三字经英韵（前）
汉英对照·注解·完整版
人之初，
性本善。
性相近，
习相远。
Man on earth,
Good at birth.
The same nature
Varies on nurture.
人在太初或刚出世时其本性都是善良的；由于后天成长环境、教育背景不一样，性情也就有了各种各样的差别。
Man was good in the beginning, or he is good at birth. Human nature deviates due to different nurtures.
苟不教，
性乃迁。
教之道，
贵以专。
With no education,
There'd be aberration.
To teach well,
You deeply dwell.
对孩子如果不进行适当的教育，其本性就会发生变化。说到教育，最关键的问题就是要专心一致，精讲要义而不厌其烦。
If a child is not properly taught, he may go astray. In education, what is important is to be focused, dwelling on key points.
昔孟母，
择邻处，
子不学，
断机杼。
Then Mencius' mother
Chose her neighbor.
At Mencius sloth,
She cut th' cloth.
战国时期，孟子的母亲为了使孟子有个良好的学习环境曾经三次搬家。有一次孟子逃学，孟母就割断织机的布来表明事情的严重性和中断学习的后果。
In the Warring State period, Mencius' mother moved three times for better environment for her son. Mencius once played truant, and she cut the cloth she was weaving to show her seriousness and the consequences of interrupted learning.
窦燕山，
有义方，
教五子，
名俱扬。
Dough, as hight,
Managed so right.
His five sons
Became famous ones.
五代十国时期，有个燕山人，名叫窦禹钧，他创办私塾，延聘名师，教子有方。他的五个儿子都科举成名，很有成就。
In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, there was a man, Dough by name, from the Swallow Hills. He founded a private school, hired famous teachers, and managed well in having his children taught. All his five sons passed the Imperial Examinations and lived very successful lives.
养不教，
父之过。
教不严，
师之惰。
What's a father?
A good teacher.
What's a teacher?
A strict preacher.
养育儿女，仅仅供其吃穿，而不进行良好的教育，那是做父亲的过错。教育为本，但是只教育，而不严格要求那就是做老师的没有尽到职责了。
It is not enough to provide children with food and clothing. Education is important. To rear children without giving them good education is a father's fault; a teacher is considered lazy if he is not strict with the children he teaches.
子不学，
非所宜。
幼不学，
老何为？
An unschooled child
Will grow wild.
A young loafer,
An old loser!
小孩子应该好好学习。一个人小时候如果不好好学习，到老的时候能有什么用呢？
A child should have proper education. If one does not do well, what will become of him when he is grown up?
玉不琢，
不成器。
人不学，
不知义。
No jade crude,
Shows craft good.
Unless you learn,
Brute you'll turn.
璞玉不经打磨，便不会成为精美的艺术品；人要是不学习，就不懂得人情礼节，也就不能有用之才。
If jade is not honed and carved, it will not be a fine piece of art; if one does not receive education, he will not be a gentleman, and will not be something.
为人子，
方少时，
亲师友，
习礼仪。
Son of man,
Mature you can.
Teacher or peer,
Hold them dear.
作为儿女，或如人子，终会长大成人。在成长过程中应学会亲近师友，当心存感激，不要轻慢无礼，要学一些为人处事的礼节。
As children, you will grow up like Son of Man . While young, you should approach and requite your models like teachers and friends, and learn good manners from them.
香九龄，
能温席。
孝于亲，
所当执。
Hsiang, at nine,
Warmed bedding fine,
Follow this one,
This filial son.
东汉时，有个叫黄香的，九岁时就懂得孝顺父母，比如他冬天给父亲暖热被窝。这种行为是每个孝顺父母的人都应该实行和效仿的。
A boy named Hsiang (Huang Hsiang) in the Eastern Han Dynasty knew how to show kindness to his parents at nine. He warmed bedding for his father in winter. One should do like this, to be a filial son.
融四岁，
能让梨。
弟于长，
宜先知。
Aged four years,
Rong proffered pears.
Bear in mind
Fraternally be kind.
汉代时，孔子的后人孔融年仅四岁就知道把梨让给哥哥吃。这种尊敬和友爱兄长的道理，是每个人从小就应该知道的。
And in the Han Dynasty, Rong (Kong Rong),Confuius' descendant, offered his pears to his brother although he was only four. Everyone should learn this kind of respect for affinity.
首孝悌，
次见闻，
知某数，
识某文。
Stress piety more
Than your lore.
Learn some numeracy,
Know some literacy.
孝敬父母、爱护兄弟是首要的，其次才是知识。至于知识，大家要学点算术和语文。
Piety (loving parents and brothers) is more important than knowledge. As for knowledge, one should learn some numeracy and literacy.
