Did you see the statue of Confucius launched by the China Confucius Fund?
A:你看到中國孔子基金會發布的孔子標準像了嗎?
B:Yes, I did. It doesn`t quite match the Confucius image in my mind though. I heard there are many different opinions about this so-called official statue. But, to be fait, it`s an impossible job to create an official statue of someone who lived more than 2,500 years ago. No one knows what he looked like, just like no one in the West knows what Plato looked like. Nevertheless, Confucius was a great philosopher, an educator, a plitician, as well as the founder of Confucianism, which still has a tremendous influence over people today.
B:看到了，但它不完全是我心目中的孔子形象。據說有很多人對這個標準像持不同意見。這也難怪，也已畢竟生活在2500多年前，沒有誰能夠想像他真實的長相，就像你們西方人不知道柏拉圖的面孔一樣。但是，孔子對今天中國人的生活和思想依然有著重大的影響。他是中國古代的思想家、教育家、政治家，也是儒學的創始人。
A:Confucianism seems to be back in fashin again. As far as I know, about five to six million Chinese students are currently studying The analects of Confucius. Some companies are using Confucianism as a management tool. The govemment is also promoting the Confucian values of ethics, fairness, and honesty. They see it as a way to address the social problems that have emerged as a result of the accelerated economic growth.
A:儒家思想似乎又風行起來了。就我所知，中國有五六百萬的孩子在學習《論語》;不少企業家把儒家思想引進到企業管理中;中國政府也試圖通過倡導道德、公正和廉潔的儒家思想，來解決經濟調整發展帶來的社會問題。
B:Confucianism is the backbone of Chinese culture. Confucius developed his philosophy around the concept of benevolence. The Analects of Confucius is a record of his political views. Confucianism represents a set of moral principles because it stresses fairness and harmony in guman relationships, as well as the individual`s social responsibility for their country. For Confucius, political honesty is based on individual ethical integrity.
B:儒家思想是中國傳統文化的主干。孔子的哲學體系以“仁”為核心，《論語》記載著他的政治學說。儒學是一套倫理道德，強調的是為人處事的正派、人際關系的和諧以及個人對國家的責任感。在孔子看來，政治的說法是以人品的正直為基礎的。
A:Some American scholars did a comparative study of confucius with Greek and Roman philosophers. Their conclusion was that there is more practical value in Confucianism. Why it that?
A:有的美國學者將孔子與古希臘哲人相比較，認為他的思想更具有實用價值。為什么?
B:Well it has extensive application in Chinese society. Confucius was also an accomplished educator. He treated his students as his equal by teaching them democratic and open-minded ideas . In the words of the American scholars, Confucius wanted to train his students to become more unrestrained and adaprable to external influences.
B:因為它被廣泛運用于中國社會。孔子還是個了不起的教育家，他平等對待學生，教給他們民主、開放的觀念。用美國學者的話說就是：培養能夠自然從容并適應環境的君子。
A:There is also an increasing awareness of Confucianism in other parts of the world. This may be a result of various political, cultural, and environmental challenges due to China`s growing economic importance. As a result, the rise of individualism in the community has become a serious threat to social harmony and progress. A different set of values are needed as a counterbalance. Confucianism emphasizes "courtesy" and "respect" whendealing with people or nature so it should be very beneficial for building harmony in any society.
A:據我所知，儒家學說也在世界其他地方逐漸引起了重視。這也許與中國經濟的高速發展所帶來的各種政治、文化，以及環境等問題的巨大挑戰有關。個人主義在商品社會中的極端發展，對社會的和諧與進步構成威脅，必須尋求另一種價值觀來取得平衡。而孔子的學說恰好提倡以“禮”來處理人際關系及與自然的關系，對于和諧社會的構建大有益處。
B:You are right. A scholar once said that answers concerning our survival can be found in the wisdom of Confucius, even though he lived more than 25 centuries ago.
B:有道理。正如一位學者所說：21世紀的生存問題，必須回到25個世紀之前孔子的智慧中去尋求解決的答案。
