![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
starandrea posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
chinesestudyWith lunar new year activities still ongoing, I finally looked up the significance of the writing on the Boston Chinatown gate ♥
(What I learned is that many more hours of study will be required to understand the significance. I included notes from my initial googling below for anyone who's interested.)
♥ 天下为公
(in traditional characters on the gate, right to left: 公為下天)
Translated in a variety of ways including "everything under heaven is for the public" and "the world is shared equally by all."
From a reddit comment by lzyyjz123 on this thread:
"...the 天下为公 on the gate was written by Sun Yat-sen (An important figure in Chinese history). The 天下为公 is picked from "礼记·礼运" (a book written around 2200 years ago), here is a translation I found:
孔子 - 礼运大同篇 Confucius - Liyun - The Conveyance of Rites
大道之行也, 天下为公
When the great way prevails, the world is equally shared by all.
选贤与能
The talent and virtue are elected.
讲信修睦
Mutual confidence was emphasized and brotherhood was cultivated.
故人不独亲其亲,不独子其子
Therefore, people regard all parents as their own, and treat all children as their own.
始老有所终,壮有所用,幼有所长
The elders can live in happiness, the adults are employed by their talent, the youths can grow and educate.
鳏、寡、孤、独、废疾者皆有所养
Widows and widowers, orphans, childless, ills and invalids are all well taken care of.
男有分,女有归
Men and women all have an appropriate role in the society and family.
货恶其弃於地也,不必藏於己
Nature resources were fully used for the benefit of all, and not appropriated for selfish ends.
力恶其不出於身也,不必为己
People contribute their ability to society and not for the private gain.
是故谋闭而不兴,盗窃乱贼而不作
Thus evil scheming is repressed, and crimes fail to arise.
故外户而不闭,是谓大同
So the doors do not have to be shut. This is called "the Age of Great Harmony."
♥ 礼义廉耻
(in traditional characters on the gate, right to left: 恥廉義禮)
Four principles necessary to a functioning society: "propriety, justice, integrity, honor" or "etiquette, righteousness, honesty, sense of shame."
From wikitionary's entry on 禮義廉恥:
何谓四维？一曰礼、二曰义、三曰廉、四曰耻。礼不逾节，义不自进，廉不蔽恶，耻不从枉。
What are these four cardinal values? The first is propriety, the second is righteousness, the third is integrity, the fourth is a sense of shame. Propriety consists in not overstepping the bounds of proper restraint. Righteousness consists in not pushing oneself forward [at the expense of others]. Integrity consists in not concealing one's faults. Having a sense of shame consists in not following those who go awry.
--Guanzi
The same wiktionary entry indicates the following source:
《五代史·冯道传》论曰：「礼义廉耻，国之四维，四维不张，国乃灭亡。」
From: 顧炎武 (Gu Yanwu) (1613-1682), 《廉恥》
Historical Records of the Five Dynasties: Biography of Feng Dao states, "Propriety, justice, integrity and a sense of shame are the four cardinal principles of a state; if the four cardinal principles are not upheld, the country will perish."
Edited to add: per a conversation withtinny in comments, I just realized a translation of the gate's message is provided on the gate itself, literally visible in the first picture :D There's a closeup at this wikimedia commons link, giving the following translation of the four principles: "civility, justice, integrity, humility" (right to left).
(What I learned is that many more hours of study will be required to understand the significance. I included notes from my initial googling below for anyone who's interested.)
♥ 天下为公
(in traditional characters on the gate, right to left: 公為下天)
Translated in a variety of ways including "everything under heaven is for the public" and "the world is shared equally by all."
From a reddit comment by lzyyjz123 on this thread:
"...the 天下为公 on the gate was written by Sun Yat-sen (An important figure in Chinese history). The 天下为公 is picked from "礼记·礼运" (a book written around 2200 years ago), here is a translation I found:
孔子 - 礼运大同篇 Confucius - Liyun - The Conveyance of Rites
大道之行也, 天下为公
When the great way prevails, the world is equally shared by all.
选贤与能
The talent and virtue are elected.
讲信修睦
Mutual confidence was emphasized and brotherhood was cultivated.
故人不独亲其亲,不独子其子
Therefore, people regard all parents as their own, and treat all children as their own.
始老有所终,壮有所用,幼有所长
The elders can live in happiness, the adults are employed by their talent, the youths can grow and educate.
鳏、寡、孤、独、废疾者皆有所养
Widows and widowers, orphans, childless, ills and invalids are all well taken care of.
男有分,女有归
Men and women all have an appropriate role in the society and family.
货恶其弃於地也,不必藏於己
Nature resources were fully used for the benefit of all, and not appropriated for selfish ends.
力恶其不出於身也,不必为己
People contribute their ability to society and not for the private gain.
是故谋闭而不兴,盗窃乱贼而不作
Thus evil scheming is repressed, and crimes fail to arise.
故外户而不闭,是谓大同
So the doors do not have to be shut. This is called "the Age of Great Harmony."
♥ 礼义廉耻
(in traditional characters on the gate, right to left: 恥廉義禮)
Four principles necessary to a functioning society: "propriety, justice, integrity, honor" or "etiquette, righteousness, honesty, sense of shame."
From wikitionary's entry on 禮義廉恥:
何谓四维？一曰礼、二曰义、三曰廉、四曰耻。礼不逾节，义不自进，廉不蔽恶，耻不从枉。
What are these four cardinal values? The first is propriety, the second is righteousness, the third is integrity, the fourth is a sense of shame. Propriety consists in not overstepping the bounds of proper restraint. Righteousness consists in not pushing oneself forward [at the expense of others]. Integrity consists in not concealing one's faults. Having a sense of shame consists in not following those who go awry.
--Guanzi
The same wiktionary entry indicates the following source:
《五代史·冯道传》论曰：「礼义廉耻，国之四维，四维不张，国乃灭亡。」
From: 顧炎武 (Gu Yanwu) (1613-1682), 《廉恥》
Historical Records of the Five Dynasties: Biography of Feng Dao states, "Propriety, justice, integrity and a sense of shame are the four cardinal principles of a state; if the four cardinal principles are not upheld, the country will perish."
Edited to add: per a conversation with
tinny in comments, I just realized a translation of the gate's message is provided on the gate itself, literally visible in the first picture :D There's a closeup at this wikimedia commons link, giving the following translation of the four principles: "civility, justice, integrity, humility" (right to left).