First of all I have to thank Kuiwon, http://kuiwon.wordpress.com/
for letting me know of this wonderful book in beginning Classical or Literary
Chinese. For this I am indebted to him. Although it is a primer written
for Koreans, it is nevertheless a most precious resource.
Upon reading the first lesson, there is no problem for me to understand the text. As such, I
embarked on the idea of translating the entire book into English. Each lesson is short and gives an insight to
cultural, historical and traditional thought. The book was written in the first
year of the Korean Emperor Lung Hsi (隆熈) or the 33rd year of Kwang Hsu (光緒)
Era in China. In other words, 1907). There are 203 lessons in total. For sure, there will be many new words, terms
and concepts. It will be a great way to
improve my Chinese.
Since each lesson is short, I shall post fifty lessons
together each time. All footnotes and
commentaries will appear at the end of each passage. A word by word English translation is given
first and then followed by a polished version. If there are mistakes, please let me
know. Thanks!
In some cases where there are many meanings to a character,
I shall give the most appropriate one for the context. In cases where a single translated word
cannot be used because of the terseness of the language, the English term shall
contain words separated by the underscore. A second repeated word means that both words are used as a compound and cannot be used singly.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
蒙學漢文初階 第一之課
Lesson 1
天地之間有人焉, heaven earth {pp} space/span
have man from
有萬物焉. have ten_thousand things from
萬物之眾 ten_thousand things {pp} populace
最貴者, most precious thing
以其有五倫也. by which this has five relationships.
Between Heaven and
earth where man had come from; where a myriad of things had sprung forth, the
most precious of all these are those that posses the Five Relationships.
Notes:
1.
之
is the possessive particle [pp]. It
functions like the apostrophe 's' or the possessive "of" in English.
2.
者
is a particle describing "the thing which has", "the one who
is".
3.
其
has many meanings. Depending on context,
it can mean this, his, hers, theirs etc.
4.
也
in classical is an emphasis particle.
The emphasized words are in bold or underlined.
5.
蒙
has many meanings. The basic meaning of the word is "befuddled",
"misty" and extended to mean "ignorant", "naïve"
or "uncultured". I suspect
that it is a short for some longer phrase.
I could not find any evidence to support my suspicion. Obviously it cannot mean "befuddled
knowledge", or "ignorant study".
Some dictionaries give "to initiate" as one of its
meanings. With this, clue, the term
means to fill emptiness with
knowledge. In another words, to
teach the young and uninitiated.
Thus蒙學 can be translated as the "to elucidate the
uninitiated" or "the school for the uninitiated". However, to free the clutter of title of
these pedantic details, "beginning" is the best term to use.
For a complete listing of the
meanings of this word, see http://xh.5156edu.com/html3/4173.html
Included here are some definitions
for easy reference and interest.
「易·蒙卦」:“匪我求童蒙,童蒙求我” 指蒙昧的人求我不断解决疑难。後来用“蒙求”做啓蒙的書名。如唐代李翰有《蒙求》,宋朝周守忠有《歷代名医蒙求》,清朝王筠有《文字蒙求》
幼稚, 暗昧不明
匪我求童蒙,童蒙求我。——《易·蒙》
stupid, lack of knowledge e.g.,
蒙昧, 啓蒙, 發蒙
蒙士 (蒙昧無知,学識淺薄的人)
蒙幼 (不懂事的幼童; 蒙昧幼稚的儿童);
蒙稚(幼稚无知)
蒙塾/舘/ (traditional private elementary school) 舊時指對兒童進行啓蒙教育的私塾
蒙學 same as 蒙舘. Also to mean the homework of the initiated children. 也指学童啓蒙的功課
蒙師 First teacher启蒙的老师;教育孩童的老師
我小时候听蒙师讲的,却又是一样讲法。——《二十年目睹之怪現状》
蒙童 ignorant children i.e. children without
schooling
蒙昧 Uncultured, barbaric; uncivilized, illiterate指未开化的原始状态蒙昧时代 愚昧,不通事理 蒙昧无知
Some other interesting meanings
To suffer
蒙塵
a. go into exile; the sufferance of imperial or high ranking officials when
their power was lost. 舊指帝后流亡在外, 蒙受灰塵.
E.g.主上蒙塵, 「三國志, 諸葛亮傳」靖康年間金人圍困汴梁, 欽二帝蒙塵北狩, 一時后妃公主被虜去甚多「初刻拍案驚奇」
b.
non-visibility due to dust etc.
蒙垢 - to be humiliated.
蒙難to
meet with disaster /killed/in the clutches of the enemy/to fall foul of/in
danger
c. To receive
蒙幸/猶幸蒙 (幸运地受到);
蒙恩(承蒙恩惠);
蒙允(承蒙允许);
蒙教(承蒙教诲)
承蒙 to be indebted to someone
d. Ether: 蒙气 (古指包围地球外面的大气)
蒙直
e. Honest & tolerant; sincere and kind 忠厚老实
那呆子雖是心性愚頑,却只是一味蒙直。——《西游記》
Lesson 2
五倫者, five Relationships thing-{tp}
父子有親, father son
have affection,
君臣有義, ruler subject
have righteousness
夫妻有别, husband wife
have differences
長幼有序, old young have
order
朋友有信. Friends have trust.
