编者说：英国著名汉学家闵福德（John Minford）耗时12年翻译的《易经》。这本书由纽约企鹅出版集团下的维京出版社于2014年底出版。此书的出版在学术界引起高度的关注。在书里，闵福德有对《易经》及历代文人评注的详细叙述。此前西方较著名的《易经》译本，分别来自19世纪末英国传教士理雅各和德国传教士卫礼贤。

西方学者从其所处的西方成长，学习，经历，理解或相关环境对《易经》的翻译，固然有西方人的味道，而中国本土的学者用英文翻译《易经》的并不多见，今著名易经应用与研究学者陈彦雄先生（一道子）从国人的角度，对易经的理解，对易经长时间应用及对易经智慧的发掘后，用英文翻译《易经》。时下，一道子英文翻译《易经》的过程备受海内外专家学者的关注，包括国际易学联合会及一些高校的专家学者也予以鼓励，关怀。本人也十分期待一道子英文版《易经》早日问世。今提前发布一道子英文版《易经》的部分已经翻译的《易经》名句中英文解读，以共各位品味个中玄妙奥语。

The interpretation of famous quotations from Zhouyi: (一)

一，“天尊地卑，乾坤定矣。卑高以陈，贵贱位矣。动静有常，刚柔断矣。方以类聚，物以群分，吉凶生矣。在天成象，在地成形，变化见矣。”
 
译文：从开天辟地开始，天高在上，地低在下，高者尊贵，低者卑贱，乾坤所代表的天地的位置就确定了，重要的是天地的法则也确定了。在下的地和在上的天罗列出来，高贵与卑贱的事物的地位就排定了。干阳坤阴，天刚地柔，天动地静，运动与静止有规律，阳刚和阴柔就明确分开了。宇宙间各种事情根据类别而聚集，万物根据类别而分为不同的群体，吉祥与凶险也就产生了。代表物质不同存在形式的气，天上的日月星辰呈现出它们的形象，地上的山泽草木呈现出它们的形态，世间万事万物的变化就体现出来了.

对于中国传统文化要“取其精华，去其糟粕”，国学中的很多精华现在仍然具有指导价值。
 
From the beginning of the universe, the heaven has been high up and dignity, the earth has been underneath and humble. And since the location of the heaven and the earth being determined, the important law between the heaven and the earth has been identified and thus the status of the noble and the ignoble of all things arranged. Therefore, Qian means positive and Yin, negative; the heaven stands for hardness and the earth, softness; the heaven has been in the state of constant motion and the earth, in the opposite, quiet and calm. Thus Yang and Yin are also clearly separated.

Since all sorts of things in the universe being gathered and divided into different groups according to their categories, the state of auspiciousness and disaster has been brought into being. And thus we can see the changes of all things around us: different forms of qi to show different substances, different images to show the moons and stars in the sky, different forms to show the plants and vegetation on the ground.

A correct attitude toward the Chinese traditional culture should be taken is to "take the essence and discard the dregs". Many of its essence still have the instruction value for the modern times.
 
 
二、“圣人设卦观象，系辞焉而明吉凶，刚柔相推而生变化。是故，吉凶者，失得之象也。
 
译文：圣人创立了八卦并观察卦象，又在卦象后面缀上卦辞来表明事物的吉凶情况，阳刚与阴柔相互促进而产生变化。因此，吉凶就是失去或得到的表现。得到为吉，失去为凶，这是常规理解，也是一种常规认知。还有一种理解，得到为凶，失去反吉，这种情况并不少见，正是体现了《周易》的辩证，所谓“舍得”就是这个道理。
 
The saint set up the Eight-hexagramsand watched the images of thehexagram and composed the hexagram-records to indicate their possible auspicious or ill luck endings and the possible changes between Yang and Yin accordingly.

Therefore, the auspicious or ill luck is sometimes interpreted as Lost or Gained. So the conventional understanding of this is: Gaining means auspicious and Losing, ill luck. There is another understanding which is opposite to this: Gaining means ill luck and Losing, auspicious. Such cases can be seen here and there and this is an embodiment of the dialectical principle of Zhouyi, the principle of "being ready to give up".
 

