師說师说

古之學者必有師。師者，所以傳道受業解惑也。人非生而知之者，孰能無惑？惑而不從師，其為惑也終不解矣。

古之学者必有师。师者，所以传道受业解惑也。人非生而知之者，孰能无惑？惑而不从师，其为惑也终不解矣。

In ancient times, those who studied always had teachers. A teacher is one who hands on the Way, passes on learning and clears up doubts. No one is born knowing; who can be without doubts? To have doubts and not follow a teacher is to leave those doubts unresolved forever.

生乎吾前，其聞道也固先乎吾，吾從而師之；生乎吾後，其聞道也亦先乎吾，吾從而師之。吾師道也，夫庸知其年之先後生於吾乎？是故無貴、無賤、無長、無少，道之所存，師之所存也。

生乎吾前，其闻道也固先乎吾，吾从而师之；生乎吾后，其闻道也亦先乎吾，吾从而师之。吾师道也，夫庸知其年之先后生于吾乎？是故无贵、无贱、无长、无少，道之所存，师之所存也。

If someone was born before me and heard the Way before me, I follow him as my teacher. If someone was born after me but heard the Way before me, I also follow him as my teacher. What I take as my teacher is the Way. Why should I care whether he was born before or after me? So it makes no difference whether he is of high or low station, old or young: wherever the Way is, there the teacher is.

嗟乎！師道之不傳也久矣！欲人之無惑也難矣！古之聖人，其出人也遠矣，猶且從師而問焉；今之眾人，其下聖人也亦遠矣，而恥學於師。是故聖益聖，愚益愚，聖人之所以為聖，愚人之所以為愚，其皆出於此乎！

嗟乎！师道之不传也久矣！欲人之无惑也难矣！古之圣人，其出人也远矣，犹且从师而问焉；今之众人，其下圣人也亦远矣，而耻学于师。是故圣益圣，愚益愚，圣人之所以为圣，愚人之所以为愚，其皆出于此乎！

Alas, the way of the teacher has not been handed down for a long time, and it is hard for people to be free of doubt. The sages of old were far above other people, yet they still followed teachers and asked them questions. Ordinary people today are far below the sages, yet they are ashamed to learn from a teacher. So the sage grows wiser and the fool grows more foolish. Is this not the reason the sage is a sage and the fool a fool?

愛其子，擇師而教之，於其身也則恥師焉，惑矣！彼童子之師，授之書而習其句讀者，非吾所謂傳其道、解其惑者也。句讀之不知，惑之不解，或師焉，或不焉，小學而大遺，吾未見其明也。

爱其子，择师而教之，于其身也则耻师焉，惑矣！彼童子之师，授之书而习其句读者，非吾所谓传其道、解其惑者也。句读之不知，惑之不解，或师焉，或不焉，小学而大遗，吾未见其明也。

People love their children and choose teachers to teach them, yet for themselves they are ashamed to have a teacher. This is confusion. The teachers of children give them books and teach them to read the sentences and pause at the right places; they are not what I mean by those who hand on the Way and clear up doubts. Not knowing how to punctuate a sentence, and not having one's doubts cleared up: for the one a teacher is sought, for the other not. That is learning the small and neglecting the great. I cannot see the wisdom in it.

巫、醫、樂師、百工之人，不恥相師；士大夫之族，曰師、曰弟子云者，則群聚而笑之。問之，則曰：「彼與彼年相若也，道相似也。位卑則足羞，官盛則近諛。」嗚呼！師道之不復可知矣。巫、醫、樂師、百工之人，君子不齒，今其智乃反不能及，其可怪也歟！

巫、医、乐师、百工之人，不耻相师；士大夫之族，曰师、曰弟子云者，则群聚而笑之。问之，则曰：「彼与彼年相若也，道相似也。位卑则足羞，官盛则近谀。」呜呼！师道之不复可知矣。巫、医、乐师、百工之人，君子不齿，今其智乃反不能及，其可怪也欤！

Shamans, physicians, musicians and craftsmen of every kind are not ashamed to learn from one another. But among the scholar-officials, if anyone speaks of a teacher or a disciple, the others gather and laugh at him. Ask them why, and they say: "He and the other man are about the same age, and their understanding of the Way is much the same. If the teacher's rank is low, it is shameful; if it is high, it looks like flattery." Ah, from this we can see why the way of the teacher has not been restored. Shamans, physicians, musicians and craftsmen are people whom gentlemen look down on, yet now the gentlemen's wisdom cannot match theirs. Is that not strange?

聖人無常師：孔子師郯子、萇弘、師襄、老聃。郯子之徒，其賢不及孔子。孔子曰：「三人行，則必有我師。」是故弟子不必不如師，師不必賢於弟子，聞道有先後，術業有專攻，如是而已。

圣人无常师：孔子师郯子、苌弘、师襄、老聃。郯子之徒，其贤不及孔子。孔子曰：「三人行，则必有我师。」是故弟子不必不如师，师不必贤于弟子，闻道有先后，术业有专攻，如是而已。

The sage had no fixed teacher. Confucius learned from Tanzi, Chang Hong, Shi Xiang and Lao Dan. People like Tanzi were not as worthy as Confucius. Confucius said: "When three people walk together, one of them is sure to be my teacher." So a disciple need not be less than his teacher, and a teacher need not be wiser than his disciple. Some hear the Way sooner and some later; each art and craft has its specialists. That is all there is to it.

李氏子蟠，年十七，好古文，六藝經傳，皆通習之，不拘於時，學於余。余嘉其能行古道，作《師說》以貽之。

李氏子蟠，年十七，好古文，六艺经传，皆通习之，不拘于时，学于余。余嘉其能行古道，作《师说》以贻之。

Li Pan, a young man of seventeen, loves the old style of prose and has studied all six classics with their commentaries. Not held back by the fashions of the time, he has come to learn from me. I commend him for being able to follow the ancient way, and so I have written this Discourse on Teachers as a gift for him.