孟母教子
How Mencius’s Mother Taught Her Son
背景知识：孟子，名轲，公元前372—前289，邹国人，提倡“仁政”、“王道”、“性善论”，史称“亚圣”。
题目解析：中文题目为“孟母教子”，但全文讲的是“孟母是如何教儿子的”，所以用了“How Mencius’s Mother Taught Her Son”，事情发生在过去用过去时“taught”，此处要注意的是不能译为How Mencius’s Mother Taught Him，逻辑关系上不成立。
孟子幼时家迁居墓地附近，耳濡目染的尽是些丧葬礼仪的事情，他就和小朋友们一起模仿着挖墓筑坟的祭奠。
When Mencius was young, his family lived near a cemetery, fully exposed to funeral ceremonies. He and his playmates imitated burying and mourning proceedings.
cemetery· an area of land used for burying dead people, especially one that is not beside a church · (尤指不靠近教堂的)墓地，坟地，公墓
proceeding noun (formal)· an event or a series of actions· 事件；过程；一系列行动：The Mayor will open the proceedings at the City Hall tomorrow. 明天市长将在市政厅宣布大会开幕。
孟母感到长此下去对儿子的教育不利，于是就搬家了。
Mencius’s mother thought the surroundings were not good for his education, so she decided to move.
“长此下去对儿子的教育不利”→对孟子不利的事什么，也就是长此下去中的“此”，其实是这种在墓地的环境，要将surroundings补充出来：the surroundings were not good for his education
新居靠近集市，孟子又学着商人做买卖，怎样和人讨价还价，孟母不愿自己的孩子长大成个商人，于是又搬家了。
They moved to a place next to a fair, and Mencius began to learn the ways of BUSINESS people, bargaining and haggling. His mother didn’t want her son to become a businessman, so she moved again.
fair adj., adv., noun(NAmE)· a type of entertainment in a field or park at which farm animals and products are shown and take part in competitions· (农畜产品的)集市：the county / state fair 县 / 州农畜产品集市
▲ BUSINESS 商业 an event at which people, businesses, etc. show and sell their goods· 商品交易会；展销会：a world trade fair 世界交易会
haggle verb [V] ~ (with sb) (over sth)· to argue with sb in order to reach an agreement, especially about the price of sth· 争论；(尤指)讲价：
“学着商人做买卖”中“做买卖”为动词，参考译文将其转译（conversion）为了名词“ the ways of business people（商人做买卖的方式）”。
讨价还价→bargaining and haggling
第三次的新居在学校附近，孟子就跟着学生学习诗书礼仪，揖让进退，等等。
This time they moved into the house near a school, and Mencius began to learn the classics and etiquette along with the students.
etiquette noun [U] · the formal rules of correct or polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular profession· (社会或行业中的)礼节，礼仪，规矩：medical / legal / professional etiquette 医学界的 / 法律界的 / 行业规矩
“诗书礼仪，揖让进退”→ the classics and etiquette，这里只能用上位浅化的译法。
孟母认为找到了理想的地方，于是决定在这里长住下去。
His mother thought this was the right place for him and decided to stay there for good.
理想的地方→正确的、对的地方→the right place
在这里长住下去→stay there for good，for good/for good and all永久地，一劳永逸地
由此可见，孟母深知环境对孩子成长的影响。这就是“孟母三迁”故事的由来。
This shows that Mencius’s mother realized the importance of environment for children’s growing up. These are the stories about how “Mencius’s mother moved three times”.
由此可见→这表明了...:This shows that...
“孟母三迁”→“Mencius’s mother moved three times”.
...对某人的影响→the influence of...for sb
孟子逐渐成长，一次未到放学时间就回家了，孟母把他叫到织布机旁，让他看自己织布。
One day, Mencius came back home before school let out. His mother called him to the loom side and let him watch her weaving.
loom a machine for making cloth by twisting threads between other threads which go in a different direction· 织布机
weave verb, noun (wove woven)· to make cloth, a carpet, a basket , etc. by crossing threads or strips across, over and under each other by hand or on a machine called a loom · (用手或机器)编，织：
“孟子逐渐成长”→此句在译文中可以不用译出，强加上这一句不但有损于译文的美学结构，也无助于增加新信息。
未到放学时间→before school let out
织布了很长一段时间，孟母突然用刀子把布割断，孟子不明白怎么回事，连忙问母亲究竟。这时孟母耐心地对他说：“你学习半途而废，就如同我把这本来可以织成完整的一批布割断是一个道理。”
After a long time, she suddenly cut the cloth she had woven with a knife, much to Mencius’s bewilderment. When Mencius asked, his mother explained, “If you quit school half way, it is like my cutting the cloth before it is completed.”
bewilderment noun [U] · a feeling of being completely confused· 迷惘；困惑；迷乱 to look / stare in bewilderment 迷惑地看着 / 盯着
“你学习半途而废，就如同我把这本来可以织成完整的一批布割断是一个道理。”→这一句单纯按照正确的语法可译为：You’re to the given up study what I’m to the cut off cloth which basically could have been completed. 但是这样翻译太正式，不符合孟母对小孟子说话的语气，但是这一句的句型值得借鉴。参考译文简单的翻译为了“If you quit school half way, it is like my cutting the cloth before it is completed.”
孟子不明白怎么回事→转换成我们常见的英语思维“令孟子大为困惑的是”：much to Mencius’s bewilderment
母亲的淳淳教导，深深地印在孟子的脑海之中，从此他发奋图强，刻苦读书，终于成了战国时期起，也是我国历史上著名的思想家、教育家。
Mother’s words were firmly branded in the son’s mind. From then on, he studied assiduously and became a great thinker and educator of the Warring State Period and he has been remembered as such throughout Chinese history.
assiduous adj. (formal)· working very hard and taking great care that everything is done as well as it can be· 兢兢业业的；勤勤恳恳的
...深深地印在某人的脑海之中→...be firmly branded in sb’s mind
战国时期→the Warring State Period
我国历史上→throughout Chinese history
重点表达
耳濡目染的尽是些...fully exposed to ...
丧葬礼仪(的事情） funeral ceremonies
模仿挖墓筑坟的祭奠imitate burying and mourning proceedings
学着商人做买卖 learn the ways of business people
讨价还价bargaining and haggling
诗书礼仪，揖让进退the classics and etiquette
在这里长住下去stay there for good
由此可见This shows that
“孟母三迁”“Mencius’s mother moved three times”
...对某人的影响the influence of...for sb
孟子不明白怎么回事 much to Mencius’s bewilderment
学习半途而废quit school half way
...深深地印在某人的脑海之中 ...be firmly branded in sb’s mind
奋图强，刻苦读书studied assiduously
战国时期the Warring State Period
我国历史上throughout Chinese history
