写作 中华优秀传统文化 之 太极-学习文档

假如你是李华，你的英国网友Forbes打算抽空到中国学习太极(Tai Chi)，他写信向你求助，请你根据下列要点给对方写一封回信：

1.介绍学太极好处；

2.负责联系学习地点和老师；

注意:1.词数100左右。

2.可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。

Dear Forbes,

It is amazing for me to know that you show great preference for Tai Chi and are willing to learn it soon. I’m quite sure that I can give you a hand gladly.

Tai Chi is not onlyan ancient martial art, but has also been widely acknowledged as an effective health exercise. Famous for its graceful and well-balanced movements, Tai Chi provides the mental relaxation and physical fitness that are so essential in our modern stressful lives.

Concerning your learning location and instructor, I’m so proud to tell you that I have the ability to recommend the best school and best trainer in our city to you, for actually my uncle is a master of Tai Chi who is always invited to instruct others all over the country. As a result, you can rely on me.

Looking forward to your coming!

Yours,

Li Hua

Taiji or Taichi

Taiji, also known as Taichi, is an important ancient concept in Chinese culture. The figure on the top is called Taiji Tu (Taiji figure), used to demonstrate the idea of Taiji.

Basically Taiji is a concept to illustrate the evolving process of the universe itself and everthing in the universe from Wuji (origin) to Taiji. Or it is the ultimate Dao (truth or principle), which includes Yin/Yang and all other principles and things. Taiji involves Yin/Yang (Liangyi), then evolves to Sixiang (from Liangyi), then Bagua (from Sixiang) -- another important Chinese ancient idea.

The circle of the Taiji picture represents one, universe or Wuji. The black and white part indicate Yin and Yang (or Earth and Heaven), respectively. The curve boundary between the black and white represents everything or the human world between Yin and Yang (or Earth and Heaven),

and the curve stands for change and interaction. The white dot in the black part shows some Yang exists in Yin and the black dot in the white part shows Yang contains some Yin. Thus Yin and Yang are not mutually exclusive and static. They are constantly evolving or changing to create the colorful universe.

The Taiji concept is first from Yi Jīng (or I Ching) -- a Chinese classic. Taiji (Yin/Yang) has been rooted in many aspects of people's daily life, such as Taiji Quan (shadowboxing) and Chinese medicine.

Chinese Yin and Yang Culture

In Chinese culture, Yin and Yang represent the two opposite principles in nature. Yin characterizes the feminine or negative nature of things and yang stands for the masculine or positive side. Yin and yang are in pairs, such as the moon and the sun, female and male, dark and bright, cold and hot, passive and active, etc. But yin and yang are not static or just two separated things. The nature of yinyang lies in interchange and interplay of the two components. The alternation of day and night is such an example.

The concept of yinyang has a long history. There are many written records about yinyang, which can be dated back to the Yin Dynasty (about 1400 - 1100 BC) and the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100 - 771 BC). Yinyang is the basis of Zhouyi (Book of Changes), the jing part of which was written during the Western Zhou. Yinyang became popular during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 - 476 BC) and the Warring States (475 - 221 BC).

The principles of yinyang are an important part of Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine), the earliest Chinese medical book, written about 2,000 years ago. They are still important in traditional Chinese medicine and fengshui today.

Here is a summary of the characteristics of yinyang. Yin and yang are opposite in nature, but they are part of nature, they rely on each other, and they can't exist without each other. The balance of yin and yang is important. If yin is stronger, yang will be weaker, and vice versa. Yin and yang can interchange under certain conditions so they are usually not yin and yang alone. In other words, yin can contain certain part of yang and yang can have some component of yin. It is believed that yinyang exists in everything.

附：文化| 太极拳词汇一览

太极拳有关的中英对照术语

《陈氏太极拳图说》

The Illustrated Canon of Chen Style Taijiquan