長幼尊卑

Chinese

		the young and the old	rich and poor; mighty and meek; old and young
trad. (長幼尊卑)		長幼	尊卑
simp. (长幼尊卑)		长幼	尊卑
alternative forms		尊卑長幼／尊卑长幼

Etymology

From the Book of Rites:

為人君者謹其所好惡而已矣。君好之，則臣為之。上行之，則民從之。詩云誘民孔易，此之謂也。然後，聖人作為鞉、鼓、椌、楬、塤、篪，此六者德音之音也。然後鐘磬竽瑟以和之，干戚旄狄以舞之，此所以祭先王之廟也，所以獻酬酳酢也，所以官序貴賤各得其宜也，所以示後世有尊卑長幼之序也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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为人君者谨其所好恶而已矣。君好之，则臣为之。上行之，则民从之。诗云诱民孔易，此之谓也。然后，圣人作为鞉、鼓、椌、楬、埙、篪，此六者德音之音也。然后钟磬竽瑟以和之，干戚旄狄以舞之，此所以祭先王之庙也，所以献酬酳酢也，所以官序贵贱各得其宜也，所以示后世有尊卑长幼之序也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

Wèi rén jūnzhě jǐn qí suǒ hǎo'è éryǐ yǐ. Jūn hǎo zhī, zé chén wèi zhī. Shàng xíng zhī, zé mín cóng zhī. Shī yún yòu mín kǒng yì, cǐ zhī wèi yě. Ránhòu, shèngrén zuòwèi 鞉, gǔ, 椌, 楬, xūn, chí, cǐ liùzhě dé yīn zhī yīn yě. Ránhòu zhōng qìng yú sè yǐ hé zhī, gān qī máo dí yǐ wǔ zhī, cǐ suǒyǐ jì xiān wáng zhī miào yě, suǒyǐ xiàn chóu yìn zuò yě, suǒyǐ guān xù guì jiàn gè dé qí yí yě, suǒyǐ shì hòushì yǒu zūnbēichángyòu zhī xù yě. [Pinyin]

'A ruler has only to be careful of what he likes and dislikes. What the ruler likes, his ministers will practise; and what superiors do, their inferiors follow. This is the sentiment in the Book of Poetry (III, ii, ode 10, 6), "To lead the people is very easy." Seeing this, and after (the repose of the people was secured), the sages made hand-drums and drums, the stopper and the starter, the earthen whistle and the bamboo flute - the six instruments which produced the sounds of their virtuous airs. After these came the bell, the sounding-stone, the organ with thirty-six pipes, and the large lute, to be played in harmony with them; the shields, axes, ox-tails, and plumes, brandished by the pantomimes in time and tune. These they employed at the sacrifices in the temple of the former kings, at festivals in offering and receiving the pledge cup; in arranging the services of officers (in the temple) according to the rank due to each, as noble or mean, and in showing to future ages how they observed the order due to rank and to age.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhǎngyòuzūnbēi

  (Zhuyin): ㄓㄤˇ ㄧㄡˋ ㄗㄨㄣ ㄅㄟ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zoeng² jau³ zyun¹ bei¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhǎngyòuzūnbēi
    • Zhuyin: ㄓㄤˇ ㄧㄡˋ ㄗㄨㄣ ㄅㄟ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhǎngyòuzunbei
    • Wade–Giles: chang³-yu⁴-tsun¹-pei¹
    • Yale: jǎng-yòu-dzwūn-bēi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jaangyowtzuenbei
    • Palladius: чжанъюцзуньбэй (čžanʺjuczunʹbɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ joʊ̯⁵¹ t͡su̯ən⁵⁵ peɪ̯⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zoeng² jau³ zyun¹ bei¹
    • Yale: jéung yau jyūn bēi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzoeng² jau³ dzyn¹ bei¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: zêng² yeo³ jun¹ béi¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sœːŋ³⁵ jɐu̯³³ t͡syːn⁵⁵ pei̯⁵⁵/

Idiom

長幼尊卑

1. old and young, high and low; senior and junior; seniority rules