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《颜氏家训》第二章：教子
Chapter 2:
Education of Children
上智不教而成，下愚虽教无益，中庸之人，不教不知也。
Men of genius become useful without
securing education; men of unteachable makeup defy education; men
of average intelligence will remain ignorant until they are
educated.
古者，圣王有胎教之法：怀子三月，出居别宫，目不邪视，耳不妄听，音声滋味，以礼节之。书之玉版，藏诸金匮。
Wise kings of ancient times adopted
the method of antenatal training: The queen would move to a special
room three months after she was found with child, keeping off
anything intolerable to the eye or offensive to the ear, enjoying
music and tasting food in accordance with the code of
ethics. The method was written on a stone tablet
kept in a metal bookcase.
子生咳提，师保固明孝仁礼义，导习之矣。凡庶纵不能尔，当及婴稚，识人颜色，知人喜怒，便加教诲，使为则为，使止则止。比及数岁，可省笞罚。父母威严而有慈，则子女畏慎而生孝矣。
By the time the
baby was two or three years old, his tutors had already been picked
out; then they began to make him acquainted with filial piety,
benevolence, ethics and the sense of honour.The
common people, though not in a position to follow the royal
example, should instil proper manners in their children when they
are old enough to read their elders’ faces, so that they can start
to do things when demanded and stop short when forbidden.
If so, they may be exempted from punishment with
a bamboo rod when several years old. If the
parents remain dignified and kindhearted, their children will be
reverent and prudent, and then will yield filial
obedience.
吾见世间，无教而有爱，每不能然；饮食运为，恣其所欲，宜诫翻奖，应诃反笑，至有识知，谓法当尔。骄慢已习，方复制之，捶挞至死而无威，忿怒日隆而增怨，逮于成长，终为败德。孔子云：“少成若天性，习惯如自然”是也。俗谚曰：“教妇初来，教儿婴孩。”诚哉斯语！
On the other hand,
those who only love their children and do not subject them to
discipline, so far as I know, cannot achieve such an
effect. They indulge their children in whatever
they want to eat or to do. They give encouragement when expected to
give a warning, and crack a smile when supposed to give a
scolding. When the children come to know the
world, they simply regard it as a matter of
course. They do not bother themselves about their
children until the latter have contracted the habit of haughty
arrogance, with the result that the parents cannot inspire awe in
the children even if they beat them to death.
They grow more and more furious, only to sow seeds of hatred in the
hearts of their children, who will turn out to be degenerate
characters. Confucius said, “Early habit becomes
innate instinct, and long practice makes second
nature.” As the saying goes, “Teach your
daughter-in-law when she has just married into your family; teach
your children when they are young.” In all
verity!
凡人不能教子女者，亦非欲陷其罪恶；但重于诃怒。伤其颜色，不忍楚挞惨其肌肤耳。当以疾病为谕，安得不用汤药针艾救之哉？又宜思勤督训者，可愿苛虐于骨肉乎？诚不得已也。
Of course, those
who are unable to teach their children well are not so malicious as
to involve them in crimes. They are simply
reluctant to see them rebuked and disheartened, and more so to have
them flogged and flayed. Take medical treatment
for example. How can you cure an illness without
medicine or acupuncture? It is also revealing to
put ourselves in the place of those parents who spare no efforts in
the education of their children. Are they most
willing to mistreat their own flesh and blood?
They have no alternative but to do it.
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