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三字经之解析篇 explanation for san zi jing

2013-05-14T00:30:00.000Z

1、人之初，性本善。性相近，习相远。

【解释】人生下来的时候都是好的，只是由于成长过程中，后天的学习环境不一样，性情也就有了好与坏的差别。

2、苟不教，性乃迁。教之道，贵以专。

【解释】如果从小不好好教育，善良的本性就会变坏。为了使人不变坏，最重要的方法就是要专心一致地去教育孩子。

3、昔孟母，择邻处。子不学，断机杼。

【解释】战国时，孟子的母亲曾三次搬家，是为了使孟子有个好的学习环境。一次孟子逃学，孟母就折断了织布的机杼来教育孟子。

4、窦燕山，有义方。教五子，名俱扬。

【解释】五代时，燕山人窦禹钧教育儿子很有方法，他教育的五个儿子都很有成就，同时科举成名。

5、养不教，父之过。教不严，师之惰。

【解释】仅仅是供养儿女吃穿，而不好好教育，是父母的过错。只是教育，但不严格要求就是做老师的懒惰了。

6、子不学，非所宜。幼不学，老何为。

【解释】小孩子不肯好好学习，是很不应该的。一个人倘若小时候不好好学习，到老的时候既不懂做人的道理，又无知识，能有什么用呢？

7、玉不琢，不成器。人不学，不知义。

【解释】玉不打磨雕刻，不会成为精美的器物；人若是不学习，就不懂得礼仪，不能成才。

8、为人子，方少时。亲师友，习礼仪。

【解释】做儿女的，从小时候就要亲近老师和朋友，以便从他们那里学习到许多为人处事的礼节和知识。

9、香九龄，能温席。孝于亲，所当执。

【解释】东汉人黄香，九岁时就知道孝敬父亲，替父亲暖被窝。这是每个孝顺父母的人都应该实行和效仿的。

10、融四岁，能让梨。弟于长，宜先知。

【解释】汉代人孔融四岁时，就知道把大的梨让给哥哥吃，这种尊敬和友爱兄长的道理，是每个人从小就应该知道的。 “弟”通“悌”，尊敬友爱。

11、首孝悌，次见闻。知某数，识某文。

【解释】人生急当首务者，莫大于孝弟，故人事亲事长，必要尽其孝弟。孝弟乃一件大事。其次一等，多见天下之事，以广其所知，多闻古今之理，以广其所学。知十百千万之数为某数，识古今圣贤之事为某文也

12、一而十，十而百。百而千，千而万。

【解释】我国采用十进位算术方法：一到十是基本的数字，然后十个十是一百，十个一百是一千，十个一千是一万……一直变化下去。

13、三才者，天地人。三光者，日月星。

【解释】还应该知道一些日常生活常识，如什么叫“三才”？三才指的是天、地、人三个方面。什么叫“三光呢？三光就是太阳、月亮、星星。

14、三纲者，君臣义。父子亲，夫妇顺。

【解释】什么是“三纲”呢？三纲是人与人之间关系应该遵守的三个行为准则，就是君王与臣子的言行要合乎义理，父母子女之间相亲相爱，夫妻之间和顺相处。

15、曰春夏，曰秋冬。此四时，运不穷。

【解释】再让我们看一看四周环境，春、夏、秋、冬叫做四季。这四时季节不断变化，春去夏来，秋去冬来，如此循环往复，永不停止。

16、曰南北，曰西东。此四方，应乎中。

【解释】说到东、南、西、北，这叫作“四方”，是指各个方向的位置。这四个方位，必须有个中央位置对应，才能把各个方位定出来。

17、曰水火，木金土。此五行，本乎数。

【解释】至于说到“五行”，那就是金、木、水、火、土。这是中国古代用来指宇宙各种事物的抽象概念，是根据一、二、三、四、五这五个数字和组合变化而产生的。

18、十干者，甲至癸。十二支，子至亥。

【解释】“十干”指的是甲、乙、丙、丁、戊、己、庚、辛、壬、癸，又叫“天干”；“十二支”指的是子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、申、酉、戌、亥，又叫“地支”，是古代记时的标记。

19、曰黄道，日所躔。曰赤道，当中权。

【解释】太阳行走的轨迹叫做黄道，大地所在的平面位于中间，这个平面叫做赤道。根据古人天圆地方的宇宙观，古人不知道地球是球体，所以古人所说的赤道应该就指的是他们所生活的这个平面。

