仪式感的意义 The Meaning of Ritual

《小王子Xiǎo Wángzǐ》里lǐ有yǒu一yí句jù话huà：“仪式感yíshìgǎn就是jiùshì使shǐ某mǒu一yì天tiān与yǔ其他qítā日子rìzi不同bùtóng。”

The Little Prince contains a line: "a sense of ritual is precisely what makes one day different from the other days."

这zhè句jù话huà点diǎn出chū了le一yí个ge容易róngyì被bèi忽略hūlüè的de真相zhēnxiàng：平淡píngdàn的de生活shēnghuó需要xūyào一些yìxiē标记biāojì，才cái不会bú huì混hùn成chéng模糊móhu的de一yí团tuán。

This line points to a truth that is easy to overlook: uneventful life needs some markers, or else it blurs into an indistinct mass.

有yǒu人rén觉得juéde，仪式yíshì不过búguò是shì多余duōyú的de形式xíngshì，与其yǔqí花huā时间shíjiān布置bùzhì蜡烛làzhú，不如bùrú把bǎ精力jīnglì省shěng下来xiàlái。

Some people feel that ritual is nothing but a superfluous formality — rather than spending time arranging candles, it's better to save the effort.

但dàn心理学xīnlǐxué研究yánjiū发现fāxiàn，哪怕nǎpà是shì点燃diǎnrán一yì支zhī蜡烛làzhú这样zhèyàng微小wēixiǎo的de动作dòngzuò，也yě能néng显著xiǎnzhù提升tíshēng人们rénmen对duì接下来jiēxiàlái这zhè顿dùn饭fàn的de满足感mǎnzúgǎn。

But psychological research has found that even a tiny action like lighting a single candle can significantly boost people's sense of satisfaction with the meal that follows.

原因yuányīn在于zàiyú，仪式yíshì把bǎ一yí件jiàn普通pǔtōng的de事shì，从cóng自动zìdòng驾驶jiàshǐ般bān的de惯性guànxìng里lǐ拉lā了le出来chūlái，重新chóngxīn拉回lāhuí到dào了le我们wǒmen的de注意力zhùyìlì之zhī内nèi。

The reason lies in this: ritual pulls an ordinary matter out of autopilot-like inertia and pulls it back within the scope of our attention.

换句话说huàn jù huà shuō，仪式感yíshìgǎn的de本质běnzhì，不bú在于zàiyú形式xíngshì本身běnshēn有yǒu多duō讲究jiǎngjiu，而ér在于zàiyú它tā能néng否fǒu唤醒huànxǐng我们wǒmen对duì当下dāngxià的de感知gǎnzhī。

In other words, the essence of ritual does not lie in how elaborate the form itself is, but in whether it can awaken our awareness of the present moment.

一yí位wèi朋友péngyou每měi次cì搬家bānjiā，都dōu会huì在zài新xīn家jiā门口ménkǒu站zhàn一yì分钟fēnzhōng，对duì旧jiù生活shēnghuó默默mòmò道别dàobié。

A friend of mine, every time she moves house, stands for one minute at the doorway of her new home and silently bids farewell to her old life.

她tā说shuō，这zhè一yì分钟fēnzhōng虽然suīrán改变gǎibiàn不bù了le任何rènhé现实xiànshí，却què让ràng她tā真正zhēnzhèng意识到yìshí dào：一yí个ge阶段jiēduàn结束jiéshù了le。

She says that this one minute, though it changes nothing in reality, truly makes her aware: one chapter has come to an end.

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

Key words 生词

模糊móhublurry; vague

多余duōyúunnecessary; superfluous

满足感mǎnzúgǎnsense of satisfaction

惯性guànxìnginertia

讲究jiǎngjiuelaborate; particular (about something)

唤醒huànxǐngto awaken; arouse

Grammar note 语法点

与其…，不如…

Weighs two options, favoring the second: 'rather than A, better to B'. Here used to voice a skeptical view before the text pushes back on it. 例：与其抱怨，不如行动。

与其花时间布置蜡烛，不如把精力省下来。 — Rather than spending time arranging candles, it's better to save the effort.

…不在于…，而在于…

Rejects one explanation in favor of another, both introduced by 在于 ('lies in'): 'it doesn't lie in A, but in B'. Common for making a distinction between surface and essence. 例：成功的关键不在于起点，而在于坚持。

仪式感的本质，不在于形式本身有多讲究，而在于它能否唤醒我们对当下的感知。 — The essence of ritual does not lie in how elaborate the form is, but in whether it can awaken our awareness of the present.

哪怕…，也…

'Even if A (seems minor), B still holds' — used to emphasize that even a small cause has a real, disproportionate effect. 例：哪怕只有一分钟，也值得认真对待。

哪怕是点燃一支蜡烛这样微小的动作，也能显著提升人们对接下来这顿饭的满足感。 — Even a tiny action like lighting a single candle can significantly boost people's satisfaction with the meal that follows.

Check yourself 小测验

1. According to the psychological research mentioned in the text, what effect does lighting a single candle have?

2. What does the text say ritual pulls an ordinary matter out of?

3. What does the friend do every time she moves to a new home?

仪式感的意义Yíshìgǎn de yìyìThe Meaning of Ritual

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

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