英语绘本 ▏每日一读之《孟母三迁 Mother Of Mencius 3 Times Migration》

孟子是战国时期的大思想家、教育家，是儒家学派的代表人物。与孔子并称为孔孟。

Mencius was a great thinker and educator during the Warring States Period and a representative of the Confucian school. Together with Confucius, he is known as Kong Meng.

孟子名轲，从小丧父，全靠母亲倪氏一人挑起生活重担。倪氏是个勤劳而有见识的妇女，她希望自己的儿子读书上进，早日成才。

Mencius' name was Ke. He lost his father when he was young, and his mother, Ni, took up the burden of life alone. Ni was a hardworking and knowledgeable woman who hoped that her son would study hard and become a talent as soon as possible.

但小时候的孟子整天跟着左邻右舍的孩子爬树捉鸟，下河摸鱼，田里偷瓜。

But when he was a child, Mencius followed the children of his neighbors to climb trees and catch birds, go to the river to catch fish, and steal melons from the fields all day long.

她后来一想：儿子不好好读书，与附近的环境不好有关。于是，第一次搬了家。

Later, she thought: her son's poor study was related to the bad environment nearby. So, she moved for the first time.

这次她把家搬到了荒郊野外，周围没有邻居，门外是一片坟地。孟母想，这里再也没有什么东西吸引儿子了，他总会用心念书了吧！

This time she moved her home to the wilderness, with no neighbors around and a cemetery outside the door. Mencius' mother thought that there was nothing here to attract her son, and he would always study hard!

可是，孟子看到穿着孝服的送葬队伍，哭哭啼啼地抬着棺材来到坟地，把棺材埋了。

However, Mencius saw the funeral procession in mourning clothes, crying and carrying the coffin to the cemetery, and buried the coffin.

他觉得挺好玩，就模仿着他们的动作，也用树枝挖开地面，认认真真地把一根小树枝当作死人埋了下去。

He thought it was fun, so he imitated their actions, dug the ground with branches, and buried a small branch as a dead person.

孟母第二次搬家了，这次她把家选择在集市旁边。

Mencius' mother moved for the second time, and this time she chose to live next to the market.

但是孟子又和小朋友学起了商人做生意的样子。一会鞠躬欢迎客人，一会招待客人，一会和客人讨价还价，表演的惟妙惟肖。

But Mencius and his friends learned how to do business like businessmen. He bowed to welcome guests, entertained guests, and bargained with guests, and his performance was very lifelike.

孟母亲知道了，心想这地方也不适合我的孩子居住。

Mencius' mother knew about it and thought that this place was not suitable for her child to live in.

于是，孟母第三次搬家了。这次的家隔壁是一所学堂。

So, Meng Mu moved for the third time. This time, there was a school next to the house.

有个胡子花白的老师教着一群大大小小的学生。老师每天摇头晃脑地领着学生念书，调皮的孟轲也跟着摇头晃脑地念了起来。

There was a teacher with gray beard taught a group of students of all ages. The teacher led the students to read every day, shaking his head, and the naughty Meng Ke also followed and shook his head to read.

这一次，孟子变得遵守秩序，懂礼貌，从此专心读起书来。

This time, Mencius became orderly and polite, and he concentrated on reading from then on.

由于他天资聪明，经过刻苦学习，终于成了儒家学说的主要代表人物。

Because of his talent and hard work, he finally became the main representative of Confucianism.

孟轲的母亲为选择良好的环境教育孩子，三次迁居。

Meng Ke's mother moved three times to choose a good environment to educate her children. 

这个故事经常用来指父母用心良苦，煞费苦心地为孩子寻找适合孩子的生长的有利环境。 它告诉我们环境的重要性。

This story is often used to refer to parents' good intentions and painstaking efforts to find a favorable environment for their children to grow up in. It tells us the importance of environment.