2017翻译硕士：中华思想文化术语翻译选读——坤

备考指导来源：中公考研 2016-02-03　

坤(kūn)

“八卦”之一，由三个“阴爻”组成，画为“☷”。又为“六十四卦”之一，由六个“阴爻”组成，画为“”。按照易学的解释，由于“坤”卦全部由“阴爻”组成，因此具有纯“阴”之性，被用以象征各种“阴”性的事物或原则。
“坤”卦的基本象征意义是地，在社会领域主要象征女性、母亲、臣民等社会角色以及柔顺宽厚的行事原则。结合“坤”卦的各种象征意义，“坤”还被赋予了创生、长养万物之义。

Kun

One of the eight trigrams, kun(坤) consists of three yin lines: ☷. It is also one of the 64 hexagrams when it consists of six yin lines:

. According to scholars on The Book of Changes, as the kun trigram is composed only of yin lines, it is purely yin and is thus used to symbolize all yin things or principles. The kun trigram symbolizes earth, and when it comes to society, it symbolizes the social roles played the by the female, the mother, and the subjects of the ruler, as well as gentle, kind, and generous ways of doing things. In this context, kun also means creating and nourishing all things under heaven.

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【引例】

坤，顺也。(《周易•说卦》)

至哉坤元，万物资生，乃顺承天。(《周易•彖上》)

The kun trigram means gentleness. (The Book of Changes)

Great is the kun hexagram! All things owe their existence to kun, since it represents the will of Heaven. (The Book of Changes)