《孝经》英译（感应章）

子曰：“昔者明王事父孝，故事天明。事母孝，故事地察。长幼顺，故上下治。天地明察，神明彰矣。故虽天子，必有尊也，言有父也；必有先也，言有兄也。宗庙致敬，不忘亲也；修身慎行，恐辱先也。宗庙致敬，鬼神著矣。孝悌之至，通于神明，光于四海，无所不通。《诗》云：‘自西自东，自南自北，无思不服。’”

Chapter 16

Resonance

The Master said, “Of old the enlightened kings (mingwang) served their fathers with family reverence, and in so doing, served the heavens (tian) with acuity (ming); they served their mothers with family reverence, and in so doing, served the earth judiciously. With the young in compliance (shun) with their elders in this manner, proper order prevailed among those above and those below. With the enlightened kings being acute and judicious in their service to the heavens and to the earth, the gods and spirits sent down their blessings upon them.

“Thus, even the Emperor must show reverence—referring here to his father’s generation. And must place others before him—referring here to his elder brothers’ generation. At the ancestral temple his offering of respect (jing) was in remembrance of his parents. He would cultivate his person and be circumspect in his conduct for fear of disgracing those who have come before.

“When at the ancestral temple the Emperor offers his respects, the ghosts and spirits acknowledge him with appreciation. When familial and fraternal deference reaches this level, the feeling resonates with the gods and spirits, shines throughout the four corners of the world, and affects everything everywhere.

“The Book of Songs says, ‘From north to south, from east to west, everyone did him homage.’”(1)