So why study Di Zi Gui (Students’ Rules)? What do these old precepts from the bygone days of Imperial China have to do with us? Well, there are two main reasons: learning about the Chinese intellectual heritage, and helping us live a happy and successful life.
为什么要学习《弟子规》呢？那些中国帝王时代的陈旧概念跟我们有什么相干？有两个主要理由：学习《弟子规》会让我们认识中华思维遗产，也会帮助我们过一个快乐成功的人生。
First, learning about the Chinese intellectual heritage: a very important part of the Chinese heritage is in the intellectual sphere; our forefathers have made remarkable contributions to the realm of thought and philosophy, including the discourse on perennial questions facing the great thinkers throughout world history. Questions such as “What is the good life?” and “What makes a good man?” have been answered with some
very unique Chinese answers. Di Zi Gui is a succinct summary of much of that traditional thought and philosophy. Used in traditional China for raising young people into gentlemen, today Di Zi Gui offers a good introduction to the world of traditional Chinese thought. The text is a rich repository of Chinese philosophy, values, mores and norms. Studying Di Zi Gui enables us to learn about the Chinese intellectual heritage.
第一个理由，认识中华思维遗产：中华文化遗产的很重要一部分是思维领域的遗产；我们的祖先们在思想和哲学上，在所有世界历史上的大思想家们都要面对的那些问题上，作出了杰出的贡献，对“什么才是好的人生”和“怎样才是好人”等问题，作出了一些很独特的中华答案。《弟子规》正是那传统思想和哲学很大一部分的精简总结。传统时代里用来把幼年人教育成为君子的《弟子规》，现在能够把我们初步引入中华传统思维的天地。文章满载中华哲学、价值、道德和准则。学习《弟子规》，让我们认识中华思维遗产。
These days, because of the adoption of vernacular Mandarin (bai hua wen) as the standard form of writing and education since the early 1900’s and the abandonment of classical Chinese (wen yan wen), fewer and fewer students are capable of reading the original works of the great Chinese thinkers because the works are written in that classical Chinese. Thus, for those seeking their Chinese roots, the Chinese intellectual heritage in the realm of thought and philosophy is often off limits, and there is little chance that those seekers can hear their forefathers’ original voices expound on unique, Chinese ideas. True, one can read about the ideas second and third hand via modern books written in the vernacular Mandarin or in English, but for appreciating the spirit of the authors, nothing can replace studying the original. Therefore, to help with accessing the original, we’ve translated Di Zi Gui into plain vernacular (modern day spoken) Chinese and English on this website. By studying the original text of Di Zi Gui we can hear our ancestors’ own voices.
今天，因为自1900年代初就采用了白话文来作为写作和教育的标准，就抛弃了文言文，所以越来越少学生们有能力看那些都是用文言文写作的伟大中华思想家原著。因此，很多时对要寻找中华根源的人来说，思想和哲学领域里的中华思维遗产是禁区，不能亲耳听到祖先们讲说独特中华概念的原来话语。是的，可以在白话文或英语的现代书本里二手地或三手地阅读这些概念，但是，要领会作者的精神，没有别的方法能够代替看原著了。为了帮助人们接触原著，我们在本网站里把《弟子规》翻译为白话文和英语。学习《弟子规》原文，让我们能够亲耳听到祖先们的声音。
Also, as we have said in the "Introduction" on the Di Zi Gui Web Page on this website, in today's pervasive Westernized culture, Chinese in general and Chinese children in particular are driven daily to be ashamed of their heritage. Chinese children are especially vulnerable since what most people know these days of the Chinese heritage is only a distorted version. If left unarmed with some accurate knowledge of Chinese culture such as that provided by Di Zi Gui, Chinese children will grow up to be ashamed of their heritage, of their parents and eventually of themselves. Then they won't have the self esteem or inner strength necessary to become good, smart and capable persons. Studying Di Zi Gui and understanding the thinking in it will enable Chinese persons to synthesize traditional Chinese culture with modern life and help strengthen our sense of identity, cultural roots, pride, and self esteem. Then we will not become discouraged and lose hope, or abuse and give up on ourselves; we will persist in striving to do our best in life. Studying Di Zi Gui will give Chinese and Chinese children an accurate knowledge of the Chinese intellectual heritage. Armed with this knowledge, they will not grow up to be ashamed of their heritage, of their parents and eventually of themselves. They will have the necessary self esteem and inner strength to become upright, kind, smart and capable people. Indeed, understanding traditional Chinese thought and taking up the Chinese intellectual heritage is of the utmost importance to each Chinese personally. Therefore, Chinese people especially need to, especially should, study Di Zi Gui.
