今年的9月28日，孔子誕辰2571年，這一天也被稱作“全球祭孔日”。兩千多年的歷史長河裡，他對中華文化產生了深遠的影響，並且，這種影響還在繼續。他的名字叫孔丘，人們一般稱他為孔子。
孔子（公元前551～公元前479）名丘，字仲尼，是中華文化思想的集大成者，儒家學說的創始人。我國古代偉大的思想家、政治家、教育家。他的哲學思想提倡“仁義”，“禮樂”，“德治教化”，以及“君以民為體”,儒學思想滲入中國人的生活，文化領域中，同時也影響了世界上其它地區的大部分人近兩千年。
中國著名的思想家、教育家、政治家，與弟子周遊列國十四年，晚年修訂六經，即《詩》《書》《禮》《樂》《易》《春秋》。被聯合國教科文組織評為“世界十大文化名人”之首。
相傳孔子有弟子三千，其中有賢人七十二。孔子去世後，其弟子及其再傳弟子把孔子及其所有弟子的言行語錄和思想記錄下來，整理編成儒家經典《論語》。
讀孔子，總能有幡然領悟的暢快之感。當孔子的話被翻譯成英語，其蘊含的道理竟不被減弱，就足以可見其翻譯功底的紮實！
1.有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎？
Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters?
2.人不知而不慍，不亦君子乎？
Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?
3.德不孤，必有鄰。
Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.
4.知者樂水，仁者樂山。知者動，仁者靜。知者樂，仁者壽。
The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills. The wise are active; the virtuous are tranquil. The wise are joyful; the virtuous are long-lived.
5.逝者如斯夫，不捨晝夜。
It passes on just like this, not ceasing day or night!
6.食不厭精，膾不厭細。
He did not dislike to have his rice finely cleaned, nor to have his minced meat cut quite small.
7.非禮勿視，非禮勿聽，非禮勿言，非禮勿動。
Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety.
8.人無遠慮，必有近憂。
If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.
9.性相近也，習相遠也。
By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.
10.過而不改，是謂過矣。
Not to mend the fault one has made is to err indeed.
11.己所不欲，勿施於人。
What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
12.言必信，行必果。
Keep what you say and carry out what you do.
13.君子以文會友，以友輔仁。
The superior man on grounds of culture meets with his friends, and by their friendship helps his virtue.
14.三軍可奪師也，匹夫不可奪志也。
The commander of the forces of a large State may be carried off, but the will of even a common man cannot be taken from him.
15.後生可畏，焉知來者之不如今也？
A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do you know that his future will not be equal to our present?
16.關睢樂而不淫，哀而不傷。
The Kwan Tsu is expressive of enjoyment without being licentious, and of grief without being hurtfully excessive.
17.不患人之不己知，患不知人也。
I will not be afflicted at men's not knowing me; I will be afflicted that I do not know men.
18.詩三百，一言以蔽之，曰：思無邪。
In the Book of Poetry are three hundred pieces, but the design of them all may be embraced in one sentence-- "Having no depraved thoughts."
19.父母在，不遠遊，遊必有方。
While his parents are alive, the son may not go abroad to a distance. If he does go abroad, he must have a fixed place to which he goes.
20.吾十有五而志於學，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而從心所欲，不逾矩。
At fifteen I set my heart upon learning. At thirty, I planted my feet firm upon the ground. At forty, I no longer suffered from perplexities. At fifty, I knew what were the biddings of Heaven. At sixty, I heard them with docile ear. At seventy, I could follow the dictates of my own heart; for what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries of right.
