Listen to this articleshòuyìng 瘦硬
Thin and Strong
细瘦而劲硬。“瘦”义为细瘦、不丰满，与“硬”连用，侧重指作品的骨力。用于诗歌创作，主要指少铺陈，不堆砌华美的辞藻，不做细腻柔媚的描写，而通过峭拔新奇的声律、刚劲简洁的词句，达成瘦硬的艺术风格；用于书法绘画，主要指笔触细瘦遒劲，具有刚劲挺拔的气质，但又不同于雄浑风格为主的刚健气质。
As employed in traditional Chinese art and literature, “thin” here means bony or not plump; it is used in collocation with “strong,” emphasizing a work’s strong structural force. Used in poetic composition, the term refers to a layout devoid of elaborate writing, flowery wording or excessively subtle description. Instead, amazingly new metrical patterns and bold, concise phrases and sentences are preferred to achieve a “thin and strong” style. When used in painting and calligraphy, it refers to thin but vigorous strokes executed to highlight a quality of unbending rigidity, unlike other more robust styles.
引例 Citations：
◎书贵瘦硬方通神。（杜甫《李潮八分小篆歌》）
（书法注重细瘦劲硬，方能达到非凡的境地。）
Calligraphy, only when performed with thin and strong strokes, will be truly remarkable. (Du Fu: Ode to Li Chao’s Modified Lesser Seal Script)
◎宋子京词是宋初体，张子野始创瘦硬之体，虽以佳句互相称美，其实趣尚不同。（刘熙载《艺概·词曲概》）
（宋祁的词作反映宋朝初年的样貌，张先始创细瘦劲硬的词风，虽然他们相互称赞对方的佳句，其实各自的趣味和追求并不相同。）
Song Qi’s ci poetry reflects the style of the early years of the Song Dynasty, whereas Zhang Xian was the first to create the “thin and strong” ci style. Although the two poets praised each other, they differed in artistic taste and pursuit. (Liu Xizai: Overview of Literary Theories)
