《三字经》是中华民族珍贵的文化遗产，与《百家姓》、《千字文》并称为三大国学启蒙读物，也是早期传教士介绍中国文化之首选。它短小精悍、琅琅上口，内容涵盖历史、天文、地理、道德以及一些民间传说。全文虽然不足两千字，但文字内涵丰富，典故琳琅。自19世纪以来，《三字经》英译本不少，但从“音”、“形”、“义”三方面来兼顾的译本却很少。 赵彦春教授敢为人先，在这方面做出了大胆的实验。他尝试以三个英文单词来对译汉语的三个字，在音节和押韵方面都力求做到丝丝入扣，形神兼顾。
——罗选民
róng sì suì
融 四 岁，
néng ràng lí
能 让 梨。
dì yú zhǎng
弟 于 长，
yí xiān zhī
宜 先 知。
Aged four years,
Rong proffered pears.
Bear in mind
Fraternally be kind.
孔子的后人孔融年仅四岁就知道把梨让给哥哥吃。这种谦让的态度和友爱兄长的美德，是每个人从小就应该知道的。
And in the Han Dynasty, Rong (Kong Rong), Confucius’ descendant, offered his pears to his elder brother although he was only four. Everyone should learn this kind of respect for affinity.
shǒu xiào tì
首 孝 悌，
cì jiàn wén
次 见 闻，
zhī mǒu shù
知 某 数，
shí mǒu wén
识 某 文。
Stress piety more
Than your lore.
Learn some numeracy,
Know some literacy.
孝敬父母、爱护兄弟是首要的，其次才是知识。至于知识，大家要学点算术和语文。
Piety (loving parents and brothers) is more important than knowledge. As for knowledge, one should learn some numeracy and literacy.
yì ér shí
一 而 十，
shí ér bǎi
十 而 百，
bǎi ér qiān
百 而 千，
qiān ér wàn
千 而 万。
One to ten,
A hundred then,
One thousand more,
Ten thousand afore.
我国采用十进位数制：一到十是基本数字，然后依次为一百、一千、一万……以此数制可以无穷地计算下去。
Decimalism is adopted in China: one to ten is primary, the next is one hundred, then one thousand, ten thousand, and so on. All computations can be done with this.
sān cái zhě
三 才 者，
tiān dì rén
天 地 人。
sān guāng zhě
三 光 者，
rì yuè xīng
日 月 星。
Tri-vitals, of worth:
Man, heaven, earth;
Tri-lights, a boon:
Sun, stars, moon.
大家还应该学习一些基本的知识，比如什么叫三才？三才指的是天、地、人三个元素。什么叫三光呢？三光就是太阳、月亮、星星。
And one should know some rudiments, such as what we call tri-vitals, or three elements, that is, Heaven, Earth, Man, and what we call tri-lights or three luminaries, that is, Sun, Moon and Stars.
sān gāng zhě
三 纲 者，
jūn chén yì
君 臣 义。
fù zǐ qīn
父 子 亲，
fū fù shùn
夫 妇 顺。
Three tenets always:
Subject Lord obeys;
Child Father reveres;
Wife Man endears.
人与人之间关系应该遵守的三个行为准则是什么呢？就是君王与臣子之间要合乎义理，父母子女之间要相亲相爱，夫妻之间要和和美美。
What are the three tenets one should always follow? The king or emperor should be obeyed by his subjects, the father should be revered by his children, and the man loved by his wife.
yuē chūn xià
曰 春 夏，
yuē qiū dōng
曰 秋 冬，
cǐ sì shí
此 四 时，
yùn bù qióng
运 不 穷。
Spring and summer,
Autumn and winter.
These four seasons
Cycle with reasons.
春、夏、秋、冬叫做四时，即一年分为四个季节。这四个季节按照一定的规律交替运行，春去夏来，秋去冬来，循环往复，以至无穷。
We have four seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter. They alternate according to a certain law, round by round, never to end.
yuē nán běi
曰 南 北，
yuē xī dōng
曰 西 东，
cǐ sì fāng
此 四 方，
yīng hū zhōng
应 乎 中。
South, north, west,
'N east, we quest.
These four ways
Upon center gaze.
东、南、西、北，这叫作四方，是四个方向。这四个方位是相对的，必须有个中心位置才能确定各个方位。
We have four ways or directions called east, west, south, and north. These four ways are reciprocal, determined by a central position. spring, summer, fall, and winter. They alternate according to a certain law, round by round, never to end.
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