自力更生

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自力更生 [2025/08/13 09:37] – created xiaoer自力更生 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1
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-====== zì lì gēng shēng: 自力更生 - Self-Reliance, Regeneration Through One's Own Efforts ====== +
-===== Quick Summary ===== +
-  * **Keywords:** zì lì gēng shēng, 自力更生, self-reliance in Chinese, Chinese idiom for independence, do it yourself in Chinese, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps Chinese, Chinese self-sufficiency, Maoist slogan, Chinese proverbs +
-  * **Summary:** Learn the powerful Chinese idiom **zì lì gēng shēng (自力更生)**, which translates to "self-reliance" or "regeneration through one's own efforts." This page breaks down its meaning, cultural significance from the Maoist era to modern business, and practical usage. Understand how this term, far more than just "independence," embodies the Chinese values of resilience, hard work, and determination, whether for an individual, a company, or a nation. +
-===== Core Meaning ===== +
-  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** zì lì gēng shēng +
-  * **Part of Speech:** Chengyu (Idiom) / Verb Phrase +
-  * **HSK Level:** HSK 6 +
-  * **Concise Definition:** To rely on one's own efforts to succeed and thrive; to be self-reliant. +
-  * **In a Nutshell:** `自力更生` is a powerful and respected concept in Chinese culture. It's not just about being independent, but about the active, often difficult, process of building something, solving problems, or even surviving using only your own strength and resources. It carries a deep sense of resilience, determination, and pride in overcoming adversity without depending on others. Think of it as the ultimate expression of "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps," but often with a collective (family, company, nation) rather than purely individualistic feel. +
-===== Character Breakdown ===== +
-  * **自 (zì):** self; oneself; from. The character is a pictograph of a nose. In ancient China, people pointed to their own nose to refer to themselves, so it came to mean "I" or "oneself." +
-  * **力 (lì):** strength; power; effort. This character is thought to be a pictograph of a plow, a tool requiring great strength to use, or a tensed, muscular arm. +
-  * **更 (gēng):** to change; to renew; to restore. +
-  * **生 (shēng):** to be born; to live; to generate life. +
-When combined, the characters create a vivid story: **自(zì)力(lì)更(gēng)生(shēng)** literally means "using one's //own strength// to //renew life//." It paints a picture of proactively creating a new and better situation for oneself through personal effort and resilience. +
-===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== +
-`自力更生` is a term deeply embedded in the modern Chinese psyche, largely due to its political and social history. +
-It was a cornerstone slogan of the Communist Party under Mao Zedong. Following the Sino-Soviet split in the 1960s, China found itself isolated. The government heavily promoted `自力更生` to encourage the nation to become self-sufficient in agriculture, industry, and technology, fostering a spirit of nationalistic pride and resilience against external pressures. Because of this history, the term can carry a strong political and patriotic flavor, especially when used to describe national goals. +
-**Comparison to Western Concepts:** +
-A close Western parallel is "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps." Both celebrate individual effort and determination. However, there's a key difference in scope: +
-  * **"Bootstraps"** is almost exclusively individualistic. It refers to a single person's socioeconomic mobility. +
-  * **`自力更生`** can be individual, but it is just as often applied to a collective: a family working together to escape poverty, a company developing its own technology (like Huawei), or the entire nation striving for economic independence. It harmonizes the value of hard work with a collective goal, a common feature in Chinese culture. +
