▸ 两liǎng千qiān五wǔ百bǎi多年duō nián前qián，中国zhōng guó还hái没有méi yǒu皇帝huáng dì，而是ér shì有yǒu很多hěn duō小xiǎo国guó，历史上lì shǐ shàng把bǎ那个nà ge时代shí dài叫做jiào zuò春秋chūn qiū。

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gōng yuán qián五wǔ百bǎi五十wǔ shí一yī年nián，孔子kǒng zǐ出生chū shēng在zài鲁国lǔ guó。

In 551 BC, Confucius was born in the state of Lu.

▸ 他tā三sān岁suì的de时候shí hou，父亲fù qīn就jiù去世qù shì了le，母亲mǔ qīn一个人yī gè rén把bǎ他tā带dài大dà，家里jiā lǐ很hěn穷qióng。

When he was three, his father died. His mother raised him alone, and the family was very poor.

▸ 人们rén men说shuō，别的bié de孩子hái zi玩wán打仗dǎ zhàng的de游戏yóu xì，小xiǎo孔子kǒng zǐ却què喜欢xǐ huan摆bǎi上shàng小xiǎo碗wǎn和hé盘子pán zi，学xué大人dà ren行礼xíng lǐ的de样子yàng zi。

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tā后来hòu lái说shuō过guò：“我wǒ十五岁shí wǔ suì的de时候shí hou，就jiù下定xià dìng了le决心jué xīn：我wǒ这zhè一生yī shēng，都dōu要yào好好hǎo hǎo学习xué xí。”

He later said: "At fifteen, I made up my mind: for my whole life, I would devote myself to learning."

▸ 年轻nián qīng的de时候shí hou，他tā做zuò过guò很hěn小的xiǎo de官guān，管guǎn过guò仓库cāng kù，也yě帮bāng人rén放fàng牛niú放羊fàng yáng。

As a young man, he held very small posts — he kept a granary and herded cattle and sheep for others.

▸ 可是kě shì他tā一yī有yǒu时间shí jiān就jiù学习xué xí，慢慢地màn màn de，鲁国lǔ guó的de人rén都dōu知道了zhī dào le这个zhè ge特别tè bié有学问yǒu xué wèn的de年轻人nián qīng rén。

But whenever he had time, he studied, and slowly everyone in Lu came to know of this remarkably learned young man.

▸ 那个nà ge时代shí dài，只有zhǐ yǒu贵族guì zú的de孩子hái zi才能cái néng读书dú shū，穷人qióng rén的de孩子hái zi没有méi yǒu机会jī huì上学shàng xué。

In those days, only the children of nobles could study; poor children had no chance to go to school.

▸ 孔子kǒng zǐ做了zuò le一件yī jiàn以前yǐ qián没有méi yǒu人rén做zuò过guò的de事shì：他tā开了kāi le一yī所suǒ学校xué xiào，谁shéi都dōu可以kě yǐ来lái学习xué xí。

Confucius did something no one had done before: he opened a school where anyone could come and learn.

▸ 他说tā shuō：“只要zhǐ yào你nǐ真心zhēn xīn想xiǎng学xué，哪怕nǎ pà只zhǐ带dài一yī小包xiǎo bāo肉ròu当dāng学费xué fèi，我wǒ也yě一样yī yàng教jiāo你nǐ。”

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guì zú的de孩子hái zi来了lái le，穷人qióng rén的de孩子hái zi也yě来了lái le，他的tā de弟子dì zǐ越来越yuè lái yuè多duō。

Children of nobles came, and children of the poor came too — his disciples grew more and more numerous.

▸ 孔子kǒng zǐ了解liǎo jiě每měi一个yī ge学生xué sheng：同样tóng yàng的de问题wèn tí，他tā会huì给gěi不同bù tóng的de学生xué sheng不同bù tóng的de回答huí dá。

Confucius knew each student well: to the same question, he would give different students different answers.

▸ 弟子dì zǐ们men跟着gēn zhe他tā学习xué xí，也yě把bǎ他tā当成dàng chéng父亲fù qīn一样yī yàng尊敬zūn jìng。

His disciples studied at his side and revered him like a father.

▸ 五十wǔ shí多duō岁suì的de时候shí hou，孔子kǒng zǐ终于zhōng yú当上dāng shang了le鲁国lǔ guó的de大dà官guān，国家guó jiā被bèi他tā管理guǎn lǐ得de越来越yuè lái yuè好hǎo。

In his fifties, Confucius finally became a high official of Lu, and under his hand the state was governed better and better.

▸ 邻国lín guó害怕hài pà了le：“要是yào shi鲁国lǔ guó这样zhè yàng强大qiáng dà起来qǐ lai，怎么办zěn me bàn？”

A neighboring state grew afraid: "If Lu becomes strong like this, what will we do?"

▸ 他们tā men送sòng来lái八十bā shí个gè美女měi nǚ和hé很多hěn duō好hǎo马mǎ，鲁国lǔ guó的de国君guó jūn从此cóng cǐ只顾zhǐ gù玩乐wán lè，不再bù zài管guǎn国家guó jiā的de事shì了le。

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kǒng zǐ失望shī wàng极了jí le，他tā离开lí kāi了le自己的zì jǐ de国家guó jiā。那nà一yī年nián，他tā五wǔ十五岁shí wǔ suì。

Bitterly disappointed, Confucius left his own country. That year, he was fifty-five.

▸ 他tā不知道bù zhī dào，在zài前面qián miàn等着děng zhe他的tā de，是shì长长cháng cháng的de十四shí sì年nián的de路lù。

He did not know that what awaited him ahead was a long, long road of fourteen years.

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