On the Teacher

嗟乎！师道之不传也久矣，欲人之无惑也难矣。古之圣人，其出人也远矣，犹且从师而问焉；今之众人，其下圣人也亦远矣，而耻学于师。是故圣益圣，愚益愚。圣人之所以为圣，愚人之所以为愚，其皆出于此乎？爱其子，择师而教之；于其身也，则耻师焉，惑矣。彼童子之师，授之书而习其句读者，非吾所谓传其道、解其惑者也。句读之不知，惑之不解，或师焉，或不焉，小学而大遗，吾未见其明也。巫医、乐师、百工之人，不耻相师。士大夫之族，曰“师”曰“弟子”云者，则群聚而笑之。问之，则曰：彼与彼年相若也，道相似也， 位卑则足羞，官盛则近谀。呜呼！师道之不复，可知矣。 巫医、乐师、百工之人，君子不齿，今其智乃反不能及，其可怪也欤！

圣人无常师。孔子师郯子、苌弘、师襄、老聃。郯子之徒，其贤不及孔子。孔子曰“三人行，则必有我师。”是故弟子不必不如师，师不必贤于弟子。闻道有先后，术业有专攻，如是而已。

李氏子蟠，年十七，好古文，六艺经传皆通习之，不拘于时，学于余。余嘉其能行古道，作《师说》以贻之。

白话文翻译：

古时候学习的人，一定要有老师。老师，是传授道理、教给业务知识和技能、解释疑难问题的。人不是生下来就知道一切道理的，谁能没有疑难问题？有了疑难问题不向老师学习，它做为疑难问题来说，就永远不能解决了。出生在我之前，他懂得道理，本来比我早，我当然要跟着他学；出生在我之后 ，如果他懂得道理，也比我早，我也应该跟着他学。我是学道理啊，那何必问他的年纪比我大小呢？因此不论高贵的，不论卑贱的，不论年长的，不论年少的，道理在哪里，老师就在哪里。

    唉！从师的道理已经失传很久了！要想使人们没有疑惑很难了！古时候的圣人，他们超出一般人很多了，可是还跟老师请教呢；如今的一般人，他们比圣人差多了，反而感到向老师学习是羞耻。因此圣人越来越高明，愚人越来越糊涂。圣人高明的缘故，愚人糊涂的缘故，大概是从这种情形产生的吧？ 有些人爱他的孩子，就选择老师来教他；对于他自己，却以向老师请教为耻，这真 糊涂啊。那孩子们的老师，是把书教给孩子们来学习诵读书上的文句的，不是我所说的传授那些道理，解决那些疑难问题的；一种情况是不知句读，一种情况是有疑难的问题不能解决；不知句读就向老师请教，有疑难问题不能解决却不向老师请教，小的事情要学习，大的事情反而放弃了，我看不出他明白事理啊。 巫、医师、乐师、各种手工业者，不以互相请教为耻。士大夫这一类的人，一谈到老师、弟子的称呼，就大家聚在一起非笑他；一问他们为什么笑，他们就说：“他跟他年岁差不多呀，懂得的道理也不相上下呀。”以地位低的人为师，就感到可耻，以官职高的人为师，就认为是近于谄媚。 啊！从师的道理不能恢复的原因，可以明白了。巫、医生、乐师、各种手工业者那般人，士大夫看不起他们，如今士大夫的智慧竟反而赶不上这些人，恐怕是值得奇怪吧！

    圣人没有固定的老师。孔子向郯子、苌弘、师襄、老聃学习。郯子那些人，他们的学问道德并赶不上孔子。孔子说：三个人一起同行，里面一定有可以当我老师的人。所以学生不一定样样不如老师，老师不一定样样都比学生高明，懂得道理有先有后，在业务上各有各的专门研究，只不过像这样罢了。

    李家的孩子叫蟠的，十七岁了，喜好古文，六种经书和传注都在学习，不受当时耻于从师的不良风气的拘束，跟我学习，我赞许他能够实行古人从师的道理，作了这篇《师说》送给他。

英文翻译：

In ancient times those who wanted to learn would seek out a teacher, one who could propagate the doctrine1, impart professional knowledge, and resolve doubts. Since no one is born omniscient, who can claim to have no doubts? If one has doubts and is not willing to learn from a teacher, his doubts will never be resolved. Anyone who was born before me and learned the doctrine before me is my teacher. Anyone who was born after me and learned the doctrine before me is also my teacher. Since what I desire to learn is the doctrine, why should I care whether he was born before or after me? Therefore, it does not matter whether a person is high or low in position, young or old in age. Where there is the doctrine, there is my teacher.

Alas! The tradition of learning from the teacher has long been neglected. Thus it is difficult to find a person without any doubts at all. Ancient sages, who far surpassed us, even learned from their teachers. People today, who are far inferior to them, regard learning from the teacher as a disgrace. Thus, wise men become more wise and unlearned men become more foolish. This explains what makes a wise man and what makes a foolish man.

It is absurd that a person would choose a teacher for his son out of his love for him, and yet refuse to learn from the teacher himself, thinking it a disgrace to do so. The teacher of his son teaches the child only reading and punctuation, which is not propagating the doctrine or resolving doubts as the aforementioned. I don"t think it wise to learn from the teacher when one doesn"t know how to punctuate, but not when one has doubts unresolved, for that I find to be the folly of learning in small matters, but neglecting the big ones. Even medicine men, musicians and handicraftsmen do not think it disgraceful to learn from each other. When one of the literati calls another man his "teacher"and himself his "student" people will get together and invariably laugh at him. If you ask them why they are laughing, they will say that since he is almost of the same age and as erudite as another man, it would be degrading for him to call the other man "teacher" if the other man"s social rank is lower than his; and it would be flattering if the other man"s social rank is higher. Alas! It is clear that the tradition of learning from the teacher can no longer be restored. Medicine men, musicians and handicraftsmen are despised by the gentlemen. How strange it is that gentlemen are less wise than these people!

The ancient sages did not limit themselves to particular teachers. Confucius had learned from people like Tanzi2, Changhong3, Shixiang4, and Laodan5, who were not as virtuous and talented as Confucius. Confucius said "If three men are walking together, one of them is bound to be good enough to be my teacher."A student is not necessarily inferior to his teacher, nor does a teacher necessarily be more virtuous and talented than his student. The real fact is that one might have learned the doctrine earlier than the other, or might be a master in his own special field.

Pan, the son of Li"s family, who is only seventeen years old, loves to study Chinese classics of the Qin and Han dynasties, and masters the six jing6 and their annotations. He does not follow conventions and is willing to learn from me. I appreciate his ability to act in accordance with the old tradition of learning. Therefore I dedicate this piece to him.

名句翻译：

古之学者必有师。师者，所以传道受业解惑也。
In ancient times, scholars always had teachers. It takes a teacher to transmit the Way, impart knowledge and resolve doubts.
是故无贵无贱，无长无少，道之所存，师之所存也。
Irrespective therefore of the distinction between the high-born and the lowly, and between age and youth, where the Way is, there is my teacher.
孔子曰“三人行，则必有我师。”是故弟子不必不如师，师不必贤于弟子。
Said Confucius, “Among three men who walk with me, there must be a teacher of mine”. The pupil is therefore not necessarily inferior to the teacher, and the teacher is not necessarily wiser than the pupil.
闻道有先后，术业有专攻，如是而已。
What makes the difference is that one has heard the Way before the other, and that one is more specialized in his craft and trade than the other– that is all.