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To better suit different level readers’ need, this post includes Chinese text with both simplified and traditional character, pinyin, audio recording and English translation. Hu Shi’s background information is also provided. If you are interested about Chinese authoritarian Chinese parenting style and its influence on Chinese children’s academic performance, there is a detailed research article link. At the end, you will find a very popular Chinese mother’s song – Mother you are really great. Have fun learn Chinese and enjoy this very classic Chinese essay.

1 Simplified text with free audio recording
胡适
我的母亲

[ca_audio url=”http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/my-mother.mp3″ width=”500″ height=”27″ css_class=”codeart-google-mp3-player”]
每天天刚亮时，我母亲便把我喊醒，叫我披衣坐起。我从不知道她醒来坐了多
久了，她看我清醒了，便对我说昨天我做错了什么事，说错了什么话，要我认错，
要我用功读书，有时侯她对我说父亲的种种好处，她说：“你总要踏上你老子的脚
步。我一生只晓得这一个完全的人，你要学他，不要跌他的股，”（跌股便是丢脸
聘书丑）她说到伤心处，往往掉下泪来，到天大明时，她才把我的衣服穿好，催我
去上早学。学堂门上的锁匙放在先生家里；我先到学堂门口一望，便跑到先生家里
去敲门。先生家里有人把锁匙从门缝里递出来，我拿了跑回去，开了门，坐下念生
书，十天之中，总有八、九天我是第一个去开学堂门的。等到先生来了，我背了生
书，才回家吃早饭。
[ca_audio url=”http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/my-mother1.mp3″ width=”500″ height=”27″ css_class=”codeart-google-mp3-player”]
我母亲管束我最严，她是慈爱母兼任严父。但她从来不在别人面前骂我一句，
打我一下。我做错了事，她只对我一望，我看见了她的严厉眼光，便吓住了，犯的
事小，她等到第二天早晨我睡醒时才教训我。犯的事大，她等人静时，关了房门，
先责备我，然后行罚，或罚跪，或拧我的肉，无论息样重罚，总不许我哭出声音来，
她教训儿子不是借此出气叫别人听的。
[ca_audio url=”http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/my-mother2.mp3″ width=”500″ height=”27″ css_class=”codeart-google-mp3-player”]
有一个初秋的傍晚，我吃了晚饭，在门口玩，身上只穿着一件单背心，这时侯
我母亲的妹子玉英姨母在我家住，她怕我冷了，拿了一件小衫出来叫我穿上。我不
肯穿，她说：“穿上吧，凉了。”我随口回答：“娘（凉）什么！老子都不老子呀。”
我刚说了这句话，一抬头，看见母样从家里走出，我赶快把小衫穿上。但她已听见
这句轻薄的话了。晚上人静后，她罚我跪下，重重的责罚了一顿。她说：“你没了
老子，是多么得意的事！好用来说嘴！”她气的坐着发抖，也不许我上庆去睡。这
是我的严师，我的慈母。我母样待人最仁慈，最温和，从来没有一句伤人感情的话
；但她有时侯也很有刚气，不受一点人格上的侮辱。我家五叔是个无正业的浪人，
有一天在烟馆里发牢骚，说我母亲家中有事请某人帮忙，大概总有什么好处给他。
这句话传到了我母亲耳杂里，她气得大哭，请了几位本家来，把五叔喊来，她当面
质问他给了某人什么好处。直到五叔当众认错赔罪，她才罢休。我在我母亲的教训
之下住了九年，受了她的极大极深的影响。我十四岁（其实只有十二零二、三个月）
便离开她了，在这广漠的人海里独扑克混了二十多年，没有一个人管束过我。如果
我学得了一丝一毫的好脾气，如果我学得了一点点待人接物的和气，如果我能宽恕
人，体谅人——我都得感谢我的慈爱母。

