中级口译：中国哲学的起源

国学大师钱穆曾说过：“民族的不幸是哲人的财富”

The sentence vividly² summarizes ancient Chinese philosophers and their work, with Chinese history providing verification through the passage of time. In the majesticperiods of Chinese history like the Han (206BC-220AD) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, major achievements in the humanities occurred in the field of literature, but at times of social unrest, philosophical³ accomplishments⁴ were even more prominent.

这句话在中国哲学史上得到了很好的印证：国富民强的汉唐时代，古代文学熠熠生辉，而在动荡不安的年代，我们民族却在哲学上取得了很高的成就。

Ancient Chinese philosophers were born out of sorcery. After a series of incidents, ancient belief systems in destiny were gradually shaken and finally collapsed⁵. The symbolic⁶ events that indicated the birth of Chinese philosophy were all developed byhistoriographers and senior officials in the government of the Zhou Dynasty (about 11th Century-221BC) helping⁷ to explain natural and social phenomena⁸. The old-type sorcerers, who were most used to providing theological explanations, discarded their most familiar habits of resorting to augury⁹, and emerged anew as philosophers, trying to give logical explanations by employing reason. Chinese philosophy, as a new form of culture, was born.

中国古代哲学家们起初多信奉巫术。后来，随着历史的变迁，先前的信仰体系逐渐“礼崩乐坏”。中国哲学的起源，可以追溯到周朝统治阶层中负责解释自然、社会现象的史料编纂者和官员们。他们放弃了早先以占卜来诠释万事万物的习惯，开始试图寻求理性、逻辑的解释途径。中国哲学作为一种全新的文化形式，由此诞生了。

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