-This term taps into core cultural values like diligence (`勤劳 qínláo`), perseverance (`毅力 yìlì`), and a stoic acceptance of hardship (`吃苦 chīkǔ` - "eating bitterness"). +
-===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== +
-While it has historical roots, `自力更生` is frequently used in modern life across various contexts. It always has a positive and admirable connotation. +
-  * **Personal Life:** It's used to praise someone who has achieved success without relying on family connections (`关系 guānxi`) or wealth. For example, a student who works multiple jobs to pay for their own tuition, or an entrepreneur who started their business from scratch. +
-  * **Business Context:** Companies often use this term to describe their strategy of developing in-house technology or intellectual property rather than licensing it from foreign firms. It signals innovation, strength, and long-term vision. +
-  * **National Discourse:** You will often hear or read this term in government reports and news media, especially in discussions about food security, energy independence, and technological innovation (e.g., chip manufacturing). It serves as a patriotic call to action. +
-The term is formal but can be used in conversations when expressing strong admiration for someone's resilience and hard work. +
-===== Example Sentences ===== +
-  * **Example 1:** +
-    * 他放弃了父母的帮助，决定**自力更生**，自己创业。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā fàngqìle fùmǔ de bāngzhù, juédìng **zì lì gēng shēng**, zìjǐ chuàngyè. +
-    * English: He gave up his parents' help and decided to be self-reliant and start his own business. +
-    * Analysis: This is a classic personal use case, highlighting a choice to refuse external help and rely on one's own efforts. It conveys admiration for his determination. +
-  * **Example 2:** +
-    * 作为一个国家，我们必须坚持**自力更生**的原则，发展自己的核心技术。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zuòwéi yīgè guójiā, wǒmen bìxū jiānchí **zì lì gēng shēng** de yuánzé, fāzhǎn zìjǐ de héxīn jìshù. +
-    * English: As a nation, we must adhere to the principle of self-reliance and develop our own core technologies. +
-    * Analysis: This demonstrates the term's use in a formal, national context. It has strong political and patriotic undertones here. +
-  * **Example 3:** +
-    * 这个村庄的村民们通过**自力更生**，把一个贫穷的地方变成了旅游胜地。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zhège cūnzhuāng de cūnmínmen tōngguò **zì lì gēng shēng**, bǎ yīgè pínqióng de dìfāng biànchéngle lǚyóu shèngdì. +
-    * English: The villagers, through their own efforts (self-reliance), transformed a poor place into a tourist destination. +
-    * Analysis: This shows the collective use of the term. It's not one person, but the whole community working together to improve their situation. +
-  * **Example 4:** +
-    * 她的故事很鼓舞人心，完全是**自力更生**的典范。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā de gùshì hěn gǔwǔ rénxīn, wánquán shì **zì lì gēng shēng** de diǎnfàn. +
-    * English: Her story is very inspiring; it's a perfect model of self-reliance. +
-    * Analysis: Here, `自力更生` is used as a noun phrase to describe a quality or a model (`典范 diǎnfàn`) to be emulated. +
-  * **Example 5:** +
-    * 与其抱怨，不如**自力更生**，想办法解决问题。 +
-    * Pinyin: Yǔqí bàoyuàn, bùrú **zì lì gēng shēng**, xiǎng bànfǎ jiějué wèntí. +
-    * English: Rather than complaining, it's better to rely on your own efforts and find a way to solve the problem. +
-    * Analysis: This is used as practical advice, encouraging a proactive, problem-solving mindset. +
-  * **Example 6:** +
-    * 公司初创时期，我们没有外部投资，全靠团队**自力更生**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Gōngsī chūchuàng shíqī, wǒmen méiyǒu wàibù tóuzī, quán kào tuánduì **zì lì gēng shēng**. +
-    * English: In the early days of the company, we had no external investment and depended entirely on the team's own efforts to get by. +
-    * Analysis: This is a common business context, emphasizing the struggle and resilience of a startup team. +
-  * **Example 7:** +
-    * 父母不能照顾你一辈子，你迟早要学会**自力更生**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Fùmǔ bùnéng zhàogù nǐ yībèizi, nǐ chízǎo yào xuéhuì **zì lì gēng shēng**. +