一而十，
十而百，
百而千，
千而万。
One to ten,
A hundred then,
One thousand more,
Ten thousand afore.
我国采用十进位数制：一到十是基本数字，然后依次为一百、一千、一万……以此数制可以无穷地计算下去。
Decimalism is adopted in China: one to ten is primary, next is one hundred, then one thousand, ten thousand, and so on. All computations can be done with this.
三才者，
天地人。
三光者，
日月星。
Tri-vitals, of worth:
Man, heaven, earth;
Tri-lights, a boon:
Sun, stars, moon.
大家还应该具备一些基本的知识，比如什么叫三才？三才指的是天、地、人三个元素。什么叫三光呢？三光就是太阳、月亮、星星。
And one should know some rudiments, such as what we call tri-vitals, or three elements, that is, Heaven, Earth, Man, and what we call tri-lights or three luminaries, that is, Sun, Moon and Stars.
三纲者，
君臣义
父子亲，
夫妇顺。
Three tenets always:
Subject Lord obeys;
Child Father reveres;
Wife Man endears.
人与人之间关系应该遵守的三个行为准则是什么呢？就是君王与臣子之间要合乎义理，父母子女之间要相亲相爱，夫妻之间要和和美美。
What are the three tenets one should always follow? The king or emperor should be obeyed by his subjects, the father should be revered by his children, and the man endeared by his wife.
曰春夏，
曰秋冬，
此四时，
运不穷。
Spring and summer,
Autumn and winter.
These four seasons
Cycle with reasons.
春、夏、秋、冬叫做四时，即一年分为四个季节。这四个季节按照一定的规律交替运行，春去夏来，秋去冬来，循环往复，以至无穷。
We have four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. They alternate according to a certain law, round by round, never to end.
曰南北，
曰西东，
此四方，
应乎中。
South, north, west,
'N east, we quest.
These four ways
Upon center gaze.
东、南、西、北，这叫作四方，是四个方向。这四个方位是相对的，必须有个中心位置才能确定各个方位。
We have four ways or directions called east, west, south, and north. These four ways are reciprocal, determined by a central position.
曰水火，
木金土，
此五行，
本乎数。
Water, fire, behold,
Earth, wood, gold.
These five materials
Accord to numerals.
所谓五行，指的是金、木、水、火、土。五行用来指称宇宙间的各种抽象概念，可看做五大表征。五行根据一、二、三、四、五的数理，相生相克。
The so-called five elements are gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. These represent various abstract ideas in the cosmos, The five elements we may understand as five representations.They form a system of checks and balances depending on the combination and function of the numerals, that is, one, two, three, four, and five.
十干者，
甲至癸。
十二支，
子至亥 。
The Ten Trunks
Are great chunks.
The Twelve Wings
Are good things.
“十干”指“天干”的十个要素，即甲、乙、丙、丁、戊、己、庚、辛、壬、癸；“十二支”指“地支”的十二个要素，即子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、申、酉、戌、亥。“天干”与“地支”两两配对组成循环往复的“六十干支“ 。
The Ten Trunks or the Ten Heaven Trunks are Crust (jia), Creep (yi), Flame (bing), Strong (ding), Rank (wu), Rise (ji), Wait (geng), New (xin), Bear (ren), Rear (gui); The Twelve Wings or the Twelve Earth Wings are Babe (zi), Sprout (chou), Spread (yin), Grow (mao), Mature (chen), Prime (si), Ripe (wu), Taste (wei), Grown (shen), Old (you), Sear (xu), End (hai). The combination of two elements respectively from the trunk and wing systems makes a recursive Chinese sexagenary cycle, also known as Trunks-and-Wings, that is, a cyclic numeral system of 60 combinations of the Ten Trunks and the Twelve Wings.
曰黄道，
日所躔。
曰赤道，
当中权。
The Ecliptic line,
The Zodiacal Sign，
And the Equator
Circling the center.
地球围着太阳转；太阳围着银河系转。“黄道”指地球围绕太阳运行的轨道，“赤道”指地球中央那条假想的与地轴垂直的大圆圈。
The earth revolves around the sun, and the sun revolves around the Milky Way. The track of the revolution of the earth is called ecliptic, and the imaginary circle vertical to the earth's axis is called equator.
赤道下，
温暖极。
我中华，
在东北。
Nowhere is hotter
Than the equator.
China, the greatest
Lies in Northeast.