The so called Five Relationships
are:
There is affection between father and son.
Righteousness between the ruler and subjects
Differences between the husband and wife
There is order between the old and the young
And trustworthiness among friends.
Lesson 3
五倫之中
Inside the Five Relationships
有三綱 Have Three Principles
君為臣綱
The ruler for his subjects
父為子綱
The father for his sons
夫為妻綱
The husband for his wives.
Within the Five
Relationships, there are three Principles,
The responsibility of
the ruler to his subjects.
The responsibility of
the father to his sons.
The responsibility of
the husband to his wives.
Note the use singular and plural
nouns.
Lesson 4
人. Man
非父不生, not
father not born
非君不食, not ruler not eat
非師不知, not teacher not know
故曰 so said
君師父一体也 ruler teacher father one body
Man. Without the
father, there is no life. Without the ruler, there is no food. Without the
teacher, there is no knowledge.
So it is thus said,
"The ruler, the
teacher and the father is of one body!"
Lesson 5
同受父母之遺體以為人者, same receive parents' body
remnants to become human
兄弟也, [to become] brothers
故曰 thus said
兄弟同氣也, brothers same breath
手足也 hands feet
We are made from the
material of our parents. With other issues, brethren unto to each other. Thus
it is said,
"Brethren share
the same breath [as our parents]. Hence we are considered that we are the hands
and feet [of our parents].
Cultural Notes:
"Hands and feet" thus become the idiom to mean "brotherly
love". Ancient Chinese culture from the time of Confucius onwards had been
brainwashed to change from a matriarchal society into a patriarchal one.
Lesson 6
朋友. Friends
有責善之道故取友, have responsibility good at
the way/path thus take friends.
必端人. must be orthodox/proper/upright
man.
擇友必勝己 choose friends must superior
[than] myself
沒有不湏友而成者也. Not yet, no need friend and
success/become those
On Friends. Those who
are well versed in the path of righteousness will make friends who, themselves
are upright too. When selecting friends, the chosen ones will be superior than
oneself. If there is no need for friends, how can one consider oneself a
success?
Notes:
1. Literary Chinese does not possess
much grammar niceties due to the preference of brevity. Hence this influences the thought of Chinese
writing to become reader responsible.
This is unlike English where it is the writer's responsibility to make
things clear.
2. 湏 is
an ancient variation of須.
3. The most difficult to understand
is the last line. Parsing term by term can lead to a different outcome. This is
also due to the character, 成.
As a verb, this can mean "to
become", "to be transformed". In this way, the line becomes
"When you don't have any friend, there is no need to have/become
one".
Does not make any sense. However,
if you treat this as an adjective to mean "success", it becomes,
"When you don't have any friend, there is no need to become a successful
one."
Still there is something
intuitively wrong with this interpretation in a moral lesson. This sort of
interpretation is understandable due to the lack of grammatical niceties. This
sentence is a rhetoric; best translated in English as a question.
Lesson 7
有夫婦然後有父子. Have husband and wife, then have father and
son.
夫婦人道之始也. Husband and wife principle's start
故聖人, Thus a saint
重婚姻之禮. Attach importance to marriage's
ritual.
Husband and wife
relationship comes before a father-and-son's. This is the primordial principle
between husband and wife. Thus to be a saintly person, Importance is placed
upon marriage.
Lesson 8
人受天地之愛 man receives Heaven and Earth's
love
力而生故, by all means and beget thus
愛家族, love family clan
愛社会, love society collective
愛國家. love country family
本然之義 ought to be propriety
務也 duty it is
Man is favoured by
Heaven and Earth. Thus by all means go forth and multiply. Love thy clan, love thy society and love
thy country. It's not only propriety but duty!
Lesson 9
六十分為一時. Sixty minutes become one hour.
二十四時為一日. Twenty four hours become one day.
三百六十日為一歲. Three hundred and sixty days become one year.
歲我不延人生. Years I not prolong life.
當識分陰. Ought know distinguish
darkness.
Sixty minutes is one
hour. Twenty-four hours is one day.
Three hundred and sixty days is one year.
Life is short. Spend your time wisely.
Notes:
1.
The lunar calendar has 360 days.
2.
The last two lines are the most difficult to translate and because of
the terseness of literary Chinese, a direct translation will not make sense to
a non-Chinese reader. Even for those
Chinese who have not exposed to literary Chinese will not understand the last
line. Here 陰 is short for 光陰 (light and darkness) to denote the passage of time going
from light to dark and vice versa.
Lesson 10
百草之中, Hundred grasses {pp} within
穀植最貴者. Grain plants most precious thing
為其養人命也. As its sustain human lives
眾木之中 Populace trees {pp} within
松柏者最貴. Pines and cypress those most precious.
為其有材用也 As they have material/wood to use.
