oh, sometimes i read the english articles from books or on line, even though i can feel there must be sth. wrong in these sentences intuitionly, i'm always not sure of where the mistakes lie exactly. every time, i think them so hard for a long, long time, still failing to find any feasibility of problem solving. so i must ask for sb. to be my english teacher.
below are the records about "how to correct english sentence" between my teacher and me! i think it's such fascinating! you may as well have a good look at them! thank you!!!
??I told you before that you do not give yourself enough credit, and you just proved me correct. You are right about these sentences and I will explain them to you, but first I will help you. You stated "i can't still help shouting in my heart that god knows how lucky and pride i can have you as my private english teacher!!! ". The word pride should have been the word proud, but I am the lucky one to be able to have someone who I can help and who appreciates the help. Remember, I am here for you and will never think your questions are foolish. I am proud to have such a wonderful student.
?? On the first sentence, "Online advertising has reached new highs over the past few years. In 2008 whilst many offline companies were struggling to profit, online profits skyrocketed with online advertising spends up 21% despite the economic downturn." the mistake is that the word "with" should have been "while" or they should have used the word "spending" instead of "spends". Either one would be appropriate, but it would have to be one or the other, not both. Also, the word "to" needs to follow the word "up", so it would read "up to 21% despite..."
?? Now, on the second sentence, you are absolutely correct. The word should have been "where".
?? Again, I never think your questions are funny. And in America we think that the only stupid question is the one that wasn't asked, so ask your questions. Thank you for giving me the chance to help such a wonderful, wonderful person. (Yes, the use of the word "wonderful" twice is appropriate. It was used that way to stress the fact that I think you are too wonderful for it to be said only once).
??
??Miss you,
??
??
??
?? how are you? i think it has been several days since i sent you email last time. oh, i'm just a little busy due to the so-called "winalite"(MLM) www.winalite.comrecently.
?? oh, yes, you once told me, "you can notice quickly the poor use of english and you know i won't notice it because it is only through speaking it your whole life that you know when it doesn't sound right, just as i would know when someone has learned chinese as a second language. " oh, you're very right. my dear teacher. i always fail to tell the right use of english from wrong use of english. you know in fact i have a lot of such problems about english sentences during the reading. i'm a little afraid that you'll be tired of my foolish and easy questions. however, i can't still help shouting in my heart that god knows how lucky and pride i can have you as my private english teacher!!!
?? oh, i just met two english sentences which i think are wrong. but i can't know how to correct them.
?? below is one of them,
?? "Online advertising has reached new highs over the past few years. In 2008 whilst many offline companies were struggling to profit online profits skyrocketed with online advertising spends up 21% despite the economic downturn."
??my question: "spends" is a verb here? if it is a verb, we should delete the suffix "s",ok? because the subject "online projects" is "plural".
??another sentence is: "to work in an ethical enviroment were competition allows the application of initiative and team work in achieving organisational goals."
??oh, i think maybe it's a printing error. do you think if i can change "were" into "where"?
?? oh, i know my questions must be rather funny. but you're the best teacher i have ever met in this world. your answer is so detailed and clear.
?? i miss you! have a good day
2009年7月15日星期三
2009年5月14日星期四
我读先秦诸子（四）
我读先秦诸子（四）
七 读庄得慧
再说读庄。
和老子一样，庄子也讲“无为”。但老子的“无为”，其实是“无不为”。至少，也是“有所为”。只不过在老子看来，要想“有所为”，必先“无所为”，或者装着“无所为”。因为按照老子的辩证法，物极必反。矛盾对立的双方，总是相互转化的。谁笑在最后，谁就笑得最好。所以，你要收敛，就先张扬（将欲歙之，必固张之）；你要弱化，就先强化（将欲弱之，必固强之）；你要废除，就先兴起（将欲废之，必固与之）；你要夺取，就先给予（将欲夺之，必固予之）；总之要反着来（《老子·三十六章》）。反正你越是想得，就越是没有；越是不想，就越能得到。“没有”到什么程度，就能“占有”到什么程度。“后退”到什么程度，就能“前进”到什么程度。如果什么都不想，那就什么都能做，什么都能得，什么都能有。可见老子的“无为”，其实是“有为”，而且是“大有作为”。它甚至不过是重拳出击之前的收回胳膊。这正是历史上那些“有为者”反倒特别喜欢《老子》的原因。
庄子的“无为”，却是“真不做”。庄子一生，不知把多少送上门来的功名利禄拒之门外。有一个故事大家都很熟悉，这故事记载在《庄子》的《秋水》篇。这故事说，有一天，楚国两位大夫千里迢迢来到濮水（在今河南省濮阳县），找到正在河边钓鱼的庄子，请他出山为楚国卿辅，说是我们大王想把国境之内的事麻烦先生了！庄子没有直接回答，一边继续钓鱼，一边头也不回地问：听说贵国有一种神龟，死了三千年了。贵国大王宝贝得不得了，小心翼翼恭恭敬敬地珍藏在庙堂之上，有这事吧？那么请问：作为一只乌龟，它是宁愿去死，留下骨头享受荣华富贵呢，还是宁愿活着，拖着尾巴在泥地里打滚呢？
两位大夫异口同声地说，当然是宁愿活着，拖着尾巴在泥地里打滚了。
庄子说，二位可以回去了，我会继续拖着尾巴在泥地里打滚的。
这故事很多人讲过，一般都理解为庄子的清高。其实庄子不是清高，而是透彻。也就是说，作为哲学家，庄子想明白了两个问题：世界上什么最可宝贵，什么最有价值。什么最可宝贵呢？生命。什么最有价值呢？自由。这两个问题合起来，就可以表述为这样一句话：人最宝贵的是生命，生命的价值在于自由。
