Talk:Three Character Classic

Re-incorporate[edit]

From my talk page: On the Three Character Classic that you corrected : My sentence is incorrect but your change looses the meaning (in Chinese scholls, this book was the very first one studied, before any others, that's what I tried to say), if you have an idea on how to write that. gbog 13:21, 6 Apr 2004 (UTC)

Thanks for letting me know: I've now (I think) re-incorporated this information, although I'm not sure of one detail: was this the first text of any kind studied, or only the first out of the Chinese classic texts? I've assumed the first option, but if it's actually the second, it could perhaps be "...the first such text..." instead of "...the first text...". A subtle difference, but it would be good to get it right. - IMSoP 13:36, 6 Apr 2004 (UTC)

You're right, I think it was the second text studied, just after the Hundred Family Names text, that is not a "classic" (it's only a kind of song listing common names without any meaning} gbog 05:10, 7 Apr 2004 (UTC)

By the way, what about removing the vfd? gbog

OK, I've put in the "such" so that we're not implying there was nothing else. As for the VfD listing, it has indeed had its 5 days, and gained a consensus to keep, so it should be OK to unlist it. I'd do it right now, but I'm not entirely sure of the current policy on where the debate should be archived etc. - IMSoP 12:38, 7 Apr 2004 (UTC)

From VFD, (kept);

Needing translation[edit]

Three Character Classic. Listed on Wikipedia:Pages needing translation into English since 12th March and not translated. Angela. 07:22, Mar 29, 2004 (UTC)
- Keep. Wait more. -- Taku 16:58, Mar 29, 2004 (UTC)
- ~~Delete - it's already had more than the 2 weeks the translation policy requires. -- Cyrius | (talk) 17:52, Mar 29, 2004 (UTC)~~
Keep the English part, delete the rest. RickK | Talk 01:34, 30 Mar 2004 (UTC)
~~Keep English, remove untranslated part -- Cyrius | (talk) 03:35, Mar 30, 2004 (UTC)~~
Keep English and a smaller sample, with translation. Alert the Chinese wikipedists (how?). Mikkalai 08:50, 30 Mar 2004 (UTC)
Keep, but tidy up. The Chinese text is just the story itself (-> Wikisource?); for a translation, just look at the external link someone's added. - IMSoP 16:26, 2 Apr 2004 (UTC)
Keep all. I am an English speaker living in China, I find all of the current content interesting. -prat 01:05, 2004 Apr 6 (UTC)
Keep all - the Chinese part has been translated. Mustafaa 23:46, 6 Apr 2004 (UTC)
Keep - page has been quite improved since initial listing. -- Cyrius|&#9998 05:08, Apr 7, 2004 (UTC)

Full Text[edit]

The full text of the classic is included here for reference from the main article (do not remove)