地球的赤道地带，气候特别炎热，属热带；从赤道向南向北两个方向，气温逐渐变低。我们国家地处地球的东北边。
Along the equator, it is the hottest,and this is the tropical zone.Temperature drops gradually south and north of the equator. China is northeast on the earth.
寒燠均，
霜露改。
右高原，
左大海。
Temperature fiting you;
There's frosty dew.
Right, plateaus stand;
Left, seas expand.
我国气候冷暖匀称，有霜期和露期。右边是高原，左边是大海。
China has a mild temperature, with frost and dew. On the right are plateaus, and on the left are great seas.
曰江河，
曰淮济。
此四渎，
水之纪 。
Long and River,
Clara and Phora.
These rivers four
All along outpour.
中国有许多河流，直接流入大海的有长江、黄河、淮河和济水，这四条大河是中国河流的代表。
China has many rivers. The four representatives, the Long (the Yangtze River), the River (the Yellow River), the Level (the Huai River), and the Phora (the Ji River) flow into the sea.
曰岱华，
嵩恒衡。
此五岳，
山之名。
Arch, Flora, Tower,
Scale, and Ever!
These high mountains
Are five chieftains.
中国多山，有五大名山，总称“五岳”，就是东岳泰山、西岳华山、中岳嵩山、南岳衡山、北岳恒山。
China has five famous representative mountains, called Five Mounts--Arch (Mount Tai) in the east, Flora (Mount Hua) in the west, Tower (Mount Song) at the center, Scale (Mount Heng) in the south, and Ever (Mount Heng) in the north.
曰士农，
曰工商。
此四民，
国之良 。
Officials and farmers,
Merchants and workers,
These four great,
Maintain the State
中国人口众多，为世界之最。官员、农民、工人和商人称为四民，这是社会重要的组成部分。
China has the largest population in the world. Officials, farmers, workers, and merchants are the mainstay of the society.
曰仁义，
礼智信，
此五常，
不容紊。
Grace, justice, courtesy
Wisdom, and fidelity
Good order derive
From Constants Five.
为人处事应当牢记仁、义、礼、智、信这五种不变的法则，这样社会才能稳定，祥和。
Everyone should bear in mind what we call Constants Five——grace, trust, decency, wisdom, and honesty. Only the constants are kept can the society be stable and peaceful.
地所生，
有草木。
此植物，
遍水陆。
Earth makes good
Grass and wood.
These plants command
Water and land.
地球上有花草，有树木，这些属于植物，陆上水里到处都有。
There grow grass, flowers, and trees on earth. There are plants everywhere on land and in water.
有虫鱼，
有鸟兽。
此动物，
能飞走。
Fishes and birds,
Worms and herds.
These creatures cry,
Run or fly.
中国的动物类包括虫、鱼、鸟和兽。有的能在天空飞，有的能在陆地走，有的能在水里游。
Worms, fishes, birds, and herds make the fauna of China. Some can fly in the sky, some can walk over the land, and some can swim in water.
稻粱菽，
麦黍稷，
此六谷，
人所食。
Rice, sorghum, beans,
Wheat, millet, corns.
These crops main
Our life sustain.
稻子、小麦、豆类、小米、玉米和高梁是中国人的主食。
The staple food of the Chinese people is from such crops as rice, wheat, beans, corns, millet, and sorghum.
马牛羊，
鸡犬豕，
此六畜，
人所饲。
Horses, sheep, cows,
Chickens, dogs, sows.
These six breeds
A husbandman feeds.
在动物中有马、牛、羊、鸡、狗和猪，驯化而来，这叫六畜。
Horses, cows, sheep, chickens, dogs, and pigs are six breeds that have been domesticated.
曰喜怒，
曰哀惧，
爱恶欲，
七情具。
Say anger, gladness,
Say fear, sadness,
Hate, greed, love
Seven feelings above.
喜、怒、哀、惧、 爱、恶、欲，合起来叫七情。这是与生俱来的七种感情。
Anger, happiness, fear, sadness, love, hate, and greed are seven leading emotions that humans are born with.
青赤黄，
及黑白。
此五色，
目所识。
Green, red, yellow.
Black 'n white follow.
Five colors vie,
Wakening the eye.
青色、黄色、赤色、黑色和白色，是最最常见、最重要的五种颜色，是人眼所能够识别的。
Green, yellow, red, black, and white are the five main colors traditionally deemed important by the Chinese people. They are discernible to the naked eye.
酸苦甘，
及辛咸。
此五味，
口所含。
Sour, bitter, sweet,
Hot 'n salty meet.
These tastes five
Make palates alive.
