文化是有血有肉的
Culture has Blood and Flesh
By Mu Tao
文化是活的。或者换一种说法，有生命力的文化，才会持续持久。梁漱溟老人给文化下过一个定义，“吾人生活所依靠的一切”。
怎么样理解这句话呢？
吃是饮食文化，吃后边有农业文化。穿是服饰文化，穿后边有工业文化。吃穿后边还都有商业文化。正在流行的叫时尚文化，已经过时的叫落后文化。居家是建筑文化，出行是交通文化，和平的日子有休闲文化，战争年月有军事文化，人们的生老病死是民俗文化。人的成长要接受教育，国家发达要靠科技，数典不忘祖是把根扎在传统文化里，一个民族在世界之林里真正的强大还要开放着吸收族外文化。
一个人做事情的方式，是一个人的性格，叫个性。一个区域里的人做事情的方式，这种集体性格沉淀下来，就叫文化。
在我们中国，这种集体性格的差异是明显的，也是很具体的。生活在黄河流域和长江流域的人，衣食住行之间的差异很大。在黄河流域，陕西人，甘肃人，山西人是近邻，河南人与山东人是近邻，青海人和宁夏人是近邻，但近邻之间的集体性格差异很明显。在长江流域，湖南人和湖北人，江浙人和上海人，差异也迥然存在着。再往远处说，北京人和广东人，南辕北辙的差异更突出。
就陕西一个省而言，关中人，陕南人，陕北人，三个地方的差异也很大。在关中，西府人和东府人有区别。在陕北，延安人和榆林人有区别。在陕南，商洛、汉中、安康人也是如此。我们有两句涉及文化性格的老话，一句叫“十里不同俗”。一方水土养一方人，民俗和习俗之间的差异是近距离的。另一句话叫“喝一江水长大的”。“君住长江头，我住长江尾，日日思君不见君，共饮长江水。”后一句话指的是不同的文化性格里还有相互融合贯通的一面。我们研究地域文化，既要看到相互区别的一面，还要寻找到相互融合，生发合力的一面。
一个地域的文化性格是一个地域的具体形象，是烙印一样的东西，想甩都不好甩掉，比如上海人的仔细，东北人的粗犷，还有河南人怎么样怎么样。文化建设也是一个地域的形象建设，但这种形象建设不是一朝一夕或者“多快好省”可以干成的，也不是发了财，有了点钱，文化形象就光辉高大了。如今中国的经济是世界的老二，但我们中国人行为做事的整体形象，在外国人眼里，实事求是地说，不要说排在老二，前二十名排得进去吗？
在这个问题上，应该讲，当代中国人是愧对我们古人的，是给老祖宗丢脸的。我们中国以前叫“礼仪之邦”，各行当有各行当的规矩，“仁义礼智信”这些东西基本上是深入人心的。如今有两个自我检讨的热词，“诚信缺失”和“信仰缺失”，其实都不太妥当，事实上是规矩缺失，我们如今做事情，很不遵守我们老祖宗的规矩。
如今政府高调讲“繁荣文化”，我觉着首先应该对文化有个清楚清醒的认识。
Culture is alive; or, in other words, culture only endures for long if it possesses a life force. Liang Shuming once said that “culture is everything upon which our lives depend.”
How are we to interpret this sentence?
Eating represents the culture of food, behind which there is the culture of agriculture. Dressing up represents sumptuary culture, behind which there lies the culture of industry. Behind eating and dressing up there is the culture of commerce. Whatever is popular is labelled “fashionable culture.” Whatever is outdated is labelled “backward culture.” Housing represents the culture of architecture. Travel represents the culture of transportation. In peaceful times, there exists the culture of leisure. In wartime, there exists a martial culture. Birth, ageing, growing sick, and death concern the culture of social customs. The cultivation of a man is dependent upon education. The development of a country is dependent upon science and technology. To be endowed with knowledge of all historical facts, including one’s ancestors is to be rooted in traditional culture. The real greatness of a nation in a forest of world cultures is revealed by its openness to, and willingness to absorb, foreign culture.
The manner in which a man does things forms his characteristic, that is to say his personality. Once the manner in which a group of people does things in a particular region forms collectively, like sediment, then it becomes known as a culture.
In China, the differences between collectives, with their own characteristics, are both distinct and concrete. Those who live along the Yellow River and those who live along the Yangtze River exhibit great differences in their food, clothing, shelter and transportation. Along the Yellow River, the people of Shaanxi, Gansu and Shanxi are close neighbours. The people of Henan and Shandong are close neighbours. The people of Qinghai and the people of Ningxia are close neighbours. Yet, even among these close neighbours the variation in their collective characteristics is quite obvious. Along the Yangtze River, there are striking differences between the people of Hunan and Hubei, the people of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and the people of Shanghai. If we go further, the differences between the people of Beijing and the people of Guangdong are even more striking.
As far as Shaanxi Province is concerned, there are great differences between the people of Guanzhong, those of southern Shaanxi, and those of northern Shaanxi. In the Guanzhong Plain there are differences between the people of the west and the people of the east. In northern Shaanxi, the people of Yan’an and the people of Yulin are distinct. In the southern Shaanxi, there are differences between Shangluo, Hanzhong and Ankang people. There are two old sayings concerned with cultural personality. One is: “Customs vary every ten li. A particular land nurtures particular people.” The differences between folk customs and social customs are slight. Another saying goes: “Grow up by drinking from the same river.” The latter is referring to that. Different cultures sport the façade of intermingling. When we study regional culture, we not only look for differences, but also seek mutual interactions and the power of combining these together.
The cultural personality of a region is the specific image of a region. Like a marked brand which is indelible, such is the carefulness of the people of Shanghai, the directness and openness of the people of northeast, and all this and that which is said about the people of Henan. Cultural construction is the construction of a regional image. This image could not be achieved in a day or two through “more, faster, better, and cheaper” means. It neither means that when there is money there is fortune and that the cultural image will become greater and more glorious. Nowadays, the economy of China is the “second greatest” in the world, but the integral image of our behaviour in the eyes of foreigners is, to be honest, does not warrant being ranked as second. Can we even qualify for the Top Twenty?
In this aspect, we must say that modern Chinese people should feel a sense of remorse towards their ancestors. They are losing the face of their ancestors. China is labelled as the “Country of Rites.” Every walk has its norm. “Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and sincerity” are inherent in the hearts of everyone. Now there are two popular phrases for self-criticism: “lack sincerity” and “lack belief.” Actually, these have not been properly stated. What is lacking is the norm. Now we do a lot of things which are not according to the norms established by our ancestors.
The present administration has emphasized in a high tone of the “prosperity of culture,” but I think first things first. We should have a clear understanding of culture.
选译自穆涛《先前的风气》
Selected from Social and Cultural Customs of Bygone Days by Mu Tao
English translation by Hu Zongfeng and Robin Gilbank
青春就应该这样绽放 游戏测试：三国时期谁是你最好的兄弟！！ 你不得不信的星座秘密