地球围绕太阳运转，而太阳又围绕着银河系中心运转。太阳运行的轨道叫“黄道”，在地球中央有一条假想的与地轴垂直的大圆圈，这就是赤道。

20、赤道下，温暖极。我中华，在东北。

【解释】在赤道地区，温度最高，气候特别炎热，从赤道向南北两个方向，气温逐渐变低。我们国家是地处地球的东北边。

21、寒燠均，霜露改。右高原，左大海。

【解释】我国气候冷暖匀称而有霜露。右边是高原，左边是大海。

22、曰江河，曰淮济。此四渎，水之纪。

【解释】中国是个地大物博的国家，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。

23、曰岱华，嵩恒衡。此五岳，山之名。

【解释】中国的五大名山，称为“五岳”，就是东岳泰山、西岳华山、中岳嵩山、南岳衡山、北岳恒山，这五座山是中国大山的代表。

24、曰士农，曰工商。此四民，国之良。

【解释】中国是世界上人口最多的国家。知识分子、农民、工人和商人，是国家不可缺少的栋梁，称为四民，这是社会重要的组成部分。

25、曰仁义，礼智信。此五常，不容紊。

【解释】如果所有的人都能以仁、义、礼、智、信这五种不变的法则做为处事做人的标准，社会就会永保祥和，所以每个人都应遵守，不可怠慢疏忽。

26、地所生，有草木。此植物，遍水陆。

【解释】除了人类，在地球上还有花草树木，这些属于植物，在陆地上和水里到处都有。

27、有虫鱼，有鸟兽。此动物，能飞走。

【解释】虫、鱼、鸟、兽属于动物，这些动物有的能在天空中飞，有的能在陆地上走，有的能在水里游。

28、稻粱菽，麦黍稷。此六谷，人所食。

【解释】人类生活中的主食有的来自植物，像稻子、小麦、豆类、玉米和高粱，这些是我们日常生活的重要食品。

29、马牛羊，鸡犬豕。此六畜，人所饲。

【解释】在动物中有马、牛、羊、鸡、狗和猪，这叫六畜。这些动物和六谷一样本来都是野生的。后来被人们渐渐驯化后，才成为人类日常生活的必需品。

30、曰喜怒，曰哀惧。爱恶欲，七情俱。

【解释】高兴叫作喜，生气叫作哀，害怕叫作惧，心里喜欢叫爱，讨厌叫恶，内心很贪恋叫作欲，合起来叫七情。这是人生下来就有的七种感情。

31、青赤黄，及黑白。此五色，目所识。

【解释】青色、黄色、赤色、黑色和白色，这是我国古代传统的五行中的五种颜色，是人们的肉眼能够识别的。

32、酸苦甘，及辛咸。此五味，口所含。

【解释】在我们平时所吃的食物中，全能用嘴巴分辨出来的，有酸、甜、苦、辣和咸，这五种味道。

33、膻焦香，及腥朽。此五臭，鼻所嗅。

【解释】我们的鼻子可以闻出东西的气味，气味主要有五种，即羊膻味、烧焦味、香味、鱼腥味和腐朽味。

34、匏土革，木石金。丝与竹，乃八音。

【解释】我国古代人把制造乐器的材料，分为八种，即匏瓜、粘土、皮革、木块、石头、金属、丝线与竹子，称为“八音”。

35、曰平上，曰去入。此四声，宜调协。

【解释】我们的祖先把说话声音的声调分为平、上、去、入四种。四声的运用必须和谐，听起来才能使人舒畅。

36、高曾祖，父而身。身而子，子而孙。

【解释】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。

37、自子孙，至玄曾。乃九族，人之伦。

【解释】由自己的儿子、孙子再接下去，就是曾孙和玄孙。从高祖父到玄孙称为“九族”。这“九族”代表着人的长幼尊卑秩序和家族血统的承续关系。

38、父子恩，夫妇从。兄则友，弟则恭。

【解释】父亲与儿子之间要注重相互的恩情，夫妻之间的感情要和顺，哥哥对弟弟要友爱，弟弟对哥哥则要尊敬。

39、长幼序，友与朋。君则敬，臣则忠。

【解释】年长的和年幼的交往要注意长幼尊卑的次序；朋友相处应该互相讲信用。如果君主能尊重他的臣子，官吏们就会对他忠心耿耿了。

40、此十义，人所同。当顺叙，勿违背。

【解释】前面提到的十义：父慈、子孝、夫和、妻顺、兄友、弟恭、朋信、友义、君敬、臣忠，这是人人都应遵守的，千万不能违背。

41、斩齐衰，大小功。至缌麻，五服终。

【解释】斩衰、齐衰、大功、小功和缌麻，这是中国古代亲族中不同的人死去时穿的五种孝服。

42、礼乐射，御书数。古六艺，今不具。

【解释】礼法、音乐、射箭、驾车、书法和算数是古代读书人必须学习的六种技艺，这六种技艺到现已经没有人能同时具备了。

43、惟书学，人共遵。既识字，讲说文。

【解释】在六艺中，只有书法现今社会还是每个人都推崇的。当一个人认识字以后，就可以去研究《说文解字》，这样对于研究高深的学问是有帮助的。

44、有古文，大小篆。隶草继，不可乱。

【解释】我国的文字发展经历了古文、大篆、小篆、隶书、草书，这一定要认清楚，不可搞混乱了。

45、若广学，惧其繁。但略说，能知原。

【解释】假如你想广泛地学习知识，实在是不容易的事，也无从下手，但如能做大体研究，还是能了解到许多基本的道理。

46、凡训蒙，须讲究。详训诂，明句读。

【解释】凡是教导刚入学的儿童的老师，必须把每个字都讲清楚，每句话都要解释明白，并且使学童读书时懂得断句。

47、为学者，必有初。小学终，至四书。

【解释】作为一个学者，求学的初期打好基础，把小学知识学透了，才可以读“四书”。

48、论语者，二十篇。群弟子，记善言。

【解释】《论语》这本书共有二十篇。是孔子的弟子们，以及弟子的弟子们，记载有关孔子言论的一部书。

49、孟子者，七篇止。讲道德，说仁义。

【解释】《孟子》这本书是孟轲所作，共分七篇。内容也是有关品行修养、发扬道德仁义等优良德行的言论。

50、作中庸，乃孔伋。中不偏，庸不易。

【解释】作《中庸》这本书的是孔伋，“中”是不偏的意思，“庸”是不变的意思。

51、作大学，乃曾子。自修齐，至平治。

【解释】作《大学》这本书的是曾参，他提出了“修身齐家治国平天下”的主张。

52、四书熟，孝经通。如六经，始可读。

【解释】把四书读熟了，孝经的道理弄明白了，才可以去读六经这样深奥的书。

53、诗书易，礼春秋。号六经，当讲求。

【解释】《诗》、《书》、《易》、《礼》、《春秋》，再加上《乐》称六经，这是中国古代儒家的重要经典，应当仔细阅读。

54、有连山，有归藏。有周易，三易详。

【解释】《连山》、《归藏》、《周易》，是我国古代的三部书，这三部书合称“三易”，“三易”是用“卦”的形式来说明宇宙间万事万物循环变化的道理的书籍。

55、有典谟，有训诰。有誓命，书之奥。

【解释】《书经》的内容分六个部分：一典，是立国的基本原则；二谟，即治国计划；三训，即大臣的态度；四诰，即国君的通告；五誓，起兵文告；六命，国君的命令。

56、我周公，作周礼。著六官，存治体。

【解释】周公著作了《周礼》，其中记载着当时六宫的官制以及国家的组成情况。

57、大小戴，注礼记。述圣言，礼乐备。

【解释】戴德和戴圣整理并且注释《礼记》，传述和阐扬了圣贤的著作，这使后代人知道了前代的典章制度和有关礼乐的情形。

58、曰国风，曰雅颂。号四诗，当讽咏。

【解释】《国风》、《大雅》、《小雅》、《颂》，合称为四诗，它是一种内容丰富、感情深切的诗歌，实在是值得我们去朗诵的。

