中華太極拳踏上“申遺”之路

For fans of tai chi , the huge wait to see it get global recognition (正式承認) may soon be over.

對於太極拳迷來說，等待太極拳得到國際認可的漫長歲月，或許很快要熬到頭了。

China has nominated (提名) tai chi to be included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (聯合國教科文組織非物質文化遺產名錄). A final decision will be made later this year, reported China Daily.

中國已經提交了將太極拳列入聯合國教科文組織非物質文化遺產名錄的申請。據《中國日報》報道，最終決定將於今年年內公佈。

The list was introduced by UNESCO in 2008 to celebrate and protect the world’s cultural diversity. It’s hoped that tai chi will become China’s 38th entry on the list, which already includes Peking Opera and acupuncture (鍼灸).

該名錄由聯合國教科文組織於2008年提出，旨在弘揚與保護世界文化多樣性。人們希望太極拳將成爲中國在該名錄上的第38個項目，京劇和鍼灸此前都已位列其中。

But there are fears that other countries could beat China to UNESCO’s list. “Both South Korea and Japan are competing with us to get tai chi registered (註冊),” said Zhang Liyong, a deputy from Henan province, during this year’s meetings of the National People’s Congress.

但現在人們擔心，其他國家會在“申遺”這件事上搶先中國一步。“韓國和日本都在和我們搶報太極拳（申遺），”河南省人大代表張立勇在今年的全國人民代表大會上表示。

Tai chi, a kind of martial art (武術), has been practiced in China for centuries. It combines slow Movements, deep breathing (呼吸) and meditation (冥想). Every movement in tai chi represents an important part of traditional Chinese philosophy – harmony (和諧).

太極拳是一種在中國被修習數百年的武術。它將緩慢輕柔的動作、深呼吸與冥想三者結合在一起。太極拳的一招一式，都透着中國傳統哲學中的重要部分 —— 和諧。

“Tai chi is not just a traditional activity. It is deeply rooted in many areas of Chinese culture, such as medicine and aesthetics (美學),” Zhu Xianghua, 40, told China Daily. He is the son of the famous tai chi master Zhu Tiancai from the village of Chenjiagou, Henan. This is widely thought to be the birthplace of tai chi.

“太極拳不僅僅是項傳統運動。它根植於中國文化的方方面面，如醫藥及美學等等，”今年40歲的朱向華在接受《中國日報》採訪時表示。朱向華是來自河南省陳家溝村的著名太極拳宗師朱天才之子。而陳家溝也被認爲是太極拳的誕生地。

Although it’s popular, the idea that tai chi is for the elderly has stopped many young people practicing the ancient martial art. They think of it as a slow exercise, which is better suited for their grandparents.

儘管太極拳備受歡迎，但老年人才打太極的想法，讓不少年輕人將這一古老的武術拒之門外。他們認爲這種慢節奏的運動更適合自己的祖父母。

“The first impression I have of tai chi is that it’s something old people do in parks,” Yin Haolong, a 29-year-old graphic designer from Beijing, told The Christian Science Monitor.

“我對太極拳的第一印象是，這是老年人在公園裏做的運動。”北京的一位29歲平面設計師尹浩龍（音譯）在接受《基督教科學箴言報》採訪時表示。

Instead, many young people are turning to the Indian practice of yoga (瑜伽), which was placed on UNESCO’s list last year. According to Chinese market research firm Daxue Consulting, about 10 million Chinese people practiced yoga in 2014, up from 4 million in 2009. Many of them do yoga to keep fit and relieve stress.

與此相反的是，不少年輕人轉而練習印度瑜伽，該項目於去年被納入聯合國教科文組織名錄。據中國市場調研公司DX諮詢的數據顯示，2014年，大約有1千萬中國人練習瑜伽，而2009年這一數字僅爲4百萬。這些人大部分都是爲了保持身體健康和減壓練習瑜伽的。

Tai chi is also a great way to keep healthy. Researchers from the American College of Rheumatology found that it can help manage several diseases.

太極拳也是保持健康體魄的一種極佳方式。美國風溼病學會的研究人員發現，這種運動有助於控制多種疾病。

At the same time, more efforts are being made to get young people to practice this kind of martial art. Xi’an Jiaotong University in Shaanxi province requires (要求) students to learn tai chi.

與此同時，人們爲了讓年輕人練習這種武術也做出了更多的努力。陝西省的西安交通大學就要求學生們學習太極拳。

Wang Yunbing, a professor with the university’s sports center, told China Daily that tai chi is not only good physical exercise, but is also connected to ancient Chinese civilization.

該高校體育中心的教授王雲冰在接受《中國日報》採訪時表示，太極拳不僅僅是很好的鍛鍊項目，還和古代中華文明密切相連。