我认为，这就是庄子哲学的核心。庄子一生，也在实践着他的哲学。为了生命和自由，庄子把很多问题都想得很开，把很多事情都看得很淡。比方说，在孔子那里极为重要的“名”，在庄子这里就无所谓。他甚至假借老子的话说，你管我叫牛，我就跟着你把自己叫做牛；你管我叫马，我就跟着你把自己叫做马（《庄子·天道》）。他也不在乎自己有没有用，甚至没有用更好。在《人间世》篇，庄子讲，有一棵树，奇大无比，许多人都去看它（观者如市），只有一位大木匠不屑一顾，说这是没有用的东西。晚上，树就来跟他说话，说我要是有用，岂不早就被你们砍掉了？正因为我什么用都没有，这才活到今天。这正是我的大用啊！
显然，庄子看来，有名有用，都不如活着。活着，才是最重要的。如果为了生命之外的东西去死，那就可悲了。为此，他连儒家极其推崇的“以身殉国”、“舍生取义”也予以否定。在《骈拇》篇，庄子说，历来就有人为了生命以外的事情去死。小人为了利益，士人为了名誉，大夫为了家国，圣人为了天下。这些人，事业不同，名声也不同，但在违背天性伤害生命这一点上，是一样的，都不可取。由此可见，庄子把个体的生命看得高于一切，它甚至高于道德追求、民族大义、国家利益、社会理想。
那么，个体的生命为什么最可宝贵呢？因为生命是天赋的，而自然的就是自由的。所谓“天地有大美而不言”（《庄子·知北游》），所谓“道之真以治身”（《庄子·让王》），肯定的都是那种天生、天然、天赋的自由。
庄子的可贵正在这里，庄子的问题也在这里。在那样早的一个时代，庄子能够切身体会到人的“不自由”，并对这“不自由”进行批判和反抗，是可贵的。但将自由归于自然，则是他的历史局限性。他不知道，自由从来就不是天赋，而是人权；它也从来就不属于自然，只属于人类。唯人知自由，唯人能自由，这就是人所独有的“自由意志”。正因为人有“自由意志”，他才能进行选择。比方说，为了民族、国家、他人，放弃和牺牲自己的生命。这就是孟子所说“生亦我所欲也，义亦我所欲也，二者不可得兼，舍生而取义者也”（《孟子·告子上》）。因此，见义勇为、赴汤蹈火、为国捐躯等等，并非如庄子所说，是对自由的否定。恰恰相反，如果这些行为乃是出自当事人的“自由意志”，是他心甘情愿的自由选择，那么，就正是对自由的肯定。在这里，“自由意志”这四个字，是极为重要的。
当然，我们不能以这样一种现代观念来苛求古人。而且，由于庄子是那样地注重人的个体生命和自由精神，他的哲学便充满了聪慧和灵气，让人读后心驰神往，久久不能望怀。我同意李泽厚先生的观点，庄子哲学，是可以看作美学的（《中国古代思想史论》）。庄子的思想，也在后世变成了一种与老子不同的生存智慧──艺术化生存。至于庄子方法论的问题，则早在战国末期就已经有人看出来了，这个人就是荀子。
八 读荀得自强
荀子把庄子方法论的问题归结为一句话：“蔽于天而不知人”。
荀子这话，是在《解蔽》篇说的。作为战国时代晚期的思想家，荀子的著作明显带有总结的性质。其《解蔽》篇，则将对前人思想的总结和批判，上升到了方法论的高度。所谓“解蔽”，也就是破除片面性。所谓“蔽于天而不知人”，就是只知道自然，不知道社会。这对于庄子，可谓一针见血。不过在我看来，按照荀子的逻辑，孔、孟也有片面性；而孔、孟的问题，则正好与庄子相反，是“蔽于人而不知天”，即只讲社会，不讲自然。
好在荀子帮儒家补了这一课。与《论语》、《孟子》不同，《荀子》谈到了自然（天），而且在《天论》篇集中讨论了人与自然的关系（天人之分）。荀子认为，自然是自然，社会是社会。自然界有自己的规律（天行有常）。这个规律，不因为尧舜而存在（不以尧存），也不因为桀纣而不存（不以桀亡）。也就是说，自然规律是不以人的意志为转移的。天不会因为人们怕冷，就没有冬天了；地不会因为人们怕远，就不再广阔了；君子不会因为小人吵吵嚷嚷，就停止行动了。可见自然有自然的法则，人类有人类的规范。人类社会的兴衰治乱，与自然界没有关系。日出于东，月落于西，春耕夏耘，秋收冬藏，无论是禹当家，还是桀掌权，都一样。国家的治乱，天下的兴亡，与自然界有什么关系呢？既然没有关系，那就不必受制于自然，也不必拜倒在自然的面前。只要加紧生产，厉行节约，天就不能让我们贫穷；只要丰衣足食，动静守时，天就不能让我们生病；只要遵循规律，坚定不移，天就不能让我们倒霉。总而言之，天不可畏，事在人为。
这就是十分难得的科学精神了。从这一科学精神出发，荀子提出了又一种人生智慧：与其怨天尤人，不如奋发图强。荀子说，一个君子，看重的是属于自己的东西（敬其在己者），从来就不凭空指望自然界的恩赐（慕其在天者），这才天天向上（是以日进也）。所以，他在《荣辱》篇提出了“自知者不怨人，知命者不怨天”的观点。这样一种观点，在大约形成于战国末年或秦汉之际的《易传》中，就发展为一种积极向上的人生态度──“天行健，君子以自强不息”！可以说，深受《荀子》影响的《易传》，用这样一句千百年来一直激励着我们中国人的话，为先秦诸子的思想划上了一个闪光的惊叹号！
现在，可以总结一下我读先秦诸子的心得体会了。我的体会是：
读孔子见“恻隐之心”，得“仁爱精神”；
读孟子见“浩然之气”，得“义勇精神”；
读老子见“玄妙之智”，得“辩证精神”；
读庄子见“通透之慧”，得“超脱精神”；
读墨子见“身体力行”，得“实践精神”；
读韩非见“直面人生”，得“现实精神”；
读荀子见“事在人为”，得“自强精神”；
所以这些加起来，就是先秦诸子的精神，也是我们民族的不朽精神！一个人，如果能有孔子的“仁爱”，孟子的“义气”，老子的“明智”，庄子的“聪慧”，还能够像墨子那样“身体力行”，像韩非那样“直面人生”，像荀子那样“自强不息”，那可真是了不得！
毫无疑问，这只是我个人的阅读心得。它是不全面、不完整、不系统的。挂一漏万，在所难免。比方说，先秦诸子中，由于时代和阶级的局限而不宜提倡、应该批判的内容，就没有提及。我的观点是：第一，作为文化和学术的传播者，首要任务是继承和弘扬经典中宝贵的思想遗产。批判的工作，不妨留给专家们去做。第二，作为一般观众和读者，没有必要对先秦诸子作全面系统的了解，完全可以求仁得仁，求智得智，各取所需。第三，先秦诸子博大精深。除极个别大师外，大多数人阅读这些经典，都难免管中窥豹以己度人。更何况我们读经典，原本就是为了获得人生的智慧。人生是一种体验。人生的智慧是体验后的思考。每个人都只有一个人生，每个人的人生也只属于自己。谁也不能代替别人去体验，去思考。因此，阅读经典，不能替代体验。追慕先哲，不能替代思考。而体验和思考，只能由每个人自己去完成。这也就是我对第三个问题──“怎样读”的回答：自己读，用心读，读出什么是什么。只要有所领悟，有所启迪，就好。
谢谢诸位！
本文根据作者在中国中央电视台“百家讲坛”和美国哈佛大学燕京图书馆所做的演讲整理而成。
（全文完）
http://user.qzone.qq.com/622008502/blog/9
七 读庄得慧
再说读庄。
和老子一样，庄子也讲“无为”。但老子的“无为”，其实是“无不为”。至少，也是“有所为”。只不过在老子看来，要想“有所为”，必先“无所为”，或者装着“无所为”。因为按照老子的辩证法，物极必反。矛盾对立的双方，总是相互转化的。谁笑在最后，谁就笑得最好。所以，你要收敛，就先张扬（将欲歙之，必固张之）；你要弱化，就先强化（将欲弱之，必固强之）；你要废除，就先兴起（将欲废之，必固与之）；你要夺取，就先给予（将欲夺之，必固予之）；总之要反着来（《老子·三十六章》）。反正你越是想得，就越是没有；越是不想，就越能得到。“没有”到什么程度，就能“占有”到什么程度。“后退”到什么程度，就能“前进”到什么程度。如果什么都不想，那就什么都能做，什么都能得，什么都能有。可见老子的“无为”，其实是“有为”，而且是“大有作为”。它甚至不过是重拳出击之前的收回胳膊。这正是历史上那些“有为者”反倒特别喜欢《老子》的原因。
庄子的“无为”，却是“真不做”。庄子一生，不知把多少送上门来的功名利禄拒之门外。有一个故事大家都很熟悉，这故事记载在《庄子》的《秋水》篇。这故事说，有一天，楚国两位大夫千里迢迢来到濮水（在今河南省濮阳县），找到正在河边钓鱼的庄子，请他出山为楚国卿辅，说是我们大王想把国境之内的事麻烦先生了！庄子没有直接回答，一边继续钓鱼，一边头也不回地问：听说贵国有一种神龟，死了三千年了。贵国大王宝贝得不得了，小心翼翼恭恭敬敬地珍藏在庙堂之上，有这事吧？那么请问：作为一只乌龟，它是宁愿去死，留下骨头享受荣华富贵呢，还是宁愿活着，拖着尾巴在泥地里打滚呢？
两位大夫异口同声地说，当然是宁愿活着，拖着尾巴在泥地里打滚了。
庄子说，二位可以回去了，我会继续拖着尾巴在泥地里打滚的。
这故事很多人讲过，一般都理解为庄子的清高。其实庄子不是清高，而是透彻。也就是说，作为哲学家，庄子想明白了两个问题：世界上什么最可宝贵，什么最有价值。什么最可宝贵呢？生命。什么最有价值呢？自由。这两个问题合起来，就可以表述为这样一句话：人最宝贵的是生命，生命的价值在于自由。
我认为，这就是庄子哲学的核心。庄子一生，也在实践着他的哲学。为了生命和自由，庄子把很多问题都想得很开，把很多事情都看得很淡。比方说，在孔子那里极为重要的“名”，在庄子这里就无所谓。他甚至假借老子的话说，你管我叫牛，我就跟着你把自己叫做牛；你管我叫马，我就跟着你把自己叫做马（《庄子·天道》）。他也不在乎自己有没有用，甚至没有用更好。在《人间世》篇，庄子讲，有一棵树，奇大无比，许多人都去看它（观者如市），只有一位大木匠不屑一顾，说这是没有用的东西。晚上，树就来跟他说话，说我要是有用，岂不早就被你们砍掉了？正因为我什么用都没有，这才活到今天。这正是我的大用啊！
显然，庄子看来，有名有用，都不如活着。活着，才是最重要的。如果为了生命之外的东西去死，那就可悲了。为此，他连儒家极其推崇的“以身殉国”、“舍生取义”也予以否定。在《骈拇》篇，庄子说，历来就有人为了生命以外的事情去死。小人为了利益，士人为了名誉，大夫为了家国，圣人为了天下。这些人，事业不同，名声也不同，但在违背天性伤害生命这一点上，是一样的，都不可取。由此可见，庄子把个体的生命看得高于一切，它甚至高于道德追求、民族大义、国家利益、社会理想。
那么，个体的生命为什么最可宝贵呢？因为生命是天赋的，而自然的就是自由的。所谓“天地有大美而不言”（《庄子·知北游》），所谓“道之真以治身”（《庄子·让王》），肯定的都是那种天生、天然、天赋的自由。
庄子的可贵正在这里，庄子的问题也在这里。在那样早的一个时代，庄子能够切身体会到人的“不自由”，并对这“不自由”进行批判和反抗，是可贵的。但将自由归于自然，则是他的历史局限性。他不知道，自由从来就不是天赋，而是人权；它也从来就不属于自然，只属于人类。唯人知自由，唯人能自由，这就是人所独有的“自由意志”。正因为人有“自由意志”，他才能进行选择。比方说，为了民族、国家、他人，放弃和牺牲自己的生命。这就是孟子所说“生亦我所欲也，义亦我所欲也，二者不可得兼，舍生而取义者也”（《孟子·告子上》）。因此，见义勇为、赴汤蹈火、为国捐躯等等，并非如庄子所说，是对自由的否定。恰恰相反，如果这些行为乃是出自当事人的“自由意志”，是他心甘情愿的自由选择，那么，就正是对自由的肯定。在这里，“自由意志”这四个字，是极为重要的。
当然，我们不能以这样一种现代观念来苛求古人。而且，由于庄子是那样地注重人的个体生命和自由精神，他的哲学便充满了聪慧和灵气，让人读后心驰神往，久久不能望怀。我同意李泽厚先生的观点，庄子哲学，是可以看作美学的（《中国古代思想史论》）。庄子的思想，也在后世变成了一种与老子不同的生存智慧──艺术化生存。至于庄子方法论的问题，则早在战国末期就已经有人看出来了，这个人就是荀子。
八 读荀得自强
