三字经英文版

1、人之初 性本善 性相近 习相远Men at their birth, are naturally good. Their natures are much the same; their habits become widely different.苟不教 性乃迁 教之道 贵以专If follishly there is no teaching, the nature will deteriorate. The right way in teaching, is to attach the utmost importance in thoroughness.昔孟母 择邻处 子不学 断机杼Of

2、old, the mother of Mencius chose a neighbourhood and when her child would not learn, she broke the shuttle from the loom. 窦燕山 有义方 教五子 名俱扬Tou of the Swallow Hills had the right method. He taught five sons, each of whom raised the family reputation.养不教 父之过 教不严 师之惰To feed without teaching, is the fathe

3、r's fault. To teach without severity, is the teacher's laziness.子不学 非所宜 幼不学 老何为If the child does not learn, this is not as it should be. If he does not learn while young, what will he be when old?玉不琢 不成器 人不学 不知义If jade is not polished, it cannot become a thing of use. If a man does not learn

4、, he cannot know his duty towards his neighbor.为人子 方少时 亲师友 习礼仪He who is the son of a man, when he is young, should attach himself to his teachers and friends; and practice ceremonial usages.香九龄 能温席 孝於亲 所当执Hsiang, at nine years of age, could warm his parent's bed. Filial piety towards parents is

5、that to which we should hold fast.融四岁 能让梨 弟於长 宜先知Jung, at four years of age, could yield the (bigger) pears. To behave as a younger brother towards elders, is one of the first things to know.首孝弟 次见闻 知某数 识某文Begin with filial piety and fraternal love, and then see and hear.Learn to count, and learn to

6、 read.一而十 十而百 百而千 千而万Units and tens, then tens and hundreds, hundreds and thousands, thousands and then tens of thousands.三才者 天地人 三光者 日月星The three forces are heaven, earth and man. The three luminaries are the sun, the moon and the stars.三纲者 君臣义 父子亲 夫妇顺The three bonds are the obligation between sove

7、reign and subject, the love between father and child, the harmony between husband and wife.曰春夏 曰秋冬 此四时 运不穷We speak of spring and summer; we speak of autumn and winter.These four seasons, revolve without ceasing.曰南北 曰西东 此四方 应乎中We speak of North and South, we speak of East and West, These four points,

8、 respond to the requirements of the centre.曰火水 木金土 此五行 本乎数We speak of water, fire, wood, metal and earth. These five elements have their origin in number.曰仁义 礼智信 此五常 不容紊We speak of charity, of duty towards one neighbor, of propriety, of wisdom, and of truth. These five virtues admit of no compromise

9、.稻粱菽 麦黍稷 此六谷 人所食Rice, spike, millet, pulse wheat, glutinous millet and common millet, these six grains are those which men eat.马牛羊 鸡犬豕 此六畜 人所饲The horse, the ox, the sheep, the fowl, the dog, the pig, these six animals are those which men keep.曰喜怒 曰哀惧 爱恶欲 七情具We speak of joy, of anger; we speak of pit

10、y, of fear, of love, of hate and of desire. These are the seven passions. 匏土革 木石金 与丝竹 乃八音The ground, earthenware, skin wood, stone metal, silk and bamboo, yield the eight musical sounds. 高曾祖 父而身 身而子 子而孙Great great grandfather, great grandfather, grandfather, father and self, self and son, son and gr

11、andson, 自子孙 至玄曾 乃九族 人之伦From son and grandson, on to great grandson and great great grandson, these are the nine agnates, constituting the kinships of man. 父子恩 夫妇从 兄则友 弟则恭Affection between father and child, harmony between husband and wife, friendliness on the part of elder brothers, respectfulness o

12、n the part of younger brothers, 长幼序 友与朋 君则敬 臣则忠Precedence (?) between elders and youngers, (probably: precedence) as between friend and friend. Respect on the part of the sovereign, loyalty on the part of the subject. 此十义 人所同These ten obligations, are common to all men. 凡训蒙 须讲究 详训诂 名句读In the educati

13、on of the young, there should be explanation and elucidation, careful teaching of the interpretations of commentators, and due attention to paragraphs and sentences. 为学者 必有初 小学终 至四书Those who are learners must have a beginning. The 'little learning' finished, they proceed to the four books. 论

14、语者 二十篇 群弟子 记善言There is the Lun Yu (discourse or Analects), in twenty sections.In this, the various disciples have recorded the wise sayings of Confucius.孟子者 七篇止 讲道德 说仁义The works of Mencius, have comprised in seven section. These explain the way and exemplifications thereof, and expound clarity and d