Of the myriad
grasses, grains are the most precious as they sustain human life. Of all the trees, the most precious are the
pine and cypress for their timber is useful.
Notes: The modern meaning of 木 is wood. In Classical Chinese, it means tree just like
the Japanese following this convention. 材 means wood/timber or even
ability.
Lesson 11
一梨皮色甚美. one pear skin color very pretty
張生謂其味必佳. Chang Mr. says its taste must good
趙生曰否. Chao Mr., says,
"not"
外美必有內惡. outside beauty must have inside bad
張生食之. Mr. Chang eat it.
果然味惡. The_result taste (noun) bad.
There was a pear in
which its skin looks pretty. Mr. Chang
said, "Its taste must be great".
Mr. Chao replied, "Not so.
Outside beauty does not mean that it will be pretty inside". Mr. Chang ate it. Indeed, its taste was not good.
Notes:
1.
What you have seen here is the result of my parsing of the text. In its original form, there is no punctuation
at all. One has to make sense from the
context! For example, 張生 can also mean to grow! 張 has to different tones to indicate the difference in
meaning. Thus, 一梨皮色甚美張生, as we first scanned from left to right becomes,
"There is a pear growing with a lovely skin appearance"
2.
生
has several meanings of which "born" is the main one. Hence extended to "life". 先生, "to be born early" means a teacher who in Sinicized
cultures is an older person and thus has respect. On the other hand, 後生 means a young person. It does not mean a student as no
respect is accorded to a learner since he has not earned it. 書生 is a scholar, being born to the
books. 衛生 born to guard/protect/defend is a relative modern term to
mean "hygiene".
3.之 here is not the possessive particle. The meaning here means "it", a
pronoun.
4. 惡in modern usage it means evil/fierce/vicious/ugly/coarse/to
harm and as a verb "to hate", "to loathe", "to be ashamed",
"to fear", "to slander" and fierce. In literary usage, it means "bad"
as in 善惡, the good and the
bad.
5.
The last line can be also translated as "The resultant taste is
bad". This is more precise. However, the nuance in the original is not as
severe as the English version. This is
mainly due to cultural differences.
Lesson 12
人之有衣, man [state indicator]
has clothing
猶鳥獸之有毛羽也. like birds animals [state indicator] have fur feather
鳥獸有毛羽然不製服. birds animals have fur
feather thus [negation] make clothes.
人能製服故. man able to make clothes
reason/thus
雖無毛羽而不偎寒 although/since no fur feather and not
afraid cold.
Man thus has
clothing, like birds and animals having feathers and fur. As such, they
need no clothing. Man is able to make clothing. Though having neither fur nor feathers, he is
unafraid of the cold.
Notes:
1. 之
here is an indicator of action or a state.
2. 猶
has other meanings, "as if", "still", "yet"
Lesson 13
某生家貧為木工 Certain young_person family/house poor become
wood work
性好學, nature love/like learning
稍暇則獨習書算. somewhat leisure then alone learn books
calculation
聞者歎曰 heard those sigh say
無師也. no teacher!
尚能勤學 still able diligent/constant
study/learn
况有師者乎 moreover have teacher ?
A certain young man
whose family was poor and had to become a carpenter. However, he had an innate love to study. Somewhat, when he has leisure, he would study
the Classics and mathematics. Those who
heard of him would sigh and say, "Alas! No teacher and still so diligent
in the pursuit of his learning. What
would the result be if he has a teacher?
Notes:
1.
書
as a noun means books. Here it is
referring to the Four Books of Confucius.
Korea is a Confucian society.
2.
算
is to calculate or to predict. Here it
is referring to mathematics. Short for 算學, the study of calculations.
3. 乎 is a final particle in literary Chinese to denote a
question. Its function is very similar
to the modern forms of 嗎,
呢 and 吧.
Another use is similar to 於, another particle to mean in/ at/from/because/than
Lesson 14
一兒至人家. One child approach man house
見一河池. saw one river pond
池中多魚 pond in many fish
往來遊行. towards come wander walk
兒喜玩不已. child joy play not stop.
A child was
approaching a house and saw a pond formed by a river. In it, were many fish swimming around. The child was overjoyed without bound.
Notes:
1.
人家
= human abode. Thus a house. Only humans build houses. So translating 人 into English is redundant and unnatural.
2.
遊行
in modern meanings are "to tour", "to parade", "to
march" (as in a demonstration).
Since it referring to the fish, even the literal meanings cannot be
translated directly into English as walking to and fro.
Lesson 15
一兒兄出外 One child older_brother go_out side
至夕不回 towards sunset not return
兒大哭至門前 child big cry towards door front
則兄與友人 then big_brother and friend person
已同行而回 already same walk and returned.
A boy's older brother
went out. Evening came and still has not
returned. The boy wept and went to the
front door. Then saw the older brother
and friend were already walking together towards home.
Lesson 16
兒問其父曰 Son asks his father said
筆以何物所製 pen with what thing from made
答曰 reply said
黄者黄鼠毛 yellow thing yellow rat hair
青者青鼠毛 black thing black rat hair
白者羊毛或獐也 white thing goat hair or
roe_deer
The child asked his
father, "What is the brush made from?". The father replied, "The yellow hair is
made from the hair of the brown squirrel.