荀子把庄子方法论的问题归结为一句话：“蔽于天而不知人”。
荀子这话，是在《解蔽》篇说的。作为战国时代晚期的思想家，荀子的著作明显带有总结的性质。其《解蔽》篇，则将对前人思想的总结和批判，上升到了方法论的高度。所谓“解蔽”，也就是破除片面性。所谓“蔽于天而不知人”，就是只知道自然，不知道社会。这对于庄子，可谓一针见血。不过在我看来，按照荀子的逻辑，孔、孟也有片面性；而孔、孟的问题，则正好与庄子相反，是“蔽于人而不知天”，即只讲社会，不讲自然。
好在荀子帮儒家补了这一课。与《论语》、《孟子》不同，《荀子》谈到了自然（天），而且在《天论》篇集中讨论了人与自然的关系（天人之分）。荀子认为，自然是自然，社会是社会。自然界有自己的规律（天行有常）。这个规律，不因为尧舜而存在（不以尧存），也不因为桀纣而不存（不以桀亡）。也就是说，自然规律是不以人的意志为转移的。天不会因为人们怕冷，就没有冬天了；地不会因为人们怕远，就不再广阔了；君子不会因为小人吵吵嚷嚷，就停止行动了。可见自然有自然的法则，人类有人类的规范。人类社会的兴衰治乱，与自然界没有关系。日出于东，月落于西，春耕夏耘，秋收冬藏，无论是禹当家，还是桀掌权，都一样。国家的治乱，天下的兴亡，与自然界有什么关系呢？既然没有关系，那就不必受制于自然，也不必拜倒在自然的面前。只要加紧生产，厉行节约，天就不能让我们贫穷；只要丰衣足食，动静守时，天就不能让我们生病；只要遵循规律，坚定不移，天就不能让我们倒霉。总而言之，天不可畏，事在人为。
这就是十分难得的科学精神了。从这一科学精神出发，荀子提出了又一种人生智慧：与其怨天尤人，不如奋发图强。荀子说，一个君子，看重的是属于自己的东西（敬其在己者），从来就不凭空指望自然界的恩赐（慕其在天者），这才天天向上（是以日进也）。所以，他在《荣辱》篇提出了“自知者不怨人，知命者不怨天”的观点。这样一种观点，在大约形成于战国末年或秦汉之际的《易传》中，就发展为一种积极向上的人生态度──“天行健，君子以自强不息”！可以说，深受《荀子》影响的《易传》，用这样一句千百年来一直激励着我们中国人的话，为先秦诸子的思想划上了一个闪光的惊叹号！
现在，可以总结一下我读先秦诸子的心得体会了。我的体会是：
读孔子见“恻隐之心”，得“仁爱精神”；
读孟子见“浩然之气”，得“义勇精神”；
读老子见“玄妙之智”，得“辩证精神”；
读庄子见“通透之慧”，得“超脱精神”；
读墨子见“身体力行”，得“实践精神”；
读韩非见“直面人生”，得“现实精神”；
读荀子见“事在人为”，得“自强精神”；
所以这些加起来，就是先秦诸子的精神，也是我们民族的不朽精神！一个人，如果能有孔子的“仁爱”，孟子的“义气”，老子的“明智”，庄子的“聪慧”，还能够像墨子那样“身体力行”，像韩非那样“直面人生”，像荀子那样“自强不息”，那可真是了不得！
毫无疑问，这只是我个人的阅读心得。它是不全面、不完整、不系统的。挂一漏万，在所难免。比方说，先秦诸子中，由于时代和阶级的局限而不宜提倡、应该批判的内容，就没有提及。我的观点是：第一，作为文化和学术的传播者，首要任务是继承和弘扬经典中宝贵的思想遗产。批判的工作，不妨留给专家们去做。第二，作为一般观众和读者，没有必要对先秦诸子作全面系统的了解，完全可以求仁得仁，求智得智，各取所需。第三，先秦诸子博大精深。除极个别大师外，大多数人阅读这些经典，都难免管中窥豹以己度人。更何况我们读经典，原本就是为了获得人生的智慧。人生是一种体验。人生的智慧是体验后的思考。每个人都只有一个人生，每个人的人生也只属于自己。谁也不能代替别人去体验，去思考。因此，阅读经典，不能替代体验。追慕先哲，不能替代思考。而体验和思考，只能由每个人自己去完成。这也就是我对第三个问题──“怎样读”的回答：自己读，用心读，读出什么是什么。只要有所领悟，有所启迪，就好。
谢谢诸位！
本文根据作者在中国中央电视台“百家讲坛”和美国哈佛大学燕京图书馆所做的演讲整理而成。
（全文完）
http://user.qzone.qq.com/622008502/blog/9
我读先秦诸子（三）
我读先秦诸子（三）
五 读韩得直面
再说读韩。
表面上看，韩非与墨子完全不同。墨子代表着当时的庶民阶层（贱人）和劳动人民（农与工肆），为他们争取生存的权利；韩非则代表着新兴的地主阶级，帮他们维护统治的权力。墨子书中，多言民间疾苦；韩非书中，则不乏帝王“南面之术”。所以，后世便有人将墨子称为“平民哲学家”，将韩非称为“宫廷阴谋家”。这当然并不准确，却也不是一点道理没有。大体上说，墨子比较“草根”，韩非比较“宫廷”。墨子讲“兼爱”，韩非讲“权术”，他们是“两股道上跑的车”。
但是，韩非与墨子也有相通之处，即他们都讲“利害”，都不像儒家那样只讲“仁义”。《墨子·非乐上》就说：“仁之事者，必务求兴天下之利，除天下之害。”可见墨子并不像孟子那样开口闭口“何必曰利”，他也是言“利”的。只不过，墨子所言为“公利”，韩非所言为“私利”。墨子讲“兴天下”，韩非讲“治天下”，这是他们的不同。
韩非言“利”，十分露骨。在他看来，人与人之间的关系，不是儒家讲的“仁义”和“礼让”，而是“利害”和“算计”。韩非说，开马车铺的，天天盼望别人升官发财；开棺材店的，天天盼望别人生病早死。难道是开马车铺的比开棺材店的更“仁义”？不是的。实际情况是，只有别人升官发财，开马车铺的才有利可图；只有别人生病早死，开棺材店的才有钱可赚。他们其实都是为了自己的利益（《韩非子·备内》）。
买卖关系如此，君臣关系也一样。甚至在韩非看来，君臣关系就是买卖关系，叫“主卖官爵，臣卖智力”（《韩非子·外储说右下》）。既然是这样一种利害关系，那么，他们之间就不能不“算计”。君主靠算计来雇佣臣子（君以计畜臣），臣子靠算计来服务君主（臣以计事君）。双方各打各的算盘，只有双赢互利才会成交。如果合作的结果不利于自己，那么，无论是君还是臣，谁都不会干那种蠢事（《韩非子·饰邪》）。
君臣关系如此，父子、夫妻也一样。韩非说，一个人，如果小时候父母对他比较随意，长大了他就会怨恨。同样，子女对父母的赡养如果比较简慢，父母就会恼怒（《韩非子·外储说左上》）。他还说，卫国有一对夫妻，大约是做买卖的。妻子祷告说，但愿我的夫君平安无事，能赚一百块钱（使我无故，得百束布。布即布币）。丈夫说，怎么要得这样少？妻子说，钱赚多了，你还不去“包二奶”（《韩非子·内储说下》）？
不过在韩非看来，最危险的还是君主的夫妻、父子关系。因为这里面的利害太大。那些年老色衰的后妃们，甚至盼望自己的夫君早死，以便自己的儿子早接班。母以子贵。自己的亲生儿子当了君王，作为太后，就什么都保住了。所以竟会有母子合谋弒君的。于是韩非感叹说：“以妻之近与子之亲而犹不可信，则其余无可信者矣！”（《韩非子·备内》）因此韩非认为，统治国家，不能讲“仁义”，不能讲“礼让”，只能用“刑法”，只能用“权术”。正如李泽厚、刘纲纪两位先生所说：“在中国思想史上，韩非是第一个毫不掩饰地、津津乐道地、而且是最为详尽具体地研究阴谋权术的人。”（《中国美学史》第一卷）
这就给我们出了一个难题：这样一种思想，也是我们的文化遗产，也有积极意义吗？
有。韩非的积极意义，我认为就是“直面惨淡的人生”。这就与儒家不同。儒家的思想，总体上说是比较理想主义的。无论是孔子的“仁”，还是孟子的“义”，都带有理想的色彩。这种理想非常可贵。没有这理想，人就可能变得“禽兽不如”。但我们也要看到，理想毕竟是理想。它可以用来“激励人生”，也可以被用来“粉饰太平”。当统治者一方面对人民群众肆无忌惮地进行压迫剥削，另方面又大讲“仁义道德”时，韩非的话无异于振聋发聩的“清醒剂”，使人们不至于被“瞒和骗的艺术”所麻醉。这也是历史上那些革命者和批判者，往往会用韩非思想为武器的原因。
实际上儒法两家的思想虽然对立，却其实不过一枚硬币的正反两面。它也是人性的两面，人类社会的两面。这就是善与恶，理想与现实。人，不能没有理想，也不能只有理想；必须面对现实，又不能只看现实。所以我们就既要读孔孟得仁义，又要读韩非得直面。
那么，韩非为什么就不能这样全面地看问题呢？也有许多原因，比如当时的社会状况实在是不很乐观。春秋已无义战，何况战国？那实在尔虞我诈、巧取豪夺、弱肉强食，不能不让韩非愤世嫉俗。不过这里还有一个重要原因，就是韩非的思想方法。韩非的思想方法是什么样的呢？就是认为矛盾对立的双方不可调和。大家都知道那个著名的“卖矛又卖盾”的故事，韩非也因此获得了“矛盾”一词的发明权。矛与盾既然不能同售，则理想与现实、内容与形式、仁义与利害，也就不能共存。利害冲突既然是真实的，仁义道德也就肯定是虚假的。这就是韩非的思想方法──“冰炭不同器而久，寒暑不兼时而至”（《韩非子·显学》）。
六 读老得智
相比较而言，道家的思想方法更高明。
道家，通常指老庄。其实老和庄并不完全一致。不过有一点倒一样，即都强调矛盾对立双方的转化。大家都很熟悉老子的名言：“祸兮福之所依，福兮祸之所伏。”（《老子·五十八章》）这话的意思是：坏事是好事的依凭，好事是坏事的前兆。好事可能变成坏事，坏事也可能变成好事，没有什么事情是绝对不变的。
这个观点，庄子也有。庄子说：“生也死之徒，死也生之始”；“臭腐复化为神奇，神奇复化为臭腐。”（《庄子·知北游》）生与死、神奇与臭腐，在一般人看来，是水火不容根本对立的。但在庄子这里，也可以变来变去，你变成我，我变成你。这就是道家的辩证法。这个辩证法，用哲学的语言来表述，就是矛盾对立的双方无不在一定的条件下相互转化。这是道家的智慧，也是中国的智慧，是老子和庄子共有的。
那么，老子和庄子又有什么不同？
我个人的体会，是读老得智，读庄得慧。这是把智与慧拆开了讲。其实这两个字原本就有细微差别。比如智力、智商、智术、智囊，这些词里面的“智”，就不能换成“慧”。同样，慧心、慧性、慧眼、慧根，这些词里面的“慧”，也不能换成“智”。可见智慧智慧，智与慧并不相同。从“智育”、“智谋”这些词看，智，是可以通过教育来学习、传授、掌握的东西，是能力（智力）、方法（智术），属于社会。慧，则是气质（慧性）、天赋（慧根），或者非同一般的特殊能力（慧眼、慧心），属于个人。它不能授受，只能启迪。老庄之别，即在于此。所以读《老子》可以治国，读《庄子》只能修身。“得智”与“得慧”，区别就在这里。
先说读老。
众所周知，《老子》是一部奇书。它的作者是谁，成书何时，目的何在，都不清楚。这部书的性质，也众说纷纭。有人说它是纯哲学，有人说它是哲理诗，还有人说它是兵书。我觉得对于这些问题，一般读者弄不清也罢。重要的是得其精华。《老子》一书的精华是什么呢？我认为就是辩证法。而且，我比较赞同李泽厚先生的观点，即《老子》的辩证法，是由军事辩证法而政治辩证法，由政治辩证法而哲学辩证法，最后在中国人长期的社会实践中，逐步变成了一种生活辩证法（《中国古代思想史论》）。而且，依我看，这种生活辩证法还是属于弱势群体的。
实际上我们看《老子》一书，从头到尾贯穿的都是弱者是生存智慧。只不过《老子》把它们上生到了哲学本体论的高度，比如“有生于无”（《老子·四十章》），“道法自然”（《老子·二十五章》）；或者哲学辩证法的高度，比如“大音希声，大象无形”（《老子·四十一章》）。但说来说去，归根结底，还是那几句话：柔能克刚，弱能胜强，无为则无不为。老子一再说，不用以为强大的就强大，弱小的就弱小。天底下最柔弱的是什么？水。最能攻坚胜强的又是什么？还是水（《老子·七十八章》）。所以，最弱小的，其实是最强大的；最坚强的，其实是最脆弱的。想想看，一个人，什么时候最柔弱，活着的时候。什么时候最坚强，死了以后（这时只剩下骨头，当然最硬）。可见“坚强者死之徒，柔弱者生之徒”（《老子·七十六章》）。因此，那些争先恐后的，没有一个不失败；那些巧取豪夺的，没有一个不输光（《老子·二十九章》）；只有那些与世无争的，才最安全，也才最丰富，简直就应有尽有。道理很简单：正因为他们不争，所以没人争得过他们，这就叫“以其不争，故天下莫能与之争”（《老子·六十六章》）。请大家想想，这难道不是说给弱者听的吗？