59、诗既亡，春秋作。寓褒贬，别善恶。

【解释】后来由于周朝的衰落，诗经也就跟着被冷落了，所以孔子就作《春秋》，在这本书中隐含着对现实政治的褒贬以及对各国善恶行为的分辨。

60、三传者，有公羊。有左氏，有谷梁。

【解释】三传就是羊高所著的《公羊传》，左丘明所著的《左传》和谷梁赤所著的《谷梁传》，它们都是解释《春秋》的书。

61、经既明，方读子。撮其要，记其事。

【解释】经传都读熟了然后读子书。子书繁杂，必须选择比较重要的来读，并且要记住每件事的本末因果。

62、五子者，有荀扬。文中子，及老庄。

【解释】五子是指荀子、扬子、文中子、老子和庄子。他们所写的书，便称为子书。

63、经子通，读诸史。考世系，知终始。

【解释】经书和子书读熟了以后，再读史书、读史时必须要考究各朝各代的世系，明白他们盛衰的原因，才能从历史中记取教训。

64、自羲农，至黄帝。号三皇，居上世。

【解释】自伏羲氏、神农氏到黄帝，这三位上古时代的帝王都能勤政爱民、非常伟大，因此后人尊称他们为“三皇”。

65、唐有虞，号二帝。相揖逊，称盛世。

【解释】黄帝之后，有唐尧和虞舜二位帝王，尧认为自己的儿子不肖，而把帝位传给了才德兼备的舜，在两位帝王治理下，天下太平，人人称颂。

66、夏有禹，商有汤。周文武，称三王。

【解释】夏朝的开国君主是禹，商朝的开国君主是汤，周朝的开国君主是文王和武王。这几个德才兼备的君王被后人称为三王。

67、夏传子，家天下。四百载，迁夏社。

【解释】禹把帝位传给自己的儿子，从此天下就成为一个家族所有的了。经过四百多年，夏被汤灭掉，从而结束了它的统治。

68 、汤伐夏，国号商，六百载，至纣亡。

【解释】

68、周武王，始诛纣。八百载，最长久。

【解释】周武王起兵灭掉商朝，杀死纣王，建立周朝，周朝的历史最长，前后延续了八百多年。

69、周辙东，王纲坠。逞干戈，尚游说。

【解释】自从周平王东迁国都后，对诸侯的控制力就越来越弱了。诸侯国之间时常发生战争，而游说之士也开始大行其道。

70、始春秋，终战国。五霸强，七雄出。

【解释】东周分为两个阶段，一是春秋时期，一是战国时期。春秋时的齐桓公、宋襄公、晋文公、秦穆公和楚庄王号称五霸。战国的七雄分别为齐楚燕韩赵魏秦。

71、嬴秦氏，始兼并。传二世，楚汉争。

【解释】战国末年，秦国的势力日渐强大，把其他诸侯国都灭掉了，建立了统一的秦朝。秦传到二世胡亥，天下又开始大乱，最后，形成楚汉相争的局面。

72、高祖兴，汉业建。至孝平，王莽篡。

【解释】汉高祖打败了项羽，建立汉朝。汉朝的帝位传了两百多年，到了孝平帝时，就被王莽篡夺了。

73、光武兴，为东汉。四百年，终于献。

【解释】王莽篡权。改国号为新，天下大乱，刘秀推翻更始帝，恢复国号为汉，史称东汉光武帝，东汉延续四百年，到汉献帝的时候灭亡。

74、魏蜀吴，争汉鼎。号三国，迄两晋。

【解释】东汉末年，魏国、蜀国、吴国争夺天下，形成三国相争的局面。后来魏灭了蜀国和吴国，但被司马炎篡夺了帝位，建立了晋朝，晋又分为东晋和西晋两个时期。

75、宋齐继，梁陈承。为南朝，都金陵。

【解释】晋朝王室南迁以后，不久就衰亡了，继之而起的是南北朝时代。南朝包括宋齐梁陈，国都建在金陵。

76、北元魏，分东西。宇文周，兴高齐。

【解释】北朝则指的是元魏。元魏后来也分裂成东魏和西魏，西魏被宇文觉篡了位，建立了北周；东魏被高洋篡了位，建立了北齐。

77、迨至隋，一土宇。不再传，失统绪。

【解释】杨坚重新统一了中国，建立了隋朝，历史上称为隋文帝。他的儿子隋炀帝杨广即位后，荒淫无道，隋朝很快就灭亡了。

78、唐高祖，起义师。除隋乱，创国基。

【解释】唐高祖李渊起兵反隋，最后隋朝灭亡，他战胜了各路的反隋义军，取得了天下，建立起唐朝。

79、二十传，三百载。梁灭之，国乃改。

【解释】唐朝的统治近三百年，总共传了二十位皇帝。到唐昭宣帝被朱全忠篡位，建立了梁朝，唐朝从此灭亡。为和南北朝时期的梁相区别，历史上称为后梁。

80、梁唐晋，及汉周。称五代，皆有由。

【解释】后梁、后唐、后晋、后汉和后周五个朝代的更替时期，历史上称作五代，这五个朝代的更替都有着一定的原因。

81、炎宋兴，受周禅。十八传，南北混。

【解释】赵匡胤接受了后周“禅让”的帝位，建立宋朝。宋朝相传了十八个皇帝之后，北方的少数民族南下侵扰，结果又成了南北混战的局面。

82、辽与金，皆称帝。元灭金，绝宋世。

【解释】北方的辽人、金人和蒙古人都建立了国家，自称皇帝，最后蒙古人灭了金朝和宋朝，建立了元朝，重又统一了中国。

83、舆图广，超前代。九十年，国祚废。

【解释】元趄的疆域很广大，所统治的领土，超过了以前的每一个朝代。然而它只维持了短短九十年，就被农民起义推翻了。

84、太祖兴，国大明。号洪武，都金陵。

【解释】元朝末年，明太祖朱元璋起义，最后推翻元朝统治，统一全国，建立大明，他自己当上了皇帝，号洪武，定都在金陵。

85、迨成祖，迁燕京。十六世，至崇祯。

【解释】到明成祖即位后，把国都由金陵迁到北方的燕京。明朝共传了十六个皇帝，直到崇祯皇帝为止，明朝就灭亡了。

86、权阉肆，寇如林。李闯出，神器焚。

【解释】明朝末年，宦官专权，天下大乱，老百姓纷纷起义，以闯王李自成为首的起义军攻破北京，迫使崇祯皇帝自杀，明朝最后灭亡。

87、清世祖，膺景命。靖四方，克大定。

【解释】清军入关后，清世祖顺治皇帝在北京登上帝座，平定了各地的混乱局面，使得老百姓可以重新安定地生活。

88、由康雍，历乾嘉。民安富，治绩夸。

【解释】顺治皇以后，分别是康熙、雍正、乾隆和嘉庆四位皇帝，在此期间，天下太平，人民生活比较安定，国家也比较强盛。

89、道咸间，变乱起。始英法，扰都鄙。

【解释】清朝道光、咸丰年间，发生了变乱，英军挑起鸦片战争。英、法两国分别以亚罗号事件和法国神父被杀为由组成联军，直攻北京。

90、同光后，宣统弱。传九帝，满清殁。

【解释】同治、光绪皇帝以后，清朝的国势已经破败不堪，当传到第九代宣统皇帝时，就被孙中山领导的辛亥革命推翻了。

91、革命兴，废帝制。立宪法，建民国。

【解释】孙中山领导的辛亥革命，推翻了清朝政府的统治，废除了帝制、建立了宪法，成立了中华民国政府，孙中山任临时大总统。

92、古今史，全在兹。载治乱，知兴衰。

【解释】以上所叙述的是从三皇五帝到建立民国的古今历史，我们通过对历史的学习，可以了解各朝各代的治乱兴衰，领悟到许多有益的东西。

93、史虽繁，读有次。史记一，汉书二。

【解释】中国和历史书虽然纷繁、复杂，但在读的时候应该有次序：先读《史记》，然后读《汉书》。

94、后汉三，国志四。兼证经，参通鉴。

【解释】第三读《后汉书》，第四读《三国志》，读的同时，还要参照经书，参考《资治通鉴》，这样我们就可以更好地了解历史的治乱兴衰了。

95、读史者，考实录。通古今，若亲目。

【解释】读历史的人应该更进一步地去翻阅历史资料，了解古往今来事情的前因后果，就好象是自己亲眼所见一样。

96、口而诵，心而惟。朝于斯，夕于斯。

