The Rules of King Wen and King Wu Are Like Slack and Taut Bowstrings
周文王、周武王（？—前1043）治理国家像使用弓弩一样有紧有松，宽严结合。“文武”指周文王、周武王；“道”指治国方法；“张”本指拉紧弓弦，比喻严及紧张；“弛”指放松弓弦，比喻宽及放松。以孔子（前551—前479）为代表的儒家主张治国应以德礼教化为主，武力刑罚为辅，文武并施，宽猛相济。“文武之道，一张一弛”体现着古代圣明执政者治理国家的智慧。后世也用它来比喻人们对工作、生活合理安排，松紧适度，劳逸结合。
This term means that two kings Wen and Wu (?-1043 BC) of Zhou applied the idea of taut and slack bowstrings in archery to governing: a mixture of strictness and leniency. Wenwu (文武) refers to King Wen and King Wu of Zhou; dao (道) means the way of governing; zhang (张) taut bowstring, or strictness; and chi (弛) slack bowstring, or leniency. The Confucian school of thought, as represented by Confucius (551-479 BC), advocated that governance should be based foremost on morality, propriety and education, with the use of force and punishment in second place only. The pen and the sword, leniency and strictness should complement each other. The expression is a crystallization of the wisdom of the ancient sage kings. In the modern sense, people should apply this attitude to organizing their life: a balance of work and play.
引例 Citations：
◎张而不弛，文武弗能也；弛而不张，文武弗为也。一张一弛，文武之道也。（《礼记·杂记下》）
只紧张而不松弛，周文王、周武王不可能做到；只松弛而不紧张，周文王、周武王也不会这样做。有紧张有松弛，这才是周文王、周武王治理天下的方法。
To rule only with strictness and no leniency was not possible for King Wen and King Wu of Zhou; to rule only with leniency and no strictness was not what they wished to do. A mixture of pen and sword was the way they chose to rule. (The Book of Rites)
◎文王以文治，武王以武功去民之灾。（《礼记·祭法》）
周文王用德礼文教治理国家，周武王用武功去除民众的灾祸。
King Wen of Zhou ruled with morality, propriety and education. King Wu of Zhou used force to eliminate whatever harmed the people. (The Book of Rites)
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供稿：北京外国语大学 外语教学与研究出版社
责任编辑：钱耐安
