中國

中國和平崛起

中国和平崛起

中國社會科學院

中国社会科学院

English translations of Chinese classics

中國典籍英譯

中国典籍英译

to interfere in China's internal affairs

干涉中國內政

干涉中国内政

中國的首都是北京。

中国的首都是北京。

他現在在中國旅行。

他现在在中国旅行。

你喜歡中國文學嗎？

你喜欢中国文学吗？

We humbly think that Buddhism is merely a religion of barbarians, which entered China during the Later Han and is not found in our ancestry.

Fú yǐ Fó zhě, yídí zhī yī fǎ ěr, zì Hòuhàn shí liúrù Zhōngguó, shànggǔ wèicháng yǒu yě.

伏以佛者，夷狄之一法耳，自後漢時流入中國，上古未嘗有也。

伏以佛者，夷狄之一法耳，自后汉时流入中国，上古未尝有也。

Someone asks, "The Four Barbarians and Ten Nations are not Chinese. Why do you describe the barbarian contributions but not ten nations'?" We reply, "Viewing from Chinese on barbarians, one shall barbarize them; Viewing from Five Dynasties on Ten Nations, one shall not."

11th century, Ouyang Xiu, Historical Records of the Five Dynasties

Wènzhě yuē: Sìyí, Shíguó, jiē fēi Zhōngguó zhī yǒu yě, Sìyí zhī fēngjué cháogòng zé shū, ér Shíguó zhī bù shū hé yě? Yuē: yǐ Zhōngguó ér shì yídí, yídí zhī kě yě. Yǐ Wǔdài zhī jūn ér shì Shíguó, yídí zhī zé wèikě yě.

問者曰：四夷、十國，皆非中國之有也，四夷之封爵朝貢則書，而十國之不書何也？曰：以中國而視夷狄，夷狄之可也。以五代之君而視十國，夷狄之則未可也。

问者曰：四夷、十国，皆非中国之有也，四夷之封爵朝贡则书，而十国之不书何也？曰：以中国而视夷狄，夷狄之可也。以五代之君而视十国，夷狄之则未可也。

c. 1300, 周達觀 (Zhou Daguan), 真臘風土記 (The Customs of Cambodia)

Tángrén dào bǐ, jiē bù yǔ zhī yánjí Zhōngguó fèn yōng zhī shì, kǒng wéi suǒ bǐ.

唐人到彼，皆不與之言及中國糞壅之事，恐為所鄙。

唐人到彼，皆不与之言及中国粪壅之事，恐为所鄙。

The national voice is different to that in China, with scripts mutually unintelligible. Thus, our humble people have some to say, but many could not express their feelings.

c. 1446, Sejong the Great, 訓民正音 (Hunminjeongeum)

國之語音，異乎中國，與文字不相流通，故愚民有所欲言，而終不得伸其情者多矣。

Zì wǒ cháo rùzhǔ zhōngtǔ, jūnlín tiānxià, bìng Ménggǔ jíbiān zhū bùluò, jù guī bǎntú, shì Zhōngguó zhī jiāngtǔ kāituò guǎngyuǎn, nǎi Zhōngguó chénmín zhī dàxìng, hédé shàngyǒu huáyí zhōngwài zhī fēn lùn zāi!

自我朝入主中土，君臨天下，并蒙古極邊諸部落，俱歸版圖，是中國之疆土開拓廣遠，乃中國臣民之大幸，何得尚有華夷中外之分論哉！

自我朝入主中土，君临天下，并蒙古极边诸部落，俱归版图，是中国之疆土开拓广远，乃中国臣民之大幸，何得尚有华夷中外之分论哉！

How much of it is forest? The population of China being very dense, the forests cannot be extensive.

1841, Elijah Coleman Bridgman, A Chinese Chrestomathy in the Canton Dialect, page 345

jau⁵ gei² do¹ syu⁶ muk⁶ ne¹? zung¹ gwok³ jan⁴ jin¹ cau⁴ zaap⁶, syu⁶ muk⁶ mou⁴ do¹.

有幾多樹木呢？中國人烟稠集，樹木無多。

有几多树木呢？中国人烟稠集，树木无多。

China (a country in Asia; capital: Beijing)

He zun
King Wu of Zhou
Names of China#Zhongguo
Western Zhou

Earliest attested on the Western Zhou bronze vessel He zun. See Names of China#Zhongguo.

When King Wu conquered the great city Shang, he then made reverent declarations to Heaven, saying: "Let me dwell in this, the central region, and from here govern the people."

He zun inscription, translated by Pankenier (2013)

Wéi Wǔwáng jì kè Dàyìshāng, zé tíng gào yú Tiān, yuē: yú qí zhái zī Zhōngguó, zì zhī yì mín.

