以国为国,以天下为天下 – Chinese philosophy and culture

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yǐ guó wéi guó, yǐ tiān xià wéi tiān xià 以国为国,以天下为天下

Rule a State or a Country with Different Methods

以治国的方法治国,以治天下的方法治天下。管子认为,治理者不能拿治理“家”的方法直接用于治“乡”,不能拿治“乡”的方法直接用于治“国”(诸侯国),也不能拿治“国”的方法直接用于治“天下”(天子的统治范围)。而必须随着治理范围的变化而调整治理方法;必须随着治理范围的扩大,开拓自己的视野和胸襟。而在现代语境下,“国”可理解为国家,“天下”可理解为世界。

To rule a state, use the methods for governing a state. To rule a country, use the methods for governing a country. Guanzi held that a ruler must not use the methods for governing a clan to rule a town, nor use the methods for governing a town to rule a state, nor use the methods for governing a state to rule a country. One must change one’s methods of governance according to differences in the area under one’s rule. One must broaden one’s vision and mind as the area under one’s rule expands. In modern language, the “state” could be interpreted as a country, and the “country” as the world.

引例 Citations:

◎以家为乡,乡不可为也;以乡为国,国不可为也;以国为天下,天下不可为也。以家为家,以乡为乡,以国为国,以天下为天下。毋曰不同生(xìnɡ),远者不听;毋曰不同乡,远者不行;毋曰不同国,远者不从。如地如天,何私何亲?如月如日,唯君之节。(《管子·牧民》)

(按照治家的要求治乡,乡不可能治好;按照治乡的要求治国,国不可能治好;按照治国的要求治理天下,天下不可能治好。应该按照治家的要求治家,按照治乡的要求治乡,按照治国的要求治国,按照治天下的要求治天下。不要因为是不同的姓,就不听取外姓人的意见;不要因为是不同的乡,就不采纳外乡入的办法;不要因为是不同的国,就不听从他国人的主张。天地对待万物,哪会有偏私偏爱?要像日月普照天下,这才是君王应该有的气度。)

To rule a town with the methods for governing a clan, the town will not be run well. To rule a state with the methods for governing a town, the state will not be run well. To rule a country with the methods for governing a state, the country will not be run well. To rule a clan, one must meet the requirements for governing a clan. To rule a town, one must meet the requirements for governing a town. To rule a state, one must meet the requirements for governing a state. To rule a country, one must meet the requirements for governing a country. One should not refuse to listen to others’ advice just because they are not members of his clan. One should not refuse to listen to the advice of people of another town just because they do not reside in the town. One should not refuse to listen to the advice of another state just because they are outsiders of the state. One should not refuse to listen to the advice of people of another country just because they are foreigners. Is not Nature impartial towards all things between heaven and earth? The sun and the moon shed light on all. This is what a ruler should do too. (Guanzi)

引例 Citation:

◎行书者,后汉颍川刘德升所作也。即正书之小伪(é),务从简易,相间流行,故谓之“行书”。(张怀瓘《书断》卷上)

(行书,是后汉颍川郡的刘德升创造的书写方法。也就是对楷书稍加改变,致力于简单方便,时不时像流水一样行进,所以叫做“行书”。)

Running script was a writing form created by Liu Desheng from Yingchuan in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is a variation of regular script, easy and convenient to write. Since the script sometimes resembles running water, hence the name running script. (Zhang Huaiguan: Commentary on Calligraphy)

◎所谓“行”者,即真书之少纵略,后简易相间而行,如云行水流,秾纤间出。非真非草,离方遁圆,乃楷隶之捷也。(宋曹《书法约言》)

(所谓行书,就在楷书基础上稍稍自由简略一些,其后简省笔画,不时出现连笔而行,如行云流水一样,笔道粗细相间。它既不是楷书也不是草书,字形既不方也不圆,是楷书和隶书基础上的一种快捷书体。)

Running script is a freer and more concise form of regular script. Later on, strokes of some characters were sometimes linked to make writing easy and simple, looking like drifting clouds and running water. The thickness of strokes of characters keeps changing, sometimes thick, and sometimes thin. It is neither regular script nor cursive script. The form of each character is neither square nor round. It is a quickly-written calligraphic form based on regular script and official script. (Song Cao: Comments on Different Styles of Script)

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