有趣的是，老子的这一套──无为、守雌、贵柔、知足，并非只有弱势群体受用，权势人物也受用。因为谁都有处于弱势的可能。即便贵为天子，也未必总是强势，或一定就是强势。这个时候，就用得着老子哲学了。比方说，大成若缺，大盈若冲，大直若屈，大巧若拙（《老子·四十五章》）。这个“若”，可以翻译为“就像”，也可以理解为“好像”，张舜徽先生就说“不外一个装字”（《周秦道论发微》）。只不过，阴谋家的“装”叫“韬晦”，老百姓的“装”叫“装蒜”，但都是“装孙子”。《老子》这本书，真可谓“最抽象也最实用”。
所以，老子的思想可以有不同的结果。用于学术，可以发展为思辨哲学；用于军事，可以发展为战略方针；用于政治，可以发展为斗争策略；用于生活，可以发展为生存智慧。就连同一种副产品，也可能有不同结果。比如“君子报仇十年不晚”，就可能是斗争策略，也可能自我安慰。由此可见，老子是影响深远的，也是无法尽说的。
http://user.qzone.qq.com/622008502/blog/9
五 读韩得直面
再说读韩。
表面上看，韩非与墨子完全不同。墨子代表着当时的庶民阶层（贱人）和劳动人民（农与工肆），为他们争取生存的权利；韩非则代表着新兴的地主阶级，帮他们维护统治的权力。墨子书中，多言民间疾苦；韩非书中，则不乏帝王“南面之术”。所以，后世便有人将墨子称为“平民哲学家”，将韩非称为“宫廷阴谋家”。这当然并不准确，却也不是一点道理没有。大体上说，墨子比较“草根”，韩非比较“宫廷”。墨子讲“兼爱”，韩非讲“权术”，他们是“两股道上跑的车”。
但是，韩非与墨子也有相通之处，即他们都讲“利害”，都不像儒家那样只讲“仁义”。《墨子·非乐上》就说：“仁之事者，必务求兴天下之利，除天下之害。”可见墨子并不像孟子那样开口闭口“何必曰利”，他也是言“利”的。只不过，墨子所言为“公利”，韩非所言为“私利”。墨子讲“兴天下”，韩非讲“治天下”，这是他们的不同。
韩非言“利”，十分露骨。在他看来，人与人之间的关系，不是儒家讲的“仁义”和“礼让”，而是“利害”和“算计”。韩非说，开马车铺的，天天盼望别人升官发财；开棺材店的，天天盼望别人生病早死。难道是开马车铺的比开棺材店的更“仁义”？不是的。实际情况是，只有别人升官发财，开马车铺的才有利可图；只有别人生病早死，开棺材店的才有钱可赚。他们其实都是为了自己的利益（《韩非子·备内》）。
买卖关系如此，君臣关系也一样。甚至在韩非看来，君臣关系就是买卖关系，叫“主卖官爵，臣卖智力”（《韩非子·外储说右下》）。既然是这样一种利害关系，那么，他们之间就不能不“算计”。君主靠算计来雇佣臣子（君以计畜臣），臣子靠算计来服务君主（臣以计事君）。双方各打各的算盘，只有双赢互利才会成交。如果合作的结果不利于自己，那么，无论是君还是臣，谁都不会干那种蠢事（《韩非子·饰邪》）。
君臣关系如此，父子、夫妻也一样。韩非说，一个人，如果小时候父母对他比较随意，长大了他就会怨恨。同样，子女对父母的赡养如果比较简慢，父母就会恼怒（《韩非子·外储说左上》）。他还说，卫国有一对夫妻，大约是做买卖的。妻子祷告说，但愿我的夫君平安无事，能赚一百块钱（使我无故，得百束布。布即布币）。丈夫说，怎么要得这样少？妻子说，钱赚多了，你还不去“包二奶”（《韩非子·内储说下》）？
不过在韩非看来，最危险的还是君主的夫妻、父子关系。因为这里面的利害太大。那些年老色衰的后妃们，甚至盼望自己的夫君早死，以便自己的儿子早接班。母以子贵。自己的亲生儿子当了君王，作为太后，就什么都保住了。所以竟会有母子合谋弒君的。于是韩非感叹说：“以妻之近与子之亲而犹不可信，则其余无可信者矣！”（《韩非子·备内》）因此韩非认为，统治国家，不能讲“仁义”，不能讲“礼让”，只能用“刑法”，只能用“权术”。正如李泽厚、刘纲纪两位先生所说：“在中国思想史上，韩非是第一个毫不掩饰地、津津乐道地、而且是最为详尽具体地研究阴谋权术的人。”（《中国美学史》第一卷）
这就给我们出了一个难题：这样一种思想，也是我们的文化遗产，也有积极意义吗？
有。韩非的积极意义，我认为就是“直面惨淡的人生”。这就与儒家不同。儒家的思想，总体上说是比较理想主义的。无论是孔子的“仁”，还是孟子的“义”，都带有理想的色彩。这种理想非常可贵。没有这理想，人就可能变得“禽兽不如”。但我们也要看到，理想毕竟是理想。它可以用来“激励人生”，也可以被用来“粉饰太平”。当统治者一方面对人民群众肆无忌惮地进行压迫剥削，另方面又大讲“仁义道德”时，韩非的话无异于振聋发聩的“清醒剂”，使人们不至于被“瞒和骗的艺术”所麻醉。这也是历史上那些革命者和批判者，往往会用韩非思想为武器的原因。
实际上儒法两家的思想虽然对立，却其实不过一枚硬币的正反两面。它也是人性的两面，人类社会的两面。这就是善与恶，理想与现实。人，不能没有理想，也不能只有理想；必须面对现实，又不能只看现实。所以我们就既要读孔孟得仁义，又要读韩非得直面。
那么，韩非为什么就不能这样全面地看问题呢？也有许多原因，比如当时的社会状况实在是不很乐观。春秋已无义战，何况战国？那实在尔虞我诈、巧取豪夺、弱肉强食，不能不让韩非愤世嫉俗。不过这里还有一个重要原因，就是韩非的思想方法。韩非的思想方法是什么样的呢？就是认为矛盾对立的双方不可调和。大家都知道那个著名的“卖矛又卖盾”的故事，韩非也因此获得了“矛盾”一词的发明权。矛与盾既然不能同售，则理想与现实、内容与形式、仁义与利害，也就不能共存。利害冲突既然是真实的，仁义道德也就肯定是虚假的。这就是韩非的思想方法──“冰炭不同器而久，寒暑不兼时而至”（《韩非子·显学》）。
六 读老得智
相比较而言，道家的思想方法更高明。
道家，通常指老庄。其实老和庄并不完全一致。不过有一点倒一样，即都强调矛盾对立双方的转化。大家都很熟悉老子的名言：“祸兮福之所依，福兮祸之所伏。”（《老子·五十八章》）这话的意思是：坏事是好事的依凭，好事是坏事的前兆。好事可能变成坏事，坏事也可能变成好事，没有什么事情是绝对不变的。
这个观点，庄子也有。庄子说：“生也死之徒，死也生之始”；“臭腐复化为神奇，神奇复化为臭腐。”（《庄子·知北游》）生与死、神奇与臭腐，在一般人看来，是水火不容根本对立的。但在庄子这里，也可以变来变去，你变成我，我变成你。这就是道家的辩证法。这个辩证法，用哲学的语言来表述，就是矛盾对立的双方无不在一定的条件下相互转化。这是道家的智慧，也是中国的智慧，是老子和庄子共有的。
那么，老子和庄子又有什么不同？
我个人的体会，是读老得智，读庄得慧。这是把智与慧拆开了讲。其实这两个字原本就有细微差别。比如智力、智商、智术、智囊，这些词里面的“智”，就不能换成“慧”。同样，慧心、慧性、慧眼、慧根，这些词里面的“慧”，也不能换成“智”。可见智慧智慧，智与慧并不相同。从“智育”、“智谋”这些词看，智，是可以通过教育来学习、传授、掌握的东西，是能力（智力）、方法（智术），属于社会。慧，则是气质（慧性）、天赋（慧根），或者非同一般的特殊能力（慧眼、慧心），属于个人。它不能授受，只能启迪。老庄之别，即在于此。所以读《老子》可以治国，读《庄子》只能修身。“得智”与“得慧”，区别就在这里。
先说读老。
众所周知，《老子》是一部奇书。它的作者是谁，成书何时，目的何在，都不清楚。这部书的性质，也众说纷纭。有人说它是纯哲学，有人说它是哲理诗，还有人说它是兵书。我觉得对于这些问题，一般读者弄不清也罢。重要的是得其精华。《老子》一书的精华是什么呢？我认为就是辩证法。而且，我比较赞同李泽厚先生的观点，即《老子》的辩证法，是由军事辩证法而政治辩证法，由政治辩证法而哲学辩证法，最后在中国人长期的社会实践中，逐步变成了一种生活辩证法（《中国古代思想史论》）。而且，依我看，这种生活辩证法还是属于弱势群体的。
实际上我们看《老子》一书，从头到尾贯穿的都是弱者是生存智慧。只不过《老子》把它们上生到了哲学本体论的高度，比如“有生于无”（《老子·四十章》），“道法自然”（《老子·二十五章》）；或者哲学辩证法的高度，比如“大音希声，大象无形”（《老子·四十一章》）。但说来说去，归根结底，还是那几句话：柔能克刚，弱能胜强，无为则无不为。老子一再说，不用以为强大的就强大，弱小的就弱小。天底下最柔弱的是什么？水。最能攻坚胜强的又是什么？还是水（《老子·七十八章》）。所以，最弱小的，其实是最强大的；最坚强的，其实是最脆弱的。想想看，一个人，什么时候最柔弱，活着的时候。什么时候最坚强，死了以后（这时只剩下骨头，当然最硬）。可见“坚强者死之徒，柔弱者生之徒”（《老子·七十六章》）。因此，那些争先恐后的，没有一个不失败；那些巧取豪夺的，没有一个不输光（《老子·二十九章》）；只有那些与世无争的，才最安全，也才最丰富，简直就应有尽有。道理很简单：正因为他们不争，所以没人争得过他们，这就叫“以其不争，故天下莫能与之争”（《老子·六十六章》）。请大家想想，这难道不是说给弱者听的吗？
有趣的是，老子的这一套──无为、守雌、贵柔、知足，并非只有弱势群体受用，权势人物也受用。因为谁都有处于弱势的可能。即便贵为天子，也未必总是强势，或一定就是强势。这个时候，就用得着老子哲学了。比方说，大成若缺，大盈若冲，大直若屈，大巧若拙（《老子·四十五章》）。这个“若”，可以翻译为“就像”，也可以理解为“好像”，张舜徽先生就说“不外一个装字”（《周秦道论发微》）。只不过，阴谋家的“装”叫“韬晦”，老百姓的“装”叫“装蒜”，但都是“装孙子”。《老子》这本书，真可谓“最抽象也最实用”。
所以，老子的思想可以有不同的结果。用于学术，可以发展为思辨哲学；用于军事，可以发展为战略方针；用于政治，可以发展为斗争策略；用于生活，可以发展为生存智慧。就连同一种副产品，也可能有不同结果。比如“君子报仇十年不晚”，就可能是斗争策略，也可能自我安慰。由此可见，老子是影响深远的，也是无法尽说的。
http://user.qzone.qq.com/622008502/blog/9
2009年3月1日星期日
What leads to the cultural difference?
What leads to the cultural difference?
The cultures of the East and the West really distinguish each other a lot. This is because the culture systems are two separate systems on the whole.
The origin of the eastern cultures is mainly from two countries: China and India. Both of the two cultures are gestated by rivers. In China, the mother river is the Yellow River while the Indian one is the Hindu River. These two cultures were developed for several thousand years and formed their own styles. Then in Dang Dynasty of China, the Chinese culture gradually went overseas to Japan, mixed into the Japanese society and shaped the Japanese culture nowadays. Though a bit different from the Chinese one, it belongs to the same system.
