“幼不学，老何为”翻成英文叫“少浪子，老卢瑟”（A young loafer, An old loser! ）。据新华网10月17日报道，天津外国语大学赵彦春教授最新译作《英韵三字经》日前由光明日报出版社出版。这是历史上第一个以三词对译三字的《三字经》英译版本。

赵彦春的《英韵三字经》，以独特的“三词格”来阐释《三字经》这部中华经典中“三字”这一显著特点，不仅在形式上做到完全吻合原著的特点，兼顾了原著的形式之美，在音节和押韵方面更是做到丝丝入扣，形神兼顾。

《三字经》以三字之简横贯古今，短小精悍、朗朗上口，包容天地万物之杂，汇聚华夏文化之粹。南宋至今，许多传教士、汉学家将之译为英文，推广海外。然而在诸多译本中，从“音”、“形”、“义”三方面来兼顾的译本却很少。

《英韵三字经》以英文三词对译汉语三字诠释原著，读起来朗朗上口，便于记忆，使译著同样也适于英语国家的读者朗读记忆。

据了解，《英韵三字经》是《三字经》英译的第十三个版本，为全球化背景下中国典籍的对外传播提供可资借鉴的经验，将为阐释、解读中国国学经典和中国传统文化，对国学经典《三字经》的海外传播起到重要的推动作用。

外国小朋友身穿汉服“念三字经”

观察者网小编在赵彦春教授的博客找到了《英韵三字经》的英汉对照版，摘选开头的部分内容如下：

人之初，

性本善。

性相近，

习相远。

Man at birth,

Being of worth.

The same nature

Varies on nurture.

人在太初或刚出世时其本性都是善良的；由于后天成长环境、教育背景不一样，性情也就有了各种各样的差别。

Man was good in the beginning, or he is good at birth. Human nature deviates due to different nurtures.

苟不教，

性乃迁。

教之道，

贵以专。

With no education,

There'd be aberration.

To teach well,

You deeply dwell.

对孩子如果不进行适当的教育，其本性就会发生变化。说到教育，最关键的问题就是要专心一致，精讲要义而不厌其烦。

If a child is not properly taught, he may go astray. In education, what is important is to be focused, dwelling on key points. 

昔孟母，

择邻处，

子不学，

断机杼。

Then Mencius' mother

Chose her neighbor.

At Mencius sloth,

She cut th' cloth.

战国时期，孟子的母亲为了使孟子有个良好的学习环境曾经三次搬家。有一次孟子逃学，孟母就割断织机的布来表明事情的严重性和中断学习的后果。

In the Warring State period, Mencius' mother moved three times for better environment for her son. Mencius once played truant, and she cut the cloth she was weaving to show her seriousness and the consequences of interrupted learning. 

窦燕山，

有义方，

教五子，

名俱扬。

Dough, as hight,

Managed so right.

His five sons

Became famous ones.

五代十国时期，有个燕山人，名叫窦禹钧，他创办私塾，延聘名师，教子有方。他的五个儿子都科举成名，很有成就。

In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, there was a man, Dough by name, from the Swallow Hills. He founded a private school, hired famous teachers, and managed well in having his children taught. All his five sons passed the Imperial Examinations and lived very successful lives.

养不教，

父之过。

教不严，

师之惰。

What's a father?

A good teacher.

What's a teacher?

A strict preacher.

养育儿女，仅仅供其吃穿，而不进行良好的教育，那是做父亲的过错。教育为本，但是只教育，而不严格要求那就是做老师的没有尽到职责了。

It is not enough to provide children with food and clothing. Education is important. To rear children without giving them good education is a father's fault; a teacher is considered lazy if he is not strict with the children he teaches.  

子不学，

非所宜。

幼不学，

老何为？

An unschooled child

Will grow wild.

A young loafer,

An old loser!

小孩子应该好好学习。一个人小时候如果不好好学习，到老的时候能有什么用呢？

A child should have proper education. If one does not do well, what will become of him when he is grown up?

玉不琢，

不成器。

人不学，

不知义。

No jade crude,

Shows craft good.

Unless you learn,

Brute you'll turn.

璞玉不经打磨，便不会成为精美的艺术品；人要是不学习，就不懂得人情礼节，也就不能有用之才。

If jade is not honed and carved, it will not be a fine piece of art; if one does not receive education, he will not be a gentleman, and will not be something.