insights into chinese culture中國(guó)文化透視

1、Insights into Chinese CulturePart 1 Wisdom and BeliefsUnit 1 Confucian Thought on Heaven and HumanityHomework:(一）Questions:1) What is The Analects mainly about?The Analects is mainly about Confucius words and life story.2) What is Confucius view on Heaven?Confucius regarded Heaven as nature.3) What

2、is Confucius innovative idea about Heaven?Confucius innovative idea about Heaven is that Heaven (or nature) is the process of life creation.4) What does the “heavenly mission” refer to?The heavenly mission is to accomplish Heavens purpose of protecting and improving life.5) How is Confucius concept

3、of Heaven related to the modern ecological civilization?Confucius advocated “ standing in awe of the ordinances of Heaven” and warned against offending Heaven. This is, in essence, equivalent to the modern idea of staying in harmony with nature. So in this way Confucius concept of Heaven is similar

4、to the modern ecological civilization.6) What is Confucius interpretation of ren?Confucius interpretedrenas love of people, which begins with the love for ones parents.7) According to Confucius, what is the most important part of li?According to Confucius, the most important part ofliis theburial an

5、d ancestral worship rituals.8) What qualities are “persons of virtue” supposed to have?Persons of virtue are supposed to have sound character and uplifted minds and they can shoulder important social responsibilities and make contributions to society.9) Why do people need to study music according to

6、 Confucius?According to Confucius, studying music can lift ones spirit and help one appreciate beauty.（二）Translation1）天何言哉？四時(shí)行焉，百物生焉，天何言哉？ Heaven does not speak in words. It speaks through the rotation of the four seasons and the growth of all living things.2) 生生之謂易。 Continuous creation of life is c

7、hange.3）天地之大德曰生。 The great virtue of Heaven and Earth is creating life.4）獲罪于天，無所祿也。 He who offends against Heaven has none to whom he can pray.5）仁者，人也，親親為大。 The greatest love for people is the love for ones parents.6）父母在，不遠(yuǎn)游，游必有方。 Children should not travel far while their parents are alive. If they

8、 have no choice but to do so, they must retain some restraint.7） 父母之年，不可不知也。一則以喜，一則以懼。 Children should think often of the age of their parents. They should feel happy for the health and longevity of their parents. They should also feel concern for the aging of their parents.8） 己欲立而立人，己欲達(dá)而達(dá)人。 While f

9、ulfilling ones own desires, allow others to fulfill theirs.9） 己所不欲，勿施于人。 Do not do toward others anything you would not want to be done to you.10）子生三年，然后免于父母之懷。 A child should not leave his parents bosom until he is three years old.11）禮之用，和為貴。 The role ofliis to maintain harmony among people.12）知之者不

10、如好之者，好之者不如樂之者。 Simply knowing the highest standard of virtue is not as good as setting it as ones goal. Setting it as ones goal is not as good as enjoying practicing of it.（三）Careful Reading1、Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer to each of the following questions.1)All the following

11、 are the titles of Confucius EXCEPT _B_. A. an educator B. a biologist C. a scholar D. a philosopher2)The expression “filial piety” most probably means being _D_. A. loyal to the state B. obedient to sister(s) C. responsible D. dutiful to parents3) Which of the following can best describe Confucius

12、view on the relationship between man and nature/Heaven? DA. Brothers. B. Husband and wife.C. Doctor and patient. D. Mother and son.4) Through burial and ancestral worship rituals, people can learn that_B_.A. nature is lifeless so it will never dieB. individuals life can be everlasting by joining nat

13、ureC. they should be grateful to their parents for giving them livesD. individuals lifespan is short, so they should enjoy life as much as possible5) Which of the following is the most important part of Confucius curriculum? CA. Music. B. Calligraphy C. Virtue D. Mathematics6) Zi lu, Ran You and Gon

14、gxi Chis aspirations represent_D_, while Zeng Dians reflects_.A. personal ambition; selfishnessB. lofty ideals; meaningless pursuitC. personal struggle; generous contributionD. individual contribution to society; harmony(四）Communication1) God bless 上帝保佑用于向某人表示關(guān)愛2) Thank God 謝天謝地，感謝上帝3) Please God 但愿