15、uty towards one's neighbors.作中庸 子思笔 中不偏 庸不易The Chung Yung (the doctrine of the mean), by the pen of Tzu-su; Chung (the middle) being that which odes not lean towards any side, Yung (the course) being that which cannot be changed.作大学 乃曾子 自修齐 至平治He who wrote the 'Great Learning' was the ph

16、ilosopher Tseng.Beginning with cultivation of the individual and ordering of the family, It goes on to government of one's own State and ordering of the family.孝经通 四书熟 如六经 始可读When the 'Classic of Filial Piety' is mastered, and the 'Four books' are known by heart, the next step is

17、 to the 'Six classics', which may now be studied.诗书易 礼春秋 号六经 当讲求The Books of Poetry, of History and of Changes, the 'Rites of Chou Dynasty, the book of Tites, and the 'Spring and Autumn Annals' are the six classics which should be carefully explained and analyzed.有连山 有归藏 有周易 三易详T

18、here is the Lien Shan System, there is the Kuei Tsang And there is the system of Changes of the Chou Dynasty, such are the 3 systems which elucidate the changes. 有典谟 有训诰 有誓命 书之奥There are the Regulations and the Counsels, The Instruction, The Announcements, The Oaths, The Charges; these are the profu

19、ndities of the Book of History.我周公 作周礼 著六官 存治体Our Duke of Chou, drew up the Ritual of the Chou Dynasty, inwhich he set forth the duties of the six classes of officials; and thus gave a settled form to the government.大小戴 注礼记 述圣言 礼乐备The Elder and the Younger Tai, wrote commentaries on the Book of Rite

20、s. They publish the holy words, and Ceremonies and Music were set in order.曰国风 曰雅颂 号四诗 当讽咏We speak of the Kuo Feng, we speak of the Ya and the Sung.These are the four sections of the Book of poetry, which should be hummed over and over.诗既亡 春秋作 寓褒贬 别善恶When odes ceased to be made, the Spring and Autum

21、n Annals were produced. These Annals contain praise and blame, and distinguish the good from the bad.三传者 有公羊 有左氏 有彀梁The three commentaries upon the above, include that of Kung-Yang, that of Tso and that of Ku-Liang.经既明 方读子 撮其要 记其事When the classics were understood, then the writings of the various ph

22、ilosophers should be read. Pick out the important points in each, and take a note of the facts.五子者 有荀杨 文中子 及老庄The five chief philosophers are Haun, Yang, Wen Chung Tzu Lao Tzu and Chung Tzu. 经子通 读诸史 考世系知终始When the classics and the philosophers are mastered, the various histories should then be read,

23、 and the genealogical connections should be examined, so that the end of one dynasty and the beginning of the next is known. 自羲农 至黄帝 号三皇 居上世From Fu Hsi and Shen Nung, (?On? Probably to or onto) the Yellow Emperor, these are called the three rulers, who lived in the early ages. 唐有虞 号二帝 相揖逊 称盛世Tang an

24、d Yu-Yu are called the two emperors. They abdicated, one after the other, and their reign was called the Golden Age. 夏有禹 商有汤 周文武 称三王The Hsia dynasty has Yu and the Shang dynasty has T'ang' The Chou dynasty had Wen and Wu; these are called the Three Kings 夏传子 家天下 四百载 迁夏社Under the Hsia dynasty

25、 the throne was transmitted from father to son, making a family possession of the empire. After four hundred years, the imperial sacrifice passed from the house of Hsia.汤伐夏 国号商 六百载 至纣亡T'ang the completer destroyed the Hsia Dynasty, and the Dynastic title became Shang. The line lasted for six hun

26、dred years, ending with Chou Hsin.周武王 始诛纣 八百载 最长久King Wu of the Chou Dynasty finally slew Chou Hsin. His own line! Lasted for eight hundred years; the longest dynasty of all. 周辙东 王纲堕 逞干戈 尚游说When the Chous made tracks eastwards, the feudal bond was slackened; the arbitrate of spear and shields prevai

27、led; and peripatetic politicians were held in high esteem.始春秋 终战国 五霸强 七雄出This period began with the Spring and Autum Epoch and ended with that of the Warring States. Next, the Five Chieftains domineered, and Seven Martial States came to the front.嬴秦氏 始兼并 传二世 楚汉争Then the House of Chin, descended from

28、 the Ying clan, finally united all the states under one sway. The thrown was transmitted to Erh Shih, upon which followed the struggle between the Ch'u and the Han states.高祖兴 汉业建 至孝平 王莽篡Then Kao Tsu arose, and the House of Han was established.When we come to the reign of Hsiao P'ing, Wang Ma