When the two mother rivers gave birth to the eastern culture, another famous culture was brought up on the Mesopotamian Plain ---- the Mesopotamian Civilization. This civilization later on developed into the cultures of the Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. And these two are well-known as the base of the European culture. Like the Chinese culture, the European one also crossed waters. When the colonists of England settled down in America, their culture went with them over the Atlantic Ocean. So the American culture doesn't distinguish from the European one a lot.
At the same time, the difference of the language systems adds to the cultural differences. In the East, most languages belong to the pictographic language (see the picture below) while the Western languages are mostly based on the Latin system, for example, the one I’m using to write this paper.
Other factors like human race difference counts as well. But what’s more, due to the far distance and the steep areas between the East and West, the two cultures seldom communicate until recent centuries. So they grew up totally in their own ways with almost no interference from the other.
Pictographic charactors Part II
How differently do people behave in daily life?
The differences are everywhere. They affect people’s ways of thinking and their views of the world. Even in everyday life, the cultural differences show up from the moment the eyes are opened to the minute the dreams are invited.
In the following, I’ll give some typical example of the differences.
Section 1: Greeting Greeting is the first step to form a culture, because people begin to communicate with others. The individuals become a community.
How do we Chinese greet each other? Informally, if we meet an friend in the street, we are used to say: “Hi, have you had your meal?” or “Where are you going?”. When it is the case of two gentlemen, they tend to shake hands.
However, in the western countries, the above questions are just questions, not greeting at all. They may think you’re inviting them to dinner if you ask about their meals. Usually, they’ll just give each other a smile or greet with a “Hi.”. They’ll shake hands only in some formal situations. By the way, Westerners can leave a party or meeting halls without a formal conge, nor should they shake hands with every attendee like most of us will do here.
Section 2: Expressing gratitude
Think of the situations below. Your mother is busy in the kitchen. She suddenly asks you to fetch a bowl for her. You do so. What’ll your mother’s response be? Probably she’ll just continue doing the cooking. After a while, the dinner is ready. Your mother hands you your bowl of rice. What’s your response? Probably just begin to eat.
That’s what I want to say. In Chinese families, we rarely say “Thank you” to other family members for receiving help or service. Neither will we say so between good friends. It’s such an unpopular response that if you say it, the counterpart will think you are treating him as a stranger, otherwise you are lacking of intimacy.
But in the West, "thank you" is one of the most frequently used sentences. Teachers will thank a student for answering a question; husbands will thank his wife for making a coffee. However, as an interesting phenomenon, it’s a custom to say "thank you" in Japan. No matter in family or among friends, Japanese chronically use it all the day. This is probably the aberrance of the culture.
Section 3 Dining
The ways people eat, that is, the table manner, really distinguish a lot. The reason for this is probably because of the different dining tools and menus.
Easterners use chopsticks, or sometimes even grasp rice straightly with hands as Indians do. The thin and long chopsticks cannot be used to cut food, so we usually use our teeth to act as knives. We hold our food, meat or vegetable, with the chopsticks, send them to the mouths, bite off a part of it and remain the other part on the chopsticks. That’s the usual way we eat. We are also used to hold up our bowls when having rice or soup. Japanese hold bowls to have miso soup without spoons. But all these habits are considered rude in the Western countries.
The etiquette in the West requests that when eating, bowls and plates cannot leave the tables. Food should be cut by knives to fit into the mouths. Of course your mouth cannot touch the plates or bowls. So the regular process is like this. You cut your steak on the plate with fork and knife, send the meat cube into the mouth with fork and nothing will be returned back but the fork alone.
Section 4 Symbolizing
Symbolization is how people imagine or regard something. It actually reflects the way people think. Here I’ll only discuss some symbolization that frequently appears in daily life.
