《三字经》自宋朝以来，已有七百多年历史，可谓家喻户晓，脍炙人口。共一千多字，三字一句的韵文极易成诵，内容包括了中国传统的教育、历史、天文、地理、伦理和道德以及一些民间传说等，广泛生动而又言简意赅。
《三字经》早就不仅仅属于汉民族了，它有满文、蒙文译本。《三字经》也不再仅仅属于中国，它的英文、法文译本也早已问世。1990年新加坡出版的英文新译本更是被联合国教科文组织选入“儿童道德丛书”，加以世界范围的推广，也是儿童的必读必背的书籍。
三字经
Three-Character Canon, which was composed by Wang Yinglin(1223-1296), a famous scholar of the South Song Dynasty, is said to be the most popular writing for primary education in anchient China.Short and concise as it is, it contains a vast range of comprehensive knowledge.That is why it is widely influencial in China today.
人之初，性本善。性相近，习相远。
At the beginning of life,
Man is good in nature.
Human nature is alike,
Habits make them different.
苟不教，性乃迁。教之道，贵以专。
For lack of communication,
The nature is in alteration;
And the nurture of the young,
Better be maintained for long.
昔孟母，择邻处。子不学，断机杼。
Once Mencius' mother
Chose the best neighborhood for her son; (1)
When her son played truant,
She cut the threads on the loom. (2)
(1)Mencius (372 BC-289BC), a great thinker during the Warring States period. According to historical records, Mencius was very young when his father died. In order to train him in sound surroundings, his mother Zhang moved their home three times.Originally they lived near a graveyard, where she found her son imitating the acts of mourning.She thought is was bad for her son's upbring, and then she moved the home to the town and live near a butcher's. There, however, she found her son imitating the acts of killing pigs and sheep. It was not a proper environment for her son, either. At last, the mother and son moved again and lived near a school, where young Mencius began to imitate the scholars' behavior and study. THe mother was very pleased with this, and she decided to settle down there. This is the famous story of "Three Moves by Mencius' Mother".
(2)One day, seeing young Mencius run back home playing truant, his mother, who was weaving at the loom, became so angry that she cut off all the threads on the loom. She said to her son,"I'm weaving inch by inch, and if I cut off the threads now, I can no longer weave a piece of cloth. Your learning is the same as weaving cloth. If you fail to accumulate your knowledge day by day, you'll never succeed." Young Mencius was deeply soory for his deed, and began to make great efforts in his studies, so much so, that he became a great thinker as well as a sage, second only to Confucius.
窦燕山，有义方。教五子，名俱扬。
Another case is Dou Yanshan,
Who was wise in family education.
He raised his five sons,
And all of them were blessed with fame. (1)
(1) Dou Yanshan, a famous historical figure in the period of Five Dynasties. His real name was Dou Yujun. Since he lived at the foot of Yanshan Mountain, he was also called Dou Yanshan. He had five sons, whom he raised in such a wise way that all of them became high government officials. This is the well-known story of "Five Sons, All Ascend".
养不教，父之过。教不严，师之惰。
Rear children without instructing them,
And the father should be blamed;
Teach in a slack and lazy way,
And the teacher should be criticized.
子不学，非所宜。幼不学，老何为？
If a pupil plays truant,
It proves to be improper.
If a child fails to learn,
What can he be when getting old?
玉不琢，不成器。人不学，不知义。
Without being carved and polished,
A jade can't be a work of art.
If one does not learn,
He'll not know human virtues.
为人子，方少时。亲师友，习礼仪。
When one is young,
He should make best of his time,
Associating with the good and the wise,
And learning to stand on ceremony.
香九龄，能温席。孝于亲，所当执。
When Huang Xiang (1) was nine years old,
He could warm the mat for his father.
Whoever has love for their parents
Should be as kind as such.
(1) Huang Xiang, a historical figure during the period of East Han. His mother died when he was young. He loved his father so much that during the hot summers he fanned his father to make him cool, and during the cold winter he kept him warm. When he grew up, learned and noble, he became a minister in the government.
融四岁，能让梨。弟于长，宜先知。
When Kong Rong(1) was four years old,
He could offer his brothers the bigger pears.
Even if one is quite young,
One should love one's brothers.
(1) Kong Rong (153 - 208), a high official and a man of letters in the late Han Dynasty, was one of the twentieth-generation of desciples(followers) of Confucius.
首孝悌，次见闻。知某数，识某文。一而十，十而百。百而千，千而万。
One should bear familial love from the outset
Before he starts to learn,
Including counting and computing,
As well as reading and writing.
One times ten is ten,
Ten times ten is a hundred,
A hundred times a hundred is a thousand,
And a thousand times ten is ten thousand.
三才者，天地人。三光者，日月星。三纲者，君臣义。父子亲，夫妇顺。
There're three essential elements to know,
They are heaven, earth and man.
There are three kinds of light;
They're from the sun, the moon, and the stars.
There are three ethnical disciplines(1) :
That of loyal between the king and his men,
of love between father and son,
And of harmony between husband and wife.