-    * English: Your parents can't take care of you forever; sooner or later you have to learn to stand on your own two feet. +
-    * Analysis: A very common piece of advice from parents or elders to a younger person, encouraging them to become independent and responsible. +
-  * **Example 8:** +
-    * 经过多年的艰苦奋斗，他终于**自力更生**，在大城市里买了房。 +
-    * Pinyin: Jīngguò duōnián de jiānkǔ fèndòu, tā zhōngyú **zì lì gēng shēng**, zài dà chéngshì lǐ mǎile fáng. +
-    * English: After many years of arduous struggle, he finally made it on his own and bought an apartment in the big city. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence pairs `自力更生` with another related idiom, `艰苦奋斗` (arduous struggle), which is a very common and powerful combination. +
-  * **Example 9:** +
-    * 这个软件是我们的工程师**自力更生**开发出来的，没有依赖任何第三方代码。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zhège ruǎnjiàn shì wǒmen de gōngchéngshī **zì lì gēng shēng** kāifā chūlái de, méiyǒu yīlài rènhé dì sānfāng dàimǎ. +
-    * English: This software was developed by our engineers through their own efforts, without relying on any third-party code. +
-    * Analysis: A specific example of `自力更生` in the tech/engineering field, emphasizing originality and in-house capability. +
-  * **Example 10:** +
-    * 他失去了双腿，但通过**自力更生**，成为了一名成功的作家。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā shīqùle shuāng tuǐ, dàn tōngguò **zì lì gēng shēng**, chéngwéile yī míng chénggōng de zuòjiā. +
-    * English: He lost both of his legs, but through sheer self-reliance, he became a successful writer. +
-    * Analysis: This example highlights the theme of overcoming extreme adversity, which is at the heart of the term's meaning. +
-===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== +
-  * **`自力更生` vs. `独立` (dúlì - independent):** This is a key distinction. `独立` describes a state of being (e.g., "He is an independent person"). `自力更生` describes the //process// of achieving or maintaining that state through hard work, struggle, and resilience. A country can be politically `独立` (independent), but it must practice `自力更生` to be economically strong. +
-  * **Not for Trivial Tasks:** Using `自力更生` for simple, everyday tasks is an exaggeration and sounds strange. It's meant for significant life challenges. +
-    * **Incorrect:** 我**自力更生**把这个宜家书柜装好了。(Wǒ **zì lì gēng shēng** bǎ zhège Yíjiā shūguì zhuāng hǎole.) - "I self-reliantly assembled this IKEA bookcase." +
-    * **Correct:** 我自己把这个宜家书柜装好了。(Wǒ zìjǐ bǎ zhège Yíjiā shūguì zhuāng hǎole.) - "I assembled this IKEA bookcase myself." +
-    * **Explanation:** Assembling furniture is a simple task. `自力更生` implies overcoming a much larger obstacle, like starting a business, paying for your entire education, or a nation building its own industry. +
-===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== +
-  * **[[白手起家]] (báishǒu qǐjiā):** "To start from white hands"; to build a fortune from scratch. A very close synonym, often used for entrepreneurs. +
-  * **[[独立自主]] (dúlì zìzhǔ):** Independent and autonomous. A more formal and political term, emphasizing freedom of decision-making. Often used together with `自力更生` in national policy. +
-  * **[[艰苦奋斗]] (jiānkǔ fèndòu):** To struggle hard; arduous struggle. Describes the *type of work* involved in `自力更生`. +
-  * **[[自给自足]] (zìjǐ zìzú):** Self-sufficient. Focuses specifically on the economic outcome of being able to provide for all of one's own needs. +
-  * **[[靠自己]] (kào zìjǐ):** To rely on oneself. A much more colloquial and direct way to express a similar idea. `自力更生` is the formal, idiomatic version. +
-  * **[[吃苦耐劳]] (chīkǔ nàiláo):** To bear hardships and be hardworking. A personal quality that enables someone to `自力更生`. +
-  * **[[依赖]] (yīlài):** To depend on; to rely on. The direct antonym of the spirit of `自力更生`. +
-  * **[[坐享其成]] (zuò xiǎng qí chéng):** To sit and enjoy the fruits of others' labor; to reap where one has not sown. A perfect antonym describing someone who does not practice `自力更生`.+