我们能够用味觉分辩出来的味道，有酸、甜、苦、辣、咸这五种。
There are five tastes perceptible to the tongue, namely, sour, bitter, hotness, sweet, and salty.
膻焦香，
及腥朽。
此五臭，
鼻所嗅。
Muttony, burnt, balmy,
Fishy, and moldy,
These smells five
Make noses alive.
我们用鼻子可以闻出的气味，主要有五种，即羊膻味、烧焦味、香味、鱼腥味和腐朽味。
There are five main smells perceptible to the nose, namely, muttony, burnt, balmy, fishy, and moldy.
匏土革
木石金，
丝与竹，
乃八音。
Gourd, leather, clay
Wood we play,
Stone, metal, bamboo,
And string, too.
我国古人根据材料把乐器分为八种，即匏瓜、粘土、皮革、木块、石头、金属、丝线与竹子，统称为“八音”。
The ancient Chinese people made a division of eight musical instruments according to materials they were made of, namely, gourd, clay, leather, wood, stone, metal, string, and bamboo, called "musical eight".
曰平上，
曰去入。
此四声，
宜调协。
Level, and bounce,
Fall, and in-nounce.
These four tones
For tuned phones.
中国古人把说话声音的声调分为平、上、去、入四种。这四个单音应该和谐悦耳。
Ancient Chinese spoke with four tones: level, bounce, fall, and in-nounce, and these four tones should be in tune.
高曾祖，
父而身，
身而子，
子而孙。
Grand, great-grand, great-geat-grand
Father, myself, and
Children, and grandchildren
All are kinsmen.
由高祖父生曾祖父，曾祖父生祖父，祖父生父亲，父亲生我本身，我生儿子，儿子再生孙子。
Greater grandparents (great-great-grand) beget great-grandparents, great-grandparents beget grandparents, grandparents beget father, and father begets son, etc.
自子孙，
至玄曾，
乃九族，
人之伦。
Now great-grand, and
His son, great-great-grand.
There're generations nine,
A genealogical line.
从高祖父到曾孙称为“九族”。这“九族”代表着家族血统的承续关系。
From great-grand (great-great-grandfather) to great-gand ( great-great-grandchildren, there are all together nine generations, forming a kindred genealogical line.
父子恩，
夫妇从。
兄则友，
弟则恭。
Father loves son;
Man-wife is one.
Brothers are bland,
Hand in hand.
父子有恩情，夫妻要和顺，兄对弟友爱，弟对兄尊敬。
A father should love his children and be loved by them, man and wife should be harmonious, and brothers should be kind--the older takes care of the younger and the younger shows respect to the older.
长幼序，
友与朋。
君则敬，
臣则忠。
Senior to young,
The ethical rung.
Lord loves subjects,
And enjoys respects.
社会生活中应当有长幼尊卑的次序；君主爱护臣子，以民为本，民则敬仰君主。
There should be an ethical rung--the old should be given priority; If a king loves his subjects, the latter will respect him, be loyal to him.
此十义，
人所同。
当师叙，
勿违背。
This you remember
For every member.
This you obey
For every day.
前面提到的十义是人人都应遵守并广为宣传的，千万不能违背。
The above-mentioned moral principles should be borne in mind and be told to others, and should never be breached.
斩齐衰，
大小功。
至缌麻，
五服终。
Cuts and completes,
Merits and feats,
And linen, too
For funeral blue.
中国古代有五种孝服，分别是斩衰、齐衰、大功、小功和缌麻。
There are five kinds of funeral garments in ancient China, that is, cuts (cut coarsely), completes (complete with all parts), merits (to commemorate the merits of the dead ), feats (to commemorate the feats of the dead), and linen .
有古文，
大小篆。
隶草继，
不可乱。
Old characters, behold
Seals, lesser 'nd bold,
Straight and cursive,
Five scripts successive!
我国的文字演变出了古文、大篆、小篆、隶书、草书这五种主要形式，这些一定要认清楚，不可搞乱了。
Chinese script styles developed from old characters, to bold seal, lesser seal, straight, and cursive. These styles should be distinguished each from the other.
若广学，
惧其繁。
但略说，
能知原。
To learn widely
Is seldom easy.
To study some,
Informed you become.
假如你想广泛地学习知识，实在是不容易的事，但是如果大体涉猎，还是能够了解到许多基本道理的。
If you want to learn extensively, it is not an easy matter. If you study generally, you'll become knowing, with an acquisition of some basic facts.
礼乐射，
御书数。
古六艺，
今不具。
Rituals, calligraphy, shooting,
Music, mathematics, driving.
These six arts
Need devoted hearts.
