中國傳統文化 第31期:孟母三遷
Three Moves by Mencius’Mother
孟母三遷
In Biographies of Outstanding Women ·The Biography of Mencius’Mother, Liu Xiang recorded:
據漢劉向《列女傳·母儀·鄒孟軻母》記載:
Meng Ke’s mother, also known as Mencius, mother, is a great mother of Zou State.
鄒國孟軻的母親很了不起.人稱孟母。
Meng Ke, later known as Mencius, lived near a graveyard in his childhood.
開始的時候,孟軻的家靠近墓地,
Therefore, as he played, he amused himself by imitating the others’ digging tombs.
當時孟軻還很小,整天在墳墓之間玩耍,蹦蹦跳跳地玩一些築墳埋葬之類的遊戲。
His mother said,“It’s not good for a child to live in this kind of place. ”
孟母説:“這裏不是我們可以居住教子的地方。”
They moved to a house near a market.
於是就搬走了,在市場旁邊找了間房子住了下來。
Then the son took pleasure in imitating the peddler’s hawking.
孟軻又開始玩一些商人叫賣之類的遊戲。
Again the mother said “It’s not good for a child to live here. ”
孟母又説:“這裏也不是我們可以居住教子的地 方。”
She changed their residence a second time and housed themselves near a school.
於是第二次搬家,住到了學宮旁邊。
There her son played imitating the sacrificial rites on ceremony and formalities of courtesy.
孟子便開始玩一些設供祭禮、揖讓進退之類的遊戲。
The mother said, “This is the right place for a child.”
孟母説:“這個地方真的可以讓我的兒子住下來了。”
They settled there.
於是就住了下來。
After Meng Ke grew up, he acquired six classical arts (rites,music, archery, riding, writing and arithmetic) and became a scholar well-known for his erudition and one of the representatives of Confucianism.
孟子長大成人後,精通六藝,成了一位博學鴻儒。
Since then this idiom has been used to eulogize mothers’ inculcation.
後人因此將“孟母三遷”用作頌揚母教之詞。