【文化释说英文有声书】第一篇 引 言

世界发展到今天 , 人类变革求新、探索进取的精神更加伸张，催生出无尽的创造力，极大地丰富和便捷了人们的物质生活。而对自然资源的过度攫取，使得现代化的可持续发展已面临前所未有的严峻考验，人类正陷入新的生存危机。这些新的危机，恰恰是人类为满足自己而制造出的新麻烦。

As the world reaches its present stage of development, the scope of the human quest for change and innovation, and the spirit for discovery and advancement have become much more extensive. This has given birth to boundless creativity that has greatly enriched and made easy the material life. However, the over-exploitation of our natural resources has resulted in a never-before-seen critical challenge to the continued development of the modernization process. The human race is in the midst of a new survival crisis. Crises like this are the direct results of new problems created by the human race in its quest to satisfy its own desires.

当今世界，人类比以往任何时候都更加需要同心协力、同舟共济，更加需要一个公正合理的和谐世界，更加需要寻找构建和谐世界的精神资源。曾有人在上个世纪就提出，中国的儒家文化和佛教的大乘思想可以帮助整个人类度过 21 世纪。

At present, humans need to unite in spirit and in action, and join together as if everyone is in the same boat more than ever before. We have a greater need for a righteous and rational world, as well as a greater need to search for the spiritual source to construct this harmonious world. There was someone who suggested in the last century that Chinese Confucian culture and Buddhist Mahayana thought are able to tide the whole of the human race over the 21st century.

人类的希望聚焦在东方文明，而中华文明的复兴之路任重而道远。今天，让我们一同来追溯和探索“华夏文明之源”，“与华夏五千年的文 明接轨”，“也就是与我们的祖先接轨”。

As the human race pins its hopes on the civilizations of the East, the path to the revival of Chinese culture is long and heavily burdened. Today, let us join together to trace and explore the ‘origins of the Hua Xia civilization’, and ‘connect with 5,000 years of this civilization’ – in other words, to also connect with our ancestors.

作为华夏文明基因传承者的炎黄子孙，依循 先贤的精神脉络，再度去探寻、聆听那些湮没在数千年文明长河中的不言之教；在现代的生活、服饰、衣食住行里，再度去解读、发现、承接那 些精髓的密钥，这是我们理应肩负的责任与使命。在我们这些炎黄子孙中间还存有多少中国元素？ 在我们的心灵与精神里面还可寻觅到多少“道” 的印迹？……我们不应当只有汗颜与愧对，不应当只是观望、等待，我们应当思考些什么、做些什么。

As descendants of Emperors Yan and Huang and as the genetic transmitters of the Hua Xia civilization, we shall follow the spiritual vein of our earlier virtuous forefathers to explore once again and listen to those unspoken teachings which have been buried in the great river of a civilization thousands of years old, to interpret, uncover and inherit again those secret codes essential to our modern daily life, and how we dress, eat, live, and conduct ourselves. As a matter of propriety, this is a responsibility and mission we must shoulder. What are the Chinese elements still remaining within us, the descendants of the Emperors of Yan and Huang? What are the traces of the Dao that can still be found in our spiritual selves and our souls? We should not respond by just being fazed and remorseful, nor should we merely be hopeful and bide our time. What should we be pondering over and what should we do?   

传喜法师引领我们挹流探源、闻香寻根，追思、求索传统文化的价值，一同去领悟引导中华民族创造出辉煌古老文明的大道，传承发扬中国文化传统中依然能够带领我们去展拓未来的高尚品德与不朽精神。

Under the guidance of Master Chuan-Xi, let us ‘trace the springhead of the river’ and ‘find the source of the aroma’, and look back and uncover the values of our traditional culture. Together, let us bring to light the grand path that has led the Chinese to create such a glorious ancient civilization, so that we can continue the transmission of the noble virtues and the indomitable spirit within traditional Chinese culture that are still able to direct us in the building of our future.

英文翻译&读诵：建成