汉译英名篇:韩愈《师说》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。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?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。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!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。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。Inancienttimesthosewhowantedtolearnwouldseekoutateacher,onewhocouldpropagatethedoctrine,impartprofessionalknowledge,andresolvedoubts.Sincenooneisbornomniscient,whocanclaimtohavenodoubts?Ifonehasdoubtsandisnotwillingtolearnfroma3
teacher,hisdoubtswillneverberesolved.Anyonewhowasbornbeforemeandlearnedthedoctrinebeforemeismyteacher.Anyonewhowasbornaftermeandlearnedthedoctrinebeforemeisalsomyteacher.SincewhatIdesiretolearnisthedoctrine,whyshouldIcarewhetherhewasbornbeforeorafterme?Therefore,itdoesnotmatterwhetherapersonishighorlowinposition,youngoroldinage.Wherethereisthedoctrine,thereismyteacher.Alas!Thetraditionoflearningfromtheteacherhaslongbeenneglected.Thusitisdifficulttofindapersonwithoutanydoubtsatall.Ancientsages,whofarsurpassedus,evenlearnedfromtheirteachers.Peopletoday,whoarefarinferiortothem,regardlearningfromtheteacherasadisgrace.Thus,wisemenbecomemorewiseandunlearnedmenbecomemorefoolish.Thisexplainswhatmakesawisemanandwhatmakesafoolishman.Itisabsurdthatapersonwouldchooseateacherforhissonoutofhisloveforhim,andyetrefusetolearnfromtheteacherhimself,thinkingitadisgracetodoso.Theteacherofhissonteachesthechildonlyreadingandpunctuation,whichisnotpropagatingthedoctrineorresolvingdoubtsastheaforementioned.Idon“tthinkitwisetolearnfromtheteacherwhenonedoesn”tknowhowtopunctuate,butnotwhenonehasdoubtsunresolved,forthatIfindtobethefollyoflearninginsmallmatters,butneglectingthebigones.Evenmedicinemen,musiciansandhandicraftsmendonotthinkitdisgracefultolearnfromeachother.Whenoneoftheliteraticallsanothermanhis“teacher”andhimselfhis“student”peoplewillgettogetherandinvariablylaughathim.Ifyouaskthemwhytheyarelaughing,theywillsaythatsinceheisalmostofthesameageandaseruditeasanotherman,itwouldbedegradingforhimtocalltheotherman“teacher”iftheotherman“ssocialrankislowerthanhis;anditwouldbeflatteringiftheotherman”ssocialrankishigher.Alas!Itisclearthatthetraditionoflearningfromtheteachercannolongerberestored.Medicinemen,musiciansandhandicraftsmenaredespisedbythegentlemen.Howstrangeitisthatgentlemenarelesswisethanthesepeople!Theancientsagesdidnotlimitthemselvestoparticularteachers.ConfuciushadlearnedfrompeoplelikeTanzi2,Changhong3,Shixiang4,andLaodan5,whowerenotasvirtuousandtalentedasConfucius.Confuciussaid“Ifthreemenarewalkingtogether,oneofthemisboundtobegoodenoughtobemyteacher.”Astudentisnotnecessarilyinferiortohisteacher,nordoesateachernecessarilybemorevirtuousandtalentedthanhisstudent.Therealfactisthatonemighthavelearnedthedoctrineearlierthantheother,ormightbeamasterinhisownspecialfield.3
Pan,thesonofLi“sfamily,whoisonlyseventeenyearsold,lovestostudyChineseclassicsoftheQinandHandynasties,andmastersthesixjing6andtheirannotations.Hedoesnotfollowconventionsandiswillingtolearnfromme.Iappreciatehisabilitytoactinaccordancewiththeoldtraditionoflearning.ThereforeIdedicatethispiecetohim.3