三、“是故，君子居则观其象，而玩其辞；动则观其变，而玩其占。是以自天佑之，吉无不利。
 
译文：因此，君子平时就观察卦象，而且玩味那卦爻辞；有所行动时就观察卦爻的变化，而且玩味占卜出来的结果。因此才能得到来自上天的保佑，能够吉祥而没有什么不利。我们要提倡智慧周易、实用周易、百姓周易、现代周易和快乐周易。学习《周易》，研究《周易》，使用《周易》，要本着快乐的精神，它不应是负担，而是乐趣，在观象玩辞、观变玩占中领略先人的智慧，感受天、地、人的和谐统一。
 
Therefore, the gentleman should observe the images of the hexagrams and ponder their lines and hexagram-records at ordinary times; pay attention to the changes of the lines and hexagrams during your action, and ponder the results from the divination. Only for doing so can one get the blessing from the Heaven and be fortunate.

We should advocate the use of Zhouyi in a wise and practical way, in a popular and modern style and encourage to learn it happily. Only by doing this can we learn, study and use it happily and without any burden, just enjoy the fun and the wisdom from our ancestors in the process of observing changes of the images of thehexagrams and the pondering of their hexagrams and understanding the harmony of the heaven, the earth and human beings.
 
 
四、“易与天地准．故能弥纶天地之道。仰以观于天文，俯以察于地理，是故知幽明之故。原始反终，故知死生之说。精气为物，游魂为变，是故知鬼神之情状。与天地相似，救不违。知周乎万物，而道济天下，故不过。旁行而不流，乐天知命，故不优。”
 
译文：《周易》和天地的法则相一致，所以能够完全展现天地的变化规律，涵盖天地之大道。《周易》的智慧，抬头可以观察天的各种现象，低头可以观察地的各种情况，因此就能够知道幽隐难见的和显而易见的事情。研究事物的开始状态，再回头寻求事物的最终结果，所以能够知道死亡与生长的规律。精气凝聚而成为具体的物体形态，魂魄的游离聚散而形成变化，因此能够知道鬼神的情况和状态。《周易》的道理和天地的规律相一致，所以不能违背它。《周易》的智慧包容万物的规律，而且能够按照它所反映出来的规律来解决天下的问题，所以不可逾越。普遍地运用它的法则去做事却不像水流一样到处泛滥，乐观地对待自然规律，知道命运的规律，所以能没有忧愁烦恼。虽经济贫困，却是很开心快乐的人；虽富有，却很讲礼仪，礼贤下士的人。人要“三穷三富过到老”，  “三十年河西，三十年河东”，  “太阳不会总在一家红”，这些民谚即充满着《周易》的变易思维，又孕育着乐天知命的底蕴。真正做到了乐天知命，人生就会释然，快乐就会永远与你相伴!
 
Since there is a consistency between Zhouyi and the laws of heavens and earth, it can fully show the variation rules of them.By using the wisdom from Zhouyi, we can easily observe and understand various phenomenons from the heaven and the earth, including those easy to be seen and those uneasy ones. Researching the original state of things, and then study their final results and we can understand the law of death and the law of growth. Essence can be condensed into concrete objective forms which can be easily seen and the deformation of soul will do the opposite. Such accumulation and dispersion can also show us the existence of ghosts and gods. Since Zhouyi and the law of heaven and earth are consistent, you can't break it and since the rules shown by Zhouyi are all-encompassing, and can be used to solve the world’s problems, what we can do is to follow them. The widely use of laws presented by Zhouyi does not mean to apply them at will. We should accept the rules happily; have a better understanding of the law of fate without worry: to be happy though poverty; to be polite though being well off; our lives are full of ups and downs and not always successful. Only by recognizing this can we be content with what we are, feel relieved at all time.

五、“一阴一阳之谓道，继之者善也，成之者性也。仁者见之谓之仁，知者见之谓之知，百姓日用而不知，故君子之道鲜矣!
 
