孔子：中国的第一位老师

两liǎng千qiān五wǔ百bǎi多年duō nián以前yǐ qián，孔kǒng子zi出生chū shēng在zài鲁lǔ国guó，也yě就是jìu shì今天jīn tiān的de山shān东dōng曲qǔ阜fù。他tā三sān岁suì就jìu没méi了liǎo父亲fù qīn，家里jiā lǐ很hěn穷qióng，年轻nián qīng的de时候shí hou放过fàng guò牛níu，管guǎn过guo仓库cāng kù，做zuò过guo各种gè zhǒng各gè样yàng的de小xiǎo官guān。

Over twenty-five hundred years ago Confucius was born in the state of Lu, today's Qufu in Shandong. His father died when he was three. The family was poor; as a young man he herded cattle, kept granaries, did small jobs of every kind.

孔kǒng子zi从小cóng xiǎo喜欢xǐ huan学习xué xí，他tā说shuō自己zì jǐ十shí有yǒu五wǔ而ér志zhì于yú学xué，意思yì si是shì十shí五wǔ岁suì就jìu立lì下xià了liǎo学习xué xí的de志向zhì xiàng。没有méi yǒu老师lǎo shī，他tā就jìu到处dào chù请教qǐng jiào别人bié ren；没有méi yǒu书shū，他tā就jìu想xiǎng办法bàn fǎ找zhǎo来lái读dú。

He loved learning from childhood. He said at fifteen I set my heart on learning. With no teacher he asked everyone; with no books he found ways to get them.

在zài那nà个gè时代shí dài，读书dú shū是shì贵族guì zú的de权利quán lì，穷人qióng rén家jiā的de孩子hái zi没有méi yǒu地方dì fāng上学shàng xué。孔kǒng子zi做zuò了liǎo一yī件jiàn从来cóng lái没有méi yǒu人rén做zuò过guo的de事shì：办bàn私sī学xué，不管bù guǎn是shì富人fù rén还是hái shi穷人qióng rén，只要zhǐ yào带dài着zhuó一yī束shù干gàn肉ròu来lái拜bài师shī，他tā都dōu收shōu为wéi学生xué sheng。

In those days schooling belonged to nobles; poor children had nowhere to study. Confucius did something no one had done: he opened a private school. Rich or poor, anyone who brought a bundle of dried meat as tuition became his student.

他tā说shuō：有yǒu教jiāo无wú类lèi。意思yì si是shì，教育jiào yù不bù应该yīng gāi分fēn高低gāo dī贵guì贱jiàn。他tā的de学生xué sheng有yǒu三sān千qiān个gè，其中qí zhōng最zuì出色chū sè的de有yǒu七qī十shí二èr个gè。

He said: in education there are no classes. His students numbered three thousand; seventy-two became outstanding.

孔kǒng子zi教学jiào xué生shēng的de方法fāng fǎ很hěn特别tè bié。同一tóng yī个gè问题wèn tí，不同bù tóng的de学生xué sheng来lái问wèn，他tā的de回答huí dá常常cháng cháng不bù一样yī yàng。因为yīn wèi他tā说shuō，要yào看kān这zhè个人gè rén的de性格xìng gé来lái教jiāo，这zhè就是jìu shì因yīn材cái施shī教jiāo。

His teaching was unusual. The same question from different students often got different answers, because he taught to each person's nature: teaching according to the material.

有yǒu一yī次cì，学生xué sheng问wèn他tā什么shén me是shì仁rén。他tā说shuō：己jǐ所suǒ不bù欲yù，勿wù施shī于yú人rén。自己zì jǐ不bù想xiǎng承受chéng shòu的de事shì，就jìu不要bù yào加jiā到dào别人bié ren身上shēn shang。这zhè句jù话huà后来hòu lái成chéng了liǎo中国zhōng guó人rén做人zuò rén的de基本jī běn原则yuán zé。

Once a student asked what ren, humaneness, was. He said: what you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others. It became a basic rule of life for the Chinese.

五wǔ十shí五wǔ岁suì的de时候shí hou，孔kǒng子zi离开lí kāi鲁lǔ国guó，带dài着zhuó学生xué sheng周游zhōu yóu列国liè guó，想xiǎng找zhǎo一yī个gè肯kěn用yòng他tā的de国君guó jūn。这zhè一yī走zǒu就是jìu shì十shí四sì年nián，他tā去qù过guo很hěn多duō国家guó jiā，也yě被bèi困kùn过guo，饿è过guo饭fàn，甚至shèn zhì被bèi人rén围wéi攻gōng过guo。

At fifty-five Confucius left Lu and traveled state to state with his students, hoping a ruler would use him. Fourteen years he wandered; he was trapped, starved, even besieged.

可是kě shì没有méi yǒu一yī个gè国君guó jūn真正zhēn zhèng用yòng他tā。六lìu十shí八bā岁suì，他tā回到huí dào鲁lǔ国guó，把bǎ最后zuì hòu几jǐ年nián都dōu用来yòng lái教书jiāo shū和hé整理zhěng lǐ古代gǔ dài的de书shū，《诗shī经jīng》《尚shàng书shū》《春chūn秋qiū》都dōu是shì经过jīng guò他tā的de手shǒu传zhuàn下来xià lai的de。

But no ruler ever truly employed him. At sixty-eight he returned to Lu and spent his last years teaching and editing the old books; the Book of Songs, the Book of Documents, and the Spring and Autumn all came down through his hands.

