Chinese Reading Center

三字经 The Three-Character Classic

A Confucian Roadmap for Kids

Paragraph 4: Exemplary Behaviors

	繁體 Trad ↔ 简体 Simp	English	Commentary
1	读史书考实录通古今若亲目	Read the history books, examine the records, connect the ancient with the present, and you'll be as close as an eyewitness.
2	口而诵心而惟朝于斯夕于斯	Recite them with the mouth, examine them with your heart; do this in the morning; do this in the evening.
3	昔仲尼师项橐古圣贤尚勤学	Formerly, Zhong Ni, took Xiang Tuo for his teacher. The ancient sages were virtuous, yet studied diligently.	Zhong Ni was one of Confucius' names. Xiang Tuo was a prodigious seven year old. There is a story told of how he refused Confucius' request to move his play fortress from the middle of the road because, he argued, who had ever heard of moving buildings to make way for carriages?
4	赵中令读鲁论彼既仕学且勤	Grand Secretary Zhao studied the Analects. He, although already an official, studied diligently.	Song Emperor Taizong asked Zhao Pu why he was reading the Analects, a book commonly taught to kids. Zhao replied: "With half of this book I helped your father gain the empire. With the other half I help you to preserve it."
5	披蒲编削竹简彼无书且知勉	Splitting reeds and weaving them, cutting bamboo slips. They had no books, yet knew how to exert themselves.	Lu Wenshu was a too poor to be able to buy books. He braided reeds and copied borrowed books. Gongsun Hong cut bamboo slips to do the same. Both men served under the Han dynasty.
6	头悬梁锥刺股彼不教自勤苦	One tied his head to the roof beam; another pricked his thigh with an awl. They were not taught these, but came up on their own to toil hard.	Sun Jing tied his hair to the roof beam to prevent from nodding off to sleep. He became a minister under the Qin dynasty. Su Qin set up an awl to prick himself awake if he nodded off. He became a prime minister.
7	如囊萤如映雪家虽贫学不辍	One put fireflies in a bag. another used the glare from the snow. Although their families were poor, they studied unceasingly.	Che Yin used the light from the fireflies while Sun Kang used the glare from the snow because they could not afford candles. Both served under the Qin.
8	如负薪如挂角身虽劳犹苦卓	One carried firewood, another hanged (books from the) horns. Although they toiled with their bodies, they overcame their hardships.	Zhu Maichen carried firewood while Li Mi worked as a cowherd while studying. They became ministers for the Han and Northern Zhou, respectively.
9	苏老泉二十七始发愤读书籍	Su Laoquan at twenty-seven began to show his energy, and study the books.	Su Laoquan became the Imperial Librarian for the Song dynasty. His son is the famous poet Su Dongbo.

10	彼既老犹悔迟尔小生宜早思	When already old, he regretted his delay. Like them, the young should think of this early.
11	若梁灏八十二对大廷魁多士	There was Liang Hao who at eighty-two replied to the Great Hall, and came out first among many scholars.	Liang Hao lived during the reign of Song Emperor Zhenzong.
12	彼既成众称异尔小生宜立志	After he had succeeded, everyone called him exceptional. Like them, the young should think appropriately early.
13	莹八岁能咏诗泌七岁能赋棋	Rong at eight years old, could compose poems. Bi, at seven years old, could make a poetic essay on weiqi.	Zu Rong accepted the official title of child prodigy and was named civil servant at the age of twelve. Li Bi answered brilliantly a poetic challenge of the Tang emperor. He served four emperors at the highest levels. Weiqi is the Chinese board game better known by its Japanese name of Go.
14	彼颖悟人称奇尔幼学当效之	They were clever and people called them special. Like them, young students ought to imitate them.
15	蔡文姬能辨琴谢道韫能咏吟	Cai Wenji, could judge from [the sound of] a lute. Xie Daoyun, could compose poems.	Cai Wenji could tell from the sound which string was broken. She lived a difficult life during the Three Kingdoms era. Xie Daoyun was a celebrated poetess. She lived during the reign of the Eastern Jin dynasty.
16	彼女子且聪敏尔男子当自警	They were girls, yet they were quick and clever. Like them, boys should alert yourselves.
17	唐刘晏方七岁举神童作正字	In the Tang dynasty, Liu Yan when only seven years old, was rated a child prodigy and appointed Corrector of Texts.	Liu Yan served Emperor Minghuang of the Tang dynasty.
18	彼虽幼身己仕尔幼学勉而致	He, although a child, was already an official. Like them, young students, should exert yourselves and concentrate.
19	有为者亦若是	Those who work like them, will succeed as they did.

