事虽小，勿擅为，苟擅为，子道亏。

物虽小，勿私藏，苟私藏，亲心伤。
 

擅，是擅自，也就是随自己的心意，很任性地，想要怎样就怎样，不征求父母的同意。苟，是如果，这是一种假设的语气，不是苟且、随便的意思。亏，是亏损，当作动词用，也就是令其不圆满了。

 　 As children, we should not follow our own wishes and do as we please, without consulting our parents. Otherwise, we will not be fulfilling our filial duties. The first two lines emphasize that as children we should respect our parents.
 
  
这四句话是讲：为人子女的要恭敬父母，凡事要请示父母，得父母许可才去做。不要自作主张，自作聪明，以为自己长大了，读书多，见识广，把父母当做老骨董或土包子随随便便地，一点也不恭敬；或者以为小事没关系，大事再禀报父母就可以了。殊不知我们已在无形中把为人子女的孝道亏损了！孝道好比圆润晶莹的明珠，是天地间的至宝。凡人保护珠宝像命似的，生怕碰坏了，却不知保护孝道这颗与生俱来的大明珠，轻易就亏损了它。这真是本末倒置，不知轻重啊！这是就处理事情上说的。

 　 No matter what we want to do, we should first ask our parents. We should act only after we have received their permission. We should not casually make decisions on our own, thinking we have already grown up. After we receive an education, we should not regard our parents as country bumpkins and be disrespectful to them. Nor should we think that there is no need to bring small matters to their attention and so only report major events to them. If we act in this way toward our parents, we have been remiss in our filial obligations. Filial piety is like a bright pearl. It is the most precious jewel in the world. We cherish jewels and protect them as carefully as our very lives, because we are afraid of damaging them. Yet we fail to protect our filial piety, the bright pearl within us; instead, we carelessly spoil it. Our priorities are truly confused!.
 
  
接下来四句，则就收受物品而言，也不要以为那只是个小物件，没关系的，父母不会知道；就知道了也不要紧，反正父母不会要的。这可真大大地伤了父母的慈心了！天底下哪有漠视人而人家不会伤心落泪，更何况是对自己有生养之恩的父母！

 　 The previous section discussed how we should handle matters. The next two lines discuss receiving things. We shouldn't casually take even a very small object, thinking our parents won't know about it or won't care. Such behavior would actually cause them a lot of grief. Anyone feels hurt when he is ignored, how much the more so our own parents.
 
  
孝顺父母，首要的是存恭敬心；如果光养而不知敬，那和养猫养狗又有何区别？无论如何，恭敬父母，事无巨细，物无大小，都能禀明父母，总是不会错的。不要因为怕麻烦或存私心，错了又不改，还给自己当辩护律师，说：我只是不想因为这些小事、小物来麻烦父母罢了!或者说：我是在训练自己果断和独立的能力呢！结果把天地间至宝的孝道亏损了，把人世间至爱的父母心伤了！

 　 Filial piety begins with respect. If we feed our parents but don't respect them, how is this different from raising cats or dogs? We should show our respect by letting our parents know about everything we do. We shouldn't think, "Oh, I don't want to bother them with these small matters," or "I'm just trying to be more independent." Such thoughts would only undermine the precious virtue of filial piety and hurt our dear parents.
 
  
曾子在孔子学生中以孝闻名，当他的父亲曾点（孔子的早期学生）还在世时，曾子以酒肉奉养父亲，如有剩余，一定恭敬地请示要给谁吃？当父亲进饮食时，若问还有没有多余的？曾子一定回答有，好教父亲安心食用。

 　 Confucius' disciple Zeng Zi was renowned for his filial piety. When his father Zeng Dian (one of Confucius' earliest disciples) was still alive, Zeng Zi would serve him his food and then respectfully ask him who should eat the leftovers, should there be any. While eating, his father would sometimes ask if there was any more food. Zeng Zi would always say "yes," so his father could eat without worrying whether there was any food left.
 
  
后来曾子的儿子曾元侍奉曾子吃饭，吃完就把酒肉收了，也不问问父亲如何安排；曾子若问还有没有多余的？曾元就说“没有了！”意思是希望下餐再拿出来给父亲吃。因此孟子就评论这件事，认为曾子善于奉养承顺父母的心意，而曾元只能奉养父母的口体罢了！试想：这样的小事、小物，曾子都不敢自专，也不擅自私藏，难怪人家尊称为“大孝曾参”，也难怪孔子把 《孝经》传授于他了！

 　 Later, when Zeng Zi's son Zeng Yuan served Zeng Zi, after Zeng Zi finished eating, Zeng Yuan would put away the food without asking about how to deal with the leftover food. When Zeng Zi asked his son if there was any food left over, his son would say "no." Zeng Yuan did this because he wanted to save the food and serve it to his father at the next meal. Mencius' judgment of the situation was that while Zeng Zi knew well how to serve his parents and comply with their wishes, Zeng Yuan only knew how to feed his parents. Think it over: Even in such a small matter --such a minor detail--Zeng Zi dared not do as he pleased; he dared not keep anything for himself. No wonder people praised Zeng Zi as the "greatly filial Zeng Shen" and Confucius had no second thoughts about teaching the "Classic of Filial Piety" to him.