人之初
|
Men at their birth
|
性本善
|
are naturally good.
|
性相近
|
Their natures are much the same;
|
習相遠
|
their habits become widely different.
|
苟不教
|
If foolishly there is no teaching,
|
性乃遷
|
the nature will deteriorate.
|
教之道
|
The right way in teaching
|
貴以專
|
is to attach the utmost importance in thoroughness.
|
昔孟母
|
Of old, the mother of Mencius
|
擇鄰處
|
chose a neighbourhood
|
子不學
|
and when her child would not learn,
|
斷機杼
|
she broke the shuttle from the loom.
|
竇燕山
|
Tou of the Swallow Hills
|
有義方
|
had the right method.
|
教五子
|
He taught five sons,
|
名俱揚
|
each of whom raised the family reputation.
|
養不教
|
To feed without teaching,
|
父之過
|
is the father's fault.
|
教不嚴
|
To teach without severity,
|
師之惰
|
is the teacher's laziness.
|
子不學
|
If the child does not learn,
|
非所宜
|
this is not as it should be.
|
幼不學
|
If he does not learn while young,
|
老何為
|
what will he be when old?
|
玉不琢
|
If jade is not polished,
|
不成器
|
it cannot become a thing of use.
|
人不學
|
If a man does not learn,
|
不知義
|
he cannot know his duty towards his neighbour.
|
為人子
|
He who is the son of a man,
|
方少時
|
when he is young,
|
親師友
|
should attach himself to his teachers and friends;
|
習禮儀
|
and practise ceremonial usages.
|
香九齡
|
Hsiang, at nine years of age,
|
能溫席
|
could warm (his parent's) bed.
|
孝於親
|
Filial piety towards parents
|
所當執
|
is that to which we should hold fast.
|
融四歲
|
Jung, at four years of age,
|
能讓梨
|
could yield the (bigger) pears.
|
弟於長
|
To behave as a younger brother towards elders
|
宜先知
|
is one of the first things to know.
|
首孝弟
|
Begin with filial piety and fraternal love
|
次見聞
|
and then see and hear.
|
知某數
|
Learn to count
|
識某文
|
and learn to read.
|
一而十
|
Units and tens,
|
十而百
|
then tens and hundreds,
|
百而千
|
hundreds and thousands,
|
千而萬
|
thousands and then tens of thousands.
|
三才者
|
The three forces
|
天地人
|
are heaven, earth and man.
|
三光者
|
The three luminaries
|
日月星
|
are the sun, the moon and the stars.
|
三綱者
|
The three bonds
|
君臣義
|
are the obligation between sovereign and subject,
|
父子親
|
the love between father and child,
|
夫婦順
|
the harmony between husband and wife.
|
曰春夏
|
We speak of spring and summer.
|
曰秋冬
|
we speak of autumn and winter.
|
此四時
|
These four seasons
|
運不窮
|
revolve without ceasing.
|
曰南北
|
We speak of North and South.
|
曰西東
|
we speak of East and West.
|
此四方
|
These four points
|
應乎中
|
respond to the requirements of the centre.
|
曰水火
|
We speak of water, fire,
|
木金土
|
wood, metal and earth.
|
此五行
|
These five elements
|
本乎數
|
have their origin in number.
|
曰仁義
|
We speak of charity of heart and of duty towards one's neighbour,
|
禮智信
|
of propriety, of wisdom, and of truth.
|
此五常
|
These five virtues
|
不容紊
|
admit of no compromise.
|
稻粱菽
|
Rice, spiked millet, pulse,
|
麥黍稷
|
wheat, glutinous millet and common millet.
|
此六谷
|
These six grains
|
人所食
|
are those which men eat.
|
馬牛羊
|
The horse, the ox, the sheep,
|
雞犬豕
|
the fowl, the dog, the pig.
|
此六畜
|
These six animals,
|
人所飼
|
are those which men keep.
|
曰喜怒
|
We speak of joy and anger.
|
曰哀懼
|
We speak of pity, fear,
|
愛惡欲
|
love, evil and desire.
|
七情具
|
These are the seven passions.
|
匏土革，
|
The gourd, earthenware, skin,
|
木石金
|
wood, stone, metal,
|
與絲竹
|
silk, and bamboo,
|
乃八音
|
yield the eight musical sounds.
|
高曾祖
|
Great great grandfather, great grandfather, grandfather,
|
父而身
|
father and self,
|
身而子
|
self and son,
|
子而孫
|
son and grandson,
|
自子孫
|
from son and grandson
|
至元曾
|
on to great grandson and great great grandson.
|
乃九族
|
These are the nine agnates,
|
而之倫
|
constituting the kinships of man.
