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颜氏家训
Yan’s Precepts to His Children
（北齐）颜之推著 王宪生译
序致第一
Chapter
1: Preface
夫圣贤之书，教人诚孝，慎言检迹，立身扬名，亦已备矣。魏、晋已来，所著诸子，理重事复，递相模学，犹屋下架屋，床上施床耳。吾今所以复为此者，非敢轨物范世也，业以整齐门内，提撕子孙。
The books written by the
sages of antiquity will suffice for teaching people loyalty, filial
piety and prudence as well as encouraging them to gain fame and
position. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties,
scholars have written multitude of volumes, only to echo the ideas
of the sages, just like piling one bed upon another or building one
house on top of another. Now, after their
fashion, I am also writing a book, which is intended not as rules
of conduct for others to observe, but as moral standards for my own
family and as instructions to my children.
夫同言而信，信其所亲；同命而行，行其所服。禁童子之暴谑，则师友之诫不如傅婢之指挥，止凡人之斗阋，则尧、舜之道不如寡妻之诲谕。吾望此书为汝曹之所信，犹贤于傅婢寡妻耳。
People tend to believe
those who bear blood relations with them, and to obey those who
inspire respect in them. Mischievous children
will behave themselves at the command of the maidservants rather
than their teachers or friends; brothers at strife will restrain
themselves on the advice of their wives rather than the sages of
old. It is desired, therefore, that my book
should take hold of your mind and give more benefit to you than the
maidservants to the children and the wives to their
husbands.
吾家风教，素为整密。昔在龆龀，便蒙诱诲；每从两兄，晓夕温凊，规行矩步，安辞定色，锵锵翼翼，若朝严君焉。赐以优言，问所好尚，励短引长，莫不恳笃。
Moral standards in my
family are always high and rigorous. Earnest
teachings began to enlighten me even when I was a
child. Following the example of my two elder
brothers, I paid respects to my parents in the mornings and
evenings. I behaved cautiously and walked humbly,
serene in look and moderate in speech, as if to have an audience
with His Majesty. My elders often taught me
well-turned phrases, asked about my liking, encouraged me to
overcome my shortcomings and inspired me to value my merits, all in
sincerity and good earnest.
年始九岁，便丁荼蓼，家涂离散，百口索然。慈兄鞠养，苦辛备至；有仁无威，导示不切。虽读《礼传》，微爱属文，颇为凡人之所陶染，肆欲轻言，不修边幅。年十八九，少知砥砺，习若自然，卒难洗荡。二十已後，大过稀焉；每常心共口敌，性与情竞，夜觉晓非，今悔昨失，自怜无教，以至于斯。追思平昔之指，铭肌镂骨，非徒古书之诫，经目过耳也。故留此二十篇，以为汝曹後车耳。
My father passed away when
I was only nine, and the whole family came down in the
world. Then my loving brother took infinite
trouble to look after me, yet he was too tenderhearted to make
strict demands on me. I read some classical works
and took an interest in writing, but was given over to
self-indulgence, windy talk and slovenliness under the influence of
some vulgarians. I came to realise that I should
remould my character when I reached the age of eighteen or
nineteen, but it was too late to discard my bad habits entirely,
which had already become my second nature. Over
the age of twenty, I seldom made serious
mistakes. As often as not I managed to control
myself before I wagged my tongue, and was torn between bodily
desires and moral restraint. I could realise in
the evening my wrongdoings of the day, and felt regret for my
misdeeds of the previous day. I knew this was the
consequence of my miseducation in the past.
Thinking of my aspiration of yore, I will bear the lesson in my
mind more firmly than just read or listen to the teachings of
ancient sages. On that account I will leave
behind these twenty chapters of precepts, which merit your vigilant
attention.
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