谭词｜中华思想文化术语
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近日，“中华思想文化术语传播工程”已经对外发布两个批次的术语规范译法，对“居安思危”“上善若水”等反映中华传统文化特征与思维方式的核心术语，作出了简明的中文释义和英文翻译。
王 wáng King
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本为夏、商、周三代天子的称号，春秋以后周天子一统天下的局面遭到破坏，至战国时期列国君主皆可称王。秦汉以后，“王”一般是皇帝对自己直系男性亲属的最高封爵。在儒家特别是孔孟的政治哲学论述中，“王”一方面代表上天的旨意，具有至高无上的权力；另一方面又被赋予了极强的道德特质和政治理想。
King was originally the title for the “Son of Heaven,” namely, the country's supreme ruler in the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties. From the Spring and Autumn Period onward, the power of the Zhou court gradually weakened and the kingdom disintegrated. By the time of the Warring States Period, any monarch could call himself a king. Up to the Qin and Han dynasties, king became the highest title granted by the emperor to a male member of the imperial family. In the political philosophical discourse of Confucianism, especially in the works of Confucius and Mencius, a king represents heaven's will and therefore ought to have supreme, unchallengeable power; at the same time, he is imbued with a high moral attribute and political ideals.
儒家认为，用仁义治理或统一天下、以道德手段使天下人都来归顺叫做“王（wànɡ）”，依靠仁义道德形成天下一统的政治局面叫做“王道”。
According to Confucianism, to be a king is to unify or govern the country with benevolence and righteousness, or to win over people by morally justified means. Likewise, the pursuit of the kingly way means using benevolent and righteous means to unify and govern the country.
例句
天下归之之谓王，天下去之之谓亡。（《荀子·正论》）
（天下人归顺他，就可以称王；天下人抛弃他，就只会灭亡。）
He to whom the people swear allegiance can rule as a king (王); he perishes (亡) when the people desert him. (Xunzi)
物 wù Wu (Thing or Matter)
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“物”一般指天地之间有形有象的一切存在，大体有三种不同含义：
Wu (物) usually denotes an existence in the universe that has a form or an image. In general, the word has three different meanings.
其一，指有形的具体存在物，包括各种自然物、人造物，也包括各种生物和人。
First, it refers to any concrete existence, encompassing all natural and man-made objects, all organisms and human beings.
其二，指人伦关系中发生的事务、事情，如侍奉父母、为政治国等，这个意义上的“物”相当于“事”。
Second, it covers interpersonal matters and activities such as taking care of one's parents, entering politics, or managing state affairs. In this sense, wu means “matter.”
其三，指具体存在物或人伦事务的总和，通常称“万物”。
Third, the word sums up all existing physical and social matters, generally called “everything.”
例句
有天地，然后万物生焉。盈天地之间者唯万物。（《周易·序卦》）
（先有天地，然后万物化生。充满天地之间的只是万物。）
First, there is the universe. Then everything comes into being and fills up the universe. (The Book of Changes)
意之所用，必有其物，物即事也。如意用于事亲，即事亲为一物。（《传习录》卷中）
（良知感应运用，必然用于“物”上，“物”就是各种事，如良知感应运用于侍奉双亲，那么侍奉双亲就是一个“物”。）
Conscience must relate to “things,” which refer to various matters. If one's conscience is applied to parents, then taking care of one's parents is the “matter.” (Wang Yangming: Records of Great Learning)
性 xìng Xing (Nature)
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古人所讨论的“性”的观念，主要指“人性”。“性”的概念包含两个要点：其一，是事物天生所具有的属性，非后天人为；其二，是某类事物普遍具有的属性，非某些个体所特有。
Xing (性) mainly referred to human nature in ancient times. The concept of xing has two essential points. First, it refers to the inherent nature of all things, not as a result of nurture. Second, it refers to the common nature of certain kind of things, not the nature of individual things of that kind.
据此而言，“人性”观念也有两种不同的含义：其一，指人天生所具有的普遍属性，包括身体上的各种生命特征及欲望、知觉等；其二，指人天生所具有的人之所以为人的本质属性，亦即人区别于禽兽的道德本性。历代学者对人性善恶的问题有着许多不同的看法，或性善，或性恶，或性无善恶，或性有善有不善，或有性善有性不善。
Similarly, human nature, too, has two meanings. First, it refers to inherent attributes all people share, including physical features, desires, and consciousness. Second, it is the essential and distinct attribute that distinguishes people from birds and beasts, in other words, human's moral nature. Scholars throughout history held varied views over the question whether human nature was good or evil. Some believed it was good. Some thought it was evil. Some held that it was neither good nor evil. Some held that human nature could be both good and evil in the same person. Some thought that human nature was good in some people, but evil in others.
例句
食、色，性也。（《孟子·告子上》）
（对饮食和美色的追求是人的本性。）
To love food and good looks is but human nature. (Mencius)
性即理也。（《二程遗书》卷二十二上）
（性就是理。）
Human nature is in line with the principles of heaven. (Writings of the Cheng Brothers)
（编辑:xueqi）
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