2 Traditional text
胡適：我的母親

每天天剛亮時，我母親便把我喊醒，叫我披衣坐起。我從不知道她醒來坐了多久了，她看我清醒了，便對我説昨天我做錯了什麼事，説錯了什麼話，要我認錯，要我用功讀書，有時侯她對我説父親的種種好處，她説：“你總要踏上你老子的腳步。我一生只曉得這一個完全的人，你要學他，不要跌他的股，”（跌股便是丟臉聘書醜）她説到傷心處，往往掉下淚來，到天大明時，她才把我的衣服穿好，催我去上早學。學堂門上的鎖匙放在先生家裏；我先到學堂門口一望，便跑到先生家裏去敲門。先生家裏有人把鎖匙從門縫裏遞出來，我拿了跑回去，開了門，坐下念生書，十天之中，總有八、九天我是第一個去開學堂門的。等到先生來了，我背了生書，才回家吃早飯。

我母親管束我最嚴，她是慈愛母兼任嚴父。但她從來不在別人面前罵我一句，打我一下。我做錯了事，她只對我一望，我看見了她的嚴厲眼光，便嚇住了，犯的事小，她等到第二天早晨我睡醒時才教訓我。犯的事大，她等人靜時，關了房門，先責備我，然後行罰，或罰跪，或擰我的肉，無論息樣重罰，總不許我哭出聲音來，她教訓兒子不是借此出氣叫別人聽的。

有一個初秋的傍晚，我吃了晚飯，在門口玩，身上只穿著一件單背心，這時侯我母親的妹子玉英姨母在我家住，她怕我冷了，拿了一件小衫出來叫我穿上。我不肯穿，她説：“穿上吧，涼了。”我隨口回答：“娘（涼）什麼！老子都不老子呀。”我剛説了這句話，一抬頭，看見母樣從家裏走出，我趕快把小衫穿上。但她已聽見這句輕薄的話了。晚上人靜後，她罰我跪下，重重的責罰了一頓。她説：“你沒了老子，是多麼得意的事！好用來説嘴！”她氣的坐著發抖，也不許我上慶去睡。這是我的嚴師，我的慈母。我母樣待人最仁慈，最溫和，從來沒有一句傷人感情的話；但她有時侯也很有剛氣，不受一點人格上的侮辱。我家五叔是個無正業的浪人，有一天在煙館裏發牢騷，説我母親家中有事請某人幫忙，大概總有什麼好處給他。這句話傳到了我母親耳朵裏，她氣得大哭，請了幾位本家來，把五叔喊來，她當面質問他給了某人什麼好處。直到五叔當眾認錯賠罪，她才罷休。我在我母親的教訓之下住了九年，受了她的極大極深的影響。我十四歲（其實只有十二零二、三個月）便離開她了，在這廣漠的人海裏獨撲克混了二十多年，沒有一個人管束過我。如果我學得了一絲一毫的好脾氣，如果我學得了一點點待人接物的和氣，如果我能寬恕人，體諒人——我都得感謝我的慈愛母。

