Zen is a school of Buddhism. It came from China, where it was called Chan, and grew famous in Japan, and its special point is this: you do not reach understanding mainly by reading holy books or by long reasoning, but by sitting in meditation, and by paying complete attention to whatever you are doing — sweeping, drinking tea, breathing. Sudden understanding matters more than slow argument.

Zen is a school of BuddhismZen 是佛教的一個宗派 It came from China, where it was called Chan它源自中國，在那裡叫做「禪」(Chan) and grew famous in Japan後來在日本發揚光大 and its special point is this它的特別之處在於 you do not reach understanding mainly by reading holy books or by long reasoning你主要不是靠讀經書或長篇推理來獲得領悟 but by sitting in meditation而是靠打坐 and by paying complete attention to whatever you are doing還有全神貫注在你正在做的事情上 sweeping, drinking tea, breathing像掃地、喝茶、呼吸這些事 Sudden understanding matters more than slow argument頓悟比慢慢推理更重要

You will see it in Zen Buddhism, Zen master, Zen temple, Zen garden (those quiet gardens of raked sand and a few stones).

You will see it in Zen Buddhism, Zen master, Zen temple, Zen garden你會在 Zen Buddhism、Zen master、Zen temple、Zen garden 這些詞裡看到它 (those quiet gardens of raked sand and a few stones)（就是那種鋪著耙紋沙子、擺幾顆石頭的安靜庭園）

In everyday English there is a second, much looser use, and it is the one you will actually hear more often. People use Zen as an adjective meaning calm, simple, and unbothered — 'a very Zen bedroom' (plain, uncluttered), 'she was so Zen about missing the flight' (she did not get upset at all).

In everyday English there is a second, much looser use在日常英文裡還有第二種更鬆散的用法 and it is the one you will actually hear more often而且你實際上更常聽到的是這個用法 People use Zen as an adjective meaning calm, simple, and unbothered人們把 Zen 當形容詞用，意思是冷靜、簡單、不焦躁 'a very Zen bedroom' (plain, uncluttered)像『a very Zen bedroom』（簡樸、不雜亂） 'she was so Zen about missing the flight' (she did not get upset at all)或『she was so Zen about missing the flight』（她完全沒有為此心煩）

This use is informal, quite modern, and often written with a small z. Purists dislike it, because staying calm about a flight is not really what Zen practice is; but it is now completely normal speech, so you should understand it.

This use is informal, quite modern這個用法很口語、也相當現代 and often written with a small z而且常常小寫開頭 Purists dislike it講究的人不太喜歡這種用法 because staying calm about a flight is not really what Zen practice is因為對誤機保持冷靜其實不是禪修真正的意思 but it is now completely normal speech但這已經是完全正常的日常說法 so you should understand it所以你還是該聽得懂

Notice that the two uses feel very different: one is a serious religious word, one is close to 'chilled out'.

Notice that the two uses feel very different注意這兩種用法的感覺很不一樣 one is a serious religious word一個是嚴肅的宗教用語 one is close to 'chilled out'一個則接近『chilled out』（很放鬆）