確立適中的人情標準而制定禮儀的節(jié)度。出自《禮記》和《荀子》。儒家認為，人的情感需要獲得適當?shù)氖惆l(fā)與表達。但是，人情的輕重薄厚存在顯著差異。禮對于人情的安頓，需要充分把握人情的差異，選擇適中的人情程度作為合禮的標準，并依此對人情的抒發(fā)與表達做出節(jié)制。

This concept originated in The Book of Rites and Xunzi. Confucianism believes that human feelings need to be properly expressed. However, there are significant differences in the degree of human feelings. Rules should be established to govern the expression of human feelings based on a full understanding of their differences; and the rules for expressing people's feelings should be developed on the basis of a moderate degree of these feelings.

引例 Citation：

◎將由夫（fú）患邪淫之人與？則彼朝死而夕忘之，然而從之，則是曾（zēng）鳥獸之不若也，夫焉能相與群居而不亂乎？將由夫修飾之君子與？則三年之喪，二十五月而畢，若駟之過隙，然而遂之，則是無窮也。故先王焉為之立中制節(jié)，壹使足以成文理，則釋之矣。（《禮記·三年問》）

將依從那些邪惡放縱的人嗎？那些人早晨父母去世，到了晚上就忘了。要是依從他們的情感而制定禮儀，那就連鳥獸都不如了，怎么會在一起居處而不悖亂呢？將依從那些舉止有度的君子嗎？對他們而言，服喪三年，二十五個月就結束了，如同馬車從縫隙前飛馳而過。如果按照他們的意愿，則是服喪沒有窮盡了。因此先王為人們確立適中的標準而制定禮儀的節(jié)度，使人們一達到禮的規(guī)定，就可以結束喪禮了。

Should we tolerate those who are under the influence of depravity? When a parent of theirs dies in the morning, they will forget it by the evening. Were we to follow them, we would be worse than the birds and beasts. How could such people live together with others and not cause disorder? Should we instead follow the example of those who are particular about observing rites? For them, the three-year mourning, actually to be completed in 25 months, passes as quickly as a four-horse team galloping past a crack in a wall. If mourning is conducted the way as they wish, it will go on forever. Therefore the former kings established a proper rite for mourning with a fixed mourning period. Once the mourning period is over, mourning may come to an end. (The Book of Rites)

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供稿：北京外國語大學 外語教學與研究出版社

責任編輯：錢耐安