孟母三迁

Mèng Mǔ Sān Qiān

孟子的母亲为了让孩子有好的学习环境，三次搬家。形容父母为教育子女付出的苦心。

Mencius's mother moved three times — a parent's careful, patient search for the right environment for a child.

孟mèng子zǐ小xiǎo时shí候hòu，家jiā住zhù在zài坟fén地dì旁páng边biān。他tā天tiān天tiān看kàn见jiàn大dà人rén办bàn丧sāng事shì，就jiù学xué着zhe大dà人rén的de样yàng子zi玩wán送sòng葬zàng的de游yóu戏xì。孟mèng母mǔ看kàn见jiàn了le，皱zhòu起qǐ眉méi头tóu说shuō：“这zhè里lǐ不bù是shì适shì合hé孩hái子zi住zhù的de地dì方fāng。”于yú是shì她tā带dài着zhe孟mèng子zǐ搬bān了le家jiā。

新xīn家jiā在zài市shì场chǎng旁páng边biān。孟mèng子zǐ又yòu天tiān天tiān看kàn见jiàn商shāng人rén做zuò买mǎi卖mài，嘴zuǐ里lǐ也yě学xué着zhe吆yāo喝hē，学xué着zhe讨tǎo价jià还huán价jià。孟mèng母mǔ又yòu叹tàn口kǒu气qì：“这zhè里lǐ也yě不bù是shì适shì合hé孩hái子zi住zhù的de地dì方fāng。”

第dì三sān次cì，孟mèng母mǔ把bǎ家jiā搬bān到dào了le学xué堂táng旁páng边biān。孟mèng子zǐ每měi天tiān听tīng到dào读dú书shū的de声shēng音yīn，看kàn到dào学xué生shēng们men行xíng礼lǐ、学xué习xí的de样yàng子zi，自zì己jǐ也yě跟gēn着zhe模mó仿fǎng、读dú书shū。孟mèng母mǔ这zhè才cái满mǎn意yì地de点diǎn点diǎn头tóu说shuō：“这zhè里lǐ，才cái是shì孩hái子zi真zhēn正zhèng该gāi住zhù的de地dì方fāng。”

后hòu来lái，孟mèng子zǐ成chéng了le有yǒu名míng的de大dà学xué者zhě。人rén们men每měi想xiǎng起qǐ这zhè个ge故gù事shì，都dōu会huì说shuō：环huán境jìng对duì孩hái子zi的de影yǐng响xiǎng真zhēn大dà啊a，“孟mèng母mǔ三sān迁qiān”才cái教jiào出chū了le孟mèng子zǐ这zhè样yàng的de人rén。

When Mencius was small, his family lived next to a cemetery. Every day he watched funerals, and soon he was copying them in his play. His mother frowned. “This is no place to raise a child,” she said, and she moved the family.

Their new home was beside a market. Now Mencius watched merchants bargaining and shouting, and he began to imitate them too. Again his mother sighed. “This is still no place to raise a child.”

The third time, she moved the family next to a school. Every day Mencius heard the sound of reading and saw the students bowing and studying. He began to copy them, reciting lessons of his own. His mother nodded and smiled. “This, at last, is the right place for a child.”

Mencius grew up to become one of the greatest scholars in Chinese history. People still tell this story — “the mother of Mencius moved three times” — to remember how deeply a child's surroundings shape who they become.