【解释】我们读书学习，要有恒心，要一边读，一边用心去思考。只有早早晚晚都把心思用到学习上，才能真正学好。

97、昔仲尼，师项橐。古圣贤，尚勤学。

【解释】从前，孔子是个十分好学的人，当时鲁国有一位神童名叫项橐，孔子就曾向他学习。像孔子这样伟大的圣贤，尚不忘勤学，何况我们普通人呢？

98、赵中令，读鲁论。彼既仕，学且勤。

【解释】宋朝时赵中令——赵普，他官已经做到了中书令了，天天还手不释卷地阅读论语，不因为自己已经当了高官，而忘记勤奋学习。

99、披蒲编，削竹简。彼无书，且知勉。

【解释】西汉时路温舒把文字抄在蒲草上阅读。公孙弘将春秋刻在竹子削成的竹片上。他们两人都很穷，买不起书，但还不忘勤奋学习。

100、头悬梁，锥刺股。彼不教，自勤苦。

【解释】晋朝的孙敬读书时把自己的头发拴在屋梁上，以免打瞌睡。战国时苏秦读书每到疲倦时就用锥子刺大腿，他们不用别人督促而自觉勤奋苦读。

101、如囊萤，如映雪。家虽贫，学不辍。

【解释】晋朝人车胤，把萤火虫放在纱袋里当照明读书。孙康则利用积雪的反光来读书。他们两人家境贫苦，却能在艰苦条件下继续求学。

102、如负薪，如挂角。身虽劳，犹苦卓。

【解释】汉朝的朱买臣，以砍柴维持生活，每天边担柴边读书。隋朝李密放牛把书挂在牛角上，有时间就读。他们在艰苦的环境里仍坚持读书。

103、苏老泉，二十七。始发愤，读书籍。

【解释】唐宋八大家之一的苏洵，号老泉，小时候不想念书，到了二十七岁的时候，才开始下决心努力学习，后来成了大学问家。

104、彼既老，犹悔迟。尔小生，宜早思。

【解释】象苏老泉上了年纪，才后悔当初没好好读书，而我们年纪轻轻，更应该把握大好时光，发奋读书，才不至于将来后悔。

105、若梁灏，八十二。对大廷，魁多士。

【解释】宋朝有个梁灏，在八十二岁时才考中状元，在金殿上对皇帝提出的问题对答如流，所有参加考试的人都不如他。

106、彼既成，众称异。尔小生，宜立志。

【解释】梁灏这么大年纪，尚能获得成功，不能不使大家感到惊异，钦佩他的好学不倦。而我们应该趁着年轻的时候，立定志向，努力用功就一定前途无量。

107、莹八岁，能咏诗。泌七岁，能赋棋。

【解释】北齐有个叫祖莹的人，八岁就能吟诗，后来当了秘书监著作郎。另外唐朝有个叫李泌的人，七岁时就能以下棋为题而作出诗赋。

108、彼颖悟，人称奇。尔幼学，当效之。

【解释】他们两个人的聪明和才智，在当时很受人们的赞赏和称奇，我们正值求学的开始，应该效法他们，努力用功读书。

109、蔡文姬，能辨琴。谢道韫，能咏吟。

【解释】在古代有许多出色的女能人。象东汉末年的蔡文姬能分辨琴声好坏，晋朝的才女谢道韫则能出口成诗。

110、彼女子，且聪敏。尔男子，当自警。

【解释】象这样的两个女孩子，一个懂音乐，一个会作诗，天资如此聪慧；身为一个男子汉，更要时时警惕，充实自己才对。

111、唐刘晏，方七岁。举神童，作正字。

【解释】唐玄宗时，有一个名叫刘晏的小孩子，才只有七岁，就被推举为神童，并且做了负责刊正文字的官。

112、彼虽幼，身已仕。有为者，亦若是。

【解释】刘晏虽然年纪这么小，但却已经做官来，担当国家给他的重任，要想成为一个有用的人，只要勤奋好学，也可以和刘晏一样名扬后世。

113、犬守夜，鸡司晨。苟不学，曷为人。

【解释】狗在夜间会替人看守家门，鸡在每天早晨天亮时报晓，人如果不能用心学习、迷迷糊糊过日子，有什么资格称为人呢。

114、蚕吐丝，蜂酿蜜。人不学，不如物。

【解释】蚕吐丝以供我们做衣料，蜜蜂可以酿制蜂蜜，供人们食用。而人要是不懂得学习，以自己的知识、技能来实现自己的价值，真不如小动物。

115、幼而学，壮而行。上致君，下泽民。

【解释】我们要在幼年时努力学习不断充实自己，长大后能够学以致用，上替国家效力，下为人民谋福利。

116、扬名声，显父母。光于前，裕于后。

【解释】如果你为人民做出应有的贡献，人民就会赞扬你，而且父母也可以得到你的荣耀，给连祖先增添了光彩，也给下代留下了好的榜样。

117、人遗子，金满赢。我教子，唯一经。

【解释】有的人遗留给子孙后代的是金银钱财，而我并不这样，我只希望他们能精于读书学习，长大后做个有所作为的人。

118、勤有功，戏无益。戒之哉，宜勉力。

【解释】反复讲了许多道理，只是告诉孩子们，凡是勤奋上进的人，都会有好的收获，而只顾贪玩，浪费了大好时光是一定要后悔的。

Hot on Weibo: 白宫请愿网 Whitehouse petition website

2013-05-08T06:16:12.000Z

白宫请愿网（We the People）近日爆红网络，各种靠谱不靠谱的“请愿“让人大跌眼镜，”请给我一个媳妇“，”请判定豆腐脑是咸的“，”请给我加工资“。网友调侃奥巴马即将被玩坏。白宫请愿网是美国总统奥巴马推行的，若有民众请愿在1个月内获得超过10万人签名，政府将对此进行官方回应。

==================================

爆红：get famous/popular overnight

靠谱：probable, reasonable, reliable

请愿：petition

豆腐脑：豆腐花，beancurd jelly

工资：salary

官方回应：official response

VIA

Who are the translators David Hawkes and Henry Bencraft Joly ?

2013-05-04T18:30:00.000Z

Often when reading about the 18th-century novel by Cao Xueqin usually known as the Dream of the Red Chamber ( Hong Lou Meng ), which is regarded as one of the greatest works of traditional Chinese fiction, I see comments such as " the translation is not as good as the David Hawkes translation " or " not as bad as the translation by Henry Bencraft Joly." Using Google I immediately found the Wiki page and an Obituary for David Hawkes here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hawkes_%28Sinologist%29

and here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/aug/25/obituary-david-hawkes