另外，正如我们在本网站《弟子规》网页的“引言”所说那样，今天普遍西化的社会，每天都驱使华人们，特别是华人孩子们，对自己的文化遗产感觉羞耻。华人孩子们特别容易受害，因为多数人现在只能看到被歪曲了的中华文化遗产。如果思想没有被一些好像《弟子规》所提供的、对中华文化正确的认识武装起来，华人孩子长大后便会对自己的文化遗产、对自己的父母、乃至对自己，感觉羞耻，便没有足够的自尊心和内在力量来做个好的和聪明能干的人。学习了《弟子规》，领会了《弟子规》的思想，华人就会有能力把文化遗产和现代生活相结合起来，让我们得到自我认同感、文化根源感和自豪感，我们就会得到自尊心。拥有了自尊心，就不会颓丧失望，就不会自暴自弃，就会努力向上。学习了《弟子规》，华人孩子们对中华思维遗产就会得到正确的认识，思想就会被武装起来，不会对自己的文化遗产、对自己的父母、乃至对自己，感觉羞耻，就会拥有足够的自尊心和内在力量来做正直善良和聪明能干的人。的确，认识中华传统思想、继承中华思维遗产，是每一个华人的切身大事。所以华人们特别需要、特别应该，学习《弟子规》。
For those not of Chinese ethnicity, Di Zi Gui will be a good initial exposure to very important aspects of traditional Chinese thought.
对于不是华人的人们，学习《弟子规》，会对中华传统思想一些很重要的方面，提供良好的初步接触。
To be considered truly educated, young people of Chinese ethnicity should know about some of the important ideas from their intellectual heritage. Would we not expect young people whose ethnicity is, say, that of a Muslim country, whether they practice the Islamic religion or not, to have been exposed to the Koran as part of having received a well-rounded education? Would we not expect young people of Caucasian, i.e. European, ethnicity, whether they practice the Christian faith or not, to have had some exposure to the Christian Bible to be considered well educated? Of course we do. Without some exposure to the Koran it is impossible to fully comprehend and appreciate a Muslim ethnic heritage, and without some exposure to the Christian Bible it is also impossible to fully comprehend and appreciate the Western heritage. Yet, despite the importance their parents place on education and even a “well-rounded education,” very rarely are young people of Chinese ethnicity, included many considered “highly educated,” exposed to Confucian writings. Nor has the thought ever occurred to many such parents. It really is an anomaly that will be wondered at by future generations.
要被认为是一个真正具有教育的人，华裔青年应该对自己的思维遗产有所接触。对祖籍是穆斯林文化的年轻人，不论他们是否信奉伊斯兰教，我们不是会预想他们的良好全面教育必然包括对《古兰经》的一些接触吗？同样地，对祖籍是白裔即欧洲裔的年轻人，不论他是否信奉基督教，我们不是会预想他们的良好全面教育必然包括对《圣经》的一些接触吗？当然是会。不对《古兰经》有所接触，就不能全面明白和领会穆斯林文化遗产，而不对《圣经》有所接触，就不能全面明白和领会西方文化遗产。然而，虽然华裔青年们的家长极端注重教育，甚至“全面的教育”，但是很少华裔青年，包括“具备高度教育”的，曾经接触过孔教文章，而很多这些家长们，这件事根本从没想过。这的确是怪象，后世人们将会称奇。
Of course, in this day and age, to be considered truly educated, everyone, even one not of Chinese ethnicity, should know something about the very important and unique part of the human heritage called the Chinese intellectual heritage.
当然嘛，这个年代，要被认为真正具有教育，任何人，无论华裔与否，都应该对这个叫做中华思维遗产的人类文化遗产里非常重要又独特的一部分，有所认识。
By providing a useful glimpse into the world of traditional Chinese thought, studying Di Zi Gui can greatly help meet the need for exposure to the Chinese intellectual heritage. Even if, after perusal and study, one disagrees with part or all of the traditional Chinese ideals and standards of conduct, one will still be enriched by the exposure. One will have been given the opportunity to work through the arguments and thought processes of some of the most important thinkers not just in Chinese history but also in world history. Only after having had some such exposure can a person of Chinese ethnicity be considered well educated.