29、ng usurped the throne.光武兴 为东汉 四百年 终於献Then Kuang Wu arose, and founded the Eastern Han Dynasty.It lasted four hundred years, and ended with the Emperor Hsien. 魏蜀吴 争汉鼎 号三国 迄两晋Wei, Shu and Wu, fought for the sovereignty of the Hans. They were called the Three Kingdoms, and existed until the two Chin Dy

30、nasties. 宋齐继 梁陈承 为南朝 都金陵Then followed the Sung and the Ch'i dynasties, and after them the Liang and Ch'en dynasties These are the Southen dynasties, with their capital at Nanking. 北元魏 分东西 宇文周 兴高齐The northern dynasties are the Wei dynasty and the Yuan family which split into Eastern and Weste

31、rn Wei, the Chou dynasty and the Yuwen family, with the Ch'i dynasty of the Kao family. 迨至隋 一土宇 不再传 失统绪At length, under the Sui dynasty, the empire was united under one ruler. The throne was not transmitted twice, succession to power being lost 唐高祖 起义师 除隋乱 创国基The first emperor of the T'ang d

32、ynasty raised volunteer troops.He put an end to the disorder of the House of Sui, and established the foundation of his line.二十传 三百载 梁灭之 国乃改Twenty times the thrown was transmitted, in a period of 300 years. The Liang State destroyed it, and the dynastic title was changed.梁唐晋 及汉周 称五代 皆有由The Liang, th

33、e T'ang, the Chin the Han and the Chou are called the five dynasties, and there was a reason for the establishment of each.炎宋兴 受周禅 十八传 南北混Then the fire-led house of Sung arose, and received the resignation of the house of Chou. Eighteen times the throne was transmitted, and then the north and th

34、e south were reunited.【辽与金 皆称帝 太祖兴 国大明 号洪武 都金陵 迨 成祖 迁燕京 十六世 至崇祯 阉乱彳矍 寇内江 闯逆变神器终 清顺治 据神京 至十传 宣统逊 举总统 共和成 复汉土 民国兴 廿二史 全在兹 载治乱 知兴衰】 此段为宋版所无。 十七史 全在兹 载治乱 知兴衰The Seventeen Dynastic Histories are all embraced in the above.They contain examples of good and bad government, whence may be learnt the principle

35、s of prosperity and decay.读史书 考实录 通古今 若亲目Ye who read history must study the Annals, whereby you will understand ancient and modern events, as though having seen them with your own eyes.口而诵 心而惟 朝於斯夕於斯Recite them with the mouth, and ponder over them in your hearts. Do this in the morning; do this in t

36、he evening.昔仲尼 师项橐 古圣贤 尚勤学Of old, Confucius, took Hsiang T'o for his teacher.The inspired men and sages of old, studied diligently nevertheless.赵中令 读鲁论 彼既仕 学且勤Chao, president of the Council, studied the Lu Test of the Analects. He, when already an official, studied and moreover, with diligence.披

37、蒲编 削竹简 彼无书 且知勉One opened out rushes and plaited them together, another scraped tablets of bamboo. These men had no books, but they knew how to make an effort.头悬梁 锥刺股 彼不教 自勤苦One tied his head to the beam above him; another pricked his thigh with an awl. They were not taught, but toiled hard of theiro

38、wn accord.如囊萤 如映雪 家虽贫 学不辍Then we have one who put fireflies in a bag. and again another who used the white glare from snow. Although their families were poor, these men studied unceasingly.如负薪 如挂角 身虽劳 犹苦卓Again, there was one who carried fuel, and another who used horns and pegs. Although they toiled

39、 with their bodies, they were nevertheless remarkable for their application.苏老泉 二十七 始发愤 读书籍Shu Lao-Chuan, at the age of twenty-seven at last began to show his energy, and devote himself to the study of books.彼既老 犹悔迟 尔小生 宜早思Then when already past the age, he deeply regretted his delay.You little boys

40、 should take thought betimes.若梁灏 八十二 对大廷 魁多士Then there were Liang Hao, who at the age of eighty-two, made his replies to the great hall, and came out first among many scholars.彼既成 众称异 尔小生 宜立志When thus late he had succeeded, all men pronounced him a prodigy. You little boys, should make up your minds to work.莹八岁 能咏诗 泌七岁 能赋棋【缺字, 原文棋用或体,基之下改石】Jung at eight of age could compose poetry. Pi, at seven years of age, could make an epigram on wei-ch'i.彼颖悟 人称奇 尔幼学 当效之These youths were quick of apprehe! nsion, and people declared them to be prodigies. You young