(1) The Three Ethical Disciplines are the basic rules of behavior in ancient China. According to the doctrines of the Confucianism of the Song School, the emperor should set the disciplines for his subjects; the father should set the disciplines for his sons; and the husband should set the disciplines for his wife. This is referred to as the Three Disciplines.
曰春夏，曰秋冬。此四时，运不穷。曰南北，曰西东。此四方，应乎中。
There are Spring and Summer,
And Autumn and Winter:
They are the four seasons,
Alternating all the year round.
There are north and south,
And east and west:
They are the four directions,
Laid out by central position.
曰水火，木金土。此五行，本乎数。曰仁义，礼智信。此五常，不容紊。
There are water and fire,
And wood, metal, and earth:
They are five elementals,
Related to the numerals.
There are benevolence, righteousness,
And courtesy, intelligence and loyalty.
They are the five human norms,
Which are regulated in certain terms.
稻粱菽，麦黍稷。此六谷，人所食。马牛羊，鸡犬豕。此六畜，人所饲。
There are rice, sorghum and bean,
And wheat, millet and corn:
They are six kinds of grain
For one to serve as food.
There are the horse, the ox and the sheep,
And the foul, the dog, and the pig:
They're six kinds of livestock,
Raised in herds by the farmers.
曰喜怒，曰哀惧；爱恶欲，七情具。匏土革，木石金。与丝竹，乃八音。
There are joy and anger,
And sorrow and fear,
And love, hate and desire:
They are seven human feelings altogether.
There are gourd, pottery, leather,
And wood, stone and metal,
Together with string and bamboo,
All these can be made into musical instruments.
高曾祖，父而身；身而子，子而孙；自子孙，至元曾。乃九族，而之伦。
From his great-great-grandfather,
To his great-grandfather,
To his grandfather and father,
To himself and his son,
To his grandson and great-grandson,
And to his great-great-grandson:
Whoever is born into the world
Will face the nine-layer relation.(1)
(1) According to the ethical doctrines in ancient China, a person usually has nine-layer relations in the family, namely, 1)great-great-grandfather; 2)great-grandfather; 3)grandfather; 4)father; 5)self; 6)son; 7)grandson; 8)great-grandson; 9)great-great-grandson.
父子恩，夫妇从；兄则友，弟则恭。长幼序，友与朋。君则敬，臣则忠。
There should be affection between father and son,
As well as love between husband and wife.
Brothers should be kind to each other:
The elder's amiable, and the younger respectful.
A harmony should be maintained
Among families as well as friends.
Even the king should be cordial,
To whom the subjects can be loyal.
此十义，人所同。凡训蒙，须讲究。
These are called the Ten Doctrines
That everyone in the world should follow.
To enlighten the school children,
Good methods must be taken.
详训诂，名句读。为学者，必有初。
The meaning must be correctly grasped,
And the syntax clear in mind.
A pupil must start his learning
From the very beginning.
小学终，至四书。论语者，二十篇。群弟子，记善言。孟子者，七篇止。
After he has learned the basics,
He'd learn the Four Books (1) next.
The first book is Confucius' Analects,
Composed of twenty chapters,
Which were recorded by his disciples
And put together as living doctrines.
(1) The Four Books are the four basic Confucian classic works: Confucius' Analects (Lun Yu), Mencius (Meng Zi), the Doctrine of the Mean (Zhong Yong), the Great Learning (Da Xue)
讲道德，说仁义。作中庸，子思笔。中不偏，庸不易。作大学，乃曾子。
In which is highlighted moralities,
As well as benevolence and righteousness.
The third book is the Doctrine of the Mean,
Written by Zi Si (1), Confucius' grandson,
Who poses all midway,
In which the common truth exists.
Zeng Zi (2) wrote the Great Learning,
From which one can achieve a great deal.
(1) Zi Si (483 BC — 402 BC), the grandson of Confucius, and he was also called Kong Ji.
自修齐，至平治。孝经通，四书熟。
He demonstrated a way to self-improvement
From the individual life to the social affairs.
When one's mastered the Filial Scripture,
Together with the four books.
(2) Zeng Zi, the courtesy title of Zeng Shen, one of Confucius' disciples.
如六经，始可读。诗书易，礼春秋。号六经，当讲求。有连山，有归藏。
The Six Confucian Scriptures (1)
Can be for him a new start.
The Songs, the History, and the Changes,
And the Annals and the Rituals:
Are called the Six Confucian Scriptures,
Which are needed to be studied thoroughly.
There was Lianshan in the Xia Dynasty,
Which was called Guizang in the Shang,
(1) The Six Confucian Scriptures are the basic readings of the Confucian School, namely, the Book of Songs (Shi Jing), The Book of History (Shu Jing or Shang Shu), The Book of Rituals (Li Ji), the Book of Music (Yue Ji), and the Book of Annals (Chun Qiu or Spring and Autumn)
有周易，三易详。有典谟，有训诰。
And Zhouyi in the Zhou,
All refer to the Book of Changes.
