三字经英文翻译

三字经
Three-CharacterCanon
宋王应麟着
WrittenbyWangYinglin
人之初，Atthebeginningoflife,
教五子，Heraisedhisfivesons,
名俱扬。

Andallofthemwereblessedwithfame.
养不教，Rearchildrenwithoutinstructingthem, 父之过。

Andthefathershouldbeblamed;
教不严，Teachinaslackandlazyway
师之惰。

Andtheteachershouldbecriticized.
子不学，Ifapupilplaystruant,
非所宜。

Itprovestobeimproper.
幼不学，Ifachildfailstolearn,
老何为？Whatcouldhebewhengettingold?
能让梨。

Hecouldofferhisbrothersthebiggerpears. 弟于长，Evenifoneisquiteyoung,
宜先知。

Oneshouldloveone’sbrothers.
首孝悌，Oneshouldbearfamiliallovefromtheoutset, 次见闻。

Beforehestartstolearn,
知某数，Includingcountingandcomputing,
识某文。

Aswellasreadingandwriting.
一而十，Onetimestenisten,
十而百，Tentimestenisahundred,
百而千，Ahundredtimestenisathousand,
千而万。

Andathousandtimestenistenthousand.
曰西东。

Andeastandwest.
此四方，Theyarethefourdirections,
应乎中。

Laidoutbycentralposition.
曰水火，Therearewaterandfire,
土木金。

Andwood,metal,andearth:
此五行，Theyarefiveelements,
本乎数。

Relatedtothenumerals.
曰仁义，Therearebenevolence,righteousness,
礼智信。

Andcourtesy,intelligenceandloyalty.
此五常，Theyarethefivehumannorms,
不容紊。

Whichareregulatedincertainterms.
木石金；Andwood,stone,andmetal,
丝与竹，Togetherwithstringandbamboo,
乃八音。

Allthesecanbemadeintomusicalinstruments. 高曾祖，Fromhisgreat-great-grandfather,
父而身；Tohisgreat-grandfather,
身而子，Tohisgrandfatherandfather,
子而孙；Tohimselfandhisson,
自子孙，Tohisgrandsonandgreat-grandson,
至玄曾。

Andtohisgreat-great-grandson:
乃九族，Whoeverisbornintotheworld
人之伦。

Willfacethenine-layerrelation.
明句读。

Andthesyntaxclearinmind.
为学者，Apupilmuststarthislearning
必有初。

Fromtheverybeginning.
小学终，Afterhehaslearnedthebasics,
至四书。

He’dlearntheFourBooksnext.
论语者，ThefirstbookisConfucius’Analects,
二十篇。

Composedoftwentychapters，
群弟子，Whichwererecordedbyhisdisciples
记善言。

Andputtogetheraslivingdoctrines.
孟子者，ThesecondbookiscalledMencius,
七篇止。

Consistingofsevensections,
始可读。

Canbeforhimanewstart.
诗书易，TheSongs,theHistory,andtheChanges, 礼春秋。

AndtheAnnalsandtheRituals：
号六经，ArecalledtheSixConfucianScriptures, 当讲求。

Whichareneededtobestudiedthoroughly. 有连山，TherewasLianshanintheXiaDynasty,
有归藏；WhichwascalledGuizangintheShang,
有周易，AndZhouyiintheZhou,
三易详。

Allreferto theBookofChanges.
有典谟，Withtherecordsoftheearlysages’deeds,
有训诰；Andwiththeregulationsandlaws,
当讽咏。

Andeachshouldbechantedandrecited.
诗既亡，Whentraditionofcollectingfolksongsislost, 春秋作。

TheBookofHistorywascompiled,
寓褒贬，Whichsetsthemoralcodeforstateofficials, 别善恶。

Andwhichjudgesthegoodfromtheevil.
三传者，Threecommentarieshavebeengiven
有公羊；TotheBookofHistoryeverwritten:
有左氏，Therearethreecommentaryauthors:
有谷梁。

GongYang,ZuoQiumingandGuLiang.
经既明，Afterhavinggraspedtheclassics,
方读子。

Onecanreadtheworksofotherschools,
居上世。

Livinglongbeforethegoodolddays.
唐有虞，YaoandShunreignedinthelateryears, 号二帝。

WhowerecalledtheTwoEmperors.
相揖逊，Bothyieldedthecrowntocapablemen,
称盛世。

Andtheirreignswerecalledtheheydays. 夏有禹，TherelivedYuintheXiaDynasty,
商有汤。

AndthereappearedTangintheShang;
周文武，TogetherwithKingZhouWenandhisson,
称三王。

TheywerecalledtheThreeGreatKings.
夏传子，AfterYuwassucceededbyhisson,
家天下。

Allunderheavenwereruledbyonefamily.
尚游说。

Andpoliticiansrancanvassingabout.
始春秋，TheEastZhoubeganwiththeSpringandAutumn, 终战国。