3 Chinese text with pinyin
我的母亲
Wǒ de mǔqīn

每天天刚亮时，我母亲便把我喊醒，叫我披衣坐起。我从不知道她醒来坐了多
久了，她看我清醒了，便对我说昨天我做错了什么事，说错了什么话，要我认错，
要我用功读书，有时侯她对我说父亲的种种好处，她说：“你总要踏上你老子的脚
步。我一生只晓得这一个完全的人，你要学他，不要跌他的股，”（跌股便是丢脸
聘书丑）她说到伤心处，往往掉下泪来，到天大明时，她才把我的衣服穿好，催我
去上早学。学堂门上的锁匙放在先生家里；我先到学堂门口一望，便跑到先生家里
去敲门。先生家里有人把锁匙从门缝里递出来，我拿了跑回去，开了门，坐下念生
书，十天之中，总有八、九天我是第一个去开学堂门的。等到先生来了，我背了生
书，才回家吃早饭。
měi tiān tiān gāng liàng shí , Wǒ mǔqīn biàn bǎ Wǒ hǎn xǐng , jiào Wǒ pī yī zuò qǐ . Wǒ cóngbù zhīdào tā xǐngláizuòle duōjiǔ le , tā kàn Wǒ qīngxǐng le , biàn duì Wǒ shuō zuótiān Wǒ zuò cuò le shénme shì , shuō cuò le shénme huà , yào Wǒ rèncuò , yào Wǒ yònggōng dúshū , yǒu shí hóu tā duì Wǒ shuō fùqin de zhǒngzhǒng hǎochu , tā shuō : ” nǐ zǒng yào tàshàng nǐ Lǎozǐ de jiǎobù . Wǒ yīshēng zhǐ xiǎodé zhè yī ge wánquán de rén , nǐ yào xué tā , bùyào diē tā de gǔ , ” ( diē gǔ biàn shì diūliǎn pìnshū chǒu )
tā shuōdào shāngxīn chǔ , wǎngwǎng diàoxià lèi lái , dào tiāndàmíng shí , tā cái bǎ Wǒ de yīfu chuānhǎo, cuī Wǒ qù shàng zǎo xué . xuétángmén shàng de suǒ chí fàng zài Xiānsheng jiālǐ ；Wǒ xiān dào xuétángménkǒu yī wàng , biàn pǎodào Xiānsheng jiālǐ qù qiāomén . Xiānsheng jiālǐ yǒu rén bǎ suǒ chí cóng ménfénglǐ dì chūlái , Wǒ nále pǎo huíqu , kāi le mén , zuòxia niàn shēng shū , shí tiān zhīzhōng , zǒng yǒu bā , jiǔtiān Wǒ shì dì yī ge qù kāixué táng mén de . děng dào Xiānsheng láile , Wǒ bèi le shēng shū , cái huíjiā chī zǎofàn .

我母亲管束我最严，她是慈爱母兼任严父。但她从来不在别人面前骂我一句，
打我一下。我做错了事，她只对我一望，我看见了她的严厉眼光，便吓住了，犯的
事小，她等到第二天早晨我睡醒时才教训我。犯的事大，她等人静时，关了房门，
先责备我，然后行罚，或罚跪，或拧我的肉，无论息样重罚，总不许我哭出声音来，
她教训儿子不是借此出气叫别人听的。
Wǒ mǔqīn guǎn shù Wǒ zuì yán , tā shì cíài mǔ jiānrèn Yán Fù . dàn tā cónglái bù zài biérén miànqián mà Wǒ yī jù , dǎ Wǒ yīxià . Wǒ zuò cuò le shì , tā zhǐ duì Wǒ yī wàng , Wǒ kànjiàn le tā de yánlì yǎnguāng , biàn xià zhùle , fàn de shì xiǎo , tā děng dào dì èr tiān zǎochén Wǒ shuìxǐng shí cái jiàoxun Wǒ . fàn de shì dà , tā děng rén jìng shí , guānle fángmén , xiān zébèi Wǒ , ránhòu xíng fá , huò fá guì , huò níng Wǒ de ròu , wúlùn xī yàng zhòngfá , zǒng bù xǔ Wǒ kū chūshēng yīn lái , tā jiàoxun érzi bù shì jiè cǐ chū qì jiào biérén tīng de .