First is about the colors. We often give each color some meanings, because we feel differently when facing different colors. So people always have preference when choosing colors of clothes, decorations, etc. In the APEC summit held in Shanghai several years ago, in the last day, the presidents from all over the world wore the traditional Chinese Dang suits and took a photo together. The colors of the suits were chosen by themselves freely. However, it’s quite interesting to find that most Easterners chose red while most of the westerners preferred blue. To explain this, it’s easy to realize that what red means is almost opposite in the East and the West. Red means luck, fortune here. We Chinese often use this color to decorate in festivals, such as red lanterns, red Chinese nodes, red bangers. But red stands for blood, revolutions in the West. So the presidents avoided wearing this unlucky color.
Another interesting discovery is about the dragons. In the East, dragons are imagined as something like snake and are flowing in the sky for most of the time. The dragon is said to have the face of the horse, the horns of the deer, the ears of the ox, the body of the snake, the claws of the eagle and squama of the fish. We regard dragon as God and say that we Chinese are the offspring of the dragon. The God of Dragons of the four seas can charge the rainfalls, so we sometimes also call them the God of the water or rain. But in the West, people think dragons as dinosaurs, which can stand on the ground with feet and fly with huge wings. They lay eggs just like dinosaurs. The dragons of the West have the ability to erupt fire, instead of water. The fire can destroy everything so the dragons are not welcomed at all. They even become the symbol of the Devil.
Dragons Imagined by Chinese
Dragon Imagined by the Westerners
Part III What can we do to treat the culture gap?
Now we have seen that there exists such a huge gap between eastern culture and western one. Then what should we do to face this gap in the gradually globalizing world?
Firstly, we cannot deny any of the cultures. Every nation has its own characteristics and it’s mainly through its culture that we first begin to know the nation and its characteristics. So we cannot say that this culture or custom is right and that is wrong. Equal respect should be attached to every culture in the world, even to those that are not in existence any more.
Next, we should get to learn how to coordinate the different cultures. We say the world is becoming smaller and smaller. More foreigners come and go everyday. When it is in the same country, the same city, the same neighborhood, the cultural collision is expected to be more serious. So we should try to avoid this happening. One important thing is to get some basic knowledge about the other cultures so as not to misunderstand some actions or habits of the foreigners.
When the above two is done, we can start to communicate. I mean we can take in some strong points from the foreign cultures. Though there doesn’t exist correctness in terms of culture, it does have the terms of more advanced or more suitable for the world nowadays. Of course, we cannot throw away our own culture and accept another one totally. Every culture is a treasure to the history of the Earth, so we should only pick out those we lack to perfect our own.
Different cultures add the most colorful element to the world of 21st century. The cultural gap should not be the obstacle to the civilization of human being. It ought to be the motivation of our going farther.
The cultures of the East and the West really distinguish each other a lot. This is because the culture systems are two separate systems on the whole.
The origin of the eastern cultures is mainly from two countries: China and India. Both of the two cultures are gestated by rivers. In China, the mother river is the Yellow River while the Indian one is the Hindu River. These two cultures were developed for several thousand years and formed their own styles. Then in Dang Dynasty of China, the Chinese culture gradually went overseas to Japan, mixed into the Japanese society and shaped the Japanese culture nowadays. Though a bit different from the Chinese one, it belongs to the same system.
When the two mother rivers gave birth to the eastern culture, another famous culture was brought up on the Mesopotamian Plain ---- the Mesopotamian Civilization. This civilization later on developed into the cultures of the Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. And these two are well-known as the base of the European culture. Like the Chinese culture, the European one also crossed waters. When the colonists of England settled down in America, their culture went with them over the Atlantic Ocean. So the American culture doesn't distinguish from the European one a lot.
At the same time, the difference of the language systems adds to the cultural differences. In the East, most languages belong to the pictographic language (see the picture below) while the Western languages are mostly based on the Latin system, for example, the one I’m using to write this paper.
Other factors like human race difference counts as well. But what’s more, due to the far distance and the steep areas between the East and West, the two cultures seldom communicate until recent centuries. So they grew up totally in their own ways with almost no interference from the other.
Pictographic charactors Part II
How differently do people behave in daily life?
The differences are everywhere. They affect people’s ways of thinking and their views of the world. Even in everyday life, the cultural differences show up from the moment the eyes are opened to the minute the dreams are invited.
In the following, I’ll give some typical example of the differences.
Section 1: Greeting Greeting is the first step to form a culture, because people begin to communicate with others. The individuals become a community.
How do we Chinese greet each other? Informally, if we meet an friend in the street, we are used to say: “Hi, have you had your meal?” or “Where are you going?”. When it is the case of two gentlemen, they tend to shake hands.
However, in the western countries, the above questions are just questions, not greeting at all. They may think you’re inviting them to dinner if you ask about their meals. Usually, they’ll just give each other a smile or greet with a “Hi.”. They’ll shake hands only in some formal situations. By the way, Westerners can leave a party or meeting halls without a formal conge, nor should they shake hands with every attendee like most of us will do here.
Section 2: Expressing gratitude
Think of the situations below. Your mother is busy in the kitchen. She suddenly asks you to fetch a bowl for her. You do so. What’ll your mother’s response be? Probably she’ll just continue doing the cooking. After a while, the dinner is ready. Your mother hands you your bowl of rice. What’s your response? Probably just begin to eat.
That’s what I want to say. In Chinese families, we rarely say “Thank you” to other family members for receiving help or service. Neither will we say so between good friends. It’s such an unpopular response that if you say it, the counterpart will think you are treating him as a stranger, otherwise you are lacking of intimacy.
But in the West, "thank you" is one of the most frequently used sentences. Teachers will thank a student for answering a question; husbands will thank his wife for making a coffee. However, as an interesting phenomenon, it’s a custom to say "thank you" in Japan. No matter in family or among friends, Japanese chronically use it all the day. This is probably the aberrance of the culture.
Section 3 Dining
The ways people eat, that is, the table manner, really distinguish a lot. The reason for this is probably because of the different dining tools and menus.
Easterners use chopsticks, or sometimes even grasp rice straightly with hands as Indians do. The thin and long chopsticks cannot be used to cut food, so we usually use our teeth to act as knives. We hold our food, meat or vegetable, with the chopsticks, send them to the mouths, bite off a part of it and remain the other part on the chopsticks. That’s the usual way we eat. We are also used to hold up our bowls when having rice or soup. Japanese hold bowls to have miso soup without spoons. But all these habits are considered rude in the Western countries.
The etiquette in the West requests that when eating, bowls and plates cannot leave the tables. Food should be cut by knives to fit into the mouths. Of course your mouth cannot touch the plates or bowls. So the regular process is like this. You cut your steak on the plate with fork and knife, send the meat cube into the mouth with fork and nothing will be returned back but the fork alone.
Section 4 Symbolizing
Symbolization is how people imagine or regard something. It actually reflects the way people think. Here I’ll only discuss some symbolization that frequently appears in daily life.
First is about the colors. We often give each color some meanings, because we feel differently when facing different colors. So people always have preference when choosing colors of clothes, decorations, etc. In the APEC summit held in Shanghai several years ago, in the last day, the presidents from all over the world wore the traditional Chinese Dang suits and took a photo together. The colors of the suits were chosen by themselves freely. However, it’s quite interesting to find that most Easterners chose red while most of the westerners preferred blue. To explain this, it’s easy to realize that what red means is almost opposite in the East and the West. Red means luck, fortune here. We Chinese often use this color to decorate in festivals, such as red lanterns, red Chinese nodes, red bangers. But red stands for blood, revolutions in the West. So the presidents avoided wearing this unlucky color.
Another interesting discovery is about the dragons. In the East, dragons are imagined as something like snake and are flowing in the sky for most of the time. The dragon is said to have the face of the horse, the horns of the deer, the ears of the ox, the body of the snake, the claws of the eagle and squama of the fish. We regard dragon as God and say that we Chinese are the offspring of the dragon. The God of Dragons of the four seas can charge the rainfalls, so we sometimes also call them the God of the water or rain. But in the West, people think dragons as dinosaurs, which can stand on the ground with feet and fly with huge wings. They lay eggs just like dinosaurs. The dragons of the West have the ability to erupt fire, instead of water. The fire can destroy everything so the dragons are not welcomed at all. They even become the symbol of the Devil.
Dragons Imagined by Chinese
Dragon Imagined by the Westerners
Part III What can we do to treat the culture gap?
Now we have seen that there exists such a huge gap between eastern culture and western one. Then what should we do to face this gap in the gradually globalizing world?
Firstly, we cannot deny any of the cultures. Every nation has its own characteristics and it’s mainly through its culture that we first begin to know the nation and its characteristics. So we cannot say that this culture or custom is right and that is wrong. Equal respect should be attached to every culture in the world, even to those that are not in existence any more.
Next, we should get to learn how to coordinate the different cultures. We say the world is becoming smaller and smaller. More foreigners come and go everyday. When it is in the same country, the same city, the same neighborhood, the cultural collision is expected to be more serious. So we should try to avoid this happening. One important thing is to get some basic knowledge about the other cultures so as not to misunderstand some actions or habits of the foreigners.
When the above two is done, we can start to communicate. I mean we can take in some strong points from the foreign cultures. Though there doesn’t exist correctness in terms of culture, it does have the terms of more advanced or more suitable for the world nowadays. Of course, we cannot throw away our own culture and accept another one totally. Every culture is a treasure to the history of the Earth, so we should only pick out those we lack to perfect our own.
Different cultures add the most colorful element to the world of 21st century. The cultural gap should not be the obstacle to the civilization of human being. It ought to be the motivation of our going farther.
