文艺创作中人的精神与外物交融、自由驰骋的构思活动。在这一构思活动中，一方面人的精神感觉和想象投射到客观事物上，使客观事物具有了审美色彩；另一方面，虚无缥缈的精神感觉和想象也借助客观事物得以表达和呈现。“神”与“物”的自由融合，超越了时间与空间的限制，形成艺术形象，然后经过语言的表现，产生了美妙的文艺作品。这一术语源自《庄子》的“乘物以游心”，后经南朝刘勰《文心雕龙》的系统阐发，成为对“神思”这一术语的概括性论述，突出艺术构思过程中心灵与物象交融、自由想象的特点，既说明了艺术创作中的构思活动，也高度概括了文艺创作中的审美心理与创作自由的特点。

This term refers to the creative process through which a writer interacts with subject matter and gives free rein to his imagination. During the process, he projects onto real objects his mental sensations and imaginings, and endows them with an aesthetic tone. Conversely, his imaginary sensations and imaginings are given concrete expression by real objects. The free interaction between mind and subject matter, transcending the limitations of space and time, creates a superb artistic work depicted in language. The term originated in the words of "taking advantage of the circumstances to let your mind wander freely" in "Zhuangzi." Later, this idea was systematically developed by Liu Xie in "The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons" during the Southern Dynasties to describe imaginative contemplation. The term stresses the importance of interaction between the mind and the poetic subject matter as well as free imagination in the process of artistic creation. It demonstrates the process of thinking in artistic creation and succinctly summarizes the underlying features of aesthetic appreciation and freedom in artistic creation.

引例 Citations：

◎其始也，皆收视反听，耽思傍讯。精骛八极，心游万仞。其致也，情曈昽而弥鲜，物昭晰而互进。（陆机《文赋》）

在开始写文章时，必须停止一切视听活动，凝聚心神，广为求索，精神奔驰于八方极远之地，心灵飞翔至万仞极高之境。到极致时，情感由朦胧而渐趋明朗，物象也随之清晰而在眼前交替呈现。

When starting to write an essay, one should keep away sounds and sights and keep his mind focused so as to allow the imagination to search freely in the universe. When his mind reaches the farthest end, all confusion will dissipate, and images will clearly emerge in his mind one after another. (Lu Ji: The Art of Writing)

◎故思理为妙，神与物游。神居胸臆，而志气统其关键；物沿耳目，而辞令管其枢机。（刘勰《文心雕龙•神思》）

所以写作构思的奇妙之处，可以使思绪和想象与外在事物自由地连接交融。思绪和想象蕴藏于内心，由人的情志、气质主宰；外物通过听觉、视觉来认识，而将其表达出来却是由言辞负责的。

What is marvelous about composing a poem is that it makes it possible for the mind and the imagination to interact freely with external objects. The feelings and imaginings that well up from within are determined by a writer's aspirations and temperament. We recognize external objects through hearing and vision, but these objects are expressed through the use of language. (Liu Xie: The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons)

（推荐：教育部 国家语委 供稿：北京外国语大学 外语教学与研究出版社）