But information on Henry Bencraft Joly I found harder to obtain, even though his translation of the Dream of the Red Chamber ( Hong Lou Meng ) is free on Amazon.com here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_2?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Henry%20Bencraft%20Joly&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank

On his grandson's Wiki page ( who was a British Desert Rat fighting Rommel in WWII and who has almost the same name Cyril Bencraft Joly ), we see that:

" Henry Bencraft Joly (1857-1898; his grandfather) was British Vice-Consul in Macao and translator of Ts'ao Chan's Hung Lou Meng: The Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese Novel in Two Books.^[4] He had three brothers. His only daughter, Vivien, married Hugh David Beddington, son of Keith Lionel Beddington CBE. " ( The Times, Wednesday, 24 Jun 1964; pg. 14; Issue 56046; col C ).

Cyril Bencraft Joly's Wiki page is here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_Bencraft_Joly

In the references there is a link to a free version of the Henry Bencraft Joly translation of The Dream of the Red Chamber 1892-93 here:

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9603

Henry Bencraft Joly along with Edward Bowra 1868-70 and Herbert Allen Giles, other early translators of The Dream of the Red Chamber, were made the subjects of a quantitative ( uses Student t and other Statistics concepts ) translational style study in a chapter by the editing authors in the John Benjamins and GOOGLE book Quantitative Methods in Corpus-Based Translation Studies edited by Men Ji ( University of Tokyo ) and Michael P. Oakes ( University of Sunderland ) entitled " A Corpus Study of Early English Translations of Cao Xueqin's Hongloumeng " here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=X74SZ9Y7q5EC&pg=PA177&lpg=PA177&dq=Henry+Bencraft+Joly&source=bl&ots=Egp5shZJxW&sig=i6epAiYN9r8tTVKSOFI2f0L5064&hl=en&sa=X&ei=X0SFUZXuB8jC4APG64GQBw&ved=0CFcQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Henry%20Bencraft%20Joly&f=false

You may also see comparisons to Herbert Allen Giles. Here is his Wiki page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Giles

And finally since there is the well known Wade-Giles Romanization System, Thomas Francis Wade's Wiki page is here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Francis_Wade

Google translation listener

2013-04-27T22:00:00.000Z

I wanted to share with this community a browser script I wrote that allows you to listen to words in phrases in one language and then the translation in another. I use it to listen to Chinese translations.

To use this script you must have Greasemonkey on Firefox or Tampermonkey on Chrome, then click the green install button that appears top right of this link
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/165874

then simply navigate to http://translate.google.com and a popup should appear that allows you to specify what words or phrases you want to hear translated.

I hope you find this tool helpful!

