VOA标准英语2008年-Scholar Says Changing China Has New Respect for

The Olympic games are drawing attention to China, which is undergoing sweeping¹ changes as it modernizes². Yet some in China look to the past for inspiration, to the ideas of social harmony of the philosopher Confucius. Mike O'Sullivan spoke³ in Beijing with political scholar Daniel Bell, author of a book called "China's New Confucianism," who says the thought of the ancient Chinese sage⁴ is being revived.
　

Part of the Beijing Temple of Confucius complex

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.

Twentieth century communist revolutionaries rejected Confucianism as a part of China's oppressive feudal⁵ past. But Chinese and Western scholars say the ancient sage is being rehabilitated⁶.
　

Daniel Bell

Daniel Bell teaches political philosophy at Beijing's Tsinghua University.

"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.

"They sill look to the West to a certain extent, but more and more now they're looking at their own traditions," he added.
　

Confucius

Confucius taught that society should be based on well-defined relationships, observance of ritual, personal rules of conduct, virtues⁷ like loyalty⁸, and on learning, accomplishment⁹ and merit. Bell says that for the ancient sage, social life begins with relationships in the family.

"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."

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 unified¹⁰ 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 consolidate¹¹ their power.

"But once the country becomes stronger, less vulnerable to foreign bullying¹² 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 authoritarian¹³ way of governing, which owes much more to Legalism than to Confucianism."
　

Traditional musician in Confucian Temple, China

Bell sees renewed interest in Confucius at all levels of Chinese society, among government leaders and ordinary people.

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.

Some Chinese commentators¹⁴ have criticized this focus on the past, known as "national studies fever." But Bell says parts of the tradition mesh¹⁵ well with the modern Chinese goal of building a harmonious¹⁶ society.

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 conformity¹⁷. Bell would like to hear more about that part of the tradition.

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.

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 modernizes   

现代化事物( modernize的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It modernizes the game while lowering the learning curve for newer players. 它让游戏更为现代化，降低了对新手的入门要求。
• In time to come, as a society modernizes, people's rights and responsibilities should be balanced. 从发展的角度看，一个社会越是具有现代性，它的公民的权利和义务就越是平衡。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 sage   

n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的

参考例句：

• I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。
• The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。

5 feudal   

adj.封建的，封地的，领地的

参考例句：

• Feudal rulers ruled over the country several thousand years.封建统治者统治这个国家几千年。
• The feudal system lasted for two thousand years in China.封建制度在中国延续了两千年之久。

6 rehabilitated   

改造（罪犯等）( rehabilitate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使恢复正常生活； 使恢复原状； 修复

参考例句：

• He has been rehabilitated in public esteem. 公众已恢复对他的敬重。
• Young persons need to be, wherever possible, rehabilitated rather than punished. 未成年人需要受到尽可能的矫正而不是惩罚。

7 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

8 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

9 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

10 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

11 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

12 bullying   

v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈

参考例句：

• Many cases of bullying go unreported . 很多恐吓案件都没有人告发。
• All cases of bullying will be severely dealt with. 所有以大欺小的情况都将受到严肃处理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

14 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 mesh   

n.网孔，网丝，陷阱；vt.以网捕捉，啮合，匹配；vi.适合； [计算机]网络

参考例句：

• Their characters just don't mesh.他们的性格就是合不来。
• This is the net having half inch mesh.这是有半英寸网眼的网。

16 harmonious   

adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的

参考例句：

• Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。
• The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。

17 conformity   

n.一致，遵从，顺从

参考例句：

• Was his action in conformity with the law?他的行动是否合法？
• The plan was made in conformity with his views.计划仍按他的意见制定。