孔kǒng子zi去世qù shì以后yǐ hòu，学生xué sheng们men把bǎ他tā说shuō过guo的话de huà编biān成chéng一yī本běn书shū，叫jiào《论lùn语yǔ》。这zhè本běn书shū不到bù dào两liǎng万wàn字zì，却què影响yǐng xiǎng了liǎo中国zhōng guó两liǎng千qiān多年duō nián。

After his death his students collected his sayings into a book, the Analects. Under twenty thousand characters long, it has shaped China for over two thousand years.

到dào今天jīn tiān，曲qǔ阜fù还有hái yǒu孔kǒng庙miào、孔kǒng府fǔ、孔kǒng林lín，每měi年nián都dōu有yǒu很hěn多duō人rén去qù看kān。全世界quán shì jiè的de人rén也yě都dōu知道zhī dào他tā的de名字míng zi，很hěn多duō国家guó jiā的de大学dà xué里lǐ都dōu有yǒu孔kǒng子zi学院xué yuàn。

Today Qufu still has his temple, mansion, and forest, visited by crowds every year. The world knows his name; many countries' universities have Confucius Institutes.

孔kǒng子zi一生yī shēng去qù过guo很hěn多duō国家guó jiā，想xiǎng找zhǎo一yī个gè肯kěn用yòng他tā的de国君guó jūn。他tā在zài陈chén国guó和hé蔡cài国guó之间zhī jiān断duàn过guo粮liáng，饿è了liǎo七qī天tiān，弟子dì zǐ们men病bìng倒dào了liǎo，他tā却què照样zhào yàng弹tán琴qín唱歌chàng gē。

Confucius spent his life traveling among states, seeking a ruler who would employ him. Between Chen and Cai his party ran out of food and starved for seven days; the disciples fell ill, yet he kept playing and singing.

孔kǒng子zi也yě会huì发火fā huǒ。学生xué sheng宰zǎi我wǒ白天bái tiān睡觉shuì jiào，孔kǒng子zi骂mà道dào：朽xiǔ木mù不bù可kě雕diāo也yě，粪fèn土tǔ之zhī墙qiáng不bù可kě圬wū也yě。意思yì si是shì烂làn木头mù tou雕diāo不成bù chéng东西dōng xi，脏zāng墙qiáng上shàng没méi法fǎ刷shuā白bái。

Confucius could lose his temper too. When the student Zai Wo slept by day, he scolded: rotten wood cannot be carved, a dung wall cannot be plastered.

他tā喜欢xǐ huan和hé学生xué sheng聊liáo天tiān，问wèn每měi个人gè rén的de理想lǐ xiǎng。有人yǒu rén说shuō治zhì国guó，有人yǒu rén说shuō带dài兵bīng，只有zhǐ yǒu曾céng点diǎn说shuō：春天chūn tiān的de时候shí hou，和hé朋友péng you在zài河hé里lǐ洗xǐ洗澡xǐ zǎo，在zài树shù下xià吹chuī吹chuī风fēng，唱chàng着zhuó歌gē回家huí jiā。孔kǒng子zi说shuō：我wǒ同意tóng yì曾céng点diǎn。

He liked asking students their dreams. Some said governing, some leading armies; only Zeng Dian said: in spring, bathing in the river with friends, feeling the breeze under trees, walking home singing. Confucius said: I am with Dian.

孔kǒng子zi一生yī shēng最zuì看重kàn zhòng的de学生xué sheng是shì颜yán回huí。颜yán回huí住zhù在zài破pò巷xiàng子zi里lǐ，吃chī最zuì简单jiǎn dān的de饭fàn，却què天天tiān tiān很hěn快乐kuài lè。孔kǒng子zi说shuō：贤xián哉zāi，回huí也yě！颜yán回huí早zǎo死sǐ，孔kǒng子zi哭kū着zhuó说shuō：天tiān丧sàng予yǔ！

His most prized student was Yan Hui, who lived in a shabby lane on the plainest food, yet stayed happy daily. Worthy indeed is Hui, Confucius said; when Yan Hui died young, he wept: Heaven has taken me!

他tā不bù是shì皇帝huáng dì，也yě不bù是shì将军jiāng jūn，可是kě shì他tā教学jiào xué生shēng的de方法fāng fǎ，他tā做人zuò rén的de道理dào li，比bǐ很hěn多duō皇帝huáng dì流传líu chuán得děi更gèng久jǐu。中国zhōng guó人rén叫jiào他tā至zhì圣shèng先xiān师shī，意思yì si是shì：最zuì伟大wěi dà的de、最zuì早zǎo的de老师lǎo shī。

He was no emperor and no general, yet his way of teaching and his rules for living outlasted most emperors. The Chinese call him the Supreme Sage and First Teacher.