AndendedwiththeWarringstates.
五霸强，FiveDukesruledintheformerperiod,
七雄出。

Andsevenpowersdominatedinthelatter.
嬴秦氏，EmperorQinShihuangappeared,
始兼并。

Andannexedallstatesintooneempire.
传二世，Whenhewassucceededbyhisevilson,
楚汉争。

TheChunandtheHanbegantofightforthecrown.
高祖兴，WhenLiuBangwonoverXiangYu,
汉业建。

He,asthefounderoftheHanDynasty,wascalledGaoZu.
都金陵。

WiththeircapitalsinJinlingcity.
北元魏，YuanfoundedinthenorthareignofWei,
分东西。

Splittingintotwosections,theeastandthewest.
宇文周，WestWeiwasrenamedNorthZhoubyYuwenJue;
与高齐。

EastWeiwasdominatedbyGaoYangwiththetitleofNorth Qi. 迨至隋，NotuntilthefoundationoftheSuiDynasty
一土宇。

Wasthewholecountryunited.
不再传，Thethronewassucceededbytheson,
失统绪。

Wholosthislifeandhiscrown.
唐高祖，LiYuan,withanimperialtileofTangGaozu,
起义师。

Roseupwithhisarmy.
南北混。

Andthecapitalwasmovedsouthwardinwarriots. 辽与金，TwotribescalledtheLiaoandtheJin,
皆称帝。

Respectivelyfoundedtheirimperialreigns. 元灭宋，ThelatterwassubvertedbytheDynastyofYuan, 绝宋世。

AndtheSongalsoendedintheYuan’sinvasion. 莅中国，TheYuanconqueredthewholecountry,
兼戎狄。

Togetherwiththeremotenationalities.
九十年，Afterareignofninetyyears,
国祚废。

Thethronecollapsedinrebellions.
太祖兴，WhenZhuYuanzhangdistinguishedhimselfduringtheuprising, 国大明。

HefoundedanewdynastycalledtheMing.
克大定。

Andunifiedthewholecountry.
廿一史，Thehistoryofthetwentyonedynasties
全在兹。

Hasallbeenmentionedabove.
载治乱，Throughthereignsinorderordisorder,
知兴衰。

Onecantracetheupsanddowns.
读史者，Instudiesofhistoricalworks,
考实录。

Oneshoulddelveintotheactualrecords. 通古今，Bywhichtograspthehistoryonthewhole, 若亲目。

Asifshownbeforeone’sowneyes.
口而诵，Onecanlearnbyreadingandchanting,
心而惟。

Andbywayofmeditation.
且知勉。

Yettheyhadsuchmeanstotry.
头悬梁，SunJingfastenedhishairtothebeam,
锥刺股。

AndSuQinstabbedhisthighswithanawl. 彼不教，Whybothofthemdidsuchstrangedeeds? 自勤苦。

Theytookpainstolearnofthemselves. 如囊莹，CheYinreadunderthelightofglowworms,
如映雪。

AndSunKangreadagainstthewhitesnow.
家虽贫，Thoughtheycamefrompoorfamilies,
学不辍。

Theyneverstoppedtheirstudies.
如负薪，ZhuMaichentriedreadinginfirewoodcutting, 如挂角。

AndLiMiheldhisbookincattleherding.
魁多士。

AndwaslistedtopinCourtExamination.
彼既成，Onlyafterhehadbeenasuccess,
众称异。

Couldothershailtohiminsurprise.
尔小生，Youngpupils,allofyou,
宜立志。

Betterdecidewhattodo.
莹八岁，WhenZuYingwaseightyearsold,
能咏诗。

Hecouldrecitemanypoems.
泌七岁，AndwhenLiuMiwasseven,
能赋棋。

Hecouldcomposeachessode.
彼颖悟，Suchboyswithunusualtalents
人称奇。

Alwayssurprisetheotherpeople.
作正字。

Inchargeofproofreadingbooksforthegovernment, 彼虽幼，Youngashewas,
身已仕。

Hebecameanofficial.
尔幼学，Allofyou,younglearners,
勉尔致。

Canalsoachievethesame.
有为者，Whoeverholdsuchambition
亦若是。

Willalsosucceedlikethis.
犬守夜，Adogcankeepwatchatnight,
鸡司晨。

Andacockcancrowatdawn.
苟不学，Ifapersonfailstolearn,
曷为人？Howcanhebeasuccessfulperson?
金满籯。

Withboxesofgoldenbars;
我教子，AndwhatIleavetomyson
惟一经。

Isnothingbutthisscripture. 勤有功，Studyhard,andyou’llsucceed; 戏无益。

Playtruant,andyou’llfail. 戒之哉，Beawareofallthis,behold!
宜勉力。

Andworkharderandharder.。