The Virtuous Love Mountains and the Wise Love Waters

有德行的人喜愛山，有智慧的人喜愛水。山崇高持固，以其深厚而滋養(yǎng)萬物，仁者由此聯(lián)想到平和安靜、心懷仁德而欣喜；水奔流不息，以其順勢而周流無滯，智者由此聯(lián)想到順勢而動、隨時應變而快樂。此二句互文見義：仁愛而有智慧的人從自然山水中看到自己的天性和追求，乃至看到自己精神的映照，所以見山水而欣悅。這是君子修養(yǎng)的兩方面，是君子比德于山水進而移情山水帶來的擬人化的自然之美以及賞會之樂。山水因此聯(lián)系著人類美好的情感，成為常見的審美意象，而徜徉于山水也成為文人修養(yǎng)身心的重要方式。比德是一種富有中國特色的藝術表現(xiàn)方式和思維方式。

According to this term, a mountain is lofty and steadfast, conserving everything with its infinite forbearance. Thus, a virtuous man feels elated by associating this with poise, serenity and benevolence. Water, on the other hand, runs on incessantly, finding its way around without being deterred by any obstacle. Thus, a wise man feels joyful recalling how water meanders its course and keeps pace with the seasons. These two statements complement each other in meaning. Benevolent and wise people note their own nature and aptitude, even their own spiritual state of being, through mountains and water, hence their happiness at the sight of natural scenery. This represents two aspects of a noble-minded person's self-cultivation. It is a personification of natural beauty and an experience of aesthetic appreciation brought about by comparing virtue to, and empathizing with, mountains and water. Thus, mountains and waters are often associated with beautiful feelings and have become a common aesthetic image. Wandering among mountains and streams is also seen as an important way for a man of letters to cultivate himself. This comparison made between virtue and natural scenery is typical in Chinese artistic expression and thought.

引例 Citations：

◎歲寒，然后知松柏之后凋也。（《論語·子罕》）

每年到了天氣最寒冷的時節(jié)，才知道松樹和柏樹是最后凋謝的。

Only when the year turns deadly cold do we see that pines and cypresses are the last trees to show the withering weight of winter. (The Analects)

◎知者樂水，仁者樂山。知者動，仁者靜。知者樂，仁者壽。（《論語·雍也》）

有智慧的人喜愛水，有德行的人喜愛山；有智慧的人好動，有德行的人好靜；有智慧的人快樂，有德行的人長壽。

A wise man loves water; a virtuous man loves mountains. A wise man is active; a virtuous man stays peaceful in mind. A wise man is happy; a virtuous man enjoys a long life. (The Analects)

推薦：教育部 國家語委

供稿：北京外國語大學 外語教學與研究出版社

責任編輯：錢耐安