孟母三遷

From Biographies of Exemplary Women:

• 鄒孟軻之母也。號孟母。其舍近墓。孟子之少也，嬉遊為墓間之事，踴躍築埋。孟母曰：「此非吾所以居處子也。」乃去舍市傍。其嬉戲為賈人衒賣之事。孟母又曰：「此非吾所以居處子也。」復徙舍學宮之傍。其嬉遊乃設俎豆揖讓進退。孟母曰：「真可以居吾子矣。」遂居及。孟子長，學六藝，卒成大儒之名。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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  邹孟轲之母也。号孟母。其舍近墓。孟子之少也，嬉游为墓间之事，踊跃筑埋。孟母曰：「此非吾所以居处子也。」乃去舍市傍。其嬉戏为贾人衒卖之事。孟母又曰：「此非吾所以居处子也。」复徙舍学宫之傍。其嬉游乃设俎豆揖让进退。孟母曰：「真可以居吾子矣。」遂居及。孟子长，学六艺，卒成大儒之名。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

  From: The Biographies of Exemplary Women, 2^nd century BCE

  Zōu Mèng Kē zhī mǔ yě. Hào mèngmǔ. Qí shè jìn mù. Mèngzǐ zhī shào yě, xīyóu wéi mùjiān zhī shì, yǒngyuè zhùmái. Mèngmǔ yuē: “Cǐ fēi wú suǒyǐ jū chùzǐ yě.” Nǎi qù shè shìbàng. Qí xīxì wéi gǔrén xuàn mài zhī shì. Mèngmǔ yòu yuē: “Cǐ fēi wú suǒyǐ jū chùzǐ yě.” Fù xǐ shè xuégōng zhī bàng. Qí xīyóu nǎi shè zǔdòu yīràng jìntuì. Mèngmǔ yuē: “Zhēn kěyǐ jū wúzǐ yǐ.” Suì jū jí. Mèngzǐ cháng, xué liùyì, zú chéng dàrú zhī míng. [Pinyin]

  The Mother of Meng Ke of Zou is called Mother Meng. When Mencius was little, they dwelt next to a graveyard; he played at performing funeral rites between the graves and eagerly pounding earth into tombs; Mother Meng said: "This is not the place to stay and raise my child." Then they moved to dwell next to the market, he played at displaying and selling wares as the merchants did; Mother Meng again said: "This is not the place to stay and raise my child." Again they moved next to a school, he played at arranging sacrifical altars and sacrificial vessels, greeting, yielding, advancing, and withdrawing; Mother Meng said: "Truly, my child can stay here". And they ended up staying there. Mencius grew up, learnt the Six Arts, and became a famous and great scholar.

孟母三遷

1. (of parents) to be concerned with their children's growth