|
父子恩
|
Affection between father and child,
|
夫婦從
|
harmony between husband and wife,
|
兄則友
|
friendliness on the part of elder brothers,
|
弟則恭
|
respectfulness on the part of younger brothers,
|
長幼序
|
precedence between elders and youngers,
|
友與朋
|
as between friend and friend,
|
君則敬
|
respect on the part of the sovereign,
|
臣則忠
|
loyalty on the part of the subject.
|
此十義
|
These ten obligations,
|
人所同
|
are common to all men.
|
凡訓蒙
|
In the education of the young,
|
須講究
|
there should be explanation and elucidation,
|
詳訓詁
|
careful teaching of the interpretations of commentators,
|
名句讀
|
and due attention to paragraphs and sentences.
|
為學者
|
Those who are learners
|
必有初
|
must have a beginning.
|
小學終
|
When fininshing elementary schooling,
|
至四書
|
they proceed to the Four Books.
|
論語者
|
There is the Analects (Lunyu)
|
二十篇
|
which is composed of twenty sections.
|
群弟子
|
In these, the various disciples
|
記善言
|
have recorded the wise sayings of Confucius.
|
孟子者
|
The works of Mencius
|
七篇止
|
are comprised in seven sections.
|
講道德
|
These explain the way and the exemplification thereof,
|
說仁義
|
expound charity and duty towards one's neighbour.
|
作中庸
|
The Doctrine of Mean (Zhong Yong) was written
|
子思筆
|
by the pen of Zi-si;
|
中不偏
|
Zhong (the middle) is that which does not lean towards any side,
|
庸不易
|
Yong (the course) is that which cannot be changed.
|
作大學
|
He who wrote the Great Learning (Da Xue)
|
乃曾子
|
was the philosopher Zeng.
|
自修齊
|
Beginning with cultivation of the individual and ordering of the family,
|
至平治
|
it goes on to government of one's own State and ordering of the Empire.
|
孝經通
|
When the Classic of Filial Piety is mastered,
|
四書熟
|
and the Four books are known by heart,
|
如六經
|
the next step is to the Six Classics,
|
始可讀
|
which may now be studied.
|
詩書易
|
The Books of Poetry, of History and of Changes.
|
禮春秋
|
The Rites of the Zhou Dynasty, the Book of Rites, and the Spring and Autumn Annals,
|
號六經
|
are called the Six Classics,
|
當講求
|
which should be carefully explained and analyzed.
|
有連山
|
There is the Lian Shan system,
|
有歸藏
|
there is the Gui Zang,
|
有周易
|
And there is the system of Changes of the Zhou Dynasty;
|
三易詳
|
such are the three systems which elucidate the Changes.
|
有典謨
|
There are the Regulations, the Counsels,
|
有訓誥
|
the Instructions, the Announcements,
|
有誓命
|
the Oaths and the Charges;
|
書之奧
|
these are the profundities of the Book of History.
|
我周公
|
Our Duke of Zhou
|
作周禮
|
drew up the Ritual of the Zhou Dynasty,
|
著六官
|
in which he set forth the duties of the six classes of officials;
|
存治體
|
and thus gave a settled form to the government.
|
大小戴
|
The Elder and the Younger Dai
|
註禮記
|
wrote commentaries on the Book of Rites.
|
述聖言
|
They published the holy words,
|
禮樂備
|
Ceremonies and Music which were set in order.
|
曰國風
|
We speak of the Guo Feng.
|
曰雅頌
|
We speak of the Ya and the Song.
|
號四詩
|
These are the four sections of the Book of poetry
|
當諷詠
|
which should be hummed over and over.
|
詩既亡
|
When odes ceased to be made,
|
春秋作
|
the Spring and Autumn Annals were produced.
|
寓褒貶
|
These Annals contain praise and blame,
|
別善惡
|
and distinguish the good from the bad.
|
三傳者
|
The three commentaries upon the above
|
有公羊
|
include that of Gong-Yang,
|
有左氏
|
that of Zuo
|
有彀梁
|
and that of Gu-Liang.
|
經既明
|
When the Classics are understood,
|
方讀子
|
then the writings of the various philosophers should be read.
|
撮其要
|
Pick out the most important points in each
|
記其事
|
and take a note of all facts.
|
五子者
|
The five chief philosophers
|
有荀楊
|
are Xun, Yang,
|
文中子
|
Wenzhongzi,
|
及老莊
|
Laozi and Zhuangzi.
|
經子通
|
When the Classics and the Philosophers are mastered,
|
讀諸史
|
the various histories should be read
|
考世系
|
and the genealogical connections should be examined,
|
知終始
|
so that the end of one dynasty and the beginning of the next may be known.
|
自羲農
|
From Fu Xi and Shen Nong
|
至黃帝
|
on to the Yellow Emperor,
|
號三皇
|
these are called the Three Rulers
|
居上世
|
who lived in the early ages.