The black ones are from the black squirrel and the white ones are from
goat or roe deer hair.
Notes:
1.
筆 in modern usage means pen,
a writing instrument. However, in this
context it means the Chinese writing brush.
2.
There are several color meanings of 青. It ranges from
black to blue! The modern meaning is
"green" while in classical Chinese, it is either blue or green.
Here's the general rule.
a.
green, if about grass, plants, mountains etc.
b.
blue if sky, stones, ceramics etc.
c.
black if, clothing, hair, etc.
Lesson 17
菜園中 vegetable garden in
有小鷄一群 have small chicken one group
其毛不一 its fur not one
有黑有白有黄 have black have white have yellow
與母鷄同在草地 with mother chicken same/together on grass
ground
爭食其葉 vie_for eat this leaf
In the vegetable
garden, there is a group of little chicks.
Their feathers are different from each other. There were black, white and yellow. Together with the mother hen on the grass
patch, fighting over which grass blade to eat.
Lesson 18
人力小 man strength little
牛馬之力大 cow horse [pp] strength great
然不能與人爭 still not able with man vie_with
以人知學 because man knows knowledge
牛馬不知學 cow horse not know knowledge
人知群, man knows group
牛馬不知群耳 cow horse not know group
this_is_all.
Man's strength is
little. The strength of cattle and horses
are great. Still they are unable to vie
with Man. This is because Man knows
knowledge and they don't. Man
understands the concept to work in groups.
Cattle and horses don't. This is
all to it.
Notes:
1.
學
as a verb means "to study". As
a noun, it is "study/learning".
Hence knowledge.
2. 耳 is a classical particle to mean, "this is all",
"this is it", "end of story", "the end" etc.
Lesson 19
早飯之後 early cooked_rice
[pp] after
有一老人 have one old man
長鬚白髮 long beard white
hair
披風帽戴眼鏡 draped wind hat wearing eye
mirror
引二兒入室 lead two children enter
room
祖父呼孫 ancestor father
call_out grandson
拜之曰 pray him said
此我之好友, 李丈 this my [pp] good friend, Lee
Chang(yard, measurement)
彼二兒 these two
children
此丈之孫也 These Chang [pp] grandsons
After breakfast, a
bespectacled old man with long beard and white hair wearing a hat to ward off
the winds, led two children into the room.
The grandfather called out to his grandson. After the children paid their respect, he
said,
"These two are
my good friend's; Li Chang's grandchildren."
Notes:
1.
風帽
is a kind of ancient hat with a long back (a ducktail) to ward off the
winds. Nowadays, it is a hood where it
may be attacked to the jacket used for the same purpose.
2.
拜
means to pray. However, if you don't
know Chinese culture, you will be mystified.
Filial piety demands the younger generation pay full respect by
prostration and do the necessary kowtows.
In the old days, children are expected to pay their respects to the parents
every morning. This is called 請安 or "inviting
peace". This sort of custom is
unfortunately no longer in vogue in modern society except perhaps on grand
occasions such as a traditional wedding.
This is still followed in South East Asian Chinese societies. After the kowtowing, the bride and groom
receive red packets containing lucky amounts of money for good luck.
3.
李
is a Chinese last name, also used by Koreans. 丈 here refers to a person's name. Remember this classical Chinese primer is
written for Koreans.
Cultural note:
Traditional Chinese families like
to have the entire clan living under one roof. To be able to have five
generations living together is the greatest honour most cannot have. Longevity
is an honour and is a big motive in Chinese arts being represented by cranes,
peaches etc. There are a thousand ways to write the
character for "longevity" 壽.
Here's an abridged story… When the Ch'ing Dynasty
Emperor Ch'ien Lung (亁隆) while travelling incognito, he saw on a
door, a horizontal plaque saying "Under Heaven, The First Family" (天下第一家).
The Emperor was visibly
annoyed for his should be the one. Therefore this plaque is treasonous and the
entire family can be executed. However, he was curious and went in to ask. The
explanation given was that even the current monarch cannot lay claim to have five generations living under the same roof! (五代同堂,
five generations in the same hall)
Another slightly different version can be found at
http://www.hudie.org/duilian/gs/gs43.htm
Another totally different version
of the story but involving the same Emperor can be found at
http://www.storychina.cn/frmPopAuthor_Detail.aspx?ID=33796
Personally I think this story is
rather contrived.
Lesson 20
祖父問二兒 ancestor father ask two children
予兄讀書已二年矣 my older brother read books
already two years ah
我年幼尚未讀書也 my age young yet not_yet read books
The grandfather asked the second boy. [He
replied,]
"Ah, my older
brother has been studying for two years already. I am still small, not yet started on any
study."
Notes: In classical Chinese二 doubles as either two or
second. The context will resolve this
issue. Thus unlike English, can be
puzzling on the first reading.