有一个初秋的傍晚，我吃了晚饭，在门口玩，身上只穿着一件单背心，这时侯
我母亲的妹子玉英姨母在我家住，她怕我冷了，拿了一件小衫出来叫我穿上。我不
肯穿，她说：“穿上吧，凉了。”我随口回答：“娘（凉）什么！老子都不老子呀。”
我刚说了这句话，一抬头，看见母样从家里走出，我赶快把小衫穿上。但她已听见
这句轻薄的话了。晚上人静后，她罚我跪下，重重的责罚了一顿。她说：“你没了
老子，是多么得意的事！好用来说嘴！”她气的坐着发抖，也不许我上庆去睡。这
是我的严师，我的慈母。我母样待人最仁慈，最温和，从来没有一句伤人感情的话
；但她有时侯也很有刚气，不受一点人格上的侮辱。我家五叔是个无正业的浪人，
有一天在烟馆里发牢骚，说我母亲家中有事请某人帮忙，大概总有什么好处给他。
这句话传到了我母亲耳杂里，她气得大哭，请了几位本家来，把五叔喊来，她当面
质问他给了某人什么好处。直到五叔当众认错赔罪，她才罢休。我在我母亲的教训
之下住了九年，受了她的极大极深的影响。我十四岁（其实只有十二零二、三个月）
便离开她了，在这广漠的人海里独扑克混了二十多年，没有一个人管束过我。如果
我学得了一丝一毫的好脾气，如果我学得了一点点待人接物的和气，如果我能宽恕
人，体谅人——我都得感谢我的慈爱母。
yǒu yī ge chūqiūde bàngwǎn , Wǒ chī le wǎnfàn , zài ménkǒu wán , shēn shàng zhǐ chuānzhe yī jiàn Shàn Bèixīn , zhèshí hóu Wǒ mǔqīn de mèi zǐ yù Yīng Yímǔ zài Wǒ jiā zhù , tā pà Wǒ lěng le , nále yī jiàn Xiǎo Shān chūlái jiào Wǒ chuān shàng . Wǒ bù kěn chuān , tā shuō : ” chuān shàng ba , liáng le . ” Wǒ Suí Kǒu huídá : ” niáng ( liáng ) shénme ! Lǎozǐ dōu bù Lǎozǐ yā . ” Wǒ gāng shuōle zhègōuhuà , yī táitóu , kànjiàn mǔ yàng cóng jiālǐ zǒu chū , Wǒ gǎnkuài bǎ xiǎo Shān chuān shàng . dàn tā yǐ tīngjiàn zhègōu qīngbó dehuà le . wǎnshang rén jìng hòu , tā fá Wǒ guì xià , chóngchóng de zé fále yī dùn . tā shuō : ” nǐ méi le Lǎozǐ , shì duōme déyì de shì ! hǎoyòng láishuō zuǐ ! ” tā qì de zuòzhe fādǒu , yě bù xǔ Wǒ shàng qìng qù shuì . zhè shì Wǒ de Yán Shī , Wǒ de cí mǔ . Wǒ mǔ yàng dāi rén zuì réncí , zuì wēnhé , cónglái méiyǒu yī jù shāngrén gǎnqíng dehuà ；dàn tā yǒu shí hóu yě hěn yǒu gāng qì , bù shòu yī diǎn réngé shàng de wǔrù . Wǒ jiā wǔ shū shì ge wú zhèng yè de làng rén , yǒu yī tiān zài yān guǎn lǐ fāláosāo , shuō Wǒ mǔqīn jiā zhōng yǒushì qǐng mǒurén bāngmáng , dàgài zǒng yǒu shénme hǎochu gěi tā . zhègōuhuà chuándào le Wǒ mǔqīn ěr zá lǐ , tā qìděidàkū, qǐngle jǐ wèi běnjiā lái , bǎ wǔ shū hǎnlái, tā dāngmiàn zhìwèn tā gěi le mǒurén shénme hǎochu . zhídào wǔ shū dāngzhòng rèncuò péizuì , tā cái bàxiū . Wǒ zài Wǒ mǔqīn de jiàoxun zhī xià zhùle jiǔ nián , shòuletā de jídà jí shēn de yǐngxiǎng . Wǒ shísì suì ( qíshí zhǐyǒu yībǎi èrshí , sān ge yuè ) biàn líkāi tā le , zài zhè guǎngmò de rén hǎilǐ dú pūkè húnle èr shí duōnián, méiyǒu yī ge rén guǎn shùguò Wǒ . rúguǒ Wǒ xué dé le yī sī yī háo de hǎo píqì , rúguǒ Wǒ xué dé le yīdiǎndiǎn dāi rén jiē wù de hé qì , rúguǒ Wǒ néng kuānshù rén , tǐliàng rén ——Wǒ dōu děi gǎnxiè Wǒ de cíài mǔ .

