三字經

人之初， At the beginning of life,

性本善。 nature is good.

性相近， Basically, nature is nearly all the same in the beginning.

習相遠。 But it depends on how the way you do it.

茍不教， If teacher do not teach them.

性乃遷。 nature will leave you.

教之道， During the way of teach it,

貴以專。 need massed learning something you want to learn.

昔孟母， Previously, a great mother named Mrs. Mon

擇鄰處。 chose her neighbour to avoid bad nature influence.

子不學， Her son didn't study,

斷機杼。 She broke her loom.

竇燕山， A famous person called Dou,

有義方。 has his own good method.

教五子， he taught his five sons.

名俱揚。 and they all raised the family reputation

養不教， If just feed without teaching.

父之過。 it is all the father’s fault.

教不嚴， If teach them but not severity.

師之惰。 it is must be a laziness teacher.

子不學， If a child refuse to learn nature,

非所宜。 that should be not good for the child .

幼不學， If a child doesn't learn something in childhood,

老何為。 He will lose his ability when aged.

玉不琢， if jade is not polished,

不成器。 it cannot become a thing of use.

人不學， People who don’t learn something,

不知義。 their life will become meaningless.