2009年2月8日星期日
How Love Keeps You Healthy
By HealthLife ContributorWriter
Love: the ultimate immune system
Love can serve as a protective agent against certain disease processes. Although we are not yet certain how or why this is true, research supports the conclusion that excellent relationships contribute to excellent health. For example, women in marriages they described as "good" have much less heart disease than those who experience high levels of stress in their relationships. Married people not only have longer lives, but also have lower rates of heart disease, cancer and even communicable diseases, such as pneumonia, when compared to the same age that are not married.
We also know from research that love can help fortify the immune system. For example, in one study, patients with ovarian cancer who reported having strong community ties and pleasurable relationships had a substantially better tumor site immune response than other patients with ovarian cancer who did not have this type of support.
Perhaps because of this immune system response, strong emotional ties can also support good health, even in times of stress. In another study, spouses in marriages described as "pleasurable" were able to lower their blood pressure even during a 12 month period of job stress.
Strengthening your trust hormones
It may be that the hormone oxytocin is partly responsible for some of these positive effects of strong relationships. Nicknamed the "trust hormone," its presence seems to have a strong influence on the ability of women to bond, and both men and women have much higher levels of the hormone in their bloodstreams immediately after orgasm. Oxytocin causes a relaxation response and can therefore lower blood pressure; it may be responsible for the decreased rates of breast cancer in women who have breastfed.
Some of the best news about oxytocin is that it may be summoned, almost at will. When couples were instructed to sit close to one another, talk and then hug, they experienced immediate decreases in blood pressure. When this behavior was continued over time, women especially showed sustained improvement in their blood pressure nearly the same as if they had taken the best prescription blood pressure medications.
Making love to a healthier body
Some of the positive health benefits from romantic relationships are likely related to frequency and regularity of sexual activity. Besides the obvious subjective benefits (that is, pleasure) of sex, research shows that physical intimacy is an important factor in sustaining health for the long term. For example, one study revealed than men who had sex at least twice a week were half as likely to have a lethal heart attack than men who did not. Well regarded research also indicates that frequent ejaculation may be a protective factor against developing prostate cancer. Yong adults who have sex more than once or twice a week demonstrate higher levels of important immune system antibodies than their peers who had sex less than this.
If you are thinking that your relationship cannot possibly be providing these benefits, there is even good news for you! Recent research indicated that spouses can be trained to be more supportive even during periods of life and health crisis. For example, in a study of couples who were dealing with a partner's breast cancer diagnosis; one group was given coaching to help develop emotional support skills. Another group was not given this coaching. The wives of the spouses who were given the additional help had better outcomes, specifically less distress and depression, than the control group.
Love: the ultimate immune system
Love can serve as a protective agent against certain disease processes. Although we are not yet certain how or why this is true, research supports the conclusion that excellent relationships contribute to excellent health. For example, women in marriages they described as "good" have much less heart disease than those who experience high levels of stress in their relationships. Married people not only have longer lives, but also have lower rates of heart disease, cancer and even communicable diseases, such as pneumonia, when compared to the same age that are not married.
We also know from research that love can help fortify the immune system. For example, in one study, patients with ovarian cancer who reported having strong community ties and pleasurable relationships had a substantially better tumor site immune response than other patients with ovarian cancer who did not have this type of support.
Perhaps because of this immune system response, strong emotional ties can also support good health, even in times of stress. In another study, spouses in marriages described as "pleasurable" were able to lower their blood pressure even during a 12 month period of job stress.
Strengthening your trust hormones
It may be that the hormone oxytocin is partly responsible for some of these positive effects of strong relationships. Nicknamed the "trust hormone," its presence seems to have a strong influence on the ability of women to bond, and both men and women have much higher levels of the hormone in their bloodstreams immediately after orgasm. Oxytocin causes a relaxation response and can therefore lower blood pressure; it may be responsible for the decreased rates of breast cancer in women who have breastfed.
Some of the best news about oxytocin is that it may be summoned, almost at will. When couples were instructed to sit close to one another, talk and then hug, they experienced immediate decreases in blood pressure. When this behavior was continued over time, women especially showed sustained improvement in their blood pressure nearly the same as if they had taken the best prescription blood pressure medications.
Making love to a healthier body
Some of the positive health benefits from romantic relationships are likely related to frequency and regularity of sexual activity. Besides the obvious subjective benefits (that is, pleasure) of sex, research shows that physical intimacy is an important factor in sustaining health for the long term. For example, one study revealed than men who had sex at least twice a week were half as likely to have a lethal heart attack than men who did not. Well regarded research also indicates that frequent ejaculation may be a protective factor against developing prostate cancer. Yong adults who have sex more than once or twice a week demonstrate higher levels of important immune system antibodies than their peers who had sex less than this.