Lesson 21
小兒問其兄曰 small kid asks
his older_brother said
禽何善飛 birds why good fly?
獸何善走 beasts why good run?
曰 replied
禽有兩翼故善飛 birds have two wings hence good fly
獸有四足故善走 beasts have four legs hence good run
A small kid asked his
older brother,
"Why are birds
good at flying and animals good at running?"
[The older boy]
replied,
"Birds have two
wings and thus able to fly well. Animals have four legs and so they run
better."
Notes:
1. Originally 禽 means wild animals that can fly.
This includes snakes for their fast actions that made them look like they can
fly. However, nowadays, it is restricted to birds only.
2. 走 means to walk in modern Mandarin. In literary Chinese,
Japanese and dialects such as Cantonese, it retain the original meaning,
"to run". However, one has to be very careful in interpreting this
character for there are vestiges of its original meaning in common expressions
such as…
a. 走狗 - running dogs to mean traitors.
b. 走馬灯 - running horses lanterns, a type of lanterns when lit will
produce a moving pictures, a kind of a zoetrope.
c. 走火 - running fire to mean, "to go off accidentally"
or "to catch fire". The more famous expression is走火入魔 - to catch on fire and enter
the demonic realm. This phrase is usually found in Chinese martial arts story
where it is a condition that during higher levels of mastering a technique, if
one is accidentally not in concentration enough, will cause great damage to
one's body and even death can occur. Thus nowadays, it can mean that if one is
not paying attention enough to a job, disaster will result.
d. 走水 - running water. This is even trickier. It is a palace
taboo wood. During the imperial days, lightning strikes can cause the palace to
catch fire. This is because the buildings are made of wood and the palace is
the highest structure in a vast open space area. To avoid the word
"fire", water is used instead. Another way of looking at it is that
great cisterns were placed in strategic locations to store water. So you can
imagine how buckets of water go "running" through the lines eunuchs
to bring them to the burning area.
e. 飛簷走壁 - flying on eaves and running along the walls. Another
martial arts setting phrase to mean a highly skilled practitioner.
f. 遠走高飛 - far fleeing and high flying - to mean "escape by
fleeing". In the same vein, 偷走- steal and run. To translate as "walking" is
definitely wrong!
g. 不脛而走 - no calves and run (ie even without calves, one can still
get away so fast) "to get around fast" or to "spread like wild
fire".
Lesson 22
有不能則當學 have not then ought learn
有不知則當問 have not know then ought ask
是曰學問 is said learn study
學問多者其才大 learn study many those his talent great
學問少者其才小 learn study little those his talent small
Those without ability
then, should learn. Those without knowing, then ought to ask. Hence learn-and-study is known as
knowledge. Those who asked frequently,
their abilities will be become great.
Those who asked little, their abilities remain miniscule.
Lesson 23
人之所居 man's [pp] place live
有平屋 has flat houses
有樓屋 has tower houses
皆有門與窓 all have doors and windows.
有門則可出入 has door then can exit enter
有窓則放光 has window then release light
Man's abode can are
single and multiple storied. However,
all have doors and windows. With a door,
one can enter and leave. With windows,
light can be let in.
Notes:
窓
is a variant form for 窗,
chiefly used in Japan and Korea.
Lesson 24
河水淺 river water shallow
江水深 large_river water deep
海水最深 sea water most deep
洋則尤深而大 ocean then especially deep and large
水之源泉 water's [pp] source spring
乃一勺之多也 therefore one unit_of_volume many [emphasis
particle]
The waters of a river
are shallow. The waters of a large one are
deep. But most of all, the deepest are those of the sea. An ocean's is especially deep and vast. The source of the all waters is but of only a
centilitre!
Notes:
1. 河
is river. 溪 is stream. 江 is larger than河
2. 勺 is a unit of volume about 10
centiliters. It is 100th of a 升,
the modern equivalent to a litre.
Lesson 25
人有過已改之 man has wrongs afterwards change it
人有善已從之 man has goodness afterwards obey it
故曰 hence said
三人行 three man walk
必有我師焉 must have my teacher
When a man has
wrongs, change them. When a man has
good, follow them. Hence said,
"Three men walking, surely one a master from which I can learn from".
Note:
The last two lines come from the
Analects. The full version says that
when three persons are walking together, there is one from which I can call a
teacher, whom I can learn from his good.
If there is any fault, then he shall act as a mirror so that I can avoid
them.
Lesson 26
用心則心強 use heart then heart strong
用身則身強 use body then body strong
身心俱弱 body heart both weak
為物且不能存 as thing/object yet not able survive
而况人乎 and moreover man?
故曰 thus said
弱肉強食 weak meat strong eat
Train thy heart and
it will become strong. Train thy body
and it will become robust. If both the heart and body is weak, as something
alive, it will not survive. Moreover, a
human being? Hence said, "The weak
will be preyed upon!"
Note:
The last line is an idiom which
literally means, "the strong will eat the weaker flesh". The last line can also be translated as the
"law of the jungle". This translation
is too figurative for my taste, in this context of learning Classical Chinese.
