Classical Chinese essays about books

1. Classical Chinese essays about reading

Classical Chinese essays about reading include:

1. The method of reading is to proceed step by step, to read thoroughly and to think carefully. —— Zhu Xi of the Southern Song Dynasty, "The Essentials of Reading"

Translation: The method of reading is to take your time and proceed bit by bit. Read it several times and think more when you encounter problems.

2. Black-haired people don’t know how to study hard early, and white-haired people regret studying late. ——Yan Zhenqing, Tang Dynasty, "Poem to Encourage Learning"

Translation: When you are young, you don't know how to study hard. When you are old, you regret that it is too late to study.

3. Read it a hundred times and its meaning will become apparent. ——Jin·Chen Shou's "Three Kingdoms·Wei Zhi·Wang Su Biography"

Translation: Read it a hundred times, and you will naturally understand the meaning of the book.

4. Read thousands of volumes and write like a master. ——Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty, "Twenty-Two Rhymes from Wei Zuocheng"

Translation: Read a lot of books, read the books thoroughly, and then implement them in writing, and you will be able to use them with ease.

5. When the book is used, it will be less regrettable. ——Ming Dynasty Anonymous "Zengguang Xianwen"

Translation: Only when the knowledge is actually used will I regret that I have learned too little knowledge.

6. There are three aspects of reading, namely, understanding with the heart, understanding with the eyes, and understanding with the mouth. ——Zhu Xi of the Southern Song Dynasty, "Xunxue Zhaigui"

Translation: To study with concentration, the three must be in place.

7. Those who know are not as good as those who are good at it, and those who are good at it are not as good as those who are happy. ——Spring and Autumn Period·Disciples of Confucius and his disciples "The Analects of Confucius·Yong Ye"

Translation: Those who know how to learn are not as good as those who love learning; those who love learning are not as good as those who take pleasure in it. people. 2. Ancient famous sayings about reading

Be quick and eager to learn, not ashamed to ask questions - Confucius 2. Proficiency comes from hard work, but waste comes from play; success comes from thinking, failure comes from following - Han Yu 3. Learning without learning If you think about it, you will be in vain; if you think about it without learning, you will be in danger - Confucius 4. Those who know are not as good as those who are good at it, and those who are good at it are not as good as those who are happy - Confucius 5. When three people walk together, there must be my teacher.

Choose the good ones and follow them, and change the bad ones - Confucius 6. Started in "Poetry", established in etiquette, and achieved in happiness - Confucius 7. Don't do what you don't want others to do. Apply to others - Confucius 8. Read thousands of volumes, and write as if there is a spirit - Du Fu 9. There are three ways to read, which means to know with the heart, with the eyes, and with the mouth - Zhu Xi 10. To establish one's body is to establish learning first, and to establish learning is to Reading is the foundation - Ouyang Xiu 11. Read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles - Liu Yi 12. Black-haired people don't know how to study early, and gray-haired people regret studying too late - Yan Zhenqing 13. Books are as affectionate as old friends, and they are full of joy and sorrow in the morning and evening - - Yu Qian 14. Books are like medicine. Good reading can cure stupidity - Liu Xiang 15. If a young man doesn't work hard, he will be sad when he is old - "Han Yuefu". "Long Song Xing" 16. Don't wait for a while, the young man's head is gray, and the sadness is empty - Yue Fei 17. Work hard to read all the words in the world, and determined to read all the books in the world - Su Shi. 3. Classical Chinese essays on reading

Encouragement to learn

Xunzi

The gentleman said: Learning cannot stop itself.

Green is derived from blue and is green from blue; ice is derived from water and is cold from water. The wood is straight and the rope is in the middle, and the frame is used as a wheel, and its curve is regular. Although it is rough and violent, it is no longer straight, and the frame is used to make it so. Therefore, if wood is supported by a rope, it will be straight; if metal is sharpened, it will be beneficial; if a gentleman is knowledgeable and examines himself every day, he will know how to act without making mistakes.

It is not as good as me to learn what I have learned in just a moment if I think about it all day long; it is not as good as to gain broad insights by climbing high. When you climb high and make moves, your arms are not lengthened, but the sight is far away; when you call along the wind, the sound is not faster, but the sound is louder. A false horse can travel thousands of miles without benefiting from its feet; a false boat can run a thousand miles without benefiting from the water. A gentleman's life is not different, he is good at things and false in nature.