15、用于表示非常強(qiáng)烈的愿望4) For Gods sake 看在上帝的份上，行行好把表示某事很重要5) God forbid 但愿（某事）不會(huì)發(fā)生6) Man proposes, God disposes. 謀勢(shì)在人，成事在天7) God helps those who help themselves.自助者天助也Unit 2 Laozis Philosophy of Non-actionAssignment- fill in the blanks1) Laozis thought has a great influence on thecharacteristics; trends of tho

16、ught;andaesthetic sensibilitiesof the Chinese people.2) The examples of birds, fish, clouds and flowers are used to illustrate thateverything in the world has its own way of being and development.3) The difference between great ingenuity and ordinary ingenuity lies in the fact thatthe latter can be

17、achieved through human effort, but the former is superior to the latter.4) In order to become strong, one shouldstart with ones own weak points;instead of oppressing the weak.5) In Laozis opinion,fragilityis the symbol of life.6) The highest level of ones cultivation is to return to the state of a n

18、ewborn baby, who is free of any knowledge,desire;impurity or falsehood.7) People fight and deceive one another out ofdesire.8) According to the laws of nature, people should notrobthe poor andoppressthe weak.Assignment- translation1. 順應(yīng)自然。Follow the way of nature.2.無為而無不為。Act through non-action.3.大巧

19、若拙。Great ingenuity appears to be stupidity.4.以柔弱勝剛強(qiáng)。Overcome the strong by being weak.5.不戰(zhàn)而屈人之兵。Win a war without fighting water.6.兼愛。Love for all.7.上善若水。The greatest virtue is like water.8.人往高處走，水往低處流。Humans tend to seek higher positions.9.無欲則剛。One is invincible because he desires nothing and conte

20、nds for nothing.10. 返璞歸真。Return to the state of a newborn baby.Assignment- translation1. Nature is conquered by obeying her.順應(yīng)自然方能征服自然。2.He that follows nature is never out of his way.按自然規(guī)律辦事的人絕不會(huì)迷失方向。3.The drop of rains makes a hole in the stone, not by violence, but by the frequency of falling.滴水穿

21、石，非蠻力所致，皆因堅(jiān)持不懈。Unit 3 Chinese Characters: Poetic SymbolsAssignment:1) Which of the following is irrelevant to the pictographic symbols of Chinese characters? AA. Aspiration. B. Imagination. C. Creativity. D. Allusion.2) Which of the following statements is true of the name ofFudanUniversity? DA. The

22、 characters both stand for “the sun rising on the horizon”.B.The name is taken from a Chinese classical poem.C. The name encourages the students to get up early in the morning.D. The characters are intended to tell the students to make progress day by day.3) Which of the following languages mostly c

23、onsists of language pictures? BA) Mandarin Chinese.B) Hieroglyphs of ancientEgypt.C) Oracle-bone inscription.D) Seal characters.4) The symbol for “ swimming” is closed to _C_ .A) oracle-bone inscriptionB) mandarin ChineseC) seal charactersD) none of the above5) The symbol for “athletics” contains th

24、e ingredients of _A_.A) dancing and runningB) running and swingingC) dancing and swingingD) triathlon and football2. Find from the passage the English interpretations of the following characters containing 日as an element.CharactersInterpretations1) 旦The sun rising on the horizon2）朝The morning sun ri

25、sing and shining over the flowing river3）暮The sun setting into a forest4）明The moon shining through the windowUnit 4 The Great WallAssignment- True or Falsev 1) The construction of the Great Wall took more than 2000 years and involved 19 states.v 2) The driving force for building the Great Wall is to

26、 protect lives and peace from wars.v 3) In history, the northern peoples were mostly engaged in farming.v 4) The Great Wall provided an effective shelter for the southern troops against the northern cavalry.v 5) The Great Wall provided an effective shelter for the southern troops against the norther

27、n cavalry.v 6) The spirit of the Great Wall is that of “ a common will and concerted effort”.v 7) Blockhouses, garrison towns, passes built at strategic points, and beacon towers are mentioned to show the magnificence and variety of the Great Wall.v 8)WangjingToweris one of the best places to apprec

