17。
香 |
九 |
龄, |
能 |
温 |
席。 |
xiāng |
jiǔ |
líng |
néng |
wēn |
xí |
(Xiang, |
nine |
years old, |
could |
warm |
mat) |
Nine-year old Xiang (1)
knew how to perform household duties. 2 TL
18。
孝 |
于 |
亲, |
所 |
当 |
执。 |
xiào |
yú |
qīn |
suǒ |
dāng |
zhí |
(filial piety |
towards |
parents, |
therefore |
should |
carry out) |
Children should be very filial towards their parents.
19。
融 |
四 |
岁, |
能 |
让 |
梨。 |
róng |
sì |
suì |
néng |
ràng |
lí |
(Rong, |
age |
four, |
could |
offer |
pear) |
Four-year old Rong
gave the best pears to his family. TL
20。
弟 |
于 |
长, |
宜 |
先 |
知。 |
dì |
yú |
zhǎng |
yí |
xiān |
zhī |
(younger |
towards |
elder, |
should |
first |
know) |
One of the first things to know is the proper way for younger people to
relate to older people.
21。
首 |
孝 |
弟, |
次 |
见 |
闻。 |
shǒu |
xiào |
dì |
cì |
jiàn |
wén |
(first |
filial piety |
brother |
next |
see |
hear) |
The very first thing to learn is filial duty and fraternal love, then
learn other things.
22。
知 |
某 |
数, |
识 |
某 |
文。 |
zhī |
mǒu |
shù |
shì |
mǒu |
wén |
(know |
certain |
numbers, |
know |
certain |
characters) |
Learn to count; learn to read.
23。
一 |
而 |
十, |
十 |
而 |
百。 |
yī |
ér |
shí |
shí |
ér |
bǎi |
(one |
to |
ten, |
ten |
to |
one hundred) |
The numbers go from one to ten, from ten to one hundred, . . .
24。
百 |
而 |
千, |
千 |
而 |
万。 |
bǎi |
ér |
qiān |
qiān |
ér |
wàn |
(one hundred |
to |
one thousand, |
one thousand |
to |
ten thousand) |
. . . from one hundred to a thousand, from a thousand to ten
thousand.
1
Xiang is one of the 24
Paragons of Filial Piety.
2
Traditionally,
Chinese children were considered to be one year old at birth. Thus,
the nine year old Xiang would be counted outside China as
being only eight years old.
Irrelevantly, one notes that when twins were born,
the first to be be born was considered the younger. Join this with the
fact that traditionally all Chinese considered themselves to be one
year older at the Chinese New Year, and we have the numerical curiosity
that, if one twin were born just before the New Year, and the other
after, by Chinese accounting, the younger would be two years old and
the elder would be only one year old.