When the soil accumulates, mountains become the wind and rain; when the water accumulates, the abyss becomes abyss, dragons emerge; when good deeds accumulate, virtue becomes, and the gods are satisfied with themselves, and the holy mind is prepared. Therefore, if you do not accumulate steps, you cannot reach a thousand miles; if you do not accumulate small streams, you cannot reach a river or sea. A horse can't take ten steps with one leap; a horse can ride ten times, but it's hard to give up. If you persevere, the rotten wood will not be broken; if you persevere, the metal and stone can be carved. Earthworms don't have sharp claws and teeth, nor strong bones and muscles. They eat earth and drink from the underworld. They have the same intention. A crab with six knees and two pincers is not a snake and eel whose cave has nothing to rely on, so it is a sign of impatience.

Teacher said

Han Yu

? Ancient scholars must have teachers. A teacher is the one who preaches the truth, receives karma and resolves doubts.

People are not born with knowledge, how can they be free from confusion? If you are confused and do not follow the teacher, it is confusion, and you will not be able to understand it in the end. Those who were born before me, they heard the Tao before me, and I learned from them; those who were born after me, they heard the Tao before me, and I learned from them. My teacher, do you know who was born to me one year or another? Therefore, there is neither high nor low, neither long nor short. Where the Tao exists, the teacher exists.

?Sigh! It’s been a long time since teachers’ teachings were passed on! It’s hard to be clear of confusion! The ancient saints were also far away from others, and they still asked if they were teachers. Today's people are also far away from the saints, and they are ashamed to learn from their teachers. Therefore, the saint is better than the saint, and the fool is better than the fool. The reason why the saint is holy and the reason why the fool is stupid are all due to this! If you love your son and choose a teacher to teach him, you will be ashamed of the teacher and confused! The boy's teacher teaches the readers the book and then learns its sentences. He is not what I call someone who teaches him the way and solves his confusion. I don’t know how to read a sentence, I don’t understand it when I’m confused, maybe I’m a teacher, or maybe I’m not good at it. I haven’t seen the clarity from elementary school but great legacy. A man of witchcraft, doctor, musician, and all kinds of craftsmanship, would not be ashamed of a physiognomist; a clan of scholar-bureaucrats, who would say "master" or "disciple", would gather together and laugh at him. When asked, he said: "He is similar to that year, and the way is similar. A low position is shameful, and a high official is close to flattery." Woohoo! The way of a teacher can no longer be known. Gentlemen look down upon people who are witch doctors, musicians, and musicians. Now his wisdom is beyond his reach, how strange it is!

The sage is the teacher of impermanence. Confucius studied under Tanzi, Changhong, Xiang and Laodan. The disciples of Tanzi were not as wise as Confucius. Confucius said: "When three people walk, there must be my teacher." Therefore, the disciple does not have to be inferior to the teacher, and the teacher does not have to be better than the disciple. There is a certain order of learning, and there is a specialization in the arts, that's all.

Zi Pan, a seventeen-year-old son of the Li family, was fond of ancient Chinese prose, and was familiar with all the classics and biographies of the six arts. Yu Jiaqi was able to practice the ancient way and wrote "Shi Shuo" to teach him.

Full text of "Preface to Ma Sheng in Dongyang"

Original text:

I was fond of learning when I was young. The family was poor and had no books to read, so every time he borrowed them from a book collector, he would write them down by hand and count the days to return them. It's extremely cold, and the ice is so hard that you can't bend or stretch your fingers, so don't be lazy. After recording, I went to see him off, not daring to sell more than the appointment. Therefore, many people spend their spare time reading books, and I have to read all kinds of books. After being crowned, I admire the way of the sages. Also worried about the lack of masters and famous people, he often went hundreds of miles away to study the scriptures from the pioneers in his hometown. The first Dade Long Wangzun, whose disciples filled his room, did not even lose his words. Yu Li waited on the left and right, leaning over to ask questions and ask questions; or when he was yelling at someone, he would become more respectful and courteous, not daring to say a word; when he was pleased, he would ask again. Therefore, although I am stupid, I have learned something.