|
唐有虞
|
You and Yu
|
號二帝
|
are called the two Emperors.
|
相揖遜
|
They adbicated one after the other,
|
稱盛世
|
and theirs was called the Golden Age.
|
夏有禹
|
Yu of the Xia Dynasty,
|
商有湯
|
Tang of the Shang Dynasty, and
|
周文王
|
King Wen of the Zhou Dynasty
|
稱三王
|
are called the Three Kings.
|
夏傳子
|
Under the Xia Dynasty, the throne was transmitted from father to son,
|
家天下
|
making a family possession of the empire.
|
四百載
|
After four hundred years,
|
遷夏社
|
the Imperial sacrifice passed from the House of Xia.
|
湯伐夏
|
Tang, the completer, destroyed the Xia Dynasty,
|
國號商
|
and the dynastic title became Shang.
|
六百載
|
The line lasted for six hundred years,
|
至紂亡
|
ending with Zhou Xin.
|
周武王
|
King Wu of the Zhou Dynasty
|
始誅紂
|
finally put Zhou Xin to death.
|
八百載
|
His own line lasted for eight hundred years;
|
最長久
|
the longest dynasty of all.
|
周轍東
|
When the Zhous made tracks eastwards,
|
王綱墮
|
the feudal bond was slackened;
|
逞干戈
|
the arbitrament of spear and shields prevailed;
|
尚游說
|
and peripatetic politicians were held in high esteem.
|
始春秋
|
This period began with the Spring and Autumn Epoch,
|
終戰國
|
and ended with that of the Warring States.
|
五霸強
|
Next, the Five Chieftains domineered,
|
七雄出
|
and the Seven Martial States came to the front.
|
嬴秦氏
|
Then the House of Qin, descended from the Ying clan,
|
始兼並
|
finally united all the states under one sway.
|
傳二世
|
The thrown was transmitted to Er Shi,
|
楚漢爭
|
upon which followed the struggle between the Chu and the Han States.
|
高祖興
|
Then Gao Zu arose,
|
漢業建
|
and the House of Han was established.
|
至孝平
|
Till the reign of Xiao Ping,
|
王莽篡
|
Wang Mang usurped the throne.
|
光武興
|
Then Guang Wu arose,
|
為東漢
|
and founded the Eastern Han dynasty.
|
四百年
|
It lasted four hundred years,
|
終於獻
|
and ended with the Emperor Xian.
|
魏蜀吳
|
Wei, Shu and Wu,
|
爭漢鼎
|
fought for the sovereignty of the Hans.
|
號三國
|
They were called the Three Kingdoms,
|
迄兩晉
|
and existed until the Two Jin Dynasties.
|
宋齊繼
|
Then followed the Song and the Qi dynasties,
|
梁陳承
|
and after them the Liang and Chen dynasties.
|
為南朝
|
These are the Southern dynasties,
|
都金陵
|
with their capital at Nanjing.
|
北元魏
|
The northern dynasties are the Wei Dynasty of the Yuan family
|
分東西
|
which split into Eastern and Western We
|
宇文周
|
the Zhou dynasty of the Yuwen family
|
興高齊
|
with the Qi dynasty of the Gao family.
|
迨至隋
|
At length, under the Sui Dynasty,
|
一土宇
|
the empire was united under one ruler.
|
不再傳
|
The throne was not transmitted twice,
|
失統緒
|
succession to power being lost.
|
唐高祖
|
The first emperor of the Tang Dynasty
|
起義師
|
raised volunteer troops.
|
除隋亂
|
He put an end to the disorder of the House of Sui,
|
創國基
|
and established the foundations of his line.
|
二十傳
|
Twenty times the thrown was transmitted
|
三百載
|
in a period of three hundred years.
|
梁義之
|
The Liang State destroyed it,
|
國乃改
|
and the dynastic title was changed.
|
梁唐晉
|
The Liang, the Tang, the Jin,
|
及漢周
|
the Han, and the Zhou,
|
稱五代
|
are called the Five Dynasties,
|
皆有由
|
and there was a reason for the establishment of each.
|
炎宋興
|
Then the fire-led house of Song arose,
|
受周禪
|
and received the resignation of the house of Zhou.
|
十八傳
|
Eighteen times the throne was transmitted,
|
南北混
|
and then the north and the south were reunited.
|
十七史
|
The Seventeen Dynastic Histories
|
全在茲
|
are all embraced in the above.
|
載治亂
|
They contain examples of good and bad government,
|
知興衰
|
whence may be learnt the principles of prosperity and decay.
|
讀史書
|
You who read history
|
考實錄
|
must study the State Annals,
|
通古今
|
whereby you will understand ancient and modern events,
|
若親目
|
as though having seen them with your own eyes.