Lesson 27
鑛物有珠玉 mining things have gems jade
有銅鐵 have copper iron
珠與玉其物貴 gems and jade its thing precious
銅與鐵其用廣 copper and iron its use widespread
There are gems and
jade; copper and iron from the mines. Gems and jade are precious. [However, ] Copper
and iron, [though not precious, ] their uses are wide spread.
Notes:
1.
銅
can also mean to use bronze. 古銅 usually mean ancient bronzes of
the Shang and Chou Dynasties. Nowadays
bronze are called 青銅. From the context, it can only mean copper since
bronze is manmade. Copper is an element.
2.
珠
means pearls or precious beads. However,
in this context it means gems that are to be fashioned into beads.
3.
The last two sentences have an identical structure. I chose to translate using different structures
but having the same meaning to make the English version more natural and true
to its intent. Without the implied words
in the square brackets, the nuance is lost.
Lesson 28
一兒渴甚 one child thirsty very
欲取冷茶飲之 want take cold tea drink it
其兄曰 his older brother said
不可飲之 no can drink it
必有腹疾 must have stomach disease
兒不聽 kid no listen
後果病 after result sick
One child was very
thirsty. He wanted to drink some cold
tea. His older brother cautioned,
"Do not drink it for it will cause you stomach problems".
The child did not
listen. In the end, the result was that
he got sick.
Lesson 29
貓似虎而小 cat like tiger but small
鯨名魚而有乳 whale named fish but has milk
雞有翼而不能高飛 chicken has wings but not able high fly
The cat is like a
tiger but small. The whale is named as a fish but gives milk. The chicken has
wings but unable to fly high.
Lesson 30
凡物熱則化 all things hot then melt
冷則凝 cold then gel
故夜寒則露結霜 hence night cold then dew harden frost
日出則霜融 sun out then frost melts
冬寒則水結冰 winter cold then water harden ice
春暖則冰解 spring warmth then ice melts
All things when
heated melt, when cold, they gel. Hence
the cold of the night turns dew into frost and when the sun comes out, it
melts. The cold of winter solidifies
water into ice. The warmth of spring
melts it.
Lesson 31
窓外有蘠薇架 Window outside has rambler rose frame
其花如玫瑰 Its flower like rose
蝴蝶飛其上 butterfly butterfly fly its top
怡然有自得意 joyfully have self gain complacency
There is a rambler
rose frame outside the window. Its
flowers are like those of roses.
Butterflies hovering on top of them in joy and complacency.
Note:
蘠薇
= rosa multiflora
Lesson 32
牧丹與海棠盛開 peony and crabapple vigorous open
其色甚美 its color very beautiful
有人倚欄干而觀 have person lean fence trunk view
花與人面相暎 flower and person face mutual reflection
The peonies and
crabapples are blooming in vigor. Their
colors are very beautiful. There is a
person leaning against the fence viewing them.
Man and flowers reflecting in each other.
Notes:
1.
海棠
= malus spectabilis (crabapple), begonia or Chaenomeles speciosa (flowering
quince)
2.
暎
= variant form of 映.
Lesson 33
或問李童 or ask Li (last name) child
天寒何不飲酒 sky cold why not drink wine
童曰 child said
父親謂年幼之人 father dear said year/age young's [pp] man
不當飲酒 not ought drink wine
飲則傷身 drink then harm body
父命安何違乎 father command where how violate ?
On asking the child of Li,
"When the sky is cold, why not have some wine?"
The child replied,
"My father said that young ones ought not to drink it. If so, thus harm to health. How could one violate the orders of one's father?"
Notes:
1. 或問 literally means "or asking". It is a literary style in which a point is expounded and clarified through a dialogue. The point discussed here is the principle of obeisance towards one's elders as they have more experience.
2. 安 here is used as an interrogative particle and not the noun for the more common meaning for "peace", "tranquility" etc. It can mean either "where" or "how" depending on context.
而今安在? And where is it now?
As answering a question with another question meaning how…
不及虎穴, 安得虎子? To fall short of the tiger's
lair, how to get its cub? The more
common idiom is 不入虎穴, 焉得虎子 "By not entering the tiger's lair, from whence its cub be
gotten/gained?" or "By not entering the tiger's lair, how can its cub
be gotten/gained?"
安能若无其事 "How can it be
as if nothing had happened?"
Lesson 34
一日秋風涼爽 one day autumn wind cool
comfortable
夕陽欲下 setting sun want
down
王生與李生乘馬而行 Wang Mr. and Li Mister ride horse and move
見數鴉 saw number crows
待群鴉盡歸 wait group crows all
return
乃共入巢 then together enter
nest
One autumn's day, the
breeze was cool and comfortable; the sun was setting, Mr. Wang and Mr. Li were
riding their horses. They saw a flock of
crows. They were in wait until all had
returned before entering the nest together.
Note:
Most of these short lessons tell of
a moral on how humans should act and behave.
You just have to read deeper into its meanings. If lowly animals can do it, as higher forms,
why can't humans be the same, having courtesy to one another?
