Listen to this articlejìlǐ 祭礼
Sacrificial Ceremony
祭祀之礼，是人伦生活中的一项重要礼仪。依据古礼的规定，祭祀的对象包括天地、日月、山川以及逝去的先人等。人们通过“祭礼”表达对受祭对象的敬重或畏惧，并希望受祭对象认可自身的言行，从而获得其护佑并享有其赐予的福禄。“祭礼”对祭祀者及相应仪节的规定，也彰显着祭祀者在人伦生活中的身份与地位。当代社会仍然保留着一些祭祀活动，但其仪式与意义都发生了显著的变化。
The sacrificial ceremony is one of the major rituals in the life of the Chinese. In ancient times, sacrificial ceremonies were held to show reverence for heaven, earth, the sun, the moon, mountains, rivers, or ancestors. By holding a sacrificial ceremony for such things or ancestors, people showed their respect and awe for them, which they hoped would protect and give blessings to themselves. The rites observed during the sacrificial ceremony reflected the social status of ceremony participants. Sacrificial ceremonies are still conducted today, but both the way they are conducted and their significance have greatly changed.
引例 Citations：
◎祭如在，祭神如神在。子曰：“吾不与祭，如不祭。”（《论语·八佾》）
（祭祀的时候就如同受祭对象就在面前，祭祀各种神灵的时候就如同神灵就在面前。孔子说：“我如果不能亲自参与祭祀，就如同没有祭祀一样。”）
When sacrifice is offered to someone, act as though someone is just in front of you. When sacrifice is offered to a god, act as though the god is present. Confucius said, “If I am not there at the sacrifice in person, it is as though there were no sacrifice held.” (The Analects)
◎夫祭者，非物自外至者也，自中出生于心也，心怵而奉之以礼。是故唯贤者能尽祭之义。（《礼记·祭统》）
（祭礼，不是外在的事物使人如此行礼，而是自内生发于心，心有敬畏而以礼祭祀。因此只有贤德的人才能充分把握祭礼的意义。）
Offering sacrifice is not something compelled by external factors; rather, it is driven by one’s inner emotion. It is reverence that makes a person to offer sacrifice. Thus, only a man of virtue fully understands the significance of a sacrificial ceremony. (The Book of Rites)
