斯文 – Chinese philosophy and culture

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sīwén 斯文

Be Cultured and Refined

即“文”或“人文”,包括礼乐教化、典章制度等,也即诗书、礼乐、法度等精神文明的创造以及与之相关的既有差等又有调和的社会秩序。“斯”,此,这个。后“斯文”连用,也用于指读书人或文人;又衍生出文雅之意,形容一种教养或风度。

Literally, the term means “this culture.” It encompasses the cultural and ethical progress created by rites, music, education, codes, and systems as well as a social order which is hierarchical but harmonious. Later, this term came to refer to the literati and extended to mean being cultured and refined.

引例 Citation:

◎天之将丧斯文也,后死者不得与于斯文也。(《论语·子罕》)

(上天如果要消灭周代的礼乐制度,那我也不可能掌握它了。)

If Heaven wished that this culture should perish, then I could do nothing about it. (The Analects)

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