If you are thinking that your relationship cannot possibly be providing these benefits, there is even good news for you! Recent research indicated that spouses can be trained to be more supportive even during periods of life and health crisis. For example, in a study of couples who were dealing with a partner's breast cancer diagnosis; one group was given coaching to help develop emotional support skills. Another group was not given this coaching. The wives of the spouses who were given the additional help had better outcomes, specifically less distress and depression, than the control group.
People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.
People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.
When you figure out which it is, you will know exactly what to do.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up have been answered and it is now time to move on.
When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person or people involved; and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships, and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
When you figure out which it is, you will know exactly what to do.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up have been answered and it is now time to move on.
When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person or people involved; and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships, and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
2009年1月15日星期四
活用信用卡,乐享节日消费
迈入2009年，新年、春节、元宵节、情人节等一连串的节日将纷至沓来。虽然金融危机的阴影还未散去，但回顾一年的辛劳和收获、面对琳琅满目的商品和形式多样的优惠，人们购买礼物馈赠亲友、购置年货犒劳自己的热情依旧高涨。而当你在购物大潮中“血拼”时，是否会为携带大量现金而感到麻烦、为翻遍口袋寻找零钱而烦躁、为手头上的钱不足而遗憾、为折扣还不够低而犹豫？此时，一张小小的信用卡就能派上大用场了！
现代社会中，信用卡早已不是什么新鲜事物，对信用卡定义最通俗的理解是：当你的购物需求超出了支付能力或者你不希望使用现金时，你可以向银行借钱，这种借钱在一定时间内不需要支付任何的利息和手续费。有资料显示：截至２００８年上半年，中国大陆已累计发放信用卡１.２亿张，而且发卡速度还在明显增快，信用卡在国人生活中扮演着越来越重要的角色。
现代人的时尚名片
作为一个生活在当今信息社会的现代人，如果你还是惯于携带厚厚的一叠现金以备消费之需，如果你还没有一两张信用卡，如果你的信用记录还是一张白纸，那么你就真的有点落伍了。
目前，在全球超过２００个以上的国家或地区，１３００万以上的特约商店接受信用卡消费；万一你需要现金，在全球各地也有１６万台以上的提款机可接受信用卡提领现金；信用卡持卡人不仅可以通过ＡＴＭ机刷卡消费还可以在网上付款；外币卡或双币卡还可以直接在国外消费，省去兑换外币的麻烦。信用卡的使用是如此广泛而便捷，可以说信用卡正在成为人们消费中最实用和常用的支付工具。
随着人们在不同领域内的消费需求的增长，信用卡家族也迅速地开枝散叶，有象征尊贵身份的黑卡、钻石卡、有侧重服务不同对象的商务卡、个人卡，有银行与企业联名发行的侧重不同用途的联名卡，有同一帐户下可供家庭成员分别使用的主卡、附属卡、有设计时尚、具有纪念和收藏价值的“Hello Kitty"、“猫和老鼠”粉丝信用卡......人们总能够在这么多类型的信用卡中找到符合自己需求的卡，而人们所使用的信用卡也在很大程度上显示着他的经济实力、社会角色、兴趣喜好等个性要素，可以说每个人所拥有的信用卡就是他的一张时尚名片。
帮你成为理财高手
信用卡不仅可以帮助人们轻松消费，在日常生活中还可以扮演理财帮手的重要角色。
除了规定期内的免息待遇，持卡人只要刷卡消费，就可以累计消费积分，根据积分领取礼品或兑换物品。银行还经常与商家联合举办诸如送保险、赠手机等各种优惠活动，加上各种幸运抽奖活动，一张卡可以享受多重惊喜。只要你经常关注信用卡网站，多了解积分规则、活动信息，就可以节省很多开支。此外，很多银行都提供的信用卡分期付款服务能让你放心进行大额消费，提前享受优质生活。
信用卡一般都有２０－５０天的免息期，利用这个免息的时间段做无本投资，可谓信用卡理财中的“生财之道”。一般的做法是，日常开销基本不动用现金，能刷卡的尽量刷卡，这样通过信用卡透支存留的资金就可以进行货币基金投资，投资时间可以与信用卡免息期等长。每月到了免息期结束的日期，再用基金赎回的钱去还信用卡透支的钱。这种经营的收益要比存款储蓄高很多，还可以通过不断地刷卡赚取积分和奖品，一举两得。
信用卡每月都有结帐单，会逐笔列出消费的日期、商店及金额，一目了然，这不仅可以帮我们记帐，还可以通过对帐单进行整理分析，总结自己的基本消费形态，从而做到理性消费，减少浪费。所以，在日常生活理财过程中，可以采取工资卡储蓄、信用卡消费的方式，收支分明便于统计规划。此外，还可以为直系亲属申请附属卡，这样一家人的消费就会统一到同一帐户下，便于家庭理财。
有心人的信用“养殖汤”
随着社会的不断发展和进步，中国的社会征信制度也将不断建立健全起来，个人信用将给人们的生活带来重大的影响。拥有优良的个人信用记录，将为未来的事业、生活之路点亮一盏保障通畅的绿灯；反之，个人信用记录不佳的话，将直接给就业、贷款、置业等方方面面造成阻碍。而信用卡记载了持卡人持卡人的信用动态和信用状况，通过信用卡的良性善意透支，可以积累优良的个人信用记录。可以说，信用卡能成为有心人的信用银行，今天多信用卡透支、还款，在明天的信用社会中就可以更加游刃有余。要通过信用卡来提升个人社会信用，则要注意一个“养”字。这个“养”又要从两个方面来着手。
其一，用得多，“养”的壮。这就是说多使用信用卡，不仅可以享受很多银行的免年费、累积积分待遇，在累积了优良的还款记录后，还能得到提高信用额度和信用卡等级的奖励。
其二，及时还，“养”的好。要累积良好的信用卡信用记录，就一定要及时、按额度还款。每月的帐单上，我们都可以看到还款数目和最后还款日期。按照全额还款，能让你的信用记录保持良好，但如果遇上手头紧，你也可以选择按照最低还款额还款，以避免到期未还款造成不良信用记录。为了避免发生忘记还款的情况，可以将最后还款日期记在手机或笔记本上，或将信用卡与你在该行申请的借记卡关联，只要保证借记卡上余额充足，即可有备无患了。
１.信用卡再好也不能滥用
卡并不是越多越好，卡太多，不仅使用率低，还帐麻烦，而且容易造成“休眠卡”，容易出现卡片遗失、被盗现象，从而引发年费增加，出现信用不良记录等问题。但是，对一般人来说，如果仅有一张卡，可预支的额度和可选择的优惠活动都会比较局限。因此，信用卡的数量贵精不贵多，通常一个人拥有三张不同侧重点的信用卡足矣。
２.提现功能不可随意用
信用卡最吸引人的一大功能就是提现，不过提现需要支付的手续费和利息却不可小觑。银行会每天固定收取现金金额的万分之五的利息。尤其是过了还款日还未还清时，就会将利息计入本金，开始利滚利的复利计算。因为，不到万不得已，还是不要提现，倘若必须提现，那也应该尽早还款，因为银行是从你提现当日开始计算利息。
３.提前存款不可取
很多人认为每个月到银行还款太麻烦了，就提前存一笔钱到信用卡内。实际上，这种做法并不可取。一方面，往信用卡里存钱是没有利息的。还有一点更为重要的是，钱存入信用卡易，想要再取出难。因为有些银行规定，用信用卡取现，无论是否属于透支额度，都要支付取现手续费。
４.帐号信息要保密
当前人们的个人信息已越发重要并急需受到保护，但是仍有不少信用卡用户认为帐号信息没什么用，缺乏保密意识。但这种做法是十分危险的，因为这些资料上面都会记载着持卡人的个人信息，一旦落到不法分子手上，可能会让你遭到惨重损失。专业人士给出了信用卡从申办到使用应该注意的安全事项：路边摊上的信用卡办理虽然方便，但是在个人隐私管理上可能存在更大的风险，建议去银行专门的柜台申办；提交身份证复印件要慎重，以防自己的身份证被他人盗用；对帐单和密码通知单要让银行寄到稳妥的地址。
现代社会中，信用卡早已不是什么新鲜事物，对信用卡定义最通俗的理解是：当你的购物需求超出了支付能力或者你不希望使用现金时，你可以向银行借钱，这种借钱在一定时间内不需要支付任何的利息和手续费。有资料显示：截至２００８年上半年，中国大陆已累计发放信用卡１.２亿张，而且发卡速度还在明显增快，信用卡在国人生活中扮演着越来越重要的角色。
现代人的时尚名片
作为一个生活在当今信息社会的现代人，如果你还是惯于携带厚厚的一叠现金以备消费之需，如果你还没有一两张信用卡，如果你的信用记录还是一张白纸，那么你就真的有点落伍了。
目前，在全球超过２００个以上的国家或地区，１３００万以上的特约商店接受信用卡消费；万一你需要现金，在全球各地也有１６万台以上的提款机可接受信用卡提领现金；信用卡持卡人不仅可以通过ＡＴＭ机刷卡消费还可以在网上付款；外币卡或双币卡还可以直接在国外消费，省去兑换外币的麻烦。信用卡的使用是如此广泛而便捷，可以说信用卡正在成为人们消费中最实用和常用的支付工具。
随着人们在不同领域内的消费需求的增长，信用卡家族也迅速地开枝散叶，有象征尊贵身份的黑卡、钻石卡、有侧重服务不同对象的商务卡、个人卡，有银行与企业联名发行的侧重不同用途的联名卡，有同一帐户下可供家庭成员分别使用的主卡、附属卡、有设计时尚、具有纪念和收藏价值的“Hello Kitty"、“猫和老鼠”粉丝信用卡......人们总能够在这么多类型的信用卡中找到符合自己需求的卡，而人们所使用的信用卡也在很大程度上显示着他的经济实力、社会角色、兴趣喜好等个性要素，可以说每个人所拥有的信用卡就是他的一张时尚名片。
帮你成为理财高手
信用卡不仅可以帮助人们轻松消费，在日常生活中还可以扮演理财帮手的重要角色。
除了规定期内的免息待遇，持卡人只要刷卡消费，就可以累计消费积分，根据积分领取礼品或兑换物品。银行还经常与商家联合举办诸如送保险、赠手机等各种优惠活动，加上各种幸运抽奖活动，一张卡可以享受多重惊喜。只要你经常关注信用卡网站，多了解积分规则、活动信息，就可以节省很多开支。此外，很多银行都提供的信用卡分期付款服务能让你放心进行大额消费，提前享受优质生活。
信用卡一般都有２０－５０天的免息期，利用这个免息的时间段做无本投资，可谓信用卡理财中的“生财之道”。一般的做法是，日常开销基本不动用现金，能刷卡的尽量刷卡，这样通过信用卡透支存留的资金就可以进行货币基金投资，投资时间可以与信用卡免息期等长。每月到了免息期结束的日期，再用基金赎回的钱去还信用卡透支的钱。这种经营的收益要比存款储蓄高很多，还可以通过不断地刷卡赚取积分和奖品，一举两得。
信用卡每月都有结帐单，会逐笔列出消费的日期、商店及金额，一目了然，这不仅可以帮我们记帐，还可以通过对帐单进行整理分析，总结自己的基本消费形态，从而做到理性消费，减少浪费。所以，在日常生活理财过程中，可以采取工资卡储蓄、信用卡消费的方式，收支分明便于统计规划。此外，还可以为直系亲属申请附属卡，这样一家人的消费就会统一到同一帐户下，便于家庭理财。
有心人的信用“养殖汤”
随着社会的不断发展和进步，中国的社会征信制度也将不断建立健全起来，个人信用将给人们的生活带来重大的影响。拥有优良的个人信用记录，将为未来的事业、生活之路点亮一盏保障通畅的绿灯；反之，个人信用记录不佳的话，将直接给就业、贷款、置业等方方面面造成阻碍。而信用卡记载了持卡人持卡人的信用动态和信用状况，通过信用卡的良性善意透支，可以积累优良的个人信用记录。可以说，信用卡能成为有心人的信用银行，今天多信用卡透支、还款，在明天的信用社会中就可以更加游刃有余。要通过信用卡来提升个人社会信用，则要注意一个“养”字。这个“养”又要从两个方面来着手。
其一，用得多，“养”的壮。这就是说多使用信用卡，不仅可以享受很多银行的免年费、累积积分待遇，在累积了优良的还款记录后，还能得到提高信用额度和信用卡等级的奖励。
其二，及时还，“养”的好。要累积良好的信用卡信用记录，就一定要及时、按额度还款。每月的帐单上，我们都可以看到还款数目和最后还款日期。按照全额还款，能让你的信用记录保持良好，但如果遇上手头紧，你也可以选择按照最低还款额还款，以避免到期未还款造成不良信用记录。为了避免发生忘记还款的情况，可以将最后还款日期记在手机或笔记本上，或将信用卡与你在该行申请的借记卡关联，只要保证借记卡上余额充足，即可有备无患了。
１.信用卡再好也不能滥用
卡并不是越多越好，卡太多，不仅使用率低，还帐麻烦，而且容易造成“休眠卡”，容易出现卡片遗失、被盗现象，从而引发年费增加，出现信用不良记录等问题。但是，对一般人来说，如果仅有一张卡，可预支的额度和可选择的优惠活动都会比较局限。因此，信用卡的数量贵精不贵多，通常一个人拥有三张不同侧重点的信用卡足矣。
２.提现功能不可随意用
信用卡最吸引人的一大功能就是提现，不过提现需要支付的手续费和利息却不可小觑。银行会每天固定收取现金金额的万分之五的利息。尤其是过了还款日还未还清时，就会将利息计入本金，开始利滚利的复利计算。因为，不到万不得已，还是不要提现，倘若必须提现，那也应该尽早还款，因为银行是从你提现当日开始计算利息。
３.提前存款不可取
很多人认为每个月到银行还款太麻烦了，就提前存一笔钱到信用卡内。实际上，这种做法并不可取。一方面，往信用卡里存钱是没有利息的。还有一点更为重要的是，钱存入信用卡易，想要再取出难。因为有些银行规定，用信用卡取现，无论是否属于透支额度，都要支付取现手续费。
４.帐号信息要保密
当前人们的个人信息已越发重要并急需受到保护，但是仍有不少信用卡用户认为帐号信息没什么用，缺乏保密意识。但这种做法是十分危险的，因为这些资料上面都会记载着持卡人的个人信息，一旦落到不法分子手上，可能会让你遭到惨重损失。专业人士给出了信用卡从申办到使用应该注意的安全事项：路边摊上的信用卡办理虽然方便，但是在个人隐私管理上可能存在更大的风险，建议去银行专门的柜台申办；提交身份证复印件要慎重，以防自己的身份证被他人盗用；对帐单和密码通知单要让银行寄到稳妥的地址。
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