译文： 阴柔和阳刚合在一起交互作用叫做“道”，也是《周易》的道理。继承这种自然的、道的法则就是大善，使“道”具象化，就成为一种品性。人的认识往往以偏概全，讲求仁德的人看到天道就说它仁德，智慧的人看到天道就说它体现了智慧，而百姓每天在运用天道却不知道这就是道，所以真正懂得君子之道的人真是太少了! 在现实中有很多的智者，走的路、出的招很奇特，一般人当时看不懂，只有事过境迁方才领悟，可谓“君子之道鲜矣”。所以，既然如此，在出招时就不一定要求得别人看懂。
 
The interaction of Yin and Yang is called Dao (the way is made up of Yin and Yang) and Zhouyi is theoretically based on it. It is good to inherit this Dao naturally and in the process of representation/embodiment of Dao one’s character is formed.Human knowledge is often biased: humane people consider the way of heaven as kindheartedness; intelligent people considered the way of heaven as the embodiment of wisdom; common people practice the way of heaven everyday without noticing what they are and this is why less people can understand the gentleman’s doctrines.

In reality there were a lot of wise men among us, and what they had done could not be understood by ordinary people at the time, only after a certain period people started to realize them. In this case, it is not necessary for one to make him understood before the action being taken.
 
 
六、“富有之谓大业。日新之谓盛德。生生之谓易，成象之谓干．效法之谓坤。极数知来之谓占．通变之谓事．阴阳不测之谓神。”
 
译文：天拥有宇宙万物，富有无比，可以称得上宏伟的事业；天道时刻变化，日新月异，可以称得上盛大的美德。使万物生生不息就是《周易》功用的内涵，把这个生生之功呈现出各种形象就叫干，也就是天的功能，效法天道的就是地的功能，其使万物呈现具体形态，叫做坤，把《周易》数的功用推演到极致，可以预知未来，叫做占；通晓变化的规律，就叫做事。阴阳变化通过世俗之理不可测，叫做神。

富有和生生不息、日新月异是这一段的本质内涵。人类都在追求富有和幸福生活，世界都在发展经济。我们国家的以经济建设、改革开放为中心的国策是符合天道，近些年又提出构建和谐、公平、正义与创新型的社会，也符合天道。
 
The universe is enormous and full of countless cosmic inventories and can be considered as a magnificent career;

The way of heaven changes quickly and constantly and this can be considered as the grand virtue. The connotation of the function of Zhouyi is to make everything multiply endlessly.The presentation of this function is called Qian, which is also called the function of the Heaven. The function of Earth is to follow the way of heaven and make everything to be presented by its concrete form. It is called Kun. The perfect deduction of Zhouyi, can be used to predict the future and this is called divination; Have a good knowledge of the laws of change is known as doing work or taking action. Since ordinary people can not understand the change of Yin and Yang and we consider those who understand it as gods.

    Wealthiness and constant change is the essential connotation of this paragraph. Humans have been pursuing wealthy and happiness life and the world’s economy has been growing.The economic construction, reform and opening-door policy adopted by China as its national key policy is consistent with the Dao of heaven. The practice of putting forward to form a new type of a harmonious and innovative, fair, just society in recent years also conforms to the Dao of heaven.
 

七、“圣人有以见天下之赜(ze)．而拟诸其形容，象其物宜，是故谓之象；系辞焉，以断其吉凶，是故谓之爻。
 
译文：圣人因为看到天下万物纷乱多样，而用卦爻的方式模拟出它们的形态，来象征万事万物应有的形象，因此称之为象；在卦爻后面又加上文辞的说明，用来判断人事的吉祥与凶险，因此称之为爻。
 
Finding the chaos and various changes of the universe, the wise men simulated the way of their changes in the form of lines and hexagrams to represent all forms of things in the universe and this is called hexagrams; and after each lines and hexagrams there is an interpretation for you to estimate its auspiciousness or danger when facing it and it is called Yao (trigram).
 
 
八、“子日：‘君子之道，或出或处，或默或语。二人同心，其利断金；同心之言，其臭如兰。”
 
译文：孔子说：“君子的法则，可以体现在出外做事，也可以体现在在家闲居；可以体现为沉默寡言，也可以体现为高谈阔论。两个人若心志相同，就会像锋利的刀剑可以斩断金属；心志相同的话语，就像兰花一样芬芳。”

我们都知道，“二人同心，其利断金；同心之言，其臭如兰”早已成为了千古名句。前台在和你共事，后台却算自己的小账；上面在和你握手，下面却在用脚踢你；人前把你捧上了天，人后却能把你贬得一文不值……这种共事的态度，非君子所为，这种合作状态，不可能“断金”。
 
Confucius said: "the law of the gentleman, can be reflected in doing things outside, also can be embodied in home stays; can be embodied in silence, can also be embodied in rhetoric. If the two people are of the same ambition, their strength will like a sharp sword that can cut through metal; and the same words they share will smell as fragrant as orchid." And this saying has already become historic quote. Working with someone on the stage while figuring their interests on backstage; shaking hands with someone in front of the public and kicking you secretly; praising someone above the moon and soon degrading them to the ground…. This is not the right attitude what a gentleman should take and the cooperation as such means nothing.

