第三章 謹

【英文語音撥放（Play English Audio） – Chapter 3】

Chapter 3 On Being Careful

Chapter 3 Be Cautious in My Daily Life

朝起早。夜眠遲。

In the morning it’s best to rise early.

At night you should go to bed late.

I will get up each morning before my parents;

at night, I will go to bed only after my parents have gone to sleep.

老易至。惜此時。

Cherish the time that is left you.

Don’t expect that old age will wait.

When I realize that time is passing me by and cannot be turned back, and that I am getting older year by year,

I will especially treasure the present moment.(註19)

晨必盥。兼漱口。

In the morning, first wash your face,

And next brush your teeth very well.

When I get up in the morning, I will wash my face

and brush my teeth.

便溺回。輒淨手。

After you go to the toilet,

Use water and soap on your hands.

After using the toilet,

I will wash my hands.

冠必正。紐必結。

You should put on your hat withcare,

And fasten your buttons and snaps.

I must wear my hat straight,(註20)

and make sure the hooks(註21) of my clothes are tied.

襪與履。俱緊切。

Then pull up your socks very neatly,

And fasten your shoelaces as well.

My socks and shoes

should also be worn neatly and correctly.

置冠服。有定位。

Your hat and other clothes

Should be put in their own special places.

I will always place my hat and clothes away

in their proper places.

勿亂頓。致污穢。

Do not leave them just lying around,

Or they’re sure to get wrinkled and soiled.

I will not carelessly throw my clothes around,

for that will get them dirty.

衣貴潔。不貴華。

Your clothing should always be neat.

If it’s not new and stylish, don’t worry.

It is more important that my clothes are clean,

rather than how extravagant they are.

上循分。下稱家。

What you wear should make common sense.

Don’t spend too much money on clothes.

I will wear only what is suitable for my station.

At home, I will wear clothes according to my family traditions and customs.

對飲食。勿揀擇。

Do not fuss and complain about tastes

When you are given something to eat.

When it comes to eating and drinking,

I will not pick and choose my food.

食適可。勿過則。

Eat enough so that you are full,

But do not eat more than you need.

I will only eat the right amount;

I will not over-eat.

年方少。勿飲酒。

During the time when you are young,

Don’t drink liquor or take harmful drugs.

I am still young,

I must not drink alcohol.

飲酒醉。最為醜。

To get drunk is disgraceful and ugly.

Taking drugs brings you nothing but shame.

When I am drunk,

my behavior will turn ugly.

步從容。立端正。

Your walk should be easy and graceful.

When you stand, keep your back tall and straight.

I will always walk composed, with light and even steps.

I will always stand up straight and tall.

揖深圓。拜恭敬。

Your half bows should be deep and full,

And your full bows made with respect.

My bows will always be deep, with hands held in front and arms rounded.

I will always pay my respect with reverence.(註22)

勿踐閾。勿跛倚。

Watch your step as you enter a doorway.

Stand up straight and don’t lean against the wall.

I will not step on doorsills

or stand leaning on one leg.

勿箕踞。勿搖髀。

Do not sit sprawled all over the floor.

Or wriggle and squirm when you walk.

I will not sit with my legs apart or sprawled out.

I will not rock the lower part of my body while standing or sitting down.

緩揭簾。勿有聲。

When closing a door best be careful,

Do it slowly without too much noise.

I will always lift the curtain slowly,(註23)

and quietly.

寬轉彎。勿觸棱。

Whenever crossing a room,

Don’t bump into the table and chairs.

I must leave myself ample space when I turn

so I will not bump into a corner.

執虛器。如執盈。

You should carry an empty container,

Just as carefully as one that is full.

I will hold empty containers carefully

as if they were full. (註24)

入虛室。如有人。

And enter a room that is empty,

As you would if a crowd were inside.

I will enter empty rooms

as if they were occupied. (註25)

事勿忙。忙多錯。

There is no need to be in a hurry.

If you rush you will make a mistake.

I will avoid doing things in a hurry,

as doing things in haste will lead to many mistakes.

勿畏難。勿輕略。

Don’t be afraid of what’s hard,

And don’t be careless with what is easy.

I should not be afraid of difficult tasks,

and I will not become careless when a job is too easy.

鬥鬧場。絕勿近。

Never go to rowdy places,

Or places where people are fighting.

I will keep away from rowdy places.

邪僻事。絕勿問。

When something is low and improper

It’s not worth your talk or your questions.

I will not ask about things that are abnormal or unusual.

將入門。問孰存。

When you’re going to enter a room,

First knock to make sure it’s permitted.

When I am about to enter a main entrance,

I must first ask if someone is inside.

將上堂。聲必揚。

When joining a gathering of people,

Let them all know you’ve arrived.

Before entering a room,

I must first make myself heard, so that those inside know someone is approaching.

人問誰。對以名。

If someone should ask who you are,

You should answer by giving your name.

If someone asks who I am,

I must give my name.

吾與我。不分明。

If you respond, “It is me,”

You ’re not giving a proper reply.

To answer ‘It is me’ or ‘Me’

is not sufficient.

用人物。須明求。

If you use someone else’s belongings,

Be sure that you ask for permission.

Before borrowing things from others,

I must ask for permission.

倘不問。即為偷。

If you don’t get the owner’s permission,

Then stealing is what you have done.

If I do not ask,

it is stealing.

借人物。及時還。

If you must borrow something from another,

Make sure you return it on time.

When borrowing things from others,

I will return them promptly.

後有急。借不難。

If someone asks you for something,

Loan it to them as soon as you can.

Later, if I have an urgent need,

I will not have a problem borrowing from them again.

註19 ： There is an old Chinese proverb: “A unit of time is as precious as a unit of gold, but you cannot buy back one unit of time with one unit of gold.” It means that time is really very precious, as no amount of money can buy time.

中國諺語說：「一寸光陰一寸金，寸金難買寸光陰」。意思是說時間非常珍貴，不是用金錢可以買到的。

註20： Guan“冠”means hat. In ancient China, when a male wore a hat, it meant he had attained the age of an adult.

“冠”是帽子。中國古時候男子頭上帶帽，表示他已成年。

註21： In ancient China, in place of buttons, people used hooks. When dressed, hooks had to be tied.

中國古人衣服用衣鉤，需要打結。

註22： Bai“拜”means paying respect. In ancient China, people paid their respect to others by bowing, holding one hand over the other which is closed, or prostrating themselves on the ground.

“拜”是禮敬。中國古時候屈身、拱手、下跪、以頭叩地等禮節都稱為拜。

註23： In ancient China, curtains were made of bamboo strips woven together. They were used to shelter a room from view.

古時候“簾”是用切細的竹子編成的，掛在屋內可遮敝房間。

註24： Even if a container is empty, out of reverence to things whether living or not, one should treat it with respect and handle it with care.

雖然容器是空的，也要愛惜它。對所有一切眾生，都要懂得愛惜。

註25： In ancient China, a virtuous man always behaved properly, regardless of whether he was alone or with others.

君子絶不會因有人或無人在房間而改變他的行為、舉止和態度。