中国历史文化概况(英文版)Unit-1-Origins-and-History

Unit1OriginsandHistory学习任务整体上掌握TextA和TextB两篇文章的内容，包括背景资料，单词，相关专有名词等。完成TextA和TextB的课后题目。浏览TextC。TextAEarlyChineseHistory导读中国是世界文明古国，中华文明亦称华夏文明，是世界上最古老的文明之一，也是世界上持续时间最长的文明之一。中华文明史源远流长，若从黄帝时代算起，约有4700年。举世公认，中国是历史最悠久的文明古国之一。一般认为，中华文明的直接源头有两个，即黄河文明、长江文明，中华文明是两种区域文明交流、融合、升华的果实。中国历史自黄帝时代算起则约有5000年。有历史学者认为，在人类文明史中，“历史时代”的定义是指从有文字时起算，在那之前则称为“史前时代”；历史中传说伏羲做八卦，黄帝时代仓颉造文字；近代考古发现了3350多年前（前1350年）商朝的甲骨文、约4000年前至5000年前的陶文、约5000年前至7000年前具有文字性质的龟骨契刻符号。元谋人的牙齿仰韶文化半坡类型（人面鱼纹盆）Notes1.TheYangshaoculture(仰韶文化):aNeolithicculturethatexistedextensivelyalongthecentralYellowRiverinChina.TheYangshaocultureisdatedfromaround5000BCto3000BC.ThecultureisnamedafterYangshao,thefirstexcavatedrepresentativevillageofthisculture,whichwasdiscoveredin1921inHenanProvincebytheSwedisharchaeologistJohanGunnarAndersson(1874–1960).ThecultureflourishedmainlyintheprovincesofHenan,ShaanxiandShanxi.2.TheLongshanculture(龙山文化):alateNeolithiccultureinChina,centeredonthecentralandlowerYellowRiveranddatedfromabout3000BCto2000BC.TheLongshancultureisnamedafterthetownofLongshanintheeastoftheareaundertheadministrationofthecityofJinan,ShandongProvince,wherethefirstarchaeologicalfind(in1928)andexcavation(in1930and1931)ofthisculturetookplaceattheChengziyaArchaeologicalSite.3.TheBronzeAge(青铜器时代):isaperiodcharacterizedbytheuseofcopperanditsalloybronzeasthechiefhardmaterialsinthemanufactureofsomeimplementsandweapons.Chronologically,itstandsbetweentheStoneAgeandIronAge.ThetermStoneAgeimpliestheinabilitytosmeltanyore,thetermBronzeAgeimpliestheinabilitytosmeltironoreandthetermIronAgeimpliestheabilitytomanufactureartifactsinanyofthethreetypesofhardmaterial.Theirarrangementinthearchaeologicalchronologyreflectsthedifficultyofmanufactureinthehistoryoftechnology.4.Confucius(孔子)：aChinesethinkerandsocialphilosopheroftheSpringandAutumnPeriod.ThephilosophyofConfuciusemphasizedpersonalandgovernmentalmorality,correctnessofsocialrelationships,justiceandsincerity.ThesevaluesgainedprominenceinChinaoverotherdoctrines,suchasLegalism(法家)orTaoism(道家)duringtheHanDynasty.Confucius'thoughtshavebeendevelopedintoasystemofphilosophyknownasConfucianism(儒家).5.Mencius(孟子)：anitinerantChinesephilosopherandsage,andoneoftheprincipalinterpretersofConfucianism.Supposedly,hewasapupilofConfucius'grandson,Zisi.LikeConfucius,accordingtolegend,hetravelledChinaforfortyyearstoofferadvicetorulersforreform.DuringtheWarringStatesPeriod,MenciusservedasanofficialandscholarattheJixiaAcademyintheStateofQi.HeexpressedhisfilialdevotionwhenhetookanabsenceofthreeyearsfromhisofficialdutiesforQitomournhismother'sdeath.Disappointedathisfailuretoaffectchangesinhiscontemporaryworld,heretiredfrompubliclife.6.Mozi(墨子)：aChinesephilosopherduringtheHundredSchoolsofThoughtperiod(earlyWarringStatesPeriod).BorninTengzhou,ShandongProvince,China,hefoundedtheschoolofMohismandarguedstronglyagainstConfucianismandDaoism.DuringtheWarringStatesPeriod,Mohismwasactivelydevelopedandpracticedinmanystates,butfelloutoffavourwhenthelegalistQinDynastycametopower.DuringthatperiodmanyMohistclassicswereruinedwhenQinShihuangcarriedouttheburningofbooksandburyingofscholars.TheimportanceofMohismfurtherdeclinedwhenConfucianismbecamethedominantschoolofthoughtduringtheHanDynasty,disappearingbythemiddleoftheWesternHanDynasty.7.Laozi(老子)：amysticphilosopherofancientChina,bestknownastheauthoroftheTaoTeChing(oftensimplyreferredtoasLaozi).HisassociationwiththeTaoTeChinghasledhimtobetraditionallyconsideredthefounderofTaoism(pronouncedasDaoism).HeisalsoreveredasadeityinmostreligiousformsoftheTaoistreligion,whichoftenreferstoLaoziasTaishangLaojun,orOneoftheThreePureOnes.LaozitranslatedliterallyfromChinesemeansoldmasteroroldone,andisgenerallyconsideredhonorific.8.Zhuangzi(庄子)：aninfluentialChinesephilosopherwholivedaroundthe4thcenturyBCduringtheWarringStatesPeriod,aperiodcorrespondingtothephilosophicalsummitofChinesethought—theHundredSchoolsofThought,andiscreditedwithwriting—inpartorinwhole—aworkknownbyhisname,theZhuangzi.9.ShangYang(商鞅):animportantstatesmanoftheStateofQinduringtheWarringStatesPeriodofChinesehistory.BornWeiYangintheStateofWei,withthesupportofDukeXiaoofQinYangenactednumerousreformsinQin.ThesewereinaccordancewithhislegalistphilosophyasrecordedinTheBookofLordShangandassistedQininitschangefromaperipheralstatetothatofamilitarilypowerfulandstronglycentralizedkingdom.Hechangedtheadministrationofthestatethroughanemphasisonmeritocracyanddevolvementofpowerfromthenobility.10.HanFeiZi(韩非子):wasaChinesephilosopherwho,alongwithLiSi,GongsunYang,ShenDaoandShenBuhai,developedthedoctrineoftheSchoolofLaworLegalism.Unliketheotherfamedphilosophersofthetime,HanFeiwasamemberoftherulingaristocracy,havingbeenbornintotherulingfamilyofthestateofHanduringtheendphaseoftheWarringStatesPeriod.Inthiscontext,hisworkshavebeeninterpretedbysomescholarsasbeingdirectedtohiscousin,theKingofHan.11.QuYuan(屈原):wasaChinesepoetwholivedduringtheWarringStatesPeriodinancientChina.HeisfamousforhiscontributionstothepoetrycollectionknownastheChu-ci-alsoknownasSongsoftheSouthorSongsofChu-which,al