隹珷王既克大邑商，𠟭廷吿于天，曰：余𠀠宅𢆶𠁩或，自之辥民。

隹珷王既克大邑商，𠟭廷告于天，曰：余𠀠宅𢆶𠁩或，自之辥民。

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ³⁵/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ kuɛ²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuei⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuə⁵¹/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷɔːk̚³/

/t͡sɵŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ kuɛt̚¹/

/tyŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋuɔʔ²⁴/

/tœŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ¹/

/tyøŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ²/

/tiɔŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵/

/tiɔŋ³³⁻²¹ kɔk̚³/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ kɔk̚³²/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² kɔk̚³²/

/toŋ³³⁻²³ kok̚²/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ koʔ²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ³⁵/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ kuɛ²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuei⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuə⁵¹/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷɔːk̚³/

/t͡sɵŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ kuɛt̚¹/

/tyŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋuɔʔ²⁴/

/tœŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ¹/

/tyøŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ²/

/tiɔŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵/

/tiɔŋ³³⁻²¹ kɔk̚³/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ kɔk̚³²/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² kɔk̚³²/

/toŋ³³⁻²³ kok̚²/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ koʔ²¹/


中國

(Classical) royal court; imperial court; imperial household; imperial government

Let us cherish this centre of the kingdom,
To secure the repose of the four quarters of it.

The Classic of Poetry, c. 11ᵗʰ – 7ᵗʰ centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

惠此中國，以綏四方。

惠此中国，以绥四方。

I wish to give Mencius a house, somewhere in the middle of the kingdom.

Mencius, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

我欲中國而授孟子室。

我欲中国而授孟子室。

(Classical) central part of a country (historically, commonly known as the capital city or the main region, where an emperor or other ruler resides)

You wish to enlarge your territories, to have Qin and Chu wait at your court, to rule the Middle Kingdom, and to attract to you the barbarous tribes that surround it.

Yù pì tǔdì, cháo Qín Chǔ, lì Zhōngguó ér fǔ sìyí yě.

欲辟土地，朝秦楚，莅中國而撫四夷也。

欲辟土地，朝秦楚，莅中国而抚四夷也。

I have heard that the superior men of these Middle States understand the (subjects of) ceremony and righteousness, but are deplorably ignorant of the minds of men.

Wú wén Zhōngguó zhī jūnzǐ, míng hū lǐyì ér lòu yú zhī rénxīn.

吾聞中國之君子，明乎禮義而陋於知人心。

吾闻中国之君子，明乎礼义而陋于知人心。

Liu Yiqing (editor), A New Account of the Tales of the World, 5ᵗʰ century CE

Jiāngzuǒ dì cù, bùrú Zhōngguó; ruò shǐ qiānmò tiáochàng, zé yī lǎn ér jìn. Gù yūyú wěiqū, ruò bùkě cè.

江左地促，不如中國；若使阡陌條暢，則一覽而盡。故紆餘委曲，若不可測。

江左地促，不如中国；若使阡陌条畅，则一览而尽。故纡余委曲，若不可测。

(Classical) the Central Plain (area on the lower reaches of the Yellow River which formed the cradle of Chinese civilization)

1345 CE, Toqto'a (lead editor), History of Song

Jīn rén suǒyǐ lì Liú Yù yú Hénán, gài yù túdú Zhōngyuán, yǐ Zhōngguó gōng Zhōngguó.

金人所以立劉豫於河南，蓋欲荼毒中原，以中國攻中國。

金人所以立刘豫于河南，盖欲荼毒中原，以中国攻中国。

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (中國):
* → Japanese: 中(ちゅう)国(ごく) (Chūgoku)
* → Korean: 중국(中國) (Jungguk)
* → Vietnamese: Trung Quốc (中國)

→ Bouyei: Zungyguef

→ English: Middle Kingdom (calque)

desc

→ Finnish: Keskustan valtakunta (calque)

→ French: Empire du Milieu (calque)

→ German: Reich der Mitte (calque)

→ Hlai: Dongxgok (via Hainanese)

→ Indonesian: Tiongkok (via Hokkien)

→ Kyrgyz: Жуңго (Juŋgo)

→ Lü: ᦷᦋᧂᧈᦷᦅᧉ (tsong¹ko²)

→ Lü: ᦷᦋᧂᧈᦷᦅᧉ (tsong¹ko²)

ᡩᡠᠯᡳᠮᠪᠠᡳ ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ

→ Manchu: ᡩᡠᠯᡳᠮᠪᠠᡳ
ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ (dulimbai gurun) (calque)

ᠳᠤᠮᠳᠠᠳᠤ ᠤᠯᠤᠰ

→ Mongolian: ᠳᠤᠮᠳᠠᠳᠤ
ᠤᠯᠤᠰ (dumdadu ulus) (calque)

→ Portuguese: Reino Médio, Reino do Meio (calque) (calque)

→ Nuosu: ꍏꇩ (zho guop)

→ Tibetan: ཀྲུང་གོ (krung go)

Dzongkha: ཀྲུང་ཀོ (krung ko)

→ Uyghur: جۇڭگو (junggo), Җуңго (Junggo) (Cyrillic)

Wutunhua: zhungo

→ Zhuang: Cunghgoz, Cungguek

隹珷王既克大邑商，𠟭廷吿于天，曰：余𠀠宅𢆶𠁩或，自之辥民。

隹珷王既克大邑商，𠟭廷告于天，曰：余𠀠宅𢆶𠁩或，自之辥民。

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ³⁵/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ kuɛ²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuei⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuə⁵¹/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷɔːk̚³/