When Yu Zhi was a disciple, he carried his luggage and dragged his clothes on his back, walking in the deep mountains and huge valleys. There was a strong wind in the cold winter, and the snow was several feet deep, and the skin of his feet was chapped but he didn't know it. At the end of the house, the four limbs are stiff and unable to move. The nun holds the soup and fertilizes it, and covers it with a quilt. After a long time, it becomes harmonious. The host who lives in Nishi, eats again and again every day, and does not enjoy the taste of fresh fat. All the students in the same room were embroidered with silk, wearing hats decorated with Zhuying treasures, a white jade ring on the waist, a sword on the left, and a sword on the right. He looked like a god. The rest of the students were wearing Miao robes and worn clothes in the middle, and there was no hint of admiration. Those who are happy enough don't know that the worship of words and bodies is not as good as others. This is all due to my hard work and hard work.

Nowadays, all students are studying in Taixue, and the county magistrates have daily donations for sales. Their parents have Qiu Ge's inheritance at all years, and they are not in danger of being cold and discouraged. They sit under the building and recite "Poems" and "Books" , there is no need to travel around; there are teachers and doctors who are teachers, but they don’t ask without asking, and they don’t get what they ask for; all the books that are suitable to have are collected here, there is no need to record them by others, and follow others See you. If one's work is not refined and one's virtues are not perfect, it is not because of his inferior nature, but his mind is not as sharp as my ears. Is it anyone else's fault?

Ma Shengjun of Dongyang has been at Taixue for two years and is highly praised by his peers as a wise man. I went to the capital of the capital, and I was born as a son of a native of the country. He wrote a long book called Zhi, and his words were very eloquent. Discussing with it, the words are harmonious but the color is foreign. He said that when he was young, he devoted himself to studying very hard. He is a good scholar. He will return to see his relatives, and it is difficult for him to learn the old ways. 4. Request: Classical Chinese essays about books

Travels in Manjing

Yuan Hongdao

The land of Yan is cold, after the Flower Festival, the remaining cold is still severe, and the freezing wind do. If you do this, sand and gravel will fly, and you will be cramped in a room, unable to get out. Every time I ride in the wind, I often turn back in less than a hundred steps.

On the 22nd, when the weather was slightly peaceful, I went out to Dongzhi with a few friends to Manjing. There are high willows on the embankment, and the soil is slightly moist. The sky is vast, like a swan escaping from its cage. At that time, the ice skin began to unravel, and the color of the waves suddenly became bright, the scales were layered, the bottom was clear, the crystals were like a newly opened mirror, and the cold light suddenly emerged from the box. The mountains are washed by the clear snow, and the beauty is like wiping, and the fresh beauty is bright, like a beautiful girl stroking her face, and the hairpin is beginning to sweep away. The wicker will be comfortable, and the soft tips will be cloaked. The wheat fields are barely exposed.

Although there are not many tourists, there are always people drinking tea from the spring, singing songs at the base of the mountain, and jogging in red clothes. Although the wind is strong, walking makes you sweat profusely. All birds exposed to the sand, sipping the scales of the waves, are leisurely and contented, and there is joy among the feathers and scales. I know from the beginning that there is no spring outside the suburbs and fields, but those who live in the city don’t know this.

This is the only official who can avoid wandering and wandering around, and just wander among the mountains, rocks, grass and trees. And this place is suitable for Yu, and Yu's journey will start from the beginning. How can evil be undisciplined? It is also the second month of Jihai.

Original text

It is cold in the Yan land, and after the Flower Festival, the remaining cold is still severe. When the wind blows, the sand and gravel will fly. It's so cramped in a room that you can't get out of it. Every time I ride in the wind, I often turn back in less than a hundred steps.

On the twenty-second day, when the weather was slightly peaceful, I went out to Dongzhi with a few friends to Manjing. Tall willows are planted in the sky, and the soil is slightly moist. The sky is vast, like a swan escaping from its cage. Then, the ice skin began to dissolve, and the waves suddenly became brighter, and the scales were layered, so clear that the bottom could be seen. The crystals were like a newly opened mirror and the cold light suddenly came out of the box. The mountains are washed by the clear snow, and they are as beautiful as a beautiful woman. They are bright and beautiful, just like the beautiful face of a beautiful girl with her hair in a bun and her hair in a bun. The wicker will be comfortable, the soft tip of the mantle will be soft, and the wheat field will be lightly covered with hair. Although there are not many tourists, there are always people drinking tea from the spring, singing songs and people wearing red clothes. Although the wind is strong, walking makes you sweat profusely. All birds exposed to the sand, sipping the scales of the waves, are leisurely and contented, and there is joy among the feathers and scales. It turns out that there is no spring outside the countryside, and those who live in the city don't know it.

