静乐二中：《师说》中英文赏析

师说

 On the Teacher

                                                                         [唐]     韩愈

                                                                         [tang]   Han Yü

古之学者必有师。师者，所以传道受业解惑也。人非生而知之者，孰能无惑？惑而不从师，其为惑也，终不解矣。生乎吾前，其闻道也，固先乎吾，吾从而师之；生乎吾后，其闻道也，亦先乎吾，吾从而师之。吾师道也，夫庸知其年之先后生于吾乎？是故无贵无贱，无长无少，道之所存，师之所存也。

 In ancient times scholars always had teachers. It takes a teacher to transmit wisdom, impart knowledge and resolve doubts. Since man is not born with knowledge, who can be without doubt? But doubt will never be resolved without a teacher.

He who was born before me learned the teachings before me, and I take him as my teacher. But if he who was born after me received his teachings before me, I also take him as my teacher. I take the teachings as my teacher. Why should I care whether a man was born before or after me? Irrespective therefore of the distinction between the high-born and the lowly, and between age and youth, where the teachings are, there is my teacher.

嗟乎！师道之不传也久矣！欲人之无惑也难矣！古之圣人，其出人也远矣，犹且从师而问焉；今之众人，其下圣人也亦远矣，而耻学于师。是故圣益圣，愚益愚。圣人之所以为圣，愚人之所以为愚，其皆出于此乎？

 Alas, it has been a long time since the tradition of taking teachers was honored! And so it is difficult to expect people to be free from doubts. Though ancient sages far surpassed the common folk, they nevertheless asked questions of their teachers. On the other hand, the masses of today, who are far inferior to the sages, are ashamed to learn from their teachers. Consequently, the sage became more sage, and the ignorant more ignorant. Indeed, is this not the reason why the sages were sage and the ignorant are ignorant?

爱其子，择师而教之；于其身也，则耻师焉，惑矣！彼童子之师，授之书而习其句读者，非吾所谓传其道解其惑者也。句读之不知，惑之不解，或师焉，或不焉，小学而大遗，吾未见其明也。

 He who loves his son selects a teacher for the child’s education, but he is ashamed to learn from a teacher himself. This is indeed puzzling. The teacher of a child is one who gives instruction on books and on the punctuation of sentences. This is not what I take as one who transmits the wisdom and resolves doubts. To take a teacher for instruction in correct punctuation and not to take a teacher to help resolve doubts is to learn the unimportant and leave out the important. I do not see the wisdom of it.

巫医乐师百工之人，不耻相师。士大夫之族，曰师曰弟子云者，则群聚而笑之。问之，则曰：“彼与彼年相若也，道相似也。”位卑则足羞，官盛则近谀。呜呼！师道之不复可知矣。巫医乐师百工之人，君子不齿。今其智乃反不能及，其可怪也欤！

 Shamans, doctors, musicians and craftsmen are not ashamed to take one another as teachers. But, when the scholar-officials speak of teachers and pupils, there are those who get together and laugh at them. When questioned, their reply is that so-and-so is of the same age as so-and-so and that their understanding of the Way is similar. If one takes another who holds a low position as his teacher, it is something to be ashamed of. If it is some high official who is taken as a teacher, it is a form of flattery. Alas, the tradition of taking teachers is no longer honored! Shamans, doctors, musicians and craftsmen are not respected by a gentleman, but their wisdom is beyond that of the gentleman. Is this not strange?

圣人无常师。孔子师郯子、苌弘、师襄、老聃。郯子之徒，其贤不及孔子。孔子曰：“三人行，则必有我师。”是故弟子不必不如师，师不必贤于弟子，闻道有先后，术业有专攻，如是而已。

    Our sages had no constant teachers. Confucius took T’an-tzu1, Ch’ang-hung2, Shih-hsiang3and Lao-tan4as his teachers, all of whom were not so wise as himself. Said Confucius, “When I walk in the company of three men, there must be a teacher of mine”. The pupil is therefore not necessarily inferior to the teacher, and the teacher is not necessarily superior to the pupil. What makes the difference is that one has received teachings before the other and that one is more specialized in his craft and trade than the other – that is all.

 李氏子蟠，年十七，好古文，六艺经传皆通习之，不拘于时，学于余。余嘉其能行古道，作《师说》以贻之。   

  Li P’an, who is seventeen, is fond of ancient literature and is deeply versed in the six arts, the classics and chronicles. Not confined by the trends of the day, he has studied under me. Pleased that he can practice the ancient tradition, I have written this essay on the teacher to present to him.。

  祝静乐二中全体教师节日快乐！