礼法、音乐、射箭、驾车、书法和算数是古代读书人的六门课程，统称六艺。六艺需全身心投入，到现在很少有人能同时具备了。
Rituals, music, shooting, driving, calligraphy, and mathematics are the six courses or arts the ancient people were required to learn at school.These arts are demanding, and now very few people can master them all.
惟书学，
人共遵。
既识字，
讲说文。
Calligraphy's the one
Neglected by none.
Words already learned,
Motivations are concerned.
在六艺中，现在只有书法还广受推崇。认识了一些汉字之后，就可以去研究《说文解字》了。
Of the six arts, now only calligraphy is valued by everybody. When one has learned enough characters, it is necessary to inquire into the Motivations of the Characters.
凡训蒙，
须讲究，
详训诂，
明句窦。
While you teach,
Do deeply reach.
Go with explanation,
And guide punctuation.
老师教导小学生，必须耐心认真，每句话都要详细解释，使之懂得断句，了解句子的起承转合。
As a teacher of children, you should reach deeply, carefully explain what a sentence means and teach them how to understand the cohesion and coherence of a text.
为学者，
必有初，
小学终，
至四书。
Now to learn,
Make a turn.
From school nooks
To Four Books.
学习要有一个良好的开端，求学初期要打好基础，循序渐进，小学之后才可以读“四书”。
A learner should have a good beginning. Only on a good foundation in primary school can a learner proceed to the classics, i.e. the Four Books.
论语者，
二十篇，
群弟子，
记善言。
Analects--the lections
Has twenty sections.
Confucius and disciples
Gave off sparkles.
《论语》二十篇。记载的是孔子及弟子们之间的言论，皆是微言大义的警语。
The Analects, consisting of twenty sections, is a book of sparkling dialogues between Confucius and his disciples.
孟子者，
七篇止，
讲道德，
说仁义。
Mencius, the sutras,
Has seven chapters.
These are counsels
Of virtues 'nd morals.
《孟子》这本书，孟轲所作，共分七篇。内容是关于品行修养、道德仁义等方面的言论。
Mencius, named after the author, is divided into seven chapters, which are counsels of virtues and morals.
作中庸，
乃孔伋，
中不偏，
庸不易。
The Golden Mean,
All kept between.
Kong Jih,the scholar
Is its author.
《中庸》这本书的作者是孔子的孙子孔伋，书中讲的是中庸，即不偏、不变的意思。
The Golden Mean was authored by Kong Jih, grandson of Confucius, which is about how to keep constant equilibrium.
作大学，
乃曾子，
自修齐，
至平治。
Great Learning, great,
Tsengcius did create:
From personal perfection
To national progression.
《大学》这本书的作者是曾参。他提出了修齐平治的主张，具体是“修身齐家治国平天下”。
Great Learning was written by Tsengcius, who proposed the idea of personal perfection and national progression, to be specific, self-perfection, family harmonizing, state governing, and world pacification.
孝经通，
四书熟，
如六经，
始可读。
Piety learned ahead,
Four Books fully-read,
Six Classics now,
You should plough.
先学了《孝经》中的道理，再把《四书》读熟了，这样就可以去读《六经》这样的经典了。
After you have learned what is preached in Piety and get versed in Four Books, you can proceed to plough through Six Classics.
诗书易，
礼春秋，
号六经，
当讲求。
History, Changes, Odes,
Books of altitudes.
Spring 'nd Fall, Rituals
Books for perusals.
《诗》、《书》、《易》、《礼》、《春秋》，再加上《乐》统称六经。这是中国古代儒家的经典，应当仔细阅读。
Odes, History, Changes, Spring 'nd Fall, Rituals, and Music are collectively called Six Classics. These are important Confucian literatures to be read closely.
有连山，
有归藏，
有周易，
三易详。
Book of Ranges,
Book of Changes,
Book of Retreat,
Detailed and great.
《连山》、《周易》、《归藏》是我国古代的三部书，合称“三易”，“三易”用“卦”的形式来说明宇宙间万事万物的循环变化。
Book of Ranges, Book of Changes, Book of Retreat are three important books in Ancient China, collectively called three books of changes, in which divinatory symbols are used to predict the changes of things in the universe.
有典谟，
有训诰。
有誓命，
书之奥。
Canons, duties, plans,
Edicts, oaths, bans,
And imperial mandates,
Are History's aggregates.
《书经》包括立国的基本原则、治国计划、大臣义务、国君通告、起兵文告、国君命令等内容。
History includes state documents such as canons, duties, plans, edicts, oaths, bans, and imperial mandates.
