(Translation) 2019 孟母三遷

Original Script

鄒孟軻母，號孟母。其舍近墓。孟子之少時，嬉遊爲墓間之事。孟母曰：「此非吾所以居處子。」乃去，舍市旁。其嬉遊爲賈人炫賣之事。孟母又曰：「此非吾所以處吾子也。」復徙居學宮之旁。其嬉遊乃設俎豆，揖讓進退。孟母曰：「可以處居子矣。」遂居。及孟子長，學六藝，卒成大儒之名。君子謂孟母善以漸化。《列女傳. 母儀》

Translation

Student Translation : Ethan

Mencius of Zhou's mother was named Mother Meng. Their house was near a graveyard. In Mencius's younger days, he enjoyed mimicking the affairs of the graveyard. Mother Meng said, "This is no place in which to settle my son." Thus they left, taking up living quarters on the market side. Mencius enjoyed mimicking the affairs the merchants hawking goods. Again Mother Meng said, "This is no place in which to settle my son." They moved again, taking up residence aside a school. Thus Mencius enjoyed mimicking the laying out of the ritual table and the movements of ritual bowing. Mother Meng said, "I can settle my son [here]." Finally, they settled. When Mencius grew up, he studied The Six Arts and eventually earned the name of great scholar. Gentlemen say that Mother Meng excelled at gradual change.

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• Discussion Questions:

1. In the third move, are my translations for 設俎豆 and 揖讓 correct?

(YO) I think they are correct--you took 進退 as "movement," right? One thing to point out is "aside a school." "Aside" is not a preposition but an adverb, so "beside"?