Teaching Views by 韩愈, Tang Dynasty

韩愈《师说》原文、英文翻译及现代译文

《师说》是唐代韩愈在古文运动中的一篇力作，阐述从师求学的道理，讽刺耻于相师的世态，教育了青年，起到了转变风气的作用。《师说》是唐贞元十八年（公元802年）所作，说明教师的重要作用，从师学习的必要性以及择师的原则。抨击当时士大夫之族耻于从师的错误观念，倡导从师而学的风气。同时，也是对那些诽谤者的一个公开答复和严正的驳斥。作者表明任何人都可以作自己的老师，不应因地位贵贱或年龄差别，就不肯虚心学习。文末并以孔子言行作证，申明求师重道是自古已然的作法。

【原文】

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也，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。

Teaching Views by Han Yu,Tang Dynasty

In ancient times, people learnt following a teacher.A teacher imparted down his knowledge and principals ,and helped explain students' questions.Since we are all born blank ,nobody doesn't have any questions.Full of questions but not seeking help, he can bet that all the confusions remain in his mind-room.Those who were born before me, of course, learning more and earlier than me,I would ask to for help.Those who were born after me, learning what I don't learn,I would visit regarding as my teachers.I want to learn more, so I am not so interesting in his age. Therefore, noble or humble, old or young, if only knowledge is there, the teacher is standing there.

Ahye!……but the custom has been lost for long ,but having no confusions is just a nice wishful thinking.Those ancient solons, who were far sager,were learning from their teachers yet while many a people today,who is far stupider,regards learning as good disgrace,which is why the sager became sager while the stupider become stupider.Why they were so sage while you are so stupid can you get the answer to now. Father Loves his child and chooses teachers to teach it ,however, as for itself,ashamed of such disgrace.How silly!Those children's teachers who teach words and reading-pausing,aren't those I told who imparted down his knowledge and principals ,and helped explain students' questions. Not knowing reading-pausing and excited in learning it in a serious manner while full of confusion but ignoring it,I don't think he has a good head for business to cast accounts accurately.Witch doctors,musicians and various artisans like these, enjoy learning from each other while so-called scholar-bureaucrats,given hearing callings of teachers and students,are sure to gather jeering and sneering around.Why?They say,"those guys are of similar age and similarly intelligent.Obviously,asking the humble is so shameful ,and if he is a great official,you can get considerable misgivings of flattering.Ahye……that is probably why the custom isn't existing any longer.And it isn't so strange that those various artisans,who most noblemen have been looking down upon, are more informed.

Solons didn't have a single and steady teacher.Confucius ever learnt from Tanzi,Chang Hong,Shi Xiang,Lao Dan（译者注：郯子，苌弘，师襄，老聃）.Such persons as Tanzi,were less sager than Confucius. Confucius ever said:"I am sure that one of three pedestrians can be my teacher."Thus,it is impossible that a student is always inferior to his teacher,and a teacher can't be smarter on any case than his students.They differ just in learning earlier or later and specializing in different fields ,nothing more.

Li Pan,aged 17 years old,loves classical writings, and has ever learnt through the Classicses and Interpretations of Liuyi(译者注：儒家的六艺经传 哈哈）.Li can't run fast enough to follow the fashion,and now is visiting me for learning.I wrote the essay for him to praise his far-back learning spirits

【华文白话译文】

古 代求学的人必定有老师。老师，（是）靠（他）来传授道理，讲授学业，解答疑难问题的人啊。人不是一生下来就懂得道理的，谁能没有疑惑（的问题）？（有了） 疑惑，如果不跟老师（学习），那些成为疑难问题的,（就）始终不能解答了。出生在我前头（的人），他懂得道理本来早于我，我（应该）跟从（他），把他当做 老师；出生在我后面（的人），（如果）他懂得道理也早于我，我（也应该）跟从（他），把他当做老师。我（是向他）学习道理啊，哪管他的生年比我早还是比我 晚呢？因此，无论（地位）高低贵贱，无论（年纪）大小，道理存在的（地方），就是老师所在的（地方）。

唉，（古代）从师（学习）的风尚不流传已经 很久了，要人没有疑惑就难了！古代的圣人，他们超出一般人很远，尚且（要）跟从老师请教；现在的一般人，他们（的才智）低于圣人很远，却以向老师学习为 耻。因此，圣人（就）更加圣明，愚人（就）更加愚昧。圣人之所以（能）成为圣人，愚人之所以成为愚人，（原因）大概都出在这里吧！

（人们） 爱他的孩子，（就）选择老师来教他。（但是）对他自己呢，却以跟从老师（学习）为可耻，（真是）糊涂啊！那些孩子们的老师，（是）教孩子们文字，（帮助他 们）学习断句的（老师），不是我所说的（能）传授那些（大）道理，解答那些（有关大道理的）疑难问题的（老师）。不理解（书本上的）字句，不能解决（大道 理的）疑难问题，有的（书本上的字句）向老师学习，有的（大道理的疑难）不向老师学习；小的方面（倒要）学习，大的方面（却反而）放弃（不学），我未能看 出那种人（是）明白（事理）的！巫医乐师和各种工匠，（他们）不以互相学习为耻。士大夫这一类（人），（一听到有人）称“老师”称“弟子”等等，就许多人 聚（在一块儿）讥笑人家。问他们（为什么讥笑），（他们）就说：“那个（人）同那个（人）（指老师和学生）年龄差不多，道德学问也差不多啊，（以）地位低 （的人为师），就可羞耻，（以）官职高（的人为师），就近乎谄媚！”唉！（古代那种）跟从老师（学习）的好风尚不能恢复，（从这些话里就）可以明白了。巫 医乐师和各种工匠，君子们认为（是）不值得一提的，现在君子们的见识竟反而比不上（他们），可真奇怪啊！

圣人没有固定的老师，孔子（曾）以 郯子、苌弘、师襄、老聃为师，郯子这些人，他们的贤能（都）比不上孔子。孔子说：“三个人同行，（里面）一定有（可以当）我的老师（的人）。”因此，学生 不一定（永远）不如老师，老师不一定（样样都）比学生贤能，（老师和学生的区别只是）听到道理有的早有的迟，学问和技艺（各）有（各的）专长，（只是）如 此罢了。

李家的孩子（叫）蟠（的），年纪十七（岁），喜欢古文，六经的经文和传文都普遍学习了，（他）不受（当时士大夫那种耻于从师的）时俗的限制，向我学习。我赞许他能够遵行古人（从师）的正道，（所以）写（这篇）《师说》送给他。