繁體 Trad ↔ 简体 Simp

English

Commentary

读史书
考实录
通古今
若亲目

Read the history books,
examine the records,
connect the ancient with the present,
and you'll be as close as an eyewitness.

口而诵
心而惟
朝于斯
夕于斯

Recite them with the mouth,
examine them with your heart;
do this in the morning;
do this in the evening.

昔仲尼
师项橐
古圣贤
尚勤学

Formerly, Zhong Ni,
took Xiang Tuo for his teacher.
The ancient sages were virtuous,
yet studied diligently.

Zhong Ni was one of Confucius' names. Xiang Tuo was a prodigious seven year old. There is a story told of how he refused Confucius' request to move his play fortress from the middle of the road because, he argued, who had ever heard of moving buildings to make way for carriages?

赵中令
读鲁论
彼既仕
学且勤

Grand Secretary Zhao
studied the Analects.
He, although already an official,
studied diligently.

Song Emperor Taizong asked Zhao Pu why he was reading the Analects, a book commonly taught to kids. Zhao replied: "With half of this book I helped your father gain the empire. With the other half I help you to preserve it."

披蒲编
削竹简
彼无书
且知勉

Splitting reeds and weaving them,
cutting bamboo slips.
They had no books,
yet knew how to exert themselves.

Lu Wenshu was a too poor to be able to buy books. He braided reeds and copied borrowed books. Gongsun Hong cut bamboo slips to do the same. Both men served under the Han dynasty.

头悬梁
锥刺股
彼不教
自勤苦

One tied his head to the roof beam;
another pricked his thigh with an awl.
They were not taught these,
but came up on their own to toil hard.

Sun Jing tied his hair to the roof beam to prevent from nodding off to sleep. He became a minister under the Qin dynasty. Su Qin set up an awl to prick himself awake if he nodded off. He became a prime minister.

如囊萤
如映雪
家虽贫
学不辍

One put fireflies in a bag.
another used the glare from the snow.
Although their families were poor,
they studied unceasingly.

Che Yin used the light from the fireflies while Sun Kang used the glare from the snow because they could not afford candles. Both served under the Qin.

如负薪
如挂角
身虽劳
犹苦卓

One carried firewood,
another hanged (books from the) horns.
Although they toiled with their bodies,
they overcame their hardships.

Zhu Maichen carried firewood while Li Mi worked as a cowherd while studying. They became ministers for the Han and Northern Zhou, respectively.

苏老泉
二十七
始发愤
读书籍

Su Laoquan
at twenty-seven
began to show his energy,
and study the books.

Su Laoquan became the Imperial Librarian for the Song dynasty. His son is the famous poet Su Dongbo.

彼既老
犹悔迟
尔小生
宜早思

When already old,
he regretted his delay.
Like them, the young
should think of this early.

若梁灏
八十二
对大廷
魁多士

There was Liang Hao
who at eighty-two
replied to the Great Hall,
and came out first among many scholars.

Liang Hao lived during the reign of Song Emperor Zhenzong.

彼既成
众称异
尔小生
宜立志

After he had succeeded,
everyone called him exceptional.
Like them, the young
should think appropriately early.

莹八岁
能咏诗
泌七岁
能赋棋

Rong at eight years old,
could compose poems.
Bi, at seven years old,
could make a poetic essay on weiqi.

Zu Rong accepted the official title of child prodigy and was named civil servant at the age of twelve. Li Bi answered brilliantly a poetic challenge of the Tang emperor. He served four emperors at the highest levels. Weiqi is the Chinese board game better known by its Japanese name of Go.

彼颖悟
人称奇
尔幼学
当效之

They were clever
and people called them special.
Like them, young students
ought to imitate them.

蔡文姬
能辨琴
谢道韫
能咏吟

Cai Wenji,
could judge from [the sound of] a lute.
Xie Daoyun,
could compose poems.

Cai Wenji could tell from the sound which string was broken. She lived a difficult life during the Three Kingdoms era.
Xie Daoyun was a celebrated poetess. She lived during the reign of the Eastern Jin dynasty.

彼女子
且聪敏
尔男子
当自警

They were girls,
yet they were quick and clever.
Like them, boys
should alert yourselves.

唐刘晏
方七岁
举神童
作正字

In the Tang dynasty, Liu Yan
when only seven years old,
was rated a child prodigy
and appointed Corrector of Texts.

Liu Yan served Emperor Minghuang of the Tang dynasty.

彼虽幼
身己仕
尔幼学
勉而致

He, although a child,
was already an official.
Like them, young students,
should exert yourselves and concentrate.

有为者
亦若是

Those who work like them,
will succeed as they did.