28、iate the beauty ofBeijingCity.Answer questionsv 1) How long is the Great Wall at present?v The Great Wall is as long as 6700 kilometers.v 2)In which respects is the Great Wall unparalleled?v The Great Wall is unparalleled in its scale and span of construction, as well as in the great quantities of l

29、abor and the degree of difficulty involved.v 3) What are Su Yat-sens quotations used to demonstrate in the passage?v Sun Yat-sens quotations are used in the text to illustrate the great significance of the Great Wall in the development of Chinese civiliztion.v 4) What does “ The Great Wall played a

30、role in a new economic structure” ?v A new economic structure refers to the enhancing of agricultural economy in the south and the pastoral economy in the north, and the exchange between the two.v 5) What does the Legend of Lady Mengjiang symbolize?v The Legend of Lady Mengjiang symbolizes the suffe

31、rings of the people due to the construction of the Great Wall and their hatred for the tyrannical First Emperor of Qin.filling in the tablev Areasv Land/ Soilv Climatev Productionv Life Stylev The Northv pastoralv coldv Products of animal husbandryv mobilev The Southv arablev warmv Agricultural prod

32、uctsv stablev Assignment English to Chinesev 1) 眾志成城v Efforts jointed by many can build the Great Wall.v 2）由今觀之，倘無長(zhǎng)城之捍衛(wèi)，則中國(guó)亡于北狄，不待宋明而在楚漢時(shí)代矣。如是則中國(guó)民族必?zé)o漢唐之發(fā)展昌大而同化南北之種族也。v Seen from today, if it had not been for the protection of the Great Wall, Chinese civilization would have been interrupted by the no

33、rthern peoples in the late Qin or early Han dynasties, long before the Song and Ming dynasties. In that case, there would not have been the prosperity of the Han and Tang dynasties, or the integration of southern and northern peoples.v 3）把我們的血肉，筑成我們新的長(zhǎng)城。v Build our new Great Wall with our flesh and

34、blood.Unit 5 The Forbidden City: Glorious and Awe-inspiringAssignment Answer Questions1) How many emperors ascended the throne in theForbidden TheForbidden Citywas dwelled by 24 emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties for about 500 years.2) Which part of the design of Dadu is adopted by Emperor Yongle i

35、n the design ofBeijingCity?The design of the central axis of Dadu is adopted in the design ofBeijingCity.3) What design gives a unique sublime order toBeijingCity?Symmetry between left and right along the axis lends order to the city.4) What can be regarded as the starting point of the axis?TheTempl

36、eofHeavenand theTemplefor the Divine Cultivator can be regarded as the starting points of the axis.5) What did the Working Peoples Cultural The Working Peoples Cultural 6) What buildings mark the northern end of the central axis of Old Beijing?TheDrumTowerand theBellTowermark the northern end of the

37、 central axis of Old Beijing.7) Which building is located in the center of theForbidden The Hall of Supreme Harmony is located in the center of theForbidden 8) How are the three stages of a musical movement compared to the appreciation of Old Beijng?The appreciation of Old Beijing is compared to the

38、 three stages of a musical movement, with the section from the Gate of Eternal Stability to the Front Gate as the gentle beginning, the section from the Front Gate through the Forbidden City to Prospect Hill as the peak the section from Prospect Hill to the Drum and Bell Towers as the conclusion.9)

39、What do the thematic colors of theForbidden Citysymbolize?Yellow was symbolic of imperial power in ancientChinaand red of happiness.10) Why are other colors used for theForbidden Other colors are used to produce a balanced effect on theForbidden Unit 6 A silent ArmyAssignment- Answer questions1) Wha

40、t is the significance of the Terracotta Army of the First Emperor of Qin?It is not only a great legacy of the First Emperor of Qins military might, but also a superb paradigm of ancient Chinese sculpture.2) Which of the four pits is the largest? How large is it?Pit No. 1 is the largest, with an area

41、 of more than 14000 square meters.3) What are the four formations in Pit No. 2?The four formation in Pit No. 2 are one of archers in the east, one of war chariots to its right, a bigger chariot formation in the middle and a formation of horsemen and saddled horses to the left.4) What was Pit No. 3 p