4 Chinese text with English translation
我的母亲
My mother

每天天刚亮时，我母亲便把我喊醒，叫我披衣坐起。我从不知道她醒来坐了多
久了，她看我清醒了，便对我说昨天我做错了什么事，说错了什么话，要我认错，
要我用功读书，有时侯她对我说父亲的种种好处，她说：“你总要踏上你老子的脚
步。我一生只晓得这一个完全的人，你要学他，不要跌他的股，”（跌股便是丢脸
聘书丑）她说到伤心处，往往掉下泪来，到天大明时，她才把我的衣服穿好，催我
去上早学。学堂门上的锁匙放在先生家里；我先到学堂门口一望，便跑到先生家里
去敲门。先生家里有人把锁匙从门缝里递出来，我拿了跑回去，开了门，坐下念生
书，十天之中，总有八、九天我是第一个去开学堂门的。等到先生来了，我背了生
书，才回家吃早饭。
Everyday when the sky just dawned, my mother right away woke me up and told me to drape clothes over my shoulders and sit up. I never knew how long she had been awaken and sitting there. When she saw that I was awake, then she told me yesterday what things I did wrong or what words I did say wrong and she wanted me to admit my mistakes and also wanted me to study hard. Sometimes, she mentioned about my father’s all kinds of good merits, and she said: ” You eventually have to step on your father’s footsteps. In all my life I only know this whole person. You have to learn from him and don’t fall his rump,” (fall rump means losing face and bringing ugliness to letter of appointment) When she mentioned about sad things, usually she shed tears. When the sky turned totally bright, she then well dressed me and urged me to attend early school. In teacher’s house, there was a person handed out the key from the crack of the door. I took the key, ran back to school, opened the door and then I sat and read the unlearned lesson. Among those ten days, eight or nine days usually I was the first one to open the school door. When teacher came, I recited the unlearned lesson and then I went home to eat breakfast.

我母亲管束我最严，她是慈爱母兼任严父。但她从来不在别人面前骂我一句，
打我一下。我做错了事，她只对我一望，我看见了她的严厉眼光，便吓住了，犯的
事小，她等到第二天早晨我睡醒时才教训我。犯的事大，她等人静时，关了房门，
先责备我，然后行罚，或罚跪，或拧我的肉，无论息样重罚，总不许我哭出声音来，
她教训儿子不是借此出气叫别人听的。
My mother supervised me strictly. She was an affectionate mother also acting concurrently as a strict father. However, she never scolded me with one sentence in front of others or hit me once. When I did things wrong, she just stared at me with one glare. When I saw her severe eye look, I then got scared. If the thing I did wrong was little, she waited till the morning of second day to lecture me; if the thing I did wrong was big, then she waited till the late night when all voice was quiet, then she closed room door. First she scolded me, then she punished me: it would be punishing by protracted kneeling or pinching my skin. No matter which kind of severe punishment, she never allowed me to cry out a sound. That she disciplined her son was not to channel her own anger or to let other people listen to it.

