Listen to this articlewǔ háng xiàng shèng 五行相胜
The Five Elements Triumph Over Each Other.
五行循环克胜，也称“五行相克”。“五行”本指五种基本事物，即木、火、土、金、水。世间万物都由这五种事物构成，或具有这五种事物的属性。“五行相胜”之说描述了这五种事物之间所具有的循环克胜关系。水克火，火克金，金克木，木克土，土克水。同时，具有这五种属性的事物之间也遵循这样的克胜关系。比如，以“五行相胜”解释王朝的更替。
This refers to the concept of the five elements sequentially overpowering each other, which is also described as “the five elements, each in turn checking the next.” The term “five elements” refers to five basic material elements, namely: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. According to this concept, water checks fire; fire checks metal; metal checks wood; wood checks earth; and earth checks water. Similarly, things with the properties of these five elements also have corresponding relations between themselves. For example, using this theory, dynastic changes can be explained.
引例 Citations：
◎五行者，五官也，比相生而间相胜也，故为治，逆之则乱，顺之则治。（董仲舒《春秋繁露·五行相生》）
（五行，如同五个官职，相邻的事物依次生成而相互间隔的事物依次克胜。因此治理国家人事，悖逆了五行次序就会混乱，顺应了五行次序则会安定。）
The five elements are comparable to five official positions. Adjacent things emerge in a certain sequences. If things do not emerge in order, each will check the next. This principle also applies to the governance of a state and all social affairs. Chaos grows if the order of the five elements is disrupted; peace prevails if the five elements are in good order. (Dong Zhongshu: Luxuriant Gems of The Spring and Autumn Annals)