With the records of the early sages' deeds,
And with the regulations and laws,
有誓命，书之奥。我周公，作周礼。
As well as the decrees and rules
The Book of History is hard to read.
A sage is called the Duke of Zhou,
Who drafted the rituals for the country.
著六官，存治体。大小戴，注礼记。
He appointed six ministers (1),
By whom the nation was governed.
Dai and his nephew (2) were two scholars,
Who annotated the Book of Rituals.
(1)According to the records of the Rituals, the power of the government was shared by six ministers, namely, the Minister of Heaven (Zhong Zai), the Minister of Earth (Si Tu), the Minister of Spring (Zong Bo), the Minister of Summer (Si Ma), the Minister of Autumn (Si Kou), and the Minister of Winter (Si Kong). This is the embryonic form of the Six-Ministry System in ancient China.
(2)Dai was a famous scholar of the Han Dynasty. His full name is Dai De. His nephew, whose name was Dai Sheng, was also a famous scholar. According to history, Dai De was called Senior Dai, and Dai Sheng, Junior Dai.
述圣言，礼乐备。曰国风，曰雅颂。
By digging from the sage's words,
The Book of Music came from the Ritual.
With the National Morals,
And the Grace and the Paeans,
号四诗，当讽咏。诗既亡，春秋作。
The Book of Songs is divided into four sections,
And each should be chanted and recited.
When tradition of collection folk songs is lost,
The Book of History was complied,
寓褒贬，别善恶。三传者，有公羊。
Which sets the moral code for state officials,
And which judges the good from the evil.
Three commentaries have been given
To the Book of History ever written:
有左氏，有谷梁。经既明，方读子。
There are three commentary authors:
Gong Yang, Zuo Qiuming and Gu Liang.
After having grasped the classics,
Once can read the works of other schools,
撮其要，记其事。五子者，有荀杨。
Not only drawing up the essentials,
But also learning by heart the details.
Five figures should be mentioned
Of the great masters of thought:
文中子，及老庄。经子通，读诸史。
They are named Xun Zi and Yang Zi, (1)
And Wen Zhong Zi, Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi. (2)
With a thorough understanding of the above mentioned,
One can proceed to historical works.
(1)Xun Zi, the honorary title awarded to XUn Kuang (about 313 BC-238 BC), a famous thinker in the late Warring States Period.
Yang Zi, the honorary title of Yang Xiong (53 BC-18 AD), a famous scholar in the West Han Dynasty.
(2)Wen Zhong Zi, the honorary title given to Wang Tong (584 AD-618 AD), a famous philosopher in the Sui Dynasty.
Lao Zi, the honorary title of Lao Dan, the greatest thinker in the late Spring and Autumn Period. His real name is Li Er. He was regarded as the founder of Taoism.
Zhuang Zi, the honorary title of Zhuang Zhou (about 369 BC-286 BC), a great philosopher lived in the Warring States Period.
考世系，知终始。自羲农，至黄帝。
From each phase of historical evolution,
Once can learn the ups and downs of each reign.
There lived Fu Xi and Shen Nong,
As well as Xuan Yuan. (1)
(1)Xuan Yuan, the name of the Yellow Emperor.
号三皇，居上世。唐有虞，号二帝。
They were called the Three Emperors,
Living long before in the good old days.
Yao (1) and Shun (2) reigned in the later years,
Who were called the Two Emperors.
(1)Yao, also called Tang Yao, a famous emperor in prehistoric period of China.
(2)Shun, also called Yu Shun, and successor to Emperor, another famous emperor in prehistoric period of China.
有左氏，有谷梁。经既明，方读子。
There are three commentary authors:
Gong Yang, Zuo Qiuming and Gu Liang.
After having grasped the classics,
Once can read the works of other schools,
相揖逊，称盛世。夏有禹，商有汤；
Both yielded the crown to capable men,
And their reigns were called the heydays.
There lived Yu (1) in the Xia Dynasty,
And there appeared Tang (2) in the Shang;
(1)Yu, also called Yu the Great, and successor to Emperor Shun, another famous emperor in prehistoric period of China.
(2)Tang, also called Shang Tang, he founded the Shang Dynasty.
周武王，称三王。夏传子，家天下。
Together with King Zhou Wen and his son (1),
They were called the Three Great Kings.
After Yu was succeeded by his son,
All under heaven were ruled by one family,
(1)Namely King Wu.
四百载，迁夏社。汤伐夏，国号商。
And the Xia Dynasty lasted four centuries long,
Till there were revolution in the country.
The revolution against Xia was led by Tang,
Who founded a new dynasty called Shang.
六百载，至纣亡。周武王，始诛纣。
Six centuries had passed
Before it was overthrown in the reign of Zhu.
Zhou Dynasty was founded by King Zhou Wu,
Who captured and beheaded cruel Zhu.
八百载，最长久。周辙东，王纲堕。
The Zhou Dynasty lasted eight centuries,
And it's the longest dynasty in history.
When the capital of Zhou was moved east,
The whole state began to go downward.
(彭发胜 译)
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