The Verse of One Thousand Characters is the oldest enlightenment textbook in China? It came into being earlier than the other enlightenment textbooks such as The Three?Character a Line Chant and Family Names in Hundreds. It has been used as a primer to teach children characters?We know for sure who the poet was and when it was composed?We don?t have definite knowledge of who the authors were of the Three and the Hundred and when they were written?Some people refer to it as “One Thousand Character Classic”?Even though it has been in existence for over 15 centuries and its readership is the biggest, it is not proper to regard it as a “classic”?
《千字文》是中国最早的启蒙读物。它的问世要早于《三字经》和《百家姓》。它是用来教孩子们认字的。我们知道其作者是谁以及创作的时间。至于“三”和“百”是谁写的，何时写成，我们了解得并不确切。有人在英文里将《千字文》称为“经”。尽管它已存世15个世纪之久，并且其读者是最多的，但是称其为“经”还是不合适的。
The reasons for the author to give a paraphrase of the Verse are the following: firstly, it tells us what the most important one thousand characters are for the Chinese people? The Verse was intended to teach children how to write in the past 15 centuries? The one thousand characters were chosen by Yin Tieshi (殷铁石) ， a literary assistant in the imperial court of the Southern Dynasty, on orders of Emperor Wu of Liang (梁武帝， 464549), for children of the royal family to learn?
笔者之所以要译注这本书，原因如下：第一，它告诉我们中国人首先要认识的最重要的一千个字有哪些。在过去的15个世纪里，这本书主要用来教孩子们认字。这些字最初是由南朝皇宫里的文学侍从殷铁石，按照梁武帝（464―549）的旨意，为了教皇家儿童认字找出来的。
However, these characters were not related to each other and it was difficult for children to remember? The Emperor then asked Zhou Xingsi (周兴嗣) to piece these characters together? Zhou was at that time a middle ranking officer among the retinue of advisors on horse?backs when the emperor was on a tour? It took Zhou only one night to render the one thousand characters into a four?character?a?line verse?The next day, when the Emperor read it, he was amazingly surprised and ordered to have it printed? Since then,the Verse has been on the lips of Chinese people for over 1,500 years?
但是，这一千个字相互不关联，记忆起来很困难。于是，梁武帝命周兴嗣将这一千个字组织成一篇诗文。彼时，周兴嗣任员外散骑侍郎，是个中级官员。他只用了一个晚上就将这一千个字编成了四字一行的诗文。次日，梁武帝读了千字文，十分惊喜，立即命人去印刷。从那时起，在1500多年的时间里，它成了中国人一直诵读的名篇。
Secondly, it tells what the most important things children should know and learn? The one thousand characters cover such aspects as astronomy, nature, self?cultivation, ethics, morality, geography, history, farming, gardening, rituals and daily life? Zhou was not in good health? He suffered from eczema,and was once infected with malaria and one of his eyes lost sight? Ren Fang (任?), one of his colleagues exclaimed that Zhou would have been appointed a vice minister of the Procuratorial Supervision in a matter of ten days if only he were in good health?
第二，它告诉我们儿童应该了解和学习的重要知识。这一千个字所涉及的内容有天文、自然、自我修养、伦理、道德、地理、历史、农耕、花圃、祭祀和日常生活。周兴嗣那时身体不好，患有湿疹，且感染过疟疾，有一只眼睛还失明了。他的同僚任?感叹道：“周兴嗣如果没病，十天内就能当上御史中丞。”
The Verse can thus serve as a key to Chinese traditional culture?It is the best enlightenment textbook in China and marks the highest level in the rudimentary phase in China?s traditional education? It is a long poem in four lines and a mini encyclopedia of China?
这篇诗文可作打开中国传统文化的钥匙。它是中国最好的启蒙读物，标志着中国传统教育中初级阶段的最高水平。它既是一首四言长诗，又是一部简要的中国百科全书。
Even though the characters may look strange for those who haven?t learned the Chinese language, they can still be able to see how the verse sounds and rhymes through “pin yin” (pronunciation in Chinese phonetic alphabet); they can still find out meanings in each line? Of course, for those who have been learning the Chinese language, this paper could assist them in getting a deeper understanding of these one thousand characters?
对于没有学习过汉语的人来说，这一千个字看起来很怪。但是，由于使用了汉语拼音标注，他们仍可以知道这些字怎么读，如何押韵；仍可以了解每行字是什么意思。当然，对于已经学习了一些汉语的人来说，这篇诗文可以帮助他们更深入地了解这一千个字。
The importance of this verse can be seen from the fact that quite a number of most influential calligraphers in Chinese history had written down this verse with their brush pens in various scripts, and the texts of these precious calligraphy are still available today?Ever since the heat wave of “China Studies” has been surged in China, more and more Chinese are reading and learning this verse?
中国历史上很多有影响的书法家都以各种书体写过《千字文》，可见其重要性。这些书法家的真迹仍被保留和收藏。国学热在中国兴起后，越来越多的人开始学习这篇诗文。
The way of paraphrasing is done in such an order: the characters will be listed line by line,and then the “pinyin” will be followed, and then a literal translation of the line with some notes and explanations of some characters? In the end,a polished version of the translation is presented?
笔者的译注顺序是这样的：先列出一行一行的汉字；然后给出字的汉语拼音；之后，给出此行文字的意译，并对有些字给出注释；最后，再给出修饰过的全篇英文诗文。
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