老子英文介绍

1.Laozi1.1ABriefIntroduction1.2HisHometown2.Primaryideology2.1NaturalnessandNon-action2.2ThePhilosophyofNon-contention2.3ReturningtoNewbornState3.CulturalHeritage★Name:LaoDan,LaoZi★770——476BC,theSpringandAutumnPeriod★Birthplace:Luyi,（鹿邑）HenanProvince★FounderofTaoism★河南鹿邑太清宫位于李鹏总理亲笔题写的“老子故里”河南省鹿邑县城东十里太清宫镇，太清宫镇有一座驰名中外的“太清宫”，这里就是老子的诞生地，也是历朝历代供奉祭祀老子的祠庙。★曾做过周朝“守藏室之官”（管理藏书的官员），是中国最伟大的哲学家和思想家之一，被道教尊为教祖，世界文化名人。河南鹿邑太清宫鹿邑还是中国第一大姓——李姓的发源地，是全球李姓华人寻根问祖的胜地。天下李姓，根在鹿邑。老子是李姓子孙的先祖，据《李氏祖脉源流》记载李渊、李世民认老子为先祖。鹿邑作为李姓的发源地，充分利用这一优势，成立了中国鹿邑李氏文化研究总会，撰写了《李姓起源鹿邑》、《老子与李姓》等论文，在全国多次获奖；拍摄了电视剧《李氏春秋》；举办了海峡两岸李氏宗亲恳亲会。Laozi/ClassicoftheWayandVirtue/DaodejingClassicoftheWayandVirtue★5,000Chinesecharacters★81chapters★twoparts,Dao(theway)andDe(Virtue).ItbecamethebasisofDaoism,theschoolofphilosophyparalleltoConfucianisminAncientChina.ThethoughtofLaoziformedthefoundationofDaoism,themostinfluentialindigenousschoolofreligioninChina.Ithasalsoexertedadirectimpactonthecharacteristics,trendsofthoughtandaestheticsensibilitiesoftheChinesenation.TodayLaozistillplaysaroleinthedevelopmentofChinesethinking.LaoziwasfirstintroducedintoEuropepossiblyasearlyasthe15thcenturyandhasbeenoneofthemosttranslatedphilosophicalworksofancientChina.ManyofLaozi’senlighteningviewsarebasedonhisphilosophyofnaturalness(自然主义)andnon-action（无为）.Naturalness自然主义；顺其自然Itreferstoanaturalstateofbeing,anattitudeoffollowingthewayofnature.Laoziemphasizedthateverythingintheworldhasitsownwayofbeinganddeveloping:birdsflyinthesky,fishswiminthewater,flowersbloomandflowersfall.Headmonishedpeopletogiveuponanydesirestocontroltheworld.Non-action无为DaoortheWayactsthroughnon-action.Hedidnotmeanthatoneshoulddonothingandpassivelywaitforsomethingtobeachieved.Neitherdidhedenyhumancreativity.Whathemeantisthathumanenterprisesshouldbebuiltonthebasisofnaturalness,notonanyattemptstointerrupttherhythmofnature.Humancreativityshouldbeincompliancewiththewaysofnature.GreatIngenuityAppearstoBeStupidity大巧若拙Thisistheessenceofnaturalnessandnon-action.Greatingenuityreferstothehighestlevelofingenuity,arisingsonaturallythatitdosnotresembleingenuityatall.Ingenuitycanbeachievedthroughhumaneffort,butgreatingenuityissuperiortoordinaryingenuity.ToLaozi,resortingtodeceitistruefutilityandwouldaccomplishjusttheoppositeresult.Thosewhointendtoplaytricksarenotgenuineandthereforearenotnatural.Deceitisdetrimentaltonaturalnessandtotheharmonyoflife.ThePhilosophyofNon-contention无争Onthebasisof“naturalness”and“non-action,”Laoziproposedtheviewof“overcomingthestrongbybeingweak.”TheeraLaozilivedinwasrepletewithendlesswars.Therefore,warwasanimportantthemeforphilosophers,andanti-warthinkingwasthenorm.AccordingtoLaozi,warspringsfromhumanity’sbloateddesires.Conflictsarisesoutofpeople’sstrugglestosatisfytheirdesires,andconflictescalatesintowar.Therefore,Laozi’sphilosophyisbasedon“non-contention.”Tohim,humanstrivingandcompetitivestrifeistherootofdecline;desiringnothingisthenaturalwayoflife.★Thegreatestvirtueislikewater.“上善若水”意为最高境界的善行就像水的品性一样，泽被万物而不争名利。上善：至善，最完美；水：这里喻指与世无争的圣人。达到尽善尽美的境界，就和圣人差不多。水有滋养万物的德行，它使万物得到它的利益，而不与万物发生矛盾、冲突，故天下最大的善性莫如水。★Waternourisheseverythingbutcontendsfornothing.水善利万物而不争。★Waternourisheseverythingbutcontendsfornothing.水善利万物而不争。老子的《道德经》第八章：“上善若水。水善利万物而不争，处众人之所恶，故几于道。居善地，心善渊，与善仁，言善信，政善治，事善能，动善时。夫唯不争，故无尤。”最高的善像水那样。水善于帮助万物而不与万物相争。它停留在众人所不喜欢的地方，所以接近于道。上善的人居住要像水那样安于卑下，存心要像水那样深沉，交友要像水那样相亲，言语要像水那样真诚，为政要像水那样有条有理，办事要像水那样无所不能，行为要像水那样待机而动。正因为他像水那样与万物无争，所以才没有烦恼。★Nothingintheworldisweakerthanwaterwhenitcomestobreakingsomethingstrong.天下莫柔弱于水，而攻坚强者莫之能胜。Waterisatypicalexampleoftheweakwinningoverthestrong.Waterisinvinciblebecauseitdesiresnothingandcontendsfornothing.★Awareofthestrong,oneshouldremainweak.Oneshouldstartwithone’sownweakpoints,accumulatingstrengthbykeepinglow,justaswaterdoes.Givingupthedesiretoflauntone’ssuperiorityisthebasicwaytoprosperity.★Remainingweakisnotonlythewaytoprosperity,butalsothewaytopreservinglife.ReturningtoaNewbornState★Laozisawtheworldasamaddingcrowdofvanity.Hechosetoliveasimple,quitelife,andtokeephismindundisturbedinthefaceoftemptation.Hesaidhewouldratherremaina“newbornbaby.”★Thestateofthenewbornisfreeofanyknowledge,desire,impurityorfalsehood.(completeinnocence)Whenhumanbeingscomeintotheworld,theygraduallyacquireexternalknowledgeandacceptsocialnorms.Stepbystep,theiroriginallypuremindsbecometaintedwithchaoticcolors.Ashumanmature,theybecomemoreandmorehypocritical.Theprocessofacculturationistheprocessoflosingone’struelife.Thedevelopingofhumancultureisaprocessof“decoration”:★clothingasdecorationofthebody★housingasdecorationofthewayofliving★languageasdecorationofcommunication★statepoliticsasdecorationofhumanorganization文化遗产老子的著作、思想早已成为世界历史文化遗产的宝贵财富。欧洲从十九世纪初就开始了对《道德经》的研究，到二十世纪的四五十年代，欧洲共有60多种《道德经》译文，德国哲学家黑格尔、尼采，俄罗斯大作家托尔斯泰等世界著名学者对《道德经》都有深入的研究，并都有专著或专论问世。黑格尔说：“中国哲学中另有一个特异的宗派……是以思辨作为它的特性。这派的主要概念是‘道’，这就是理性。这派哲学及与哲学密切联系的生活方式的发挥者是老子。”英国科学家李约瑟一生研究中国，对中国文化情有独钟，著有多卷本《中国科技史》专著。他说，中国文化就像一棵参天大树，而这棵参天大树的根在道家。李约瑟越研究中国，越认识老子、道家在中国文化中的重要地位，越发相信老子学说的正确，越来越按照老子说的去做，他晚年干脆自称是“名誉道家”、“十宿道人”。李约瑟对中国古代文化的研究很有成就，是上个世纪国际上知名的汉学家，而他的最大贡献是他发现了道家思想的现代意义，从而