The hidden meanings of yin and yang - John Bellaimey

阴阳的含义 - John Bellaimey

翻译人员: Wu Jim 校对人员: Zhiting Chen

You might have seen this symbol before,

你们或许以前见过这个符号，

whether it's as a temporary tattoo

无论它作为临时纹身

or at a Chinese temple.

还是在中国寺庙里，

It's called the yin-yang symbol.

被叫做阴阳符号。

It comes from Taoism,

它来自道教，

a religion born in China

一个诞生于中国的宗教，

and it has far more meaning than you probably realize.

比你可能意识到的意义更深远。

The yin is the dark swirl,

阴是黑色漩涡，

and the yang is the light one,

阳是白色漩涡，

and each side has a dot of the opposite color,

每一边有一个相反色的点，

which gives a clue to the meaning of yin and yang.

给出了阴阳含义的线索。

Everything contains the seed of its opposite.

任何事情包含其对立面的种子。

Darth Vadar has the seed of goodness,

黑武士有善良的一面，

and Luke has the potential to follow

而路加也带有

his father to the dark side.

追随其父亲阴暗面的潜在可能。

Like Luke and his father,

就像路加和其父一样，

yin and yang are not total opposites,

阴阳不是完全对立的，

they are relative to each other.

它们彼此是相对的。

Taoists believe that the universe is made up

道家认为宇宙是由

of energies, vibrations, and matter,

能量、振动和物质组成的，

which behave differently

在不同的情况下

in different contexts.

表现不同。

Something can be yin or yang

事物可以是阴的或阳的

depending on,

取决于，

well, depending on lots of things.

取决于许多事情。

So, while wheat that's growing is yang,

因此，小麦生长是阳，

when it's being reaped, it's yin.

收割小麦是阴。

A wave's crest is yang,

波峰是阳，

and the trough is yin.

波谷是阴。

Villages on the sunny side of a valley in China

在中国的山谷向阳面的村落

have names like Liuyang or Shiyang,

名字叫浏阳或石羊，

but on the shady side, for example,

但例如，

of the Yangtze River Valley,

在长江流域的背阴面，

there's Jiangyin.

有江阴。

The brake is yin to the gas pedal's yang.

刹车相对油门踏板这个阳来说就是阴。

An eggshell is yang,

蛋壳是阳，

the egg inside is yin.

里面的卵就是阴。

You think you're getting it?

你认为你明白了吗？

Yang is harder,

阳更硬、

stronger,

更强、

brighter,

更亮、

and faster,

更快，

but one can turn into the other

但一方可以转变成另一方

or are two sides of the same coin.

就像同一枚硬币的两个面。

The sunbeams are yang

阳光与阴影相比

in comparison to the shadows.

是阳。

The pitch is yang,

投球是阳，

the catch is yin.

接球是阴。

The yang starts an action,

阳开始这个动作，

and the yin receives it,

而阴接受这个动作，

completes it.

并完成它。

Yin is the inside space of a cup;

阴是一个杯子的内部空间；

it wouldn't be a cup without it.

没有内部空间就成不了杯子。

Yang is the cup.

阳是杯子。

The coffee's heat, however, is yang,

然而，咖啡的热量是阳，

and its blackness is yin.

咖啡的黑色是阴。

Yang goes berserk sometimes,

阳有时是发狂的，

but there's some very powerful yins, too,

但也有一些非常强大的阴，

if they don't quite go berserk.

前提是如果阳不发狂。

Yin is the darker swirl, the female,

阴是较暗的漩涡，是女性，

but there is a white dot in it.

但里面有一个白点。

And yang is the lighter, the male,

阳是较亮的漩涡，男性，

but it has a black dot.

但有一个黑点。

Water flowing calmly in a river is yin,

在河里温和流动着的水是阴，

but when it goes over the waterfall,

但当水流过瀑布时，

it's very yang.

它就非常“阳”。

Toothpicks are yin

和一根电线杆相比，

compared with a telephone pole.

牙签是阴。

The back of a person is more yang

人的后背比前胸

than the front.

代表的阴更多。

The top of a person is the yang end.

人的顶部是阳性的一端。

Taoism teaches that there is a power in the universe.

道教说在宇宙中存在一种能量。

It's higher, deeper, and truer than any other force.

它比任何其它的力更高、更深、更真实。

They call it the Tao.

他们称之为“道”。

It means the way.

“道”的含义是方式、方法。

Like the Force in Star Wars,

就像星球大战中的力量，

the Tao has two sides.

“道”具有两面性。

Unlike other religions where the higher power is all good,

不像其它的宗教权力更大的都好，

and perhaps has an all-evil rival,

而或许有一个非常邪恶的对手，

Taoism teaches that we need to learn

道教教导我们需要

from both yin and yang.

同时学习阴和阳。

And unlike religions with gods that are personal,

而不像有神的宗教是个人的，

the higher power in Taoism is not.

道教中权力较大的却不是这样。

Taoists believe that living in harmony with the way,

道家认为与道和平共处，

a person will not have to fight

人将不必

against the universe's natural flow.

与宇宙大自然的“气”相对抗。

So, for example, listen more,

那么，比方说，多听，

argue less.

少争论。

Be ready to back up or undo something,

备份好需要复原的东西，

and you will make even faster progress.

你就会取得更快的进步。

Don't worry about being the best,

不要担心做不了最好，

be who you are.

做你自己就行。

Live simply.

生活简单点。

Complications take you away from the Tao.

杂念会使你偏离“道”。

"The wise person is flexible," Taoists say.

道家说：“智者柔”

Learning to use the Tao

学习使用“道”

is what Taoism is all about,

是道教的一切内容，

and that's why you should know

这就是你应该知道

your yin from your yang.

你的阴和阳。