九、“天地定位，山泽通气，雷风相薄，水火不相射，八卦相错。数往者顺。知来者逆。是故易逆数也。”
 
译文： 乾卦的天在上，坤卦的地在下，阴阳相对，位置要先确定，艮卦的山与兑卦的泽又气息相通，山水下流，泽中水气上行，交互感应；震卦的雷与巽卦的风相互激荡；坎卦的水和离卦的火互相为用，互不厌恶。八卦之间两两相错，形成四对，相互感应。追忆往事，是往后顺推；了解预知未来，是往前逆推。过去的人人皆可知晓，未来的却难以预料，只有通过《周易》的预测功能方可达到效果。所以，《周易》是逆推的预测学。

站在现在看过去，是总结，比较简单，绝大多数人都会。总结既要总结成功，也要总结失败，在总结中要有所“悟”，这样，总结才能有利于现在所为和未来的发展。站在现在看现在，是分析，难度增大了一点，但手中的素材越多，经验越丰富，分析判断得也越准确。站在现在看未来，是展望或预测，要依据目前的基础，发展的趋势，周围的环境，他人的经验，事情的规律等做出，这是常规预测。还有一种方法可以达到预测的效果，即《周易》预测的方法。站在未来看现在，纯属哲学概念，是建立在从过去到现在发展过程之后得出的一种思维方式。就需要一种思维的支撑，站在未来看现在的思维方式。因为，不管局面有多么严重，都要过去的，过去了之后，就变成了回忆，那时，也一定是痛而不痛，喜而不喜了。这就是站在未来看现在。读者朋友，当您再遇到或喜或悲的时候，不妨使用一下“站在未来看现在”这一思维方式，看看是否管用，我想一定会泰然处之了。
 
The Qian hexagram is high up on the sky and Kun hexagram is the earth under it. Yin and Yang are opposite and determine by their locations; Gen hexagram and Dui hexagram, the symbol of mountain and marsh and their breath are interlinked: water flows down from the mountains and water vapors evaporate upward to make a circle. Zhen hexagram and Xun hexagram, symbolize thunder and wind, which agitate each other. Kan hexagram and Li hexagram stand for water and fire which interact each other but never show aversion. The eight hexagrams are divided into four opposite pairs and each pair interacts to each other. Reminiscing about the past, we can make a retrospect. While learning to predict the future, we do the opposite, make a prospect. It is easy for one to know what has happened in the past. But it is not easy to foretell the future—it is almost unpredictable. Nevertheless, Zhouyi can help us to predict our future and this is why we call Zhouyi a study of reversed-prediction. It is easier for most of us to make a summary of the past. Such a summary should include the successful experiences and the failure as well. Only by going through such a process can we have a better understanding of what we have been doing and what we are going to do as well. It is more difficult to analyze what has been happening by the now-experiences. Nevertheless, one can make an accurate analysis of the situation if one possesses certain amount of material and enough experiences. A prospect or foretell，according to the now-experiences, is based on the present situation, the trend of social development, the environment, the experience of others, the laws of things. We call such a prediction a routine one. Here we introduce another way to predict the future, which is the prediction by using the doctrines from Zhouyi—viewing the world from the standing point of future, which is a pure philosophical concept based on the development process from the past to now. Generally speaking, such a way of thinking needs such a philosophical support. No matter how serious the situation is, it will become past memories at last. At that time, painful experiences will become the painless and happy experiences, the less delighted. This is the interpretation of the doctrine from Zhouyi—viewing the now world from the standing point of future.

My dear readers, when you meet again any happiness or sadness, you might use the doctrines introduced here and wait and see what will happen next. It is my hope that you face the situation calmly.