读Read Mandarin
HSK 6 · Fluent

匠人精神Jiàngrén jīngshénThe Craftsman Spirit

HSK 6 reading practice · 151 words · ~3 min
在zài快节奏kuàijiézòu的de现代xiàndài社会shèhuì,“匠人jiàngrén精神jīngshén”这个zhège词cí似乎sìhū有些yǒuxiē不合时宜bù hé shí yí。
In today's fast-paced society, the term "craftsman spirit" seems somewhat out of step with the times.
然而rán'ér,正是zhèngshì那些nàxiē耐得住nài de zhù寂寞jìmò、精益求精jīng yì qiú jīng的de匠人jiàngrén,创造chuàngzào了le无数wúshù令人惊叹lìng rén jīngtàn的de作品zuòpǐn。
And yet it is precisely those craftsmen — patient with solitude, forever striving for perfection — who have created countless breathtaking works.
日本Rìběn有yǒu一位yí wèi寿司shòusī师傅shīfu,名叫míngjiào小野二郎Xiǎoyě Èrláng,他tā捏niē了le七十多qīshí duō年nián寿司shòusī,至今zhìjīn仍réng在zài琢磨zuómo如何rúhé让ràng米饭mǐfàn的de温度wēndù恰到好处qià dào hǎo chù。
In Japan there is a sushi master named Jiro Ono; after more than seventy years of making sushi, he is still pondering how to get the temperature of the rice exactly right.
有人yǒurén问wèn他tā成功chénggōng的de秘诀mìjué,他tā只zhǐ说shuō了le一句yí jù话huà:“把bǎ简单jiǎndān的de事情shìqing重复chóngfù做zuò,重复chóngfù的de事情shìqing用心yòngxīn做zuò。”
When someone asked him the secret of his success, he said only this: "Do simple things over and over, and do the things you repeat with your whole heart."
匠人jiàngrén精神jīngshén并非bìngfēi固执gùzhí守旧shǒujiù,而是érshì对duì品质pǐnzhì近乎jìnhū苛刻kēkè的de追求zhuīqiú。
The craftsman spirit is by no means stubborn conservatism; it is a pursuit of quality that borders on the ruthless.
与此同时yǔ cǐ tóng shí,它tā也yě是shì一种yì zhǒng生活shēnghuó态度tàidù:不bú被bèi浮躁fúzào的de潮流cháoliú左右zuǒyòu,专注zhuānzhù于yú眼前yǎnqián的de每měi一道yí dào工序gōngxù。
At the same time, it is an attitude toward life: refusing to be swayed by restless trends, and focusing on each step of the work at hand.
在zài人人rénrén追求zhuīqiú速成sùchéng的de时代shídài,慢下来màn xiàlái反而fǎn'ér成chéng了le一种yì zhǒng难得nándé的de能力nénglì。
In an age when everyone chases instant results, slowing down has, paradoxically, become a rare ability.
手艺shǒuyì会huì老lǎo,匠心jiàngxīn不朽bùxiǔ。
Craft skills may age, but the craftsman's heart never dies.
🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

匠人jiàngréncraftsman; artisan
精益求精jīng yì qiú jīngto strive for ever greater perfection
琢磨zuómoto ponder; to turn over in one's mind
苛刻kēkèharsh; exacting; demanding
匠心jiàngxīncraftsman's devotion; ingenuity
不朽bùxiǔimmortal; imperishable

Grammar note 语法点

并非…,而是…

A formal, emphatic way to say 'is by no means A, but rather B'; 并非 is stronger and more literary than 不是. 例:匠人精神并非守旧,而是对品质的追求。

他并非不努力,而是方法不对。— It's not that he doesn't work hard; rather, his method is wrong.
与此同时

'At the same time; meanwhile' — a formal connector that adds a second, parallel statement to the previous sentence.

经济在增长,与此同时,环境问题也日益严重。— The economy is growing; at the same time, environmental problems grow more serious by the day.

Check yourself 小测验

1. After more than seventy years of making sushi, what is Jiro Ono still pondering?
2. According to the text, what is the craftsman spirit?
3. What does the text say about slowing down?

More HSK 6 reading practice

All HSK 6 readings →