国构建和谐社会的目标较好地结合起来。
He says the Beijing Olympics are inspired by Confucian ideals of friendship and harmony, and notes that the opening ceremony quoted Confucian sayings. He cites another Confucian theme not included in the program, the observation that harmony does not demand conformity. Bell would like to hear more about that part of the tradition.
他说，北京奥运会就受到孔子关于友谊和和谐理想的启发。他提到开幕式所引用的孔子名言。他说，开幕式没有体现出孔子学说的另一个主题，就是和而不同的思想。贝尔希望听到更多对这方面传统思想的谈论。
Still, he is encouraged by China's rediscovery of its past, which he says will serve the country well as it shapes new institutions for its future.
不过，他还是对中国重新推崇历史理念感到鼓舞。他说，这对中国未来建立新制度将是有益的。 |