‘中庸’是新儒家所采用的概念与儒家经典书名。《中庸》这本经典据说是孔子的唯一曾孙子思（孔汲）所写的。而这个词则在《论语》只出现过一次:
子曰：‘中庸之为德也，其至矣乎！民鲜久矣。’
英语把它翻译为‘平均法则’，对英语读者可能有误导性。
‘中’至少有三个意义。
‘中’的第一个意思指‘执两用中’的‘中’。真正的意思是既不要“过”也不要“不及”。如描绘美人，‘增之一分则太长，减之一分则太短；著粉则太白，施朱则太赤’。身体与容貌都恰到好处。这就是‘中’。
第二个意思指‘适宜、合适、合乎一定的标准’，含有‘从容中道’的意思。也即表现于外部行为上的“中道”，合于礼。
引导‘中道’的深入内心世界，就是‘中’的第三个意思，所谓‘喜怒哀乐之未发谓之中’。这是说明礼是道德准则，是根源于人的含而未发的内心的。
‘庸’ 指平常，一般，‘庸’亦指‘用’。‘中庸’就是‘尚中，并为一般之用’。要了解‘中’的意思，才能比较好地掌握‘中庸’的道德意义。
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‘Zhong Yong’ is both a concept and the name of a Neo-Confucian text. The composition of the text is attributed to Zisi (or Kong Ji) the only grandson of Confucius. The term only appears once in the Analects:
Confucius said, ‘The virtue embodied in the Doctrine of the Mean is of the highest order. But it has long been rare among people.’ (Analects: 6:29)
To translate ‘Zhong Yong’ as the Doctrine of the Mean may not have conveyed its full meaning to English readers. The Chinese term ‘zhong yong’ consists of two Chinese words, zhong and yong.
The word Zhong has at least three meanings.
The first meaning refers to the situation where one needs to listen to both sides and choose the middle course, i.e. to be impartial and just right. The real meaning is neither too much nor too little, that is, just right. In the case of a beautiful lady, she can be described as, ‘If she were one inch taller, she would be too tall. If she were one inch shorter, she would be too short. If she used powder, her face would be too white. If she used rouge, her face would be too red.’ The description means that her figure and complexion were just right. This is zhong.
The second meaning is used to describe customary norms that must be suitable, appropriate, and that should be conformed to, as expressed in the Chinese saying, ‘calmly follow the suitable Way’. The word ‘Way’ with capital letter W refers to Dao, or in Confucian term li, the external rituals.
It is the inner mind and the concept of equilibrium that lead us to follow the ‘suitable Way’. This is how the third meaning of equilibrium is derived. It is said that ‘before the feelings of pleasure, anger, sorrow, and joy are established, there is equilibrium’. In other words, understanding of rituals refers to moral standards which originated from the need to have equilibrium before various feelings are established.
The word ‘yong’ means common, ordinary, or utilise. Combine ‘zhong’ with ‘yong’, it means ‘the common and ordinary use of the principle of zhong’. It is therefore important to understand the meaning of zhong before we can fully appreciate the virtue embodied in the principles of Zhong Yong.
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