Confucius: The Teacher Who Turned No One Away (Part 1)
A poor boy in the state of Lu falls in love with learning — and opens a school where anyone can study.
两千五百多年前，中国还没有皇帝，而是有很多小国，历史上把那个时代叫做春秋。More than 2,500 years ago, China had no emperor yet — the land was full of small states. History calls that era the Spring and Autumn period.公元前五百五十一年，孔子出生在鲁国。In 551 BC, Confucius was born in the state of Lu.他三岁的时候，父亲就去世了，母亲一个人把他带大，家里很穷。When he was three, his father died. His mother raised him alone, and the family was very poor.
人们说，别的孩子玩打仗的游戏，小孔子却喜欢摆上小碗和盘子，学大人行礼的样子。People say that while other children played at war, little Confucius liked to set out small bowls and plates and imitate the way grown-ups performed rituals.他后来说过：“我十五岁的时候，就下定了决心：我这一生，都要好好学习。”He later said: "At fifteen, I made up my mind: for my whole life, I would devote myself to learning."
年轻的时候，他做过很小的官，管过仓库，也帮人放牛放羊。As a young man, he held very small posts — he kept a granary and herded cattle and sheep for others.可是他一有时间就学习，慢慢地，鲁国的人都知道了这个特别有学问的年轻人。But whenever he had time, he studied, and slowly everyone in Lu came to know of this remarkably learned young man.
那个时代，只有贵族的孩子才能读书，穷人的孩子没有机会上学。In those days, only the children of nobles could study; poor children had no chance to go to school.孔子做了一件以前没有人做过的事：他开了一所学校，谁都可以来学习。Confucius did something no one had done before: he opened a school where anyone could come and learn.他说：“只要你真心想学，哪怕只带一小包肉当学费，我也一样教你。”He said: "As long as you truly want to learn, even if all you bring as tuition is a small package of meat, I will teach you just the same."贵族的孩子来了，穷人的孩子也来了，他的弟子越来越多。Children of nobles came, and children of the poor came too — his disciples grew more and more numerous.
孔子了解每一个学生：同样的问题，他会给不同的学生不同的回答。Confucius knew each student well: to the same question, he would give different students different answers.弟子们跟着他学习，也把他当成父亲一样尊敬。His disciples studied at his side and revered him like a father.
五十多岁的时候，孔子终于当上了鲁国的大官，国家被他管理得越来越好。In his fifties, Confucius finally became a high official of Lu, and under his hand the state was governed better and better.邻国害怕了：“要是鲁国这样强大起来，怎么办？”A neighboring state grew afraid: "If Lu becomes strong like this, what will we do?"他们送来八十个美女和很多好马，鲁国的国君从此只顾玩乐，不再管国家的事了。They sent over eighty beautiful women and many fine horses, and from then on the ruler of Lu cared only for pleasure and ignored the affairs of state.
孔子失望极了，他离开了自己的国家。那一年，他五十五岁。Bitterly disappointed, Confucius left his own country. That year, he was fifty-five.他不知道，在前面等着他的，是长长的十四年的路。He did not know that what awaited him ahead was a long, long road of fourteen years.
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