Hot on Weibo: 四川雅安地震 earthquake in Sichuan province

2013-04-23T23:00:00.000Z

4月20日8时2分在四川省雅安市芦山县（北纬30.3度，东经103.0度）发生7.0级地震，震源深度13千米。截至目前，地震共造成192人死亡，23人失踪，11470人受伤，其中968人重伤。请大家关注微博救援！

========================================

北纬：north latitude

东经：east longitude

地震：earthquake

震源：earthquake focus

救援：rescue

VIA

Hot on Weibo: 待用快餐 suspended lunch

2013-04-20T23:30:00.000Z

“待用快餐”概念来自于欧洲“待用咖啡”，部分就餐客人提前多买一两份饭，留给流浪汉、低保户等困难人群，由店家发给询问 “待用快餐”的人。微博上发起的“待用快餐”活动，目前陕西已经有三家餐饮企业加入，河南有一家已经决定加入。

微善举帮助身边的人，你会参与吗？

Official website: http://www.daiyongkuaican.org/

==========================================

待用咖啡：suspended coffee

流浪汉：homeless

低保户：low income households

善举：philanthropic act

VIA

There is a Chinese Page in the online Mythology Dictionary

2013-04-20T17:30:00.000Z

Not as in depth as Wiki but good for being another resource when confronted with an unknown Chinese Mythology reference is the Chinese Page in the online Mythology Dictionary at this link: http://www.mythologydictionary.com/chinese-mythology.html

Which genre is best for you to improve your Chinese reading and listening?

2013-04-16T03:30:00.000Z

Each one of us has a special taste for things that we love to read. There are so many genres that we could choose from when deciding on what to read in a language that we're learning, such as Chinese so to speak. I'm curious to know which genre you like best as far as learning Chinese is in concern?

For me, for example, the genre of mystery, suspense or horror might be the best choice, especially when part of my goals of reading is to improve my second language.

Lately I read a Chinese novel of this genre that was really good. Novel 碎脸 suì liǎn (Broken Face) is at advanced level Chinese - might not be a suitable choice for most readers on SMC. But I want to give you an introduction here to see whether this kind of plot would interest you to read along.

The story will not be spoiled here in case anyone will eventually read it or watch it when a movie version came out (which I firmly believe is quite possible.)

Well, as a matter of fact, I think the plot is not even easy to get spoiled since it interweaves complex intrigue and emotions and is not easy to be explained in a short summary. It's not just a simple "who did it?", but more of a "why and how". My thoughts kept going after I finished the story. IMHO, that's also a symbol of success for a story of this sort.

The book was a hit in China, but I really don't know whether it'll attract readers from other culture background. Your feedback is very important and very much appreciated :-)

Here it comes:

A series of suicides (自杀 zìshā) had happened in sixteen consecutive years in room 405 of women dormitory in Jiangjing Medical school. On June 16 of each year, a girl of this room would leap to her death at midnight (午夜 wǔyè). A period of dark history of the school was waiting to be revealed (揭露 jiēlù) when two new girls moved in to the room.

The two girls are new students of the school. They became intimate friends (好友 hǎoyǒu) soon after. Both of them were interested in the series of mysterious events (事件 shìjiàn) that had happened over a long period in the exact dorm room that they stayed. With their secret investigation (调查 diàochá) went on, one of the girls realized that she might be chosen to be the next victim (受害者 shòuhàizhě) for the year. In order to escape the doomed destiny, she tried her best to dig out a dark history (历史 lìshǐ) of the school that she believed was where the evil cause originated.

Her intimate friend trusted her and tried to help her. However, soon after, her intimate friend found out that she was indeed (实际上 shíjìshàng) having hallucinations and not well. The school put her into hospital thinking she was having mental problems (精神问题 jīngshén wèntí). To her surprise, in the hospital, she met a strange woman that seemed to know everyone of the suicided girls over the years and was able to impersonate (模仿 mófǎng) their body languages and voice.....

If you're interested you can have a glimpse on an exertion of the book and a podcast trailer from here:

A glimpse on a bestselling “mystery and horror” Chinese novel – 碎脸 Broken Face [Advanced]

The story might sound like a horror story for campus girls, but actually it's good enough for all ages. Let me know whether a story of this kind interests you. What other stories you found that roused your interest and made you turn the pages?

Hot on Weibo: 中国小吃之都排名 the best snacks cities of China

2013-04-13T23:00:00.000Z

一份由网友发布的顶级小吃之都排名，前三位依次为台北、成都、西安。此排名一出，网上哗然一片。兰州网友认为，兰州拉面遍布大江南北，应该入选，而福建网友更是不服，沙县小吃闻名全国、蜚声海外，怎能缺席？

你最喜欢什么地方的小吃呢？

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排名：rank

哗然一片：in an uproar

大江南北：idiom, across the country, literally on both south and north sides of the Changjiang River

蜚声：make a name, become famous

缺席：absence

VIA

Should we have a Chatroom on here?

2013-04-10T19:00:00.000Z

How about we have a chatroom on here for live discussions?

rumbletalk is quite good and its free (limit of 50 per room i think)

or would that take away from the blogs?

By Christina at FluentU -- How to Say some of the most Popular Beverages in Chinese

2013-04-07T23:00:00.000Z

Christina at FluentU teaches us how to say some of the most popular beverages in Chinese at this link: http://chinese.fluentu.com/blog/2013/04/03/bottoms-21-menu-chinese/

Hot on Weibo: H7N9禽流感 H7N9 avian influenza human infections

2013-04-03T03:12:38.000Z

江苏卫生厅4月2日发布消息，称已确发现4例人感染H7N9禽流感病例。截至目前，全国已确认7例，其中上海2例已死亡，安徽一例病危。上海于2日启动流感流行应急预案Ⅲ级响应。

H7N9禽流感常识：1.病情表现为典型的病毒性肺炎，起病5-7天出现呼吸困难；2.对鸡肉等彻底煮熟，不要吃半生不熟鸡蛋；3.尽量不接触活禽鸟和猪等；4.病毒在100℃中一分钟可被消灭。

===================================

卫生厅：Department of Health

禽流感：avian flu

病危：critically ill

应急预案：contingency plan

肺炎：pneumonitis, inflammation of the lungs

半生不熟：halfcooked, not well done

VIA

Top 8 Words for Qingming Festival, the Tomb Sweeping Holiday in China

2013-03-31T21:30:00.000Z

The "Top 8 Words for Qingming Festival, the Tomb Sweeping Holiday in China" is the topic this week by Christina at FluentU at this link: http://chinese.fluentu.com/blog/2013/03/26/top-words-tomb-sweeping-holiday-china/

