The hidden meanings of yin and yang - John Bellaimey

陰陽的含意－強尼‧貝拉美

譯者: Ou Chih-Hong 審譯者: Bighead Ge

You might have seen this symbol before,

你也許看過這個圖案

whether it's as a temporary tattoo

可能覺得這是當下流行的刺青

or at a Chinese temple.

或是在中國的廟宇看過

It's called the yin-yang symbol.

這個圖案叫陰陽圖

It comes from Taoism,

它來自道教

a religion born in China

一種誕生於中國的宗教

and it has far more meaning than you probably realize.

它代表的含意，可能比你想的還多

The yin is the dark swirl,

陰是深色的那一塊

and the yang is the light one,

陽是淡色的那一塊

and each side has a dot of the opposite color,

兩邊各有一個顏色相反的圓點

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

這個點是探索陰陽含意的線索

Everything contains the seed of its opposite.

世間萬物都有相反的一面

Darth Vadar has the seed of goodness,

達斯·維德有善良的一面

and Luke has the potential to follow

路客有種跟隨他父親的潛力

his father to the dark side.

加入了黑暗的一面

Like Luke and his father,

就像路客和他的父親

yin and yang are not total opposites,

陰陽並非完全相反

they are relative to each other.

它們是彼此相對

Taoists believe that the universe is made up

道家思想家相信宇宙是由

of energies, vibrations, and matter,

能量、變化、物質所組成

which behave differently

這三者在不同的地方

in different contexts.

會有不同的作用

Something can be yin or yang

萬物都能是陰或是陽

depending on,

取決於

well, depending on lots of things.

嗯，取決於很多因素

So, while wheat that's growing is yang,

像是，麥穗在成長的時候是陽

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

收割的時候就是陰

A wave's crest is yang,

波峰是陽

and the trough is yin.

波谷是陰

Villages on the sunny side of a valley in China

在中國山谷的村莊，太陽照射的那面

have names like Liuyang or Shiyang,

有些名子叫瀏陽，瀋陽

but on the shady side, for example,

而另外一面，舉例來說

of the Yangtze River Valley,

長江流域另一面

there's Jiangyin.

有個江陰市

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

煞車是陰，油門是陽

An eggshell is yang,

蛋殼是陽

the egg inside is yin.

裡面的蛋是陰

You think you're getting it?

有點概念了嗎？

Yang is harder,

陽比較硬

stronger,

比較壯

brighter,

比較光亮

and faster,

比較快

but one can turn into the other

陽可以成為陰

or are two sides of the same coin.

一件事情不只有一種看法

The sunbeams are yang

太陽光線是陽

in comparison to the shadows.

和影子比較的話

The pitch is yang,

投球是陽

the catch is yin.

接球是陰

The yang starts an action,

陽，開始一個動作

and the yin receives it,

陰，接收了動作

completes it.

完成這個動作

Yin is the inside space of a cup;

一個杯子裡面的空間是陰

it wouldn't be a cup without it.

沒有杯子，就沒有杯子裡的空間

Yang is the cup.

陽就是杯子

The coffee's heat, however, is yang,

不過，熱咖啡的熱度，是陽

and its blackness is yin.

咖啡的深色，是陰

Yang goes berserk sometimes,

陽有時候會比較猛烈

but there's some very powerful yins, too,

但有時候陰也是如此

if they don't quite go berserk.

如果兩方都太平和的話

Yin is the darker swirl, the female,

陰是深色的那塊，代表女性

but there is a white dot in it.

但是裡面有個白點

And yang is the lighter, the male,

陽是淡色那塊，代表男性

but it has a black dot.

但是裡面有個黑點

Water flowing calmly in a river is yin,

河流中靜靜的水流是陰

but when it goes over the waterfall,

但是到了瀑布時

it's very yang.

就是猛烈的陽

Toothpicks are yin

牙籤是陰

compared with a telephone pole.

和電線桿相比之下

The back of a person is more yang

人的背面是陰

than the front.

和正面相比之下

The top of a person is the yang end.

人的頭頂是陽

Taoism teaches that there is a power in the universe.

道家思想告訴我們，宇宙有種能量

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

這種能量比其它能量更高、更深、更真

They call it the Tao.

他們稱之為道

It means the way.

也就是方法的意思

Like the Force in Star Wars,

像是星際大戰中的原力一樣

the Tao has two sides.

道，有兩面

Unlike other religions where the higher power is all good,

別於他宗說法，高等能量就是好的

and perhaps has an all-evil rival,

可能會有全壞的敵手

Taoism teaches that we need to learn

道家告訴我們

from both yin and yang.

要從陰陽兩面學習

And unlike religions with gods that are personal,

他宗說，神是人性化的

the higher power in Taoism is not.

在道家思想中，高等的權力並非如此

Taoists believe that living in harmony with the way,

道家思想家相信，與道和諧共存

a person will not have to fight

一個人就不用

against the universe's natural flow.

與自然波流爭鬥

So, for example, listen more,

舉例來說，要多聽

argue less.

少爭辯

Be ready to back up or undo something,

準備好取或捨某樣事物

and you will make even faster progress.

你就會進步得很快

Don't worry about being the best,

不要擔心自己不是最好的

be who you are.

做自己就好

Live simply.

簡單的生活

Complications take you away from the Tao.

複雜會讓你脫離道

"The wise person is flexible," Taoists say.

道家思想家說：「智者能屈能伸」

Learning to use the Tao

學習如何用道

is what Taoism is all about,

就是道家思想的精隨

and that's why you should know

這也是為何你該去分辨

your yin from your yang.

你的陰和陽