《三字經》
人之初，性本善。性相近，習相遠。苟不教，性乃遷。
教之道，貴以專。昔孟母，擇鄰處。子不學，斷機杼。
竇燕山，有義方。教五子，名俱揚。養不教，父之過。
教不嚴，師之惰。子不學，非所宜。幼不學，老何為。
玉不琢，不成器。人不學，不知義。為人子，方少時。
親師友，習禮儀。香九齡，能溫席。孝於親，所當執。
融四歲，能讓梨。弟於長，宜先知。首孝弟，次見聞。
知某數，識某文。一而十，十而百。百而千，千而萬。
三才者，天地人。三光者，日月星。三綱者，君臣義。
父子親，夫婦順。曰春夏，曰秋冬。此四時，運不窮。
曰南北，曰西東。此四方，應乎中。曰水火，木金土。
此五行，本乎數。曰仁義，禮智信。此五常，不容紊。
稻粱菽，麥黍稷。此六穀，人所食。馬牛羊，雞犬豕。
此六畜，人所飼。曰喜怒，曰哀懼。愛惡欲，七情具。
匏土革，木石金。與絲竹，乃八音。高曾祖，父而身。
身而子，子而孫。自子孫，至玄曾。乃九族，人之倫。
父子恩，夫婦從。兄則友，弟則恭。長幼序，友與朋。
君則敬，臣則忠。此十義，人所同。凡訓蒙，須講究。
詳訓詁，明句讀。為學者，必有初。小學終，至四書。
論語者，二十篇。群弟子，記善言。孟子者，七篇止。
講道德，說仁義。作中庸，及孔伋。中不偏，庸不易。
作大學，乃曾子。自修齊，至平治。孝經通，四書熟。
如六經，始可讀。詩書易，禮春秋。號六經，當講求。
有連山，有歸藏。有周易，三易詳。有典謨，有訓誥。
有誓命，書之奧。我姬公，作周禮。著六經，存治體。
大小戴，著禮記。述聖言，禮樂備。曰國風，曰雅頌。
號四詩，當諷詠。詩既亡，春秋作。寓褒貶，別善惡。
三傳者，有公羊。有左氏，有彀梁。經既明，方讀子。
撮其要，記其事。五子者，有荀楊。文中子，及老莊。
經子通，讀諸史。考世系，知終始。自羲農，至黃帝。
號三皇，居上世。唐有虞，號二帝。相揖遜，稱盛世。
夏有禹，商有湯。周文武，稱三王。夏傳子，家天下。
四百載，遷夏社。湯伐夏，國號商。六百載，至紂亡。
周武王，始誅紂。八百載，最長久。周轍東，王綱墮。
逞干戈，尚游說。始春秋，終戰國。五霸強，七雄出。
嬴秦氏，始兼并。傳二世，楚漢爭。高祖興，漢業建。
至孝平，王莽篡。光武興，為東漢。四百年，終於獻。
魏蜀吳，爭漢鼎。號三國，迄兩晉。宋齊繼，梁陳承。
為南朝，都金陵。北元魏，分東西。宇文周，與高齊。
迨至隋，一土宇。不再傳，失統緒。唐高祖，起義師。
除隋亂，創國基。二十傳，三百載。梁滅之，國乃改。
稱五代，皆有由。炎宋興，受周禪。十八傳，南北混。
遼與金，皆稱帝。元滅金，絕宋世。盡中國，為夷狄。
明朝興，再開辟。太祖興，國大明。號洪武，都金陵。
迨成祖，遷燕京。十六世，至崇禎。閹亂后，寇內訌。
闖逆變，神器終。清順治，據神京。至十傳，宣統遜。
舉總統，共和成。復漢土，民國興。廿二史，全在茲。
載治亂，知興衰。讀史書，考實錄。通古今，若親目。
口而誦，心而惟。朝於斯，夕於斯。昔仲尼，師項橐。
古聖賢，尚勤學。趙中令，讀魯論。彼既仕，學且勤。
披蒲編，削竹簡。彼無書，且知勉。頭懸梁，錐刺股。
彼不教，自勤苦。如囊螢，如映雪。家雖貧，學不綴。
如負薪，如挂角。身雖勞，猶苦卓。蘇老泉，二十七。
始發憤，讀書籍。彼既老，猶悔遲。爾小生，宜早思。
若梁顥，八十二。對大廷，魁多士。彼既成，眾稱異。
爾小生，宜立志。堂八歲，能詠詩。泌七歲，能賦棋。
彼穎悟，人稱奇。爾幼學，當效之。蔡文姬，能辨琴。
謝道韞，能詠吟。彼女子，且聰敏。爾男子，當自警。
唐劉晏，方七歲。舉神童，作正字。彼雖幼，身己仕。
爾幼學，勉而致。有為者，亦若是。犬守夜，雞司晨。
苟不學，曷為人。蠶吐絲，蜂釀蜜。人不學，不如物。
幼而學，壯而行。上致君，下澤民。揚名聲，顯父母。
光於前，垂於後。人遺子，金滿嬴。我教子，惟一經。
勤有功，戲無益。戒之哉，宜勉力。

Carbon dating[edit]

The text

清順治，據神京。至十傳，宣統遜。
舉總統，共和成。復漢土，民國興。

talk about the rise and fall of the Qing dynasty and the establishment of the republic. Hence this classic could not be written before 1911. -- Kowloonese 01:57, 25 Nov 2004 (UTC)

I have always been under the impression that the last bits were added by somebody probably still living. --Menchi 03:02, 25 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Did you mean that there was an ancient version that does not contain this added segment? Do you have more information on that version? I hate it when some Chinese literature often drop the author information. If the text was altered, there should be an annotation that states who made the change. Kowloonese 18:51, 29 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Added new info for the seven post-Song stanzas. --Kvasir 07:42, 17 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The San Zi Jing was a common children's "textbook" for many centuries, and was updated, changed, revised, and altered all the time. Any time Chinese history changed, so the San Zi Jing was changed a little, also. There are different versions today, also. There is a version that you can find (on the internet, and in bookstores) that has, for example, more things in the group of five: five colors, five flavors, and five smells. (These aren't included in the version published in Wikipedia). A little time spent in google searches will turn up many different online texts, as well as places to buy books, along with Chinese commentary and English translation. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Jimhoward72 (talk • contribs) 17:51, 28 April 2007 (UTC).[reply]