Translation

The climate in Beijing is cold, and after the Flower Festival, the coldness left in winter is still very severe. The cold wind blows often, and when it does it blows away sand and rocks. I was hiding in a room and wanted to get out but couldn't. Every time I walked out quickly in the cold wind, I always came back within less than a hundred steps.

On February 22nd, the weather was slightly warm, so a few friends and I went out of Dongzhimen and arrived at Manjing. Tall willow trees stand on both sides of the embankment, and the fertile land is slightly moist. Looking at the vast scene, I feel like a swan escaping from a cage. At this time, the thin ice began to melt, and the water waves began to glow, with waves like fish scales layer by layer. The water was so clear that you could see the bottom of the river, and it was sparkling, as if a mirror had just been opened and cold light suddenly flashed out from the mirror box. After the mountains have been washed by melted snow, their beautiful appearance seems to have been wiped, bright, beautiful and bright, like a beautiful girl who has just washed her face and just combed her hair in a ring-shaped bun. The willow branches are about to stretch, but the tender willow tips are scattered in the wind, and the low wheat seedlings in the wheat field are only about an inch. Although there are not many tourists, there are often people drawing water from the spring to make tea, singing with wine glasses, and riding donkeys dressed in red. Although the wind was still very strong, I was sweating profusely while walking. All the birds basking in the sun on the beach and the fish swimming in the water are all leisurely, and the atmosphere among the feathered and scaled manes is full of joy. I just realized that there is no spring outside the fields outside the city, but people living in the city don't know it. 5. 5 classical Chinese articles on reading, translated

Original text Wang Mianzhe, a native of Zhuji.

When he was seven or eight years old, his father ordered him to herd cattle on the mountain, sneak into the school building, and listen to the students reciting books. After listening, he memorized them silently. When he returned home in the evening, he forgot his cow, and his father was angry and bitten him.

It’s as good as before. The mother said, "You are so crazy, why won't you listen to what you do?" Mian Yin left and lived in a monk's temple.

At night, I went out to sit on the Buddha's lap and read it under the light of a long bright lamp. There are many earthen idols in the Buddha statues, they are ferocious and terrifying, crowning children, and they are as calm as if they don't know.

(Collected Works of Scholars of the Song Dynasty) Translation Wang Mian was a native of Zhuji County. When he was seven or eight years old, his father asked him to herd cattle on the field. He secretly ran into the school to listen to the students reading.

After listening, I always remember it silently. When he returned home in the evening, he forgot all about the cattle grazing.

Wang Mian's father was furious and beat Wang Mian. Afterwards, he was still like this.

His mother said: "This child wants to study so much, why not let him do it?" From then on, Wang Mian left home and stayed in a temple. As soon as night came, he would quietly come out and sit on the lap of the Buddha statue. He held a book in his hand and read under the light of the lantern in front of the Buddha statue. The sound of the book continued until dawn.

Most of the Buddha statues are made of clay, and each one has a ferocious and terrifying face. Although Wang Mian is a child, he looks calm, as if he has not read the first book of the Weixian County Department's post by his brother Mo.

My eyes are clear, my heart is in a hurry, I don’t have much space, and I am overwhelmed with traffic. It’s like looking at the beauty in the field, and it passes at a glance. What does it have to do with me? Through the ages, I have read and recited it. Who is like Confucius? I have read "Yi" to Wei Bian Sanjue, I have read it thousands of times, and the subtle meanings are getting more and more, the more I study, the more I get into, and the more I go, the more I don't know what it is. Although a sage who knows how to live safely is born, he will not waste the merit of studying hard.

Dongpo did not need to read twice, but he read "Afang Palace Fu" to the fourth drum in the Imperial Academy. The old official had a hard time, but Po was untiring. How can you just remember it once and for all? However, Yu Shinan, Zhang Suiyang, and Zhang Fangping have stopped reading in their lifetimes and have no good articles so far.

It is easy to recite it, but it also has the disadvantage of not reciting it for everything. For example, among the 130 chapters of "Historical Records", "The Chronicles of Xiang Yu" is the most important, and in "The Chronicles of Xiang Yu", the Battle of Julu, the Banquet at Hongmen, and the Meeting at Gaixia are the most important.

Reciting the contemplation over and over can make you happy or weeping, so here are a few paragraphs. If you read every chapter of "Historical Records" and memorize every word, wouldn't you be an ignorant fool? Some novelists have said that all kinds of legendary songs and limericks are also remembered after reading them, just like a tattered kitchen cabinet where smelly oil and bad sauce are stored, and the filth cannot be tolerated! Translation: When reading, the ability to recite something after reading it once is regarded as something worthy of recognition. In fact, it is the most unhelpful thing.

