汉英对照《醒世要言》

Important Words to Awaken the World

1.祖宗

树有千枝万叶，都从根上生来。
祖祠祖墓好徘徊，想想根基何在？
不是根基深厚，如今哪有良材？
岁时祭扫有余哀，世代栽培勿坏。

1.Ancestors

Hundreds of branches and more leaves a tree may have,
All of which are from the roots without exceptions.
You oft pace up and down near your ancestral hall and graves,
Thinking and contemplating where your life's source is.
If you hadn't got a deep source and firm foundation,
How could you now become one of able persons?
Each year timely offering sacrifice and sweeping graves
Must be done sadly through ages to keep well your source.

2.事亲

屈指人生大事，承欢养志为先。
生身父母比青天，敢向青天骄慢。
逆子雷霆一击，佳儿富贵双全。
痴人拜佛走天边，佛在堂前不见。

2.Serving parents

To count on one's fingers major issues in life,
Serving parents's a matter of prime importance.
One's own parents can be compared to the blue sky of grace,
To which nobody dares to show his arrogance.
Unfilial sons'll die of a thunder from the sky
While filial ones'll be of high ranking and riches.
Idiots go to worship Buddha in a far-away place.
Know not that their parents are Buddha in their house.

3. 兄弟

兄须友爱其弟，弟必恭敬其兄。
弟兄和气顺亲心，世世一堂余庆。
试想同枝同蒂，今生哪有来生？
如何财产太分明？枕上唆言莫听。

3.Brothers

Elder brothers'd treat their young brothers with love
While young brothers should respect their elder ones.
Friendship among brothers can be the parents' happiness,
An extended family's happiness's endless.
To think of that we are branches of the same tree,
Can we have next life when we'll be again brothers?
How could we be too stingy and mean with our own riches?
We should follow the wives' selfish pillow talks.