By Christina at FluentU --

Signs in Chinese: Female Passengers at Night - 夜间妇女候车区 yèjiān fùnǚ hòuchē qū

2013-03-23T23:30:00.000Z

夜间妇女候车区 yèjiān fùnǚ hòuchē qū

waiting zone for female passengers at night

夜间：during night

妇女：woman

候：等候，waiting

车：car/bus/train vehicle

区：zone/area

Learn Chinese Grammar, the history of Emperor Kang Xi and some Math Terms with SMC Member Shu

2013-03-20T14:00:00.000Z

SMC member Shu on her site "Chinesetolearn" has a lesson posted May 14 2012 in which you can improve your knowledge of Chinese Grammar, learn some history of Emperor Kang Xi and learn some commonly used Mathematics terms all at the same time. GOTO this link: http://www.chinesetolearn.com/free-online-advanced-audio-mandarin-chinese-lesson-4-inspiring-learning-story-chinese-emperor-kang-xi-overcame-math-learning-obstacle-mathematical-terms-chinese-translation-infinite-paradise-mv/

Hot on Weibo: 二月二，龙抬头 Dragon Heads-raising Day

2013-03-13T04:00:00.000Z

3月13日是农历二月初二，“龙抬头”的日子。传说，冬眠的龙被春雷惊醒，抬头飞腾升天，行云布雨，迎接春天到来，所以称为“龙抬头”。古时有腊月二十七以后不剃头之忌，到“龙抬头”这天，过了一个多月正适合理发。所以不少人趁着“二月二，龙抬头”讨吉利“剃龙头”。

今天你怎么过？你们有类似的习俗吗？

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农历：lunar calendar

春雷：spring thunder

飞腾：fly swiftly upward

行云布雨：Chinese people believe dragons can make clouds and bring rain.

腊月：last month in lunar calendar

忌：abstain from

讨吉利：for good luck

习俗：custom

VIA

Building a 'learning habit' and Memrise. (Flashcard based language learning.)

2013-03-11T13:30:00.000Z

Hey everyone!

I want to share my thoughts and some tips I've picked up during my own Chinese learning experience.
I haven't contributed to this site in a long time, the last time I did, I was plodding through language study on my own living in Brighton, UK (2010/2011). Now I am living in Beijing, China.

I have found that the best way to learn Chinese is to build a habit. You need to stick with your learning process until it becomes a routine, a habit. Something that you do a little or a lot of, everyday.
I am guilty of it myself, sitting on Chinese blogs (like now), moaning about studying, complaining about it not sinking in, having discussions and debates over word uses, getting distracted by this website, then this book, and then a different BETTER website and a different BETTER book!

Simply for me, the only way you are going to learn Chinese, is to use it, and create a habit. Not through amassing a ton of different techniques and talking about them.

I haven't posted in a long time, and I want to post now because I am excited about a resource I found awhile back and have recently stuck with. It is a language learning website called Memrise. It has really reinforced my belief about picking a set amount of resources and sticking with them.
I'm sure you have all head about it before. It is a flashcard based learning platform for many languages including Chinese mandarin. It is based on you owning and growing your own word garden.

You plant some words, harvest them , then water them. Learn, revise, review. The website helps get those characters, pinyin and sounds into your long term memory, it tests your memory and then let's you know when you should next study them again (Watering). The better you get at answering the correct questions, the less you will be tested on a word. Some words don't pop up for months, but don't worry, you surprise yourself with how great your recall is. You can also add your own memes (Pictures, sayings, graphics to help you make an association with the word to remember it.) or collect ready made ones.

Memrise's teaching pattern is unlike anything I have ever used. I have incorporated it into my daily life, and it has become my habit, not a passing fancy or light hobby. I have email notifications to let me know when it is time to harvest (revise) my newly planted words, and when it is time to water (review) the old ones.

I cannot explain the difference this has made in my day to day life here in Beijing. After my first week of using Memrise, I was able to order a ton of food, not get lost, and actually feel like an adult human being out here.

They are still working on improvements, but the creators listen and work hand in hand with the site users, they still use numbers for tones, but i'm sure this will change in the near future, and it is worth putting up with. There are useful busy forums, and the community is brilliant.

Oh also... IT'S FREE.

That's all from me now :) Thank's for listening to my excited ramble.

Jay

P.s. By all means go on blogs, share knowledge and discuss! But don't always count that as your study time! Interaction and exploration of the language and it's resources is incredibly important, but it can also be used as an excuse to not actually do any study and put new words into your brain.

Signs in Chinese: 危险 Danger

2013-03-02T23:00:00.000Z

危险 wēixiǎn danger

施工中 shīgōng zhōng in construction

请勿靠近 qǐng wù kàojìn don't get close

请: please 勿：do not

靠近: get close to

100 Mandarin Learning videos on CCTV hosted by Charlotte MacInnis

2013-03-02T19:00:00.000Z

Charlotte MacInnis is host of 100 Mandarin Learning videos on CCTV ( 100 was on March 9 2012 ).

She has lived in China most of her life. See link : http://www.cpcchina.org/2011-10/21/content_13948565.htm

She has a Wiki page here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Hua

She had an English language TV show to learn Mandarin on CCTV called "Growing Up With Chinese": http://english.cntv.cn/20100727/115495.shtml

Here is #1 of Mandarin videos "Growing Up With Chinese": http://english.cntv.cn/program/learnchinese/20100803/100891.shtml

Here is #100 of "Growing Up With Chinese": http://english.cntv.cn/program/learnchinese/20120309/117736.shtml

Page 1 of this series has episode 100 and newest episodes. Page 10 has oldest episodes and episode 1. Most episodes have downloadable scripts of parts of the episode. ( Maybe all now in 2013 do but I have not rewatched many of them ). Some parts of the videos you may find very hard. I have trouble watching the many of the 1 or 2 minute bubble captioned cartoons about 3/4 way through every episode.

An interview ( after you get by a 1 minute grainy Chinese opera part of the MacInnis sisters singing ) of the teenage MacInnis sisters : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk-ZgsukvXU

This Youtube video does not play last 1 or so ( sometimes or always ?)

More Bio Info: http://www.nwp.cn/book/568_28261.shtml

Do you know any kids Games to Learn Chinese?