What I can see clearly in my eyes and rush through in my heart is actually not much that remains in my heart, because it comes and goes so frequently that I can’t cope with it. It’s like looking at a beautiful woman in a song and dance hall. The past has passed, what does it have to do with me? Who can be compared to Confucius among those who have been remembered since ancient times? Confucius studied the "Book of Changes" to the point where the leather strips on the bamboo slips of the "Book of Changes" were broken several times. I don't know that he had read it thousands or hundreds of times. As a result, the more he explored the subtle language and profound principles of the "Book of Changes", the more he explored it.[1] Understand, the more you delve into it, the deeper it goes, and the further you move forward, the less you know its end. Even a sage who knows everything from birth and practices it calmly will never stop working hard and diligently to learn the basic common sense of human relations and affairs.

Su Dongpo did not need to read it a second time, but when he read "Afang Palace Fu" in the Hanlin Academy until the fourth watch, the old officials in charge of the Hanlin Academy felt that it was hard for him to read, but Su Dongpo was very happy. No weariness. How can I memorize it just by reading it once?

I just threw down the book and ended the matter hastily! Only Yu Shinan, Zhang Suiyang, and Zhang Fanping never read a book a second time in their lives, so they never wrote good articles. Moreover, just by looking at it, you can recite it, and it will have the disadvantage of memorizing everything. For example, among the 130 chapters in "Historical Records", "The Chronicles of Xiang Yu" is the best, and in "The Chronicles of Xiang Yu", the Battle of Julu and Hongmen are also the best. The scenes of "The Banquet" and "The Meeting at Gaixia" are the best written.

After reading and watching it over and over again, these few fragments are the only ones worth rejoicing and crying. If you read every chapter of "Historical Records" and memorize every word, wouldn't you be a stupid person who doesn't understand the truth? There are also novels, various operas and limericks.

If you can’t forget it, it’s like a broken kitchen cabinet, where stinky oil and rancid sauce are stored. The vulgar taste is really intolerable. Huang Sheng borrowed books and said Huang Shengyunxiu borrowed books.

Then the owner of the garden handed over the book and told him: "You can't read the book unless you borrow it. Don't you know that there are books in the collection? Seven strategies and four treasuries are the emperor's books, but how many readers do the emperor have?" A book written by a wealthy family, but how many of them are rich and noble? It doesn’t matter whether the other grandfathers or descendants have abandoned it. If it is false, it will be worried about being forced to take it, but the anxious Yanmo will play with it and say: "It will be there today and it will go tomorrow. I will not be able to see it."

'If the industry belongs to me, it will be high. Shu Yan, Xiang Zangyan, said: "Gu Qi Yi Guan" Yun Er said: "I have a good book, but my family is poor.

There is a rich collection of books, but I don't want to borrow them.

It's all like this.

After reading the book, the book came, and it was full of gray silk. The scroll was collected at that time. Then I sighed at the dedication of the borrower, and it was a pity that he had spent so little time."

Today Huang is poor and borrows books from me, but the official letter of Yu is the same as Zhang's. If the stingy books are not similar. But if you are unlucky enough to meet Zhang Hu, are you lucky enough to meet Yu? If one knows good fortune and misfortune, one must study carefully and return to the book quickly.

As a statement, it is consistent with the book. Huang Yunxiu, a young translator, came to borrow books.

I lent him the book and told him: "If the book is not borrowed, I will not read it well.

Haven't you heard of people who collect books but don't read? "Qilue" and "Siku" are the emperor's collection of books, but how many of the emperor's books are there? There are so many books that the horses and oxen sweat when they are moved there, and they pile up all over the house. These are the books collected by rich people, but how many rich people read? Not to mention other situations like grandfathers and fathers hoarding and sons and grandsons throwing away.

This is not just true of books, but also of things in the world. It is not my own, but something borrowed reluctantly. I will definitely worry that others will press for it, so I will rub it anxiously and uneasily, saying: "It is stored with me today, and it will be taken away tomorrow. I can't see it again." .

'If it is already owned by me, I will definitely tie it up and put it in a high place, put it away and hide it, saying, 'Let's wait and see another day.' "I loved reading when I was a child, but my family was poor and it was rare to find it. 6. Classical Chinese essays on reading

The gentleman who advised learning from Xunzi said: Learning is a must.

