集体与个人 Collective and Individual

在zài中国Zhōngguó传统chuántǒng文化wénhuà中zhōng，集体jítǐ利益lìyì往往wǎngwǎng被bèi置于zhìyú个人gèrén利益lìyì之上zhī shàng。

In traditional Chinese culture, collective interests are often placed above individual interests.

俗话súhuà说shuō“众人拾柴火焰高zhòngrén shí chái huǒyàn gāo”，团结tuánjié协作xiézuò确实quèshí能够nénggòu创造chuàngzào个人gèrén无法wúfǎ企及qǐjí的de成就chéngjiù。

As the saying goes, 'the flame leaps high when everyone gathers firewood' — unity and cooperation can indeed create achievements no individual could ever reach.

然而rán'ér，过分guòfèn强调qiángdiào集体jítǐ，难免nánmiǎn会huì压抑yāyì个性gèxìng，使shǐ个人gèrén的de创造力chuàngzàolì得不到dé bú dào充分chōngfèn发挥fāhuī。

However, overemphasizing the collective inevitably suppresses individuality, preventing personal creativity from being fully brought into play.

相反xiāngfǎn，西方Xīfāng社会shèhuì崇尚chóngshàng个人主义gèrén zhǔyì，却què也yě因此yīncǐ面临miànlín人情rénqíng淡薄dànbó、社会shèhuì凝聚力níngjùlì下降xiàjiàng的de困境kùnjìng。

Conversely, Western societies uphold individualism, yet as a result face the predicament of fading human warmth and declining social cohesion.

由此可见yóu cǐ kě jiàn，集体jítǐ与yǔ个人gèrén并非bìngfēi水火不容shuǐ huǒ bù róng，而是érshì相辅相成xiāngfǔ xiāngchéng的de关系guānxi。

From this we can see that the collective and the individual are by no means incompatible like fire and water, but rather complement each other.

一个yí gè健康jiànkāng的de社会shèhuì，既jì要yào保障bǎozhàng个人gèrén的de自由zìyóu与yǔ尊严zūnyán，也yě要yào培养péiyǎng公民gōngmín的de责任感zérèngǎn。

A healthy society must both safeguard individual freedom and dignity, and cultivate citizens' sense of responsibility.

关键guānjiàn在于zàiyú把握bǎwò分寸fēncun：集体jítǐ不应bù yīng吞没tūnmò个人gèrén，个人gèrén也yě不该bù gāi凌驾língjià于yú集体jítǐ之上zhī shàng。

The key lies in striking the right balance: the collective should not engulf the individual, nor should the individual place itself above the collective.

那么nàme，当dāng集体jítǐ利益lìyì与yǔ个人gèrén利益lìyì发生fāshēng冲突chōngtū时shí，我们wǒmen究竟jiūjìng应该yīnggāi如何rúhé取舍qǔshě呢ne？

So when collective and individual interests clash, how exactly should we choose between them?

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

集体jítǐcollective

凝聚力níngjùlìcohesion

压抑yāyìto suppress

相辅相成xiāngfǔ xiāngchéngto complement each other

分寸fēncunproper measure; sense of proportion

取舍qǔshěto choose between; accept or reject

Grammar note 语法点

并非……,而是……

'is by no means..., but rather...' — a formal written pattern that rejects one description and asserts another.

集体与个人并非水火不容,而是相辅相成的关系。

既……也……

'both... and...' — links two parallel requirements or qualities in one sentence.

既要保障个人的自由与尊严,也要培养公民的责任感。

关键在于……

'the key lies in...' — a formal way to introduce the decisive factor in an argument.

关键在于把握分寸。

Check yourself 小测验

1. 在中国传统文化中,什么往往被置于个人利益之上?

2. 作者认为集体与个人是什么关系?

3. 西方社会崇尚个人主义,因此面临什么困境?

集体与个人Jítǐ yǔ gèrénCollective and Individual

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

More HSK 6 reading practice