每日中华文化专词双译|大体、小体

孟子对心与感觉器官的称谓，用于对大人与小人的区分。耳、目等感觉器官为“小体”，耳目之官不具备思考与辨别的能力，因此在与外物的接触中易受外物牵引。人如果仅仅依循于“小体”，则会陷于物欲，是为小人。心为“大体”，心天生具有思考与辨别的能力。人如果能够确立“大体”的主导性，则可以通过心的作用，发现并不断扩充心中固有的善端，不为物欲所蒙蔽，是为大人。

Referring to the heart and the sensory organs, this term was used by Mencius to differentiate between men of virtue and petty men. Sensory organs such as the ears and eyes are called 'minor organs' because they lack a capacity for thought and for cognition, and are hence easily directed by externalities when they come into contact with the latter. If a man were to only rely on his 'minor organs,' he would be a captive of material desires and therefore become a petty man. The heart is the 'major organ' which is naturally endowed with the capacity for thought and cognition. If a man is able to establish a dominant role for his 'major organ,' then through the actions of his heart, he will be able to continually increase its inherent goodness and not have his judgment clouded by material desires, and thereby become a man of virtue.

引例 Citation：

◎公都子问曰：“钧是人也，或为大人，或为小人，何也？”孟子曰：“从其大体为大人，从其小体为小人。”（《孟子·告子上》）

公都子问道：“同样是人，有些是君子，有些是小人，是什么原因呢？”孟子回答：“依循于大体的成为君子，依循于小体的是小人。”

Gongduzi asked, 'We are all humans, so why are some men of virtue while others are petty men?' Mencius replied, 'Those who follow their major organ become men of virtue, while those who follow their minor organs become petty men.' (Mencius)

（推荐：教育部 国家语委 供稿：北京外国语大学 外语教学与研究出版社）