“君子”最初用以指稱人的社會身份與地位,一般指統(tǒng)治者和貴族男子。但自孔子始,“君子”更多地被賦予了道德的意義,德行出眾者被稱為“君子”,反之為“小人”。在儒家傳統(tǒng)中,“君子”成為一種介乎士和圣賢之間的人格理想,它標志著道德人格的確立?!熬印庇兄居谧穼ず蛯嵺`作為價值理想的“道”,并把“道”而不是權力或利益等視為生命意義的根本。
Junzi (君子) was originally used to indicate a person's social status, generally referring to a ruler or a member of the aristocracy. Beginning with Confucius, the term acquired an additional moral dimension and came to mean someone of true virtue. The opposite of junzi is xiaoren (小人), which roughly means the "petty men." In the Confucian tradition, junzi is someone who is above a scholar and below a sage in terms of moral influence. A man of virtue pursues and practices the ideal known as Dao and regards Dao as the fundamental meaning of life above power or gains.
引例 Citations:
◎君子喻于義,小人喻于利。(《論語·里仁》)
君子知曉并遵循義,小人知曉并追逐利。
A man of virtue understands and observes what is morally right; while a petty man only has his eyes on and goes after what brings personal gains. (The Analects)
◎君子,成德之名。(朱熹《論語集注》)
君子是對道德成就者的稱謂。
A man of virtue is someone who has achieved moral integrity. (Zhu Xi: The Analects Variorum)
推薦:教育部 國家語委
供稿:北京外國語大學 外語教學與研究出版社
責任編輯:錢耐安