Lesson 35
一夕月色糢糊 one night moon color blur muddle
半夜睡醒 half night sleep awake
聞窓外雨聲淅瀝 hear window outside rain sound [onomatopoeia
"c"][ onomatopoeia, "lee"]
簷馬丁東 eave horse [onomatopoeia
"ding"][ onomatopoeia "dong"]
One night when the
moon was hazy. I woke up at midnight and
heard from the window outside: the rain went pitter-pattering and the wind
chime goes ding-ding-dong-dong.
Notes:
1.
簷馬
are so called because most probably they resembled the distant sounds of
ringing bells put on horses to warn people.
Wind chimes are used in ancient China to determine the wind direction
and later to become musical chimes for the rich and powerful and can be made
from jade!
2.
淅瀝
and丁東 (or 叮咚, 玎璫) are onomatopoeia.
This lesson teaches that if the moon is hazy, then rain will sure to
follow.
Lesson 36
馬車 horse carriage
或駕一馬或駕兩馬 or harness one horse or harness two horses
其輪或二或四 its wheels or two or four
四輪者二大二小 four wheels of two big two small
小者在前 small one at front
大者在後 big one at rear/behind
One or two horses are
harnessed to a carriage. Its wheels,
therefore are of two or four. Those with
four wheels have two large ones and two small ones. The small ones are in the front while the
larger ones in the back.
Note:
車
= car in modern usage but carriage in pre-automotive days. In Chinese chess, it is the war chariot,
equivalent to the rook or castle and has a different Chinese pronunciation.
Lesson 37
某處有公井
some place have public well
數家往汲水
number family go_to/bound_for draw water
每家每日 every family ever day
約用水六桶 to_make_a_pack use water six
buckets
Somewhere there was a
public well in which a number of families go to draw water. It was agreed that each family would draw six
buckets of water for their daily use.
Another style,
Somewhere was a
public well where a number of families go to draw water. Each family and for each day, all had agreed
to use six buckets.
Lesson 38
諸生課畢 some students lesson done
或遊園 or tour/travel garden
或遊野 or tour/travel
wilderness/field/open_space/rural_countryside
眾人同遊則樂 group people same/together
tour/travel then happy
各人獨遊則不樂 each person tour/travel then not happy
Some students on
finishing their class would either go to the gardens or to the woods for
fun. If going together, then it is a
joyful event. However, if each went
alone, then it would not be so.
Notes:
1.
遊
does not really mean tour or travel. In this context, it means to go and have
fun. Such are the simplistic joys of the
past.
2.
野
has many meanings. It also includes "feral", "limit" and
"boundary". In this particular
context, it means some place where no human work is at hand. Most probably by
an area nearby the woods or forest. It
cannot be too far off a place since they are doing it every day. We cannot translate "gardens" into
parks because at that time, no such concept as a public park exists.
Lesson 39
洪君與客談 Hung (Last Name) master and guest
converse
兒在旁默聽 child at side silent listen
客述 guest narrate
崔姓兒入塾甫一年 Chui last_name child enter
private_school just_barely one year
已能作信札演諸說 already able compose letter
note practise various talk
兒聞而大羨之 child hear and great admiration him
Master Hung and a
guest were conversing. A child stood
nearby and silently listened. The guest
described how the son of Mr. Chui had barely entered a private school for a
year and is already able to write letters and notes, and recited various
discourses.
Notes:
1.
塾
is actually a room in some scholar's house where children of those who can
afford tuition are being taught. The
richer families and nobilities of course can hire a live-in teacher to teach
their scions.
2.
札
Among the many meaning, it can also mean the bamboo slip in which ancient
Chinese books are made of; or a kind of official document in the imperial days.
3. 說 Here it means a discourse as a dialog between the master,
such as Confucius to his student, or a king to his subject.
Lesson 40
春日晴和 spring day sunny warm
楊柳曳風中 poplar willow drag wind in
溪水蕩漾 brook waters undulating
rippling
客徘徊溪邊甚樂 wanderer irresolute hesitate brook side
very happy
The spring day is
sunny and warm. The poplars and willows
dragging in the wind; the brook waters
rippling away and the wanderer dithering along the banks in happiness.
Note:
客 can also mean a guest. However from the context, a wanderer is more
appropriate.
Lesson 41
長兄謂幼弟曰 older brother told young
brother said
我為爾兄 I because you older_brother
爾為我弟 you because I younger_brother
我當教爾 I ought teach you
爾當聽我言 you ought listen I words
The older brother
told his younger brother,
"As your older
brother and you, my younger sibling, I ought to teach you and you ought to
listen to my words."
Lesson 42
某兒願習字
One child willing practise words
父授一筆曰
father give one brush said
爾可以習字
you can use practise words
兒得筆甚喜
child having brush very joy
One child was willing
to learn and practise his writing of characters. The father gave him a writing brush and said,
"You now can use
it to practise your writing."
The child having the
brush was overjoyed.
