Listen to this articlejìnɡjiàn 劲健
Strength and Vigor
强劲刚健。用于文艺批评，主要指作品所显示出的强劲的生命张力、刚劲的语言和矫健的文思，以及所具有的自由奔放的气势和激荡读者心怀的感染力。它要求作者心境澄明、浩气充盈、内在涵养深厚、情志高远深沉，文思纵横无碍，语言丰富多变，强大的精神力量贯穿整个作品。
This term is used mostly in literary criticism to refer to a vigorous life force, the intensity of language, a burst of literary talent, an overwhelming impact, as well as a powerful appeal to readers’ hearts. It requires the author to maintain a lucid mind, be filled with positivity, have abundant self-cultivation, embrace noble ideals, be unbridled in literary expression, possess a variety of styles, and infuse spiritual strength into his whole work.
引例 Citations：
◎行神如空，行气如虹。巫峡千寻，走云连风。饮真茹强，蓄素守中。喻彼行健，是谓存雄。（司空图《二十四诗品·劲健》）
（诗人的神思如同翱翔太空，作品的气势好似长虹横贯。仿佛置身于万丈之高的巫峡两岸，伴随疾风的是驰飞而去的云层。涵养真气，培育刚强；蓄积素朴，守持中正。领悟天道永不止息的刚健法则，这就是诗歌需要积存劲力的道理。）
A poet’s musings can be likened to a soaring eagle; a literary work should inspire awe like a rainbow across the sky. He feels as if placed on a steep and lofty cliff overlooking the Wuxia Gorge. Clouds swiftly drift away, escorted by a strong wind. Thus, he cultivates vital energies deep inside him, grows in fortitude, and lives out his simple and unadorned life adhering to the principle of propriety. A poet should fully understand the rules governing the robust, ceaseless operation of heavenly forces and needs to accumulate inner strength to produce truly good poetry. (Sikong Tu: Twenty-four Styles of Poetry)
◎延年为人跌宕，任气节，读书通大略，为文劲健，于诗最工而善书。（《宋史·石延年传》）
（石延年为人豪放不羁，崇尚气节，读书粗通其义，但写文章气势强劲刚健，最擅长诗歌，书法也很好。）
Shi Yannian is vigorous and unrestrained. He prizes moral integrity. When reading a book, all he does is to get a basic understanding of its essential meaning. But when he writes, he writes with vim and vigor. He excels at poetry. His calligraphy is also admirable. (The History of the Song Dynasty)