/t͡sɵŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ kuɛt̚¹/

/tyŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋuɔʔ²⁴/

/tœŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ¹/

/tyøŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ²/

/tiɔŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵/

/tiɔŋ³³⁻²¹ kɔk̚³/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ kɔk̚³²/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² kɔk̚³²/

/toŋ³³⁻²³ kok̚²/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ koʔ²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ³⁵/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ kuɛ²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuei⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuə⁵¹/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷɔːk̚³/

/t͡sɵŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ kuɛt̚¹/

/tyŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋuɔʔ²⁴/

/tœŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ¹/

/tyøŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ²/

/tiɔŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵/

/tiɔŋ³³⁻²¹ kɔk̚³/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ kɔk̚³²/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² kɔk̚³²/

/toŋ³³⁻²³ kok̚²/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ koʔ²¹/


中國

Here, 中國／中国 (Zhōngguó) refers to the Chūgoku region of Japan, or the five prefectures of Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Shimane, and Tottori that lay in the western region of Honshū.

這裡的中國是指日本的中國地方，即指本州西部的岡山、廣島、山口、島根、鳥取5縣。

这里的中国是指日本的中国地方，即指本州西部的冈山、广岛、山口、岛根、鸟取5县。

Orthographic borrowing from Japanese 中(ちゅう)国(ごく) (Chūgoku), from Chinese 中國 (MC trjuwng kwok, “the central part of a country”).

ltc-l

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ³⁵/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ kuɛ²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuei⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuə⁵¹/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷɔːk̚³/

/t͡sɵŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ kuɛt̚¹/

/tyŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋuɔʔ²⁴/

/tœŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ¹/

/tyøŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ²/

/tiɔŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵/

/tiɔŋ³³⁻²¹ kɔk̚³/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ kɔk̚³²/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² kɔk̚³²/

/toŋ³³⁻²³ kok̚²/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ koʔ²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ³⁵/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ kuɛ²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuei⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuə⁵¹/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷɔːk̚³/

/t͡sɵŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ kuɛt̚¹/

/tyŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋuɔʔ²⁴/

/tœŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ¹/

/tyøŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ²/

/tiɔŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵/

/tiɔŋ³³⁻²¹ kɔk̚³/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ kɔk̚³²/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² kɔk̚³²/

/toŋ³³⁻²³ kok̚²/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ koʔ²¹/


中國

Why is this? The rebirth of a bodhisattva must be in the central regions of a country, his faculties will be sharp and he distinguishes all wise words. He knows well that semantics are the tools of the Buddhadharma, and he knows well śramaṇas, brahmins, and others.

Héyǐ gù? Púsà shòushēng bì zài zhōngguó, lì gēn zhìhuì yáncí biàn le, shàn zhī yǔyì shì fófǎ qì, shàn zhī shāmén, póluómén děng.

何以故？菩薩受生必在中國，利根智慧言詞辯了，善知語義是佛法器，善知沙門、婆羅門等。

何以故？菩萨受生必在中国，利根智慧言词辩了，善知语义是佛法器，善知沙门、婆罗门等。

(Buddhism) "central countries"; lands with advanced civilization and other conditions helpful for teaching Buddhism

Abhidharmakośakārikā
Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā
Ekottara Āgama

Semantic loan from Sanskrit मध्यदेशे m sg (madhyadeśe, locative, literally “in the Middle Country”) (Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā; see Karashima, 2010) or मध्येषु जनपदेषु m pl (madhyeṣu janapadeṣu, “in [the] central countries”) (Abhidharmakośakārikā); as opposed to the 邊地／边地 (biāndì, “borderlands; frontiers”), from Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit प्रत्यन्तिम (pratyantima) / प्रत्यन्त (pratyanta) or Pali paccantima. Cognate to the Pali majjhimesu janapadesu (locative, literally “in the middlemost countries”) in the text parallel to the Ekottara Āgama in the Pali Canon.

cog

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ³⁵/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ kuɛ²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuei⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuə⁵¹/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷɔːk̚³/

/t͡sɵŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ kuɛt̚¹/

/tyŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋuɔʔ²⁴/

/tœŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ¹/

/tyøŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ²/

/tiɔŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵/

/tiɔŋ³³⁻²¹ kɔk̚³/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ kɔk̚³²/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² kɔk̚³²/

/toŋ³³⁻²³ kok̚²/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ koʔ²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ³⁵/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ kuɛ²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuei⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴ kuə⁵¹/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ kʷɔːk̚³/

/t͡sɵŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ kuɛt̚¹/

/tyŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋuɔʔ²⁴/

/tœŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ¹/

/tyøŋ⁵³³⁻¹³ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋɒʔ²/

/tiɔŋ³³ kɔk̚⁵/

/tiɔŋ³³⁻²¹ kɔk̚³/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ kɔk̚³²/

/tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² kɔk̚³²/

/toŋ³³⁻²³ kok̚²/

/t͡soŋ⁵⁵ koʔ²¹/