◎孟母三迁图

Mother moving residences for his better upbringing

孟家住在墓地旁边，每有葬礼，小孟轲就去凑热闹。母亲见他玩耍时总模仿葬礼仪式—— 挖坑、埋东西、跪拜、号哭，认为这不是他该学的东西，于是决定搬家。他们搬到商铺林立、热闹非常的集市旁。小孟轲又和新朋友玩起了做买卖的游戏，一会儿高声叫卖，一会儿讨价还价。孟母觉得这种环境也不利于孩子成长，便再次离开。这次，他们搬到学宫旁。学子们每日学习设俎豆祭祀祖先、揖让进退觐见诸侯的礼仪，小孟轲也时时模仿，孟母欣然定居于此。

The Mengs lived quite near to a cemetery. Whenever there was a funeral, little Meng Ke would go along for the ride. His mother noticed that when he played games, he acted out what he had seen at a funeral — digging, burying, kneeling and wailing.

Thinking this was not what Meng Ke was supposed to learn,his mother decided to move away. They moved to a place near a busy market. Little Meng Ke played with his friends the game of peddlers, selling and bargaining loudly. Mother thought this would do no good to him, either, and decided to move again.Finally, they settled down near a school. Students there learned rites of offering sacrifices and the etiquettes of presenting oneself to the dukes. Little Meng Ke often followed their examples to do the same. Mother settled down there gladly.