外国人最想和你聊的文化话题：国画
- 双语介绍
- 关键词句
Realize Traditional Chinese Painting 认识国画
1 国画简介
Chinese painting is a form of Chinese art. In imperial time, painting and calligraphy were the most highly appreciated arts in court circles and were produced almost exclusively by amateurs-aristocrats and scholar-officials-who alone had the leisure to perfect the technique and sensibility necessary for great brushwork. Calligraphy was thought to be the highest and purest form of painting. The implements were the brush pen, made of animal fur, and black inks made from pine soot andanimal glue. In ancient times, writing, as well as painting, was done on silk. But after the invention of paper in the 1st century C.E., silk was gradually replaced by the new and cheaper material. Original writings by famous calligraphers have been greatly valued throughout China's history and are mounted on scrolls and hung on walls in the same way that paintings are.
Though Chinese painting has much in common with western painting from an aesthetic point of view, it still possesses its unique character. Chinese traditional painting seldom follows the convention of central focus perspective or realistic portrayal, but gives the painter freedom on artistic conception, structural composition and method of expression so as to better express his subjective feelings. Chinese painting has absorbed the best of many forms of art, like poetry, calligraphy, and seal engraving.
Since the turn of the century, China has experienced great political, economic, and cultural changes, and the art of painting is no exception. While traditional Chinese painting still occupies an important place in the life of modern Chinese, many painters now desire to express their experience of new times. By combining new modes of expression with traditional Chinese painting techniques, they are opening up a vast, new world of artistic expression.
2 国画的种类和画法
（1）国画的种类
Artists from the Han (206 BC-220AC) to the Tang (618-906) dynasties mainly painted human figures. Much of what we know of early Chinese figure painting comes from burial sites, where paintings were preserved on silk banners, lacquered objects and tomb walls. Many early tomb paintings were meant to protect the dead or help their souls get to paradise. Others illustrated the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, or showed scenes of daily life.
Portraiture 肖像
Bird-and-flower compositions 花鸟画
Landscape 山水画
（2）国画的画法
It is very difficult, if not impossible, to appreciate Chinese paintings without a profound knowledge about different styles characteristic of the different historical periods.
The paintings of Song Dynasty (960-1279AD), however, favored abstract, implied meanings rather than direct expressions, painting skills matured considerably, and the realistic style was in full blossom.
Meticulous-Gong bi 工笔
Freehand-Shui mo 水墨
国画作为我国流传的一门艺术，它的涵义已经不仅仅是一幅画了，而是代表着一种民族的精神和信仰。它的空灵婉约、典雅肃穆，都已经通过一个个不同的元素展现出来了，不需要言语的陪衬，它已经向全世界诉说着那古老的故事。人类的智慧是无限的，随着时间的推移，各种新兴的事物不断冲击着老祖宗留下来的遗产，我们应该保护自己的文化产物，然后再去吸收外来的文化。
Chinese paintings use ink as their dominant feature while color is peripheral.
当色彩还不是很流行时，中国画以墨色为主。
Blank spaces are often appeared in Chinese paintings.
在国画中经常看见有空白的地方。
The principal forms of traditional Chinese paintings are the hanging scroll, album of paintings, sectoral paintings and long horizontal scroll.
国画的四大基本形式是挂画、画册、扇面画和长画条幅。
A painting is not considered to have been completed until it is mounted.
只有上裱了的国画才算是正式完成。
Traditional Chinese painting's content and artistic creation reflect the national consciousness of the Chinese nation and the aesthetic taste.
国画在内容和艺术创作上，反映了中华民族的民族意识和审美情趣。
According to the screen, it can be divided into traditional painting and modern painting.
国画根据画面内容又可以分为传统绘画和现代绘画。
Picasso, Matisse, Monet and so on have studied Chinese paintings.
毕加索、马蒂斯、莫奈等都学过中国画。
Ladies paintings refer to the paintings which treat beauties as the main content.
仕女画是指以美女为主要内容的画。
Mr. Qi Baishi was a skillful poet, calligrapher and seal-cutter.
齐白石是一个有名的诗人、书法家，篆刻家。
Chinese painting is a combination in the same picture of poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal engraving. They were indispensable elements, which supply and enrich each other in contributing to the beauty of the whole picture.
中国画中集结了各种艺术，包括诗词、书法、绘画、篆刻，这些都是独立的元素，但都为国画的优雅增添了一分色彩。
At the beginning of the 20th century, some painters from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Beijing started to challenge the old tradition of Chinese painting by introducing new art concepts from the West and establishing in art school to train artists.
20世纪初，一些来自上海、杭州、南京、广州和北京等的画家通过引进西方新的艺术概念来冲击国画这一传统艺术，并且在艺术学校被接受，用以训练艺术家。
Mr. Qi Baishi's favorite subjects included flowers, insects, birds, landscapes and human figures.
齐白石最喜欢画花虫鸟、山水和人物。
There are something different between Chinese paintings and oil paintings.
中国画和油画有很多不同。
Traditional Chinese ink painting is one of the brilliant Chinese culture creations.
国画是古代人民智慧的结晶的一种表现形式。
In the early years of the People's Republic of China, artists were encouraged to turn to the socialist realism.
在共和国成立初期，国家鼓励画家转向现实主义风格。
The color is very simple and elegant in traditional Chinese paintings.
国画的颜色都很素雅。
Traditional Chinese painting is a good gift to give because it can show the characteristics of China.
国画是送人的好礼品，能展现中国的特色。
The painting is now generally painted on the Xuan paper.
现在的国画一般都是在宣纸上画。
Traditional Chinese painting, as China's traditional crafts, is receiving social and cultural impact.
国画作为我国传统手艺，正在接受社会文化的冲击。
Part 3 Let's Talk！ 开始交流吧
Lily：Hi, nice to meet you. How are you?
莉莉：很高兴见到你，你好吗？
Chen Xi：Fine. Thank you.
陈曦：我很好。
Lily：Could you do me a favor?
莉莉：你能帮我个忙吗？
Chen Xi：Sure. What is it?
陈曦：当然可以。什么事？
Lily：I bought a piece of Chinese painting. There is a poem in the painting. I wonder if you can translate it for me.
莉莉：我买了一副中国画。画上有一首诗。你能把它翻译成英语吗？
Chen Xi：No problem. But, you know, I'm not a translator and poems are the hardest to be translated.
陈曦：没问题。但是，你知道。我不是一个专门做翻译的，而且诗歌是最难译的。
Lily：I know that. Just tell me the general meaning of the poem. I'm not asking you to translate it into poem. Here is the painting.
莉莉：这我知道。你只需要告诉我大概意思就行了。你不需要把它翻译成诗歌。这就是那幅画。
Chen Xi：In that case, it is much easier. Oh, how beautiful it is! Let me see. The painter is Mr. Qi Baishi. He is a famous artist. Where did you buy it?
陈曦：那样就容易多了。噢，这画真漂亮！让我看看，作者是齐白石，他是著名的艺术家。你从哪儿买的？
Lily：It is from a store on the Liu Li Chang Street. I don't know there is a name of the artist. I just like the pictures.
莉莉：从琉璃厂街的一个商店买的。我不知道画上还有作者的名字。我就是喜欢这画。
Chen Xi：If the painter is a famous ancient artist, the painting would be much more valuable. It is a custom that a painting will always have the artist's seal.
陈曦：如果是一个著名的古代画家，他的画会贵重得多。中国画一般会有画家的印章。
Lily：Thank you. I learned a lot from you.
莉莉：谢谢。我从你那儿学了不少东西。
Chen Xi：My pleasure.
陈曦：不用谢。
