A precept is a short rule that tells you how to think or how to behave — the kind of rule you are supposed to live by, not the kind that comes with a fine. 'Treat others as you would like to be treated' is a precept. 'Do no harm' is a precept.

A precept一個precept is a short rule是一條簡短的規則，that tells you how to think or how to behave告訴你該怎麼想或怎麼做——the kind of rule you are supposed to live by是那種你應該照著生活的規則，not the kind that comes with a fine而不是那種違反了會被罰款的規則。'Treat others as you would like to be treated'「你希望別人怎麼對你，你就怎麼對別人」 is a precept就是一個precept。'Do no harm'「不要傷害人」 is a precept也是一個precept。

The word carries a smell of religion, philosophy, medicine and old teaching: Buddhist precepts, the precepts of a school's founder, the basic precepts of good design. It usually turns up in the plural, and it usually belongs to some system of belief or practice rather than to one person's opinion.

The word這個詞 carries a smell of帶有...的味道 religion, philosophy, medicine and old teaching宗教、哲學、醫學和古老教誨的味道：Buddhist precepts像是佛教的戒律，the precepts of a school's founder學派創始人所立下的準則，the basic precepts of good design好設計的基本準則。It這個詞 usually turns up in the plural通常以複數形式出現，and it usually belongs to some system of belief or practice而且通常屬於某個信仰或實踐體系，rather than to one person's opinion而不是屬於某一個人的意見。

Compare it with its neighbours. A rule can be trivial (no eating in the library). A law is enforced by the state. A principle is very close to a precept, and is the more common word today; 'precept' is older and more bookish, and hints that someone taught it to you and expects you to follow it.

Compare it with its neighbours我們可以拿它跟它的近義詞比較一下。A rule規則（rule） can be trivial可以是很瑣碎的（no eating in the library像是圖書館裡不准吃東西）。A law法律（law） is enforced by the state則是由國家強制執行的。A principle原則（principle） is very close to a precept跟precept非常接近，and is the more common word today而且是今天比較常用的字；'precept' is older and more bookish而'precept'比較古老、比較文謅謅，and hints that someone taught it to you而且暗示這是有人教給你的，and expects you to follow it並期待你去遵守。

There is a well-known English saying, 'to teach by precept and example', meaning you tell people the rule and you also show it in how you live — and the usual point of the saying is that example teaches harder than precept does.

There is a well-known English saying有一句知名的英文諺語，'to teach by precept and example'「以precept和身教來教導」，meaning you tell people the rule意思是你把規則告訴人們，and you also show it in how you live同時也在自己的生活方式中示範出來——and the usual point of the saying而這句諺語通常想表達的重點 is that example teaches harder than precept does是身教比precept教得更深刻。