Lesson 43
家有貓 house have cat
鼠不敢出 mouse not dare out
河有獺 river has otter
魚不敢出 fish not dare out
林有鸇 forest has sparrow_hawk
鳥不敢出 bird not dare out
The house has a cat
and mice dare not come out. The river
has otters and the fish dare not come out.
The forest has sparrow hawk and birds dare not come out.
Notes:
1.
家
can mean home or house. In this context,
a house is better a translation.
2.
Note the use of singular and plural forms. This is because one has to take into account
the solitary nature of some creatures.
Lesson 44
一兒將入塾 One child about_to enter private_school
父呼而謂之曰 father called and told him said
予無暇教汝 I no leisure teach you
命汝從師 order you obey teacher
汝當聽師言 you ought listen teacher word
如聽予言 like listen my word
A child was about to
enter a private school. The father
called him and said,
"I don't have
the time to teach you. I am ordering you to obey your teacher. You ought to listen to him as if his words
are mine."
Notes:
1.
塾
= private school, see Chapter 39.
2.
In ancient China, a teacher is considered like a second father and
sometimes more important than the biological one. This is because a teacher teaches not only
knowledge but to live as an upright person.
Hence this rise to an idiom, 一日為師, 終身如父, One day a teacher, a father for life. From this we can see how
respectful a position a teacher is, even by today's standards for a
teacher. Very much unlike the West.
Lesson 45
張童不能寫字 Chang boy not able write
characters
怨筆不佳 complain pen not
good
父曰爾不能書當自怨 father said you not able write ought
self complain
勿怨紙筆 not complain
paper pen
A boy named Chang was
unable to write properly and complained that the brush is not good. The father said,
"You cannot
write well, you should complain about yourself, not the brush or the
paper!"
Notes:
1.
The translation of "不能寫字" should be "unable to write". However, in this context it is not that the
child cannot write but unable to write well.
Using a brush to write is more difficult to write with a fountain pen or
a ballpoint. The moral of this lesson is
not the ability to write but the ability to have good penmanship. Calligraphy is one of the Four
Accomplishments (琴棋書畫), zither (knowledge to compose music), chess (shows analytical thinking),
calligraphy (to write poetry) and painting (appreciating the arts).
2.
書
as a noun is "book" but as a verb "to write". However in this context, it means 書法 or "The Law of
Writing" aka Chinese calligraphy.
In Japanese, it is known as 書道, "The Way of Writing" and in Korea, 書藝, "The Art of
Writing". All these have subtle
meanings and hence the way of how characters are written.
Lesson 46
筆以毛為之 brush by_means_of hair becomes it
其桿以竹為之
its pole by_means_of bamboo becomes it
執桿而寫字 grasp pole and write character
指密掌虛 fingers dense palm weak
字密行疏 characters refine column sparse
A brush is made out
of hair. Its body is made from
bamboo. Grasp its body to write. Fingers should be firm and the palm at
ease. The written characters should be
refined with plenty of columnar white space.
Notes:
1.
This lesson illustrates the various meanings of 密. The first one means
dense and in this context to hold firmly.
The second one means refinement through meticulous work.
2.
The last line Chinese calligraphy jargon to denote a visual style.
Lesson 47
某兒讀書勤 some child read book
diligent
父以梨賞之 father for pear bestow him
兒食其半曰 child eat its half said
欲留其半与我妹食之 want leave its half and my
sister eat it
Some child was
studying diligently. The father gave a
pear to him as reward. The child ate
half and said,
"I shall leave [the
other] half for my sister to eat."
Lesson 48
催生兒少傲惰 Chui (surname) Mr. son small arrogant lazy
及父死無衣食 and_when father die no clothing eat
遂為乞人 then_finally become beg man
徐君歎而謂其子曰 Yu(surname) lord sighed and
said its son said
鳴呼 cry (of animals)
call_out
此傲惰之罸也 this arrogant laziness (pp) punishment
emphasis_particle
吾兒汝當戒之 my son you ought guard_against it
Mr. Chui's son, when
little was arrogant and lazy. Then when
his father died, no one clothed or fed him.
Finally then he was reduced to being a beggar. Lord Yu lamented and warned his son said,
"This is the
punishment for being arrogant and lazy!
My son, you ought to guard against being so."
Lesson 49
母問 mother asked
水之流何清 water's flow why clear
竿之影何直 pole's shadow why straight
兒不能答 child not able reply
母曰 mother said
源清故流清 source pure because flow clear
形直故景直 form straight because situation straight
The mother asked,
"Why is the
water flowing clearly? Why is the shadow of a pole straight?"
The child could not
answer.
The mother replied,
"The source is
pure and hence the flow is clear. The
form is straight and hence the situation will be straight."
Note:
The moral of this lesson is to
teach one to be an upright person.
Lesson 50
有物飛入室 have thing fly into room
形如鼠而有翼
shape like mouse and have wings
兒異之 child wondered it
父曰 father said
是名蝙蝠 is name bat bat
喜食蚊 loves eat mosquitoes
Something flew into
the room. Its shape looked like a mouse
but has wings. The child wondered. The father explained, "It is called a
bat and loves to eat mosquitoes."
