与民更始 – Chinese philosophy and culture

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yǔmín-gēngshǐ 与民更始

Make a Fresh Start with the People

和民众一起革新政治。更始:重新开始。原指帝王即位改元或采取某些重大措施,后指执政者与民众一起变革现状,开创新局面。其中蕴含着悠远深厚的民本思想和君民一体、上下一心、共同革故鼎新的精神。

The term means to make political reform together with the people. Gengshi (更始) means to make a fresh start. The term used to refer to a new emperor ascending the throne, taking a new reign title or implementing a series of new policies. Later, it came to mean that the rulers worked together with the people trying to change the status quo and opening up new prospects. The term reflects a profound and far-reaching thought of putting people first, and highlights the spirit of monarchs and the people working with one heart and one mind to abolish what is old and establish in its place a new order.

引例 Citation:

◎朕嘉唐虞而乐殷周,据旧以鉴新,其赦天下,与民更始。(《汉书·武帝纪》)

(我赞美尧、舜而喜欢商、周,依据旧时做法并参照新规,下诏给所有罪犯免刑或减刑,和百姓一起开创新局面。)

I praise ancient emperors Yao and Shun; I like the Shang and Zhou dynasties. I have issued an imperial decree to either exempt criminals from punishment or commute their sentences on the basis of the old practice and new rules, so that we may open up a new era together with the people. (The History of the Han Dynasty)

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