42、robably intended as?Pit No. 3 was probably intended as headquarters of the left, central and right divisions of the entire army.5) What is the similarity between Pit No.3 and Pit No.4?The similarity between Pit No. 3 and Pit No. 4 is that both of them not to have been completed.6) Which aspects of t

43、he Terracotta Army impress people deeply?What impress people deeply are the impressive size of the army and the masterful craftsmanship of the sculptures.7) What is Paragraph 11 mainly about?Paragraph 11 is mainly about the detailed description of the sculptures, showing how vivid they are and how m

44、asterful the craftsmanship of the sculptures is.8) How many terracotta horses are there in the three pits?There are more than 600 terracotta horses in the three pits.AssignmentCareful Reading1) From the passage, we can infer that_C_A. the Terracotta Army was dug out by villagers in XianyangB. the ar

45、cheologists discovered the Terracotta Army by chanceC. the warriors and horses were made of potteryD. the Terracotta Army was designed by the First Emperor2) Which of the following is NOT found in Pit No. 1? CA. Soldiers. B. Commanders. C. Archers. D. Chariots.3) The formation of Pit No. 1 can be di

46、vided into _B_ main parts.A) 2 B) 3 C) 4 D) 54) One of the differences between Pit No. 2 and Pit No. 1 is that _B_.A. the former has more soldiers than the latterB. the former has more war chariots than the latterC. the soldiers hold more modern weapons in Pit No. 2D. the war chariot was drawn by ho

47、rses in the former rather than by soldiers as in the latter.5) Which of the following is NOT true about Pit No. 3? CA. It lies to the west of Pit No. 1.B. It looks like in 凹shape.C. It has the least warriors among the four pits.D. It was not finished probably.6) The examples in Paragraph 12 are used

48、 to illustrate _A_ .A. how vivid the warriors and horses areB. how impressive the size of the Terracotta Army isC. what kind of suits people wore at that timeD. how attentive the soldiers were7) What is implied but not stated in Paragraph 12? CA. Each of the archers hair was tied in a knot.B. The bo

49、ws and arrows were preserved underground.C. The archers were waiting for the order to shoot.D. The Archer were in the half-squatting and half-kneeling posture.8) The sculpture of the horses are made to seem _A_.A. alert B. gentle C. fierce D. handsomeAssignmenttranslate into English1) 軍陣 1) battle f

50、ormation2） 前鋒 2） the front echelon3） 指揮官 3） commander4） 鎧甲 4） armor5） 后衛(wèi) 5） rear guard6） 戰(zhàn)車 6） chariot7） 弓箭手 7） archer8） 騎兵 8） horseman9）步兵 9）foot soldier10） 總指揮部 10） headquartersUnit 7 Peking Opera: Artistry of performersExercisesI.Skimming and ScanningGo through the passage quickly and judge wheth

51、er the following statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the passage._T_1) Peking Opera masks have been regards as a symbol of Chinese culture by many countries._F_2) The beauty of Peking Opera lies in the diverse colors of Peking Opera masks._T_3) One purpose of Peking Opera masks is to h

52、elp people learn about the characters of the roles._F_4) The example of Zhang Fei is to show how varied the designs of Peking Opera masks are._T_5) In appreciating Peking Opera, the plot of the story may not be the most important._T_6) The most important aspect of Peking Opera performance lies in th

53、e singing._F_7) Acting and fighting help propel the development of the story._T_8) Each Peking Opera gives prominence only to one or two actors._T_9) The virtual movements and virtual settings in Peking Opera are efficient because the actors performance offsets the drawback._T_10) Viewers of Peking

54、Opera go to the theater mainly to watch the famous actors._F_11) The old Peking Opera are not so popular as the new ones because the viewers cannot feel the excitement._T_12) When appreciating Peking Opera, the audience can see three characters: the actor and the two roles being performed._F_13) Mei Lanfang, Chen Yanqiu, Shang Xiaoyun and Xun Huisheng are the four most famous Peking Opera performers inChina._F_14) Mei Lanfang played the role of a pretended mad woman inKing Chu Bids Farewell to His Concubine.II. CarefulReadingReading the passage carefully and