道家的語言由眾多豐富的隱喻和意象所交織而成，由於隱喻的意涵幽隱難明，道家經典向來被國際學人認為是最難以解讀的中國思想典籍。本文嘗試從當代「概念隱喻理論」的新視角，對道家經典《列子》書中的「丘」、「壼」容器隱喻進行分析。概念隱喻理論提出之「人體即容器」的隱喻觀點，將人體視為有「內」、「外」之分的容器，並且特別關注到連通容器內外之「孔道」所占有的關鍵地位。本文以此解析《列子》「丘」、「壼」容器隱喻如何呈現道家的宇宙觀與工夫論，進探國際漢學研究之相關課題與面向。

Daoist writings are highly metaphorical and imagistic, and is therefore considered by foreign readers the most difficult to grasp among the texts of Chinese thought. From the perspective of contemporary conceptual metaphor theory, the article looks into the container metaphors of “mound” (丘) and “pot” (壼) in the Daoist classic of Liezi. According to conceptual metaphor theory, humans often view things, including themselves, as containers with an inside and an outside. Moreover, the gate or pivot that connects the inside and the outside also imply significant meanings. Through analyzing the Liezi’s container metaphors, this article expounds Daoist cosmology and meditation theories, and proposes further research aspects in the area of Chinese studies.