Before the conquest by the Arabians, the majority of the Persians were Zoroastrians, but there were also Jews and Christians. So, who could imagine today that Iranians have Jewish or Christian ancestors?
Mandarin
孔子说："像夏禹的为人，我找不到可以指责的漏洞。自己吃著菲薄的饮食，而却用丰厚祭品祭拜祖先与神明；自己平时穿粗劣的衣裳，而在祭祀时穿戴华服礼帽；自己住小房子，却尽力开通水道沟渠。像夏禹这样的人，我实在找不到可以指责的漏洞了。"
孔子說："像夏禹的為人，我找不到可以指責的漏洞。自己吃著菲薄的飲食，而卻用豐厚祭品祭拜祖先與神明；自己平時穿粗劣的衣裳，而在祭祀時穿戴華服禮帽；自己住小房子，卻盡力開通水道溝渠。像夏禹這樣的人，我實在找不到可以指責的漏洞了。"
kǒng zǐ shuō ：" xiàng xià yǔ de wéi rén ， wǒ zhǎo bu dào kě yǐ zhǐ zé de lòu dòng 。 zì jǐ chī zhù fěi bó de yǐn shí ， ér què yòng fēng hòu jì pǐn jì bài zǔ xiān yǔ shén míng ； zì jǐ píng shí chuān cū liè de yī shang ， ér zài jì sì shí chuān dài huá fú lǐ mào ； zì jǐ zhù xiǎo fáng zi ， què jìn lì kāi tōng shuǐ dào gōu qú 。 xiàng xià yǔ zhè yàng de rén ， wǒ shí zài zhǎo bu dào kě yǐ zhǐ zé de lòu dòng le 。"
Confucius said: " Yu the Great's conduct, I could not point out any flaws. He consumes meager amount of food, while offering boastful riches to the Gods and ancestors; He always don the crudest attire, but wears lavish garments when worshipping; He resides in a small house, yet forges water ways and ditches with all his might. Figures like Yu the Great, I honestly cannot point out any reprehensible flaws."
Grandma offers the ancestors incense sticks every morning and night.
Cantonese
历代祖先
歷代祖先
lik6 doi6 zou2 sin1
ancestors; forebears
Examples (Wiktionary)
Mandarin
祖先
祖先
zǔ xiān
ancestor
Mandarin
拜祖先
拜祖先
bài zǔ xiān
to pray to one's ancestors
Mandarin
不错，汉字是古代传下来的宝贝，但我们的祖先，比汉字还要古，所以我们更是古代传下来的宝贝。为汉字而牺牲我们，还是为我们而牺牲汉字呢？
不錯，漢字是古代傳下來的寶貝，但我們的祖先，比漢字還要古，所以我們更是古代傳下來的寶貝。為漢字而犧牲我們，還是為我們而犧牲漢字呢？
bù cuò ， hàn zì shì gǔ dài chuán xià lái de bǎo bèi ， dàn wǒ men de zǔ xiān ， bǐ hàn zì hái yào gǔ ， suǒ yǐ wǒ men gèng shì gǔ dài chuán xià lái de bǎo bèi ． wèi hàn zì ér xī shēng wǒ men ， hái shì wèi wǒ men ér xī shēng hàn zì ne ？
Yes, Chinese characters are a treasure passed down from antiquity, but our ancestors are even more ancient, so we are more so a treasure passed down from antiquity. Will we sacrifice Chinese characters for our sake, or will we sacrifice ourselves for the sake of Chinese characters?