三字经英文翻译
Three-Character Canon
宋王应麟著
Written by Wang Yinglin
人之初，At the beginning of life,
性本善。
Man is good in nature.
性相近，
Human nature is alike,
习相远。
Habits make them different.
苟不教，
For lack of education,
性乃迁。
The nature is in alteration.
教之道，
And the nurture of the young,
贵以专。
Better be maintained for long.
昔孟母，Once Mencius's mother
择邻处。
Chose the best neighborhood for her son;
子不学，
When her son played truant,
断机杼。
She cut the threads on the loom.
窦燕山，
Another case is Dou Yanshan,
有义方。
Who was wise in family education.
教五子，
He raised his five sons,
名俱扬。
And all of them were blessed with fame.
养不教，
Rear children without instructing them,
父之过。And the father should be blamed;
Teach in a slack and lazy way
师之惰。
And the teacher should be criticized.
子不学，
If a pupil plays truant,
非所宜。
It proves to be improper.
幼不学，
If a child fails to learn,
老何为？
What could he be when getting old?
玉不琢，
Without being carved and polished,
不成器。 A jade can't be a work of art.
人不学，
If one does not learn,
不知义。He'll not know human virtues.
为人子，
When one is young,
方少时。
He should make the best of his time,
亲师友，
Associating with the good and the wise,
习礼仪。
And learning to stand on ceremony.
香九龄，
When Huang Xiang was nine years old,
能温席。
He could warm the mat for his father.
孝于亲，
Whoever has love for their parents
所当执。
Should be as kind as such.
融四岁，
When Kong Rong was four years old,
能让梨。
He could offer his brothers the bigger pears.
弟于长，
Even if one is quite young,
宜先知。One should love one's brothers.
One should bear familial love from the outset, 次见闻。
Before he starts to learn,
知某数，
Including counting and computing,
识某文。
As well as reading and writing.
一而十，
One times ten is ten,
十而百，
Ten times ten is a hundred,
百而千，
A hundred times ten is a thousand,
千而万。
And a thousand times ten is ten thousand.
三才者，
There're three essential elements to know,
天地人。
They are heaven, earth and man.
—k \[/ -4-z.
三光者，There are three kinds of light;
日月星。They're from the sun, the moon and the stars.
三纲者，
There are three ethical disciplines:
君臣义；
That of loyalty between the king and his men,
父子亲，
of love between father and son,
夫妇顺。
And of harmony between husband and wife.
曰春夏，
There are Spring and Summer,
曰秋冬。
And Autumn and Winter:
此四时，
They are the four seasons,
运不穷。
Alternating all the year round.
曰南北，
There are north and south,
曰西东。And east and west.
They are the four directions,
应乎中。
Laid out by central position.
曰水火，
There are water and fire,
土木金。
And wood, metal, and earth:
此五行，
They are five elements,
本乎数。
Related to the numerals.
曰仁义，
There are benevolence, righteousness,
礼智信。
And courtesy, intelligence and loyalty.
此五常，
They are the five human norms,
不容紊。
Which are regulated in certain terms.
稻粱菽，
There are rice, sorghum and bean,
麦黍稷。
And wheat, millet and corn:
此六谷，
They are six kinds of grain
人所食。
For one to serve as food.
马牛羊，
There are the horse, the ox and the sheep,
鸡犬豕。
And the foul, the dog, and the pig:
此六畜，
They are six kinds of livestock,
人所饲。
Raised in herds by the farmers.
曰喜怒，
There are joy and anger,
曰哀惧；
And sorrow and fear,
爱恶欲，
And love, hate and desire:
七情具。They are seven human feelings altogether.
There are gourd, pottery, leather,
木石金；
And wood, stone, and metal,
丝与竹，
Together with string and bamboo,
乃八音。
All these can be made into musical instruments.
高曾祖，
From his great-great-grandfather,
父而身；
To his great-grandfather,
身而子，
To his grandfather and father,
子而孙；
To himself and his son,
自子孙，
To his grandson and great-grandson,
至玄曾。
And to his great-great-grandson:
乃九族，
Whoever is born into the world
人之伦。
Will face the nine-layer relation.
父子恩，
There should be affection between father and son,
夫妇从；
As well as love between husband and wife.
兄则友，
Brothers should be kind to each other:
弟则恭；
The elder's amiable, and the younger respectful.
长幼序，
A harmony should be maintained
友与朋；
Among families as well as friends.
君则敬，
Even the king should be cordial,
臣则忠。
To whom the subjects can be loyal.
此十义，
These are called the Ten Doctrines
人所同。That everyone in the world should follow.
To enlighten the school children,
须讲究。
Good methods must be taken.
详训诂，
The meaning must be correctly grasped,
明句读。
And the syntax clear in mind.
、了 .、'人-
Pz A pupil must start his learning
必有初。
From the very beginning.
小学终，
After he has learned the basics,
至四书。He'd learn the Four Books next.
论语者，
The first book is Confucius'Analects,
二十篇。
Composed of twenty chapters，
群弟子，
Which were recorded by his disciples
记善言。
And put together as living doctrines.
孟子者，
The second book is called Mencius,
七篇止。
Consisting of seven sections,
讲道德，
In which is highlighted moralities,
说仁义。
As well as benevolence and righteousness.
作中庸，
The third book is the Doctrine of the Mean,
子思笔。
Written by Zi Si, Confucius 'grandson,
中不偏，
Who poses all midway,
庸不易。
In which the common truth exists.
作大学，
Zeng Zi wrote the Great learning,
乃曾子。From which one can achieve a great deal.
He demonstrated a way to self-improvement 至平治。
From the individual life to the social affairs.
孝经通，
When one's masteredthe Filial Scripture ,
四书熟。
Together with the four books.
如六经，
The Six Confucian Scriptures
始可读。
Can be for him a new start.
诗书易，
The Songs, the History, and the Changes, 礼春秋。And the Annals and the Rituals：
号六经，
Are called the Six Confucian Scriptures,
当讲求。
Which are needed to be studied thoroughly.
有连山，
There was Lianshan in the Xia Dynasty,
有归藏；
Which was called Guizang in the Shang,
有周易，
And Zhouyi in the Zhou,
三易详。
All refer to the Book of Changes.
有典谟，With the records of the early sage'sdeeds,
有训诰；
And with the regulations and laws,
有誓命，
As well as the decrees and rules
书之奥。
The Book of History is hard to read.
我周公，
A sage is called the Duke of Zhou,
作周礼。
Who drafted the rituals for the country.
著六官，
He appointed six ministers,
存治体。By whom the nation was governed.