孟子幼时家居墓地附近,耳濡目染的尽是些丧葬礼仪的事情,他就和小朋友一起模仿着挖墓筑坟的祭奠。孟母感到长此下去对儿子教育不利,于是就搬家了。新居靠近集市,孟子又学商人如何做买卖,怎样和人讨价还价,孟母不愿自己的孩子长大成商人,于是又搬家了。第三次的新居在学校附近,孟子就跟着学生学习诗书礼仪,揖让进退。孟母认为找到了理想的地方,于是决定在这里长期住下去。由此可见,孟母深知环境对孩子成长的影响。这就是“孟母三迁”的故事。
When Mencius was young, his family lived near a cemetery, fully exposed to funeral ceremonies.He and his playmates imitated burying and mourning proceedings.Mencius’s mother thought the surroundings were not good for his education so she decided to move.They moved to a place next to a fair, and Mencius began to learn the ways of busine people, bargaining and haggling.His mother didn’t want her son to be a busineman so she moved again.This time they moved to a house next to a school, and Mencius began to learn the claics and etiquette along with students.Mencius’ mother thought this was the right place for her son and she decided to live there for good.This shows that Mencius’ mother realized the importance of environment for children’s development.These are the stories about how “Mencius’ mother moved three times”.
孟子逐渐成长,一次未到放学时间就回家了,孟母把他叫到织布机旁,让他看自己织布。织了很久,孟母突然用刀把布割断,孟子不明白怎么了,连忙问母亲究竟。这时孟母耐心地说:“你学习半途而废,就像我把本来可以织完的布割断是一样的。”孟母的教诲深深印在了孟子的脑海中,从此他奋发图强,刻苦读书,终于成了战国时期,也是我国历史上著名的思想家和教育家。
One day, Mencius came back home before school let out, His mother called him to the loom and let him watch her weaving.After a long time, she suddenly cut the cloth she had woven with a knife, much to Mencius’s bewilderment.When Mencius asked, she explained with patient: “If you quit school halfway, it’s just like my cutting the cloth before it is completed.” Mother’s words were firmly branded in the son’s mind.From then on, Mencius spared no efforts to study and finally became a famous thinker and educator of the Warring States Period and he has been remembered as such throughout Chinese history.