有一个初秋的傍晚，我吃了晚饭，在门口玩，身上只穿着一件单背心，这时侯
我母亲的妹子玉英姨母在我家住，她怕我冷了，拿了一件小衫出来叫我穿上。我不
肯穿，她说：“穿上吧，凉了。”我随口回答：“娘（凉）什么！老子都不老子呀。”
我刚说了这句话，一抬头，看见母样从家里走出，我赶快把小衫穿上。但她已听见
这句轻薄的话了。晚上人静后，她罚我跪下，重重的责罚了一顿。她说：“你没了
老子，是多么得意的事！好用来说嘴！”她气的坐着发抖，也不许我上庆去睡。这
是我的严师，我的慈母。我母样待人最仁慈，最温和，从来没有一句伤人感情的话
；但她有时侯也很有刚气，不受一点人格上的侮辱。我家五叔是个无正业的浪人，
有一天在烟馆里发牢骚，说我母亲家中有事请某人帮忙，大概总有什么好处给他。
这句话传到了我母亲耳杂里，她气得大哭，请了几位本家来，把五叔喊来，她当面
质问他给了某人什么好处。直到五叔当众认错赔罪，她才罢休。我在我母亲的教训
之下住了九年，受了她的极大极深的影响。我十四岁（其实只有十二零二、三个月）
便离开她了，在这广漠的人海里独扑克混了二十多年，没有一个人管束过我。如果
我学得了一丝一毫的好脾气，如果我学得了一点点待人接物的和气，如果我能宽恕
人，体谅人——我都得感谢我的慈爱母。
There was one early autumn evening, I had already eaten my dinner and was playing outside of door. I was only wearing a thin vest, and at that time, my mother’s sister Aunt Yuying lived in my house. She was afraid that I might catch a cold, so she said: “Wear this, it is getting cold.” I said it without thinking:” What about mother (the pronunciation of “nian” means mother and it is similar to the pronunciation of cool “liang”), father is not doing father’s duty either. (which means the father had died and was not able to discipline him anymore) After I said this sentence and looked up and saw mother just walked out of the house. I quickly put on the little shirt, but she already heard these frivolous words. At night after people quieting down, she punished me to kneel down and seriously scolded me. She said: ” You don’t have father, that is such a complacent thing! So you used your mouth to boast it!” She was so angry that she was sitting and shivering, and she did not allow me to go to bed to sleep. This is my strict teacher, my affectionate mother. My mom treated people with the most merciful and the most gentle. She never said a sentence to hurt people’s feeling. However, sometimes she was pretty firm and hard, and she was not willing to let her personality got insulted a bit. My fifth uncle was a jobless wanderer. One day he was complaining in smoking house, and said that in my mother’s house if my mom needed a particular person’s help, then she probably gave some good things to him. These words got to my mom’s ears, she was upset and cried badly. She invited some same last name relatives and told my fifth uncle to come. Right in my fifth uncle’s presence, she asked him what good thing she gave it to that person? After my fifth uncle admitted his own mistakes and apologized in public then she was willing to abandon this issue. I lived under my mother’s lecture for nine years, and I received extremely huge and deep influence from her. When I was fourteen years (actually just twelve years and two or three months), I left my mom. In this huge and cold sea of people I alone played cards and drifted along for more than twenty years, with no one to discipline me. If I obtained a tiny bit of good temperament, if I learned a bit of harmony about the way one treats people, if I can forgive people and be considerate — I all have to thank my affectionate mother.

Translated by Shu

5 Author background information
About the author Hu Shi
Hu Shih (hū shŭr), 1891-1962, Chinese philosopher and essayist, leading liberal intellectual in the May Fourth Movement (1917-23). He studied under John Dewey at Columbia Univ., becoming a lifelong advocate of pragmatic evolutionary change. While professor of philosophy at Beijing Univ., he wrote for the iconoclastic journal New Youth (see Chen Duxiu). His most important contribution was promotion of vernacular literature to replace writing in the classical style. Hu Shih was also a leading critic and analyst of traditional Chinese culture and thought. He was ambassador to the United States (1938-42), chancellor of Beijing Univ. (1946-48), and after 1958 president of the Academia Sinica in Taiwan.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/hu-shih#ixzz2A1DslMn3

6 Learn more about the pros and cons of Chinese parenting
About traditional Chinese parenting style and its influence on the children:
There is an interesting article by Gwen Dewar, Ph.D. —

Traditional Chinese parenting —
What research says about Chinese kids and why they succeed

“Chinese Americans are overrepresented in many of the nation’s elite universities” say Yong Zhao and Wei Qiu. The kids get higher SAT math scores, and are disproportionately represented among U.S. National Merit Scholars (Zhao and Qiu 2009).

Why is this the case? Contrary to popular belief, it’s not because Chinese people enjoy an innate advantage in IQ.

When James Flynn analyzed past studies of achievement and IQ, he found that Chinese attainments could be better explained by environmental factors (Flynn 1991).

So what’s the secret?
Yale law professor Amy Chua says it’s about parenting. Chinese mothers raise more accomplished, academically successful kids because they are more demanding and strict than Western mothers are.
Keep reading Chinese parents’ authoritarian style of parenting and its pro and con at:
http://www.parentingscience.com/chinese-parenting.html

At the end, an everlasting classic song about children’s respect toward unconditional mother’s love
母親您真偉大 mǔqīn nín zhēn wěidà Mother you are really great

For lyrics, pinyin and English translation, see http://www.chinesetolearn.com/?p=4042