|
口而誦
|
Recite them with the mouth,
|
心而惟
|
and ponder over them in your hearts.
|
朝於斯
|
Do this in the morning;
|
夕於斯
|
do this in the evening.
|
昔仲尼
|
Of old, Confucius
|
師項橐
|
took Xiang Tuo for his teacher.
|
古聖賢
|
The inspired men and sages of old
|
尚勤學
|
studied diligently nevertheless.
|
趙中令
|
Zhao, president of the Council,
|
讀魯論
|
studied the Lu text of the Lun Yu.
|
彼既仕
|
He, when already an official,
|
學且勤
|
studied, and moreover with diligence.
|
披蒲編
|
One opened out rushes and plaited them together;
|
削竹簡
|
another scraped tablets of bamboo.
|
彼無書
|
These men had no books,
|
且知勉
|
but they knew how to make an effort.
|
頭懸梁
|
One tied his head to the beam above him;
|
錐刺股
|
another pricked his thigh with an awl.
|
彼不教
|
They were not taught,
|
自勤苦
|
but toiled hard of their own accord.
|
如囊螢
|
Then we have one who put fireflies in a bag.
|
如映雪
|
and again another who used the white glare from snow.
|
家雖貧
|
Although their families were poor,
|
學不綴
|
these men studied unceasingly.
|
如負薪
|
Again, there was one who carried fuel,
|
如掛角
|
and another who used horns as pegs.
|
身雖勞
|
Although they toiled with their bodies,
|
猶苦卓
|
they were nevertheless remarkable for their application.
|
蘇老泉
|
Su Lao-Quan,
|
二十七
|
at the age of twenty-seven,
|
始發憤
|
at last began to show his energy
|
讀書籍
|
and devote himself to the study of books.
|
彼既老
|
Then when already past the age,
|
猶悔遲
|
he deeply regretted his delay.
|
爾小生
|
You little boys
|
宜早思
|
should take thought betimes.
|
若梁灝，
|
Then there were Liang Hao,
|
八十二
|
who at the age of eighty-two,
|
對大廷
|
made his replies in the great hall,
|
魁多士
|
and came out first among many scholars.
|
彼既成
|
When thus late he had succeeded,
|
衆稱異
|
all men pronounced him a prodigy.
|
爾小生
|
You little boys
|
宜立志
|
should make up your minds to work.
|
瑩八歲
|
Ying, at eight years of age,
|
能詠詩
|
could compose poetry.
|
泌七歲
|
Bi, at seven years of age,
|
能賦碁
|
could make an epigram on wei-qi.
|
彼穎悟
|
These youths were quick of apprehension,
|
人稱奇
|
and people declared them to be prodigies.
|
爾幼學
|
You young learners
|
當效之
|
ought to imitate them.
|
蔡文姬
|
Cai Wen-ji,
|
能辨琴
|
was able to judge from the sound of a psaltery.
|
謝道韞
|
Xie Dao-yun
|
能詠吟
|
was able to compose verses.
|
彼女子
|
They were only girls,
|
且聰敏
|
yet they were quick and clever.
|
爾男子
|
You boys
|
當自警
|
ought to rouse yourselves.
|
唐劉晏
|
Liu Yan of the Tang Dynasty,
|
方七歲
|
when only seven years of age,
|
舉神童
|
was ranked as an "inspired child,"
|
作正字
|
and was appointed a Corrector of Texts.
|
彼雖幼
|
He, although a child,
|
身己仕
|
was already in an official post.
|
爾幼學
|
You young learners
|
勉而緻
|
strive to bring about a like result.
|
有為者
|
Those who work
|
亦若是
|
will also succeed as he did.
|
犬守夜
|
The dog keeps guard by night;
|
雞司晨
|
the cock proclaims the dawn.
|
苟不學
|
If foolishly you do not study,
|
曷為人
|
how can you become men?
|
蠶吐絲
|
The silkworm produces silk,
|
蜂釀蜜
|
the bee makes honey.
|
人不學
|
If a man does not learn,
|
不如物
|
he is not equal to the brutes.
|
幼而學
|
Learn while young,
|
壯而行
|
and when grown up apply what you have learnt;
|
上緻君
|
influencing the sovereign above;
|
下澤民
|
benefiting the people below.
|
揚名聲
|
Make a name for yourselves,
|
顯父母
|
and glorify your father and mother,
|
光於前
|
shed lustre on your ancestors,
|
裕於後
|
enrich your posterity.
|
人遺子
|
Men bequeath to their children
|
金滿嬴
|
coffers of gold;
|
我教子
|
I teach you children
|
惟一經
|
only this one book.
|
勤有功
|
Diligence has its reward;
|
戲無益
|
play has no advantages.
|
戒之哉
|
Oh, be on your guard,
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宜勉力
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and put forth your strength.
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●序 文
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