2013-02-28T14:00:00.000Z

Ni Hao,

my daughter (8 years old) is learning Mandarin Chinese. She plays with the free games on www.gameslearnchinese.com website.

Do you know more sites like this one to learn Chinese with games?

Thanks for your answers.

Hot on Weibo: 饺子蘸料 Jiaozi Dipping Sauce

2013-02-12T23:30:00.000Z

又一个南北差异！饺子蘸料“南方酱油北方醋”似乎是常态，但也有更多五花八门的蘸料：蒜蓉、白糖、香油、芥末、辣椒、番茄酱... 几乎只有想不到，没有不能蘸。

你吃饺子蘸什么料？

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蘸料：dipping sauce

常态：normalcy

五花八门：a huge variety of

蒜蓉：minced garlic

香油： sesame oil

VIA

Chinese New Year "Snake" vocabulary and phrases from FluentU

2013-02-11T12:00:00.000Z

Here is a list of 6 Snake Phrases for the Year of the Snake created by FluentU's Christina: http://chinese.fluentu.com/blog/2013/02/07/6-chinese-idioms/

Christina of FluentU has prepared you a list with all the jargon you’ll need for the Chinese New Year Holiday. See list here: http://chinese.fluentu.com/blog/2013/02/04/top-10-chinese-years-words/

Signs in Chinese: 风生水起 Feng Shui Specialist

2013-02-09T23:00:00.000Z

风生水起 fēng shēng shuǐ qǐ

风：wind 生：accrue/grow

水：water 起：rise/grow

风水：fengshui

风生水起 is to describe things going prosperous. Good name for a Feng Shui specialist shop. In ancient China, the reading order is from right to left. So you see 起水生風 here in Traditional Chinese.

Did you know about Chinese syllables...?

2013-02-09T20:30:00.000Z

The Mandarin language has only around 2500 syllables for the whole language, English has some 160,000+ a slight difference lol. I personally think it is such a great acheivement of man to be able to totally communicate with such few sounds.

I think thats why I find it hard to understand when Chinese people speak fast, it takes a while to get things into context and convert the sound to character or rather correct word; and by the time you worked out the context for the first part the next part is over :( I guess its just practice.

I bet a lot of the more fluent speakers did not realise this, as they got used to it over time.

Definition of syllable (just for those who may not be aquainted) : A unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants, forming the whole or a part of a word.

Or am i talking rubbish :D

Hot on Weibo: The most common English name for Chinese speakers

2013-02-05T23:00:00.000Z

中国人现在流行取英文名字。台湾某知名网站日前进行“10大最俗套英文名字票选”，男生由David拿下第一、女生则由Amy夺冠。

你觉得最俗的英文名是什么？
课本上最常见的Lucy、Mary、Peter？
还是一呼百应的Alice、John、Alex？

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日前：recently

俗套：common/conventional

票选：vote

一呼百应：idiom, one hundred answers to a single call/to respond en masse.

VIA

How to say sincerely in Chinese - Chengyu explained by Christina of Fluentu

2013-02-04T04:00:00.000Z

FluentU's Christina on January 29, 2013 in Essential Chengyu, Intermediate and Advanced Chinese post on 诚心诚意(chéng xīn chéng yì)

诚心诚意 (chéng xīn chéng yì) which means "sincerely" ( sincere heart, sincere intention ) is covered in a FluentU post by Christina . http://chinese.fluentu.com/blog/2013/01/29/armstrong-walmart-sincerity-common/

Taiwan Singer 潘安邦 ( Pan An Bang ) dead at the age of 52 years old.

2013-02-03T21:30:00.000Z

Taiwan Singer 潘安邦 ( Pan An Bang ) dead at the age of 52 years old.

据台湾媒体报道，以《外婆的澎湖湾》一曲成名的歌手潘安邦在2013年2月3日因病猝逝，享年52岁。

Jù táiwān méitǐ bàodào, yǐ “wàipó de pēnghú wān” yī qū chéngmíng de gēshǒu pān'ānbāng zài 2013 nián 2 yuè 3 rì yīn bìng cù shì, xiǎngnián 52 suì.

According to Taiwan media reports, the famous singer of "Grandma's Penghu Bay", Pan An Bang, died suddenly due to illness on February 3, 2013, at the age of 52 years old.

潘安邦 - 外婆的澎湖灣
Pān'ānbāng - wàipó de pēnghú wān
Pan An Bang - Grandma's Penghu Bay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj6smOEBd_8

Signs in Chinese: 注意飞石，观察通过

2013-02-03T11:00:00.000Z

注意飞石，观察通过。 zhùyì fēishí, guānchá tōngguò.

Be careful of falling rocks, watch and pass.

注意：notice

飞：flying

石：石头，stone/rocks

观察：observe/watch

通过：pass

Video Definitions for live streaming in Chinese

2013-02-02T17:30:00.000Z

I wondered what were the two buttons under the video I was watching online. Now I know:

高清直播 (Gāoqīng zhíbò) - HD Live

标清直播 (Biāoqīng zhíbò) - SD live

Anybody knows other words or expressions?

Chinese Food Culture - Photos & Definitions (may make you hungry)

2013-02-02T09:00:00.000Z

When we mentioned "eating", everyone must have so many words to express.

Today I will introduce some Chinese food. Let's look at following:

馄饨 hún tún wonton

馄饨分大馄饨和小馄饨，我最喜欢吃小馄饨了。

Do you know the difference between 大馄饨's filling and 小馄饨's filling?

饺子 jiǎo zi dumpling

汤圆 tāng yuán Tangyuan

喻意团团圆圆。

粽子 zòng zǐ rice dumpling

Here is a story for eating rice dumpling. Do you know the classic allusion?

南瓜饼 nán guā bǐng pumpkin cake

春卷 chūn juǎn spring roll (a thin sheet of dough, rolled, stuffed and fried)

烧卖 shāo mài steamed open dumplings

小笼包 xiǎo lóng bāo shanghai juicy steamed bun (thin skinned, pork filled with ginger)

是不是口水都流出来了，赶紧去买来吃吧~~

What kind of Chinese food do you like to eat? Add comments below.

This post about Chinese Food Culture was originally published on the Study More Chinese Blog.