《弟子规》为人们提供对中华传统思维天地的一瞥，从而能够很大程度上满足这个接触中华思维遗产的需要。尽管阅读和学习后也许不同意中华传统的理想和行为准则，这种接触仍然会令人思想更加丰富，会让人获得机会去逐步了解一些不仅是中国历史上而且是世界历史上，最重要的思想家们的论点和思维过程。一个华裔的人，要拥有这种接触，才能被称为具有良好教育。
The second reason for studying Di Zi Gui is that, as previous mentioned, doing so will help us live a happy and successful life. The precepts, values, and norms taught in Di Zi Gui are still suitable for us today. In fact, I believe that to live a happy and successful life today, these precepts, values, and norms are the most useful ones to follow.
第二个理由要学习《弟子规》是，如上文所说，这会帮助我们过一个快乐和成功的人生。《弟子规》教导的信条、价值和准则今天仍然合适我们。的确，我认为今天要过一个快乐和成功的人生，最能奏效就是遵守这些信条、价值和准则。
Nowadays the Chinese Confucian tradition in thought and philosophy has been forgotten and abandoned by many Chinese, because that tradition has long been denigrated, since 1895 in fact, by we Chinese ourselves, for being out-dated, irrelevant, the cause of Chinese backwardness, or even for being “dictatorial,” “fascist,” and “designed to keep the masses ignorant and stupid.”
今天很多华人忘记和抛弃了中华孔教思想和哲学传统，因为从1895年起，长久以来这个传统曾被贬斥，而贬斥的人，正是我们华人们自己。我们说它过时、对现代没有意义、是中国落后的原因、甚至是“专制的”、“法西斯的”、“愚民的”。
It’s time to reverse that horribly wrong verdict, because the exact opposite is true. If it hadn’t been for Confucius’ teachings, if it hadn’t been those very precepts, values and norms taught in Di Zi Gui, Chinese backwardness would have been even more marked and the ancient Chinese civilization itself might have been long extinguished, just like the ancient civilizations of Babylon and ancient Egypt. Those teachings have never been “dictatorial” or “fascist,” and they have never opposed inquiry and independent thought—as the famous Tang Dynasty Confucian scholar Han Yu has said in his essay Jin Xue Jie, “conduct succeeds with thinking and fails with following (xin cheng yu si wei yu sui).”
是推翻这个巨大冤案的时候了，因为真相完全相反。如果没有孔子的教导，如果没有这些《弟子规》里教导的信条、价值和准则，中国当年便会更加落后，古老的中华文明可能老早便会好像巴比伦和古埃及等古文明那样灭绝了。这些教导从来未尝是“专制的”或“法西斯的”，从来没有反对过调查事物和独立思考：正如著名的唐朝儒家学者韩愈在他的文章《进学解》里说过，“行为成功地达到准则，是因为思考，而行为遭受毁坏，是因为跟随他人。（行成于思毁于随。）”
In fact, not only are those teachings not out of sync with modern society, but also they are most compatible with and conducive to such a society, to a society based progressively more and more on freedom and volition, and less and less on autocracy and coercion. Those teachings, in fact, constitute the answer to the failure of much of “modern” thought, values and norms to deliver to people the ability to live happy, productive and successful lives today. Following the teachings in Di Zi Gui, I strongly believe and my own personal experience has thus far confirmed, will be a strong guarantee of living a happy, productive, and successful life in today’s world.
其实，孔子的这些教导不但不跟现代社会脱节，而且非常合适和有利于这种社会，这种越来越更多基于自由和自愿、越来越更少基于专制和强迫的社会。这些教导，正好解决“现代”思想、价值和准则的失败，即不能为人们带来快乐的、成功的和富有成果的生活这个失败。我坚信，而我至今的个人经历亦证实了，遵守《弟子规》的教导，会强有力地保障在当今世界里，能够过一个快乐的、成功的和有成果的人生。
Many readers will be surprised at the above statement that Confucius’ teachings are most compatible with and conducive to a modern society based on freedom and volition. How can that be? How can precepts over two thousand years old be most suitable for living successfully in a free society? Aren’t Confucian teachings all about conformity, submission, and obedience? Well, there are very good answers to those questions, and I will set forth the answers in my next commentary, “Confucius' Teachings are Conducive to a Modern Society Based on Freedom and Volition”.
很多读者会对以上的言辞有些惊异，孔子教导非常合适和有利于基于自由和自愿的现代社会吗？怎会这样的呢？超过二千年年纪的信条，怎能最合适自由社会里的成功生活呢？孔子的教导不都是提倡一致性、屈服和服从的吗？啊，这些问题都有很好的答案，我将会在下一篇解说文章里（“孔子的教导有利于自由和自愿的社会”），把答案陈述出来。
Written in English 2007, revised and written in Chinese 2009,Chinese version stylistic revisions 2016
2007年英语著，2009年修改及汉语著，2016年汉语版词句修改