【原文】大学⑴之道，在明明⑵德，在亲⑶民，在止于至⑷善。
知止⑸而后有定，定而后能静，静而后能安，安而后能虑，虑而后能得⑹。
物有本末⑺，事有终始。知所⑻先后，则近道矣。
古之欲明明德于天下者，先治其国。欲治其国者，先齐⑼其家。欲齐其家者，先修其身⑽。欲修其身者，先正其心。欲正其心者，先诚其意。欲诚其意者，先致其知⑾。致知在格物⑿。
物格而后知至，知至而后意诚，意诚而后心正，心正而后身修，身修而后家齐，家齐而后国治，国治而后天下平。
自天子以至于庶人，壹是皆以修身为本。
其本乱而末治者否矣。其所厚者薄，而其所薄者厚，未之有也。
【注释】⑴大学：相对于小学而言。古人八岁入小学，学习“洒扫应对进退，礼乐射御书数”等基本礼仪和基本技能；十五岁入大学，学习“穷理正心，修己治人”的学问。古代的大学也指整理、研究和传播高深领域知识的机构。《大戴礼记·保傅》：古者年八岁而出就外舍，学小艺焉，履小节焉。束发而就大学，亦作“太学。”⑵明明：第一个明是动词，意思是“使彰明”、“弘扬”、“发扬”，第二个明是形容词，意思是崇高显明的、光明正大的。⑶亲：动词，程颐认为，“亲”作“新”解，即革新、自新，故亲民即新民，意为使人弃旧图新，去恶扬善，而且此解释还可以第三章的“作新民”为佐证，所以，此译文从程颐说。另有观点认为，亲是动词，意思是亲近，亲爱，与“疏”相对。⑷至：形容词，达到极点的，最好的，最大的。⑸止：名词，目标，目的，目的地。⑹定、静、安、虑、得：儒家修身养性的循序渐进，由自我认识到心性善美的过程。⑺本末：树根和树梢，比喻事物的根源和结局、原委；事情的原委、经过。本末是中国古代哲学，特别是魏晋玄学的基本范畴。⑻所：连词，假设，如果。⑼齐：动词，治理，整理。⑽身：名词，品德，品性。⑾致其知：使自己获得知识。⑿格物：格，动词，研究，推理。物，名词，内容，实质，事物的理。格物意为穷究事物的道理。⒀庶人：西周以后称农业生产者、秦以后泛指没有官爵的平民。末治：根据第二、三自然段，“本”应该指修养品性，“末”是指齐家治国平天下，所以末治的意思是末节得到治理，即国家治理得很好。厚、薄：厚，动词，看重，重视。薄，动词，轻视，看不起。未之有也：没有这样的道理，没有这回事。此结构是宾语前置，之是代词，即“未有之也。”
【今译】大学的宗旨，在于弘扬光明的品德，在于使人弃旧图新，在于使人达到善的极致。
知道了自己所追求的道德境界就能够意志坚定，意志坚定了才能静心，心情平静了才能心定，心神安定了才能思考周详，思虑周详了才能有所收获。
万物都有根本和枝末，万事都有起源和终结。如果明白了本末或始终，那就接近于大学之道了。
古时那些要在普天之下弘扬光明之德的人，首先是要治理好自己的国家。想要治理好自己的国家，首先要管理好自己的家庭。想要管理好自己的家庭，首先要修养自身的品德。想要修养自身品德，首先要端正自己的心思。想要端正自己的心思，首先要使自己的意念真诚。想要自己的意念真诚，首先要使自己获得知识。获得知识的根本在于穷究事物的道理。
穷究事物的道理之后才能获得知识，获得知识之后意念才能真诚，意念真诚之后心思才能端正，心思端正之后品德才能得以修养，品德得到修养之后才能管理好家庭，家庭管理好了国家才能得到治理，国家治理好了天下才能太平。
无论是天子还是平民，都同样要以修养品德为根本。
这个根本乱了，却把家、国、天下治理得井井有条是不可能的。把本该重视的轻视了，把本该轻视的重视了，这样子本末倒置，不分轻重缓急却还能把家、国、天下治理好的，是从未有过的。
【英译】The essence of The Great Learning is meant to extend people’s illustrious virtues, to renovate them and lead them up to the culmination of kindness.
A person must have been clear about his desired moral excellence before he is able to command this constant will. A person must have commanded this constant will before he is able to calm down. A person must have calmed down before he is able to reach mental tranquility. A person must have reached mental tranquility before he is able to deliberate. A person must have deliberated before he is able to attain his intended end.
Every being has both a root and an end, just as everything has both a beginning and a finality. A person cannot be said to be approaching the essence of The Great Learning unless he has acquired a knowledge of what comes first and what comes last.
In ancient times, a person who wanted to extend his illustrious virtues worldwide would first implement governance of the state. Governance of the state must be based on regulation of the family. Regulation of the family must be based on cultivation of virtue. Cultivation of virtue must be based on rectification of mind. Rectification of mind must be based on fostering of sincere original thought. Fostering of sincere original thoughts must be based on acquisition of knowledge. In the final analysis, the key to knowledge acquisition exists in investigation of things.
Investigation of things must precede acquisition of knowledge. Acquisition of knowledge must precede fostering of sincere original thoughts. Fostering of sincere original thoughts must precede rectification of mind. Rectification of mind must precede cultivation of virtue. Cultivation of virtue must precede regulation of the family. Regulation of the family must precede governance of the state. Governance of the state must precede pacification of the world.
Without exception, the imperial family and the multitudes must make cultivation of virtue their top priority.
Once this priority is ignored, either regulation of the family or governance of the state or even of the whole world is simply out of the question. Actually, there has never been an ideal governmental case where less importance was attached to what deserved more emphasis and meanwhile, more importance was allotted to what deserved less emphasis.
【解读】儒家认为，“治国平天下”的根本在于本章所包含的三纲八目。三纲即“明明德”、“亲民”和“止于至善”；八目即“格物、致知、诚意、正心、修身、齐家、治国、平天下”。三纲之中“明明德”是大学的基本原则，“亲民”是根本任务，而“止于至善”则是终极目标。“八目”是个人要遵循基本原则、完成根本任务和达成终极目标应采用的方式或手段。儒家特别强调明德以及明明德在个人修养、社会发展和国家治理方面的重大作用，但同时也认识到实践——格物致知的不可或缺。将抽象的道德概念与具象的社会实践相联结是儒学的一大特征。
本文到此讲解完毕了，希望对大家有帮助。