Green comes from blue. It is greener than blue; ice is made of water but colder than water. The wood is straight and the rope is turned into a wheel, and its curves are regular; p> Therefore, if wood is straightened by a rope, metal will be sharpened if it is sharpened. If a gentleman is knowledgeable and examines himself every day, he will know clearly and act without fault. Looking forward is not as good as climbing high to get a better view.

When you climb high and move, your arms will not be lengthened, but you will be far away. , If you don't have enough profit, you can travel a thousand miles; if you make a fake boat, you can't run the water, and you can't cross the river. When water accumulates, a dragon will grow; when good deeds accumulate, the gods will be satisfied and the holy heart will be ready.

Therefore, if you do not accumulate steps, you will not be able to reach a thousand miles; if you do not accumulate small streams, you will not be able to build a river or a sea. One leap cannot take ten steps; a horse can ride ten steps, but the merit lies in perseverance.

If you persevere, the rotten wood will not break; if you persevere, you can carve metal and stone. Ai Tu, drinking from the yellow spring, with one intention.

A crab kneels with two claws, and it is not a snake and eel that has no place to rely on. The teacher said that Han Yu's ancient scholars must have a teacher. /p>

Teachers, therefore, teach and receive karma to resolve doubts. If a person is not born with knowledge, how can he not be confused? If he is confused and does not follow the teacher, he will not be able to understand.

Those who were born before me, they heard the Tao before me, and I learned from them; those who were born after me, they also heard the Tao before me, and I learned from them. I don’t know the order of their years. Born in me? That’s why there is no greatness and no shortcomings. Where the Tao exists, there is also the existence of the teacher. Sorry! It’s been a long time since the teacher’s way has been passed down! It’s difficult! The ancient saints were far away from others, so they still asked if they were teachers. Today’s saints are also far away from others, and they are ashamed to learn from their teachers. Therefore, the saints are better than the saints, and the fools are better than the fools. The reason why a saint is a saint and the reason why a fool is a fool is because of this! If you love your son and choose a teacher to teach him, you will be ashamed of the teacher and confused! Readers who learn their sentences are not the ones who teach them how to solve their confusions.

If they don’t know how to read a sentence, or if they don’t understand their confusion, they may be teachers or not. Ming Ye. People who are skilled in witchcraft, medicine, music, and craftsmanship are not ashamed of their masters. Those who are scholars and officials will gather together and laugh when they ask. The year was similar, and the way was similar. A low position brings shame, and a high official position brings flattery. "

Woohoo! The way of a teacher can no longer be known. A man who is a witch doctor, a musician, and a master of hundreds of skills is looked down upon by a gentleman.

His wisdom is now beyond his reach, and it is strange! A saint! Master Wuchang. Confucius’s disciples were Tanzi, Changhong, Xiang, and Laodan.

Tanzi’s disciples were not as wise as Confucius. Confucius said: “If three people are walking together, they must be my master.” There is no need to be inferior to the teacher, and the teacher does not have to be better than the disciple.

There is a priority in learning the Tao, and there is a specialization in skills, that's all. At that time, I learned from Yu.

Yu Jiaqi was able to practice the ancient way and wrote "Shi Shuo" to learn from it. 7. Ancient essays on reading

Xunzi's "Encouragement to Learning" < /p>

The gentleman said: You can’t stop learning.

Green comes from blue and is green from blue; ice comes from water and is cold from water. , the music is within the rules; although there is some violence, those who no longer stand up are just making it so.

Therefore, if wood is supported by a rope, it will be straight; if metal is sharpened, it will be beneficial; if a gentleman is knowledgeable and examines himself every day, he will know how to act without making mistakes.

Xunzi’s The gentleman said: You can’t stop learning.

Therefore, if wood is supported by a rope, it will be straight, and if metal is sharpened, it will be beneficial. A gentleman who is knowledgeable and examines himself day by day will know how to act without making mistakes. If I think about it all day long, it is not as good as what I have learned in just a moment; if I stoop and look at it, it is not as good as climbing up to gain insights.

When you climb high and move, your arms are not lengthened, but the person who sees it is far away; when you call along the wind, the sound is not accelerated, but the person who hears it is louder. A false horse can travel thousands of miles without benefiting from its feet; a false boat can run a thousand miles without benefiting from the water.

A gentleman is born without exception, and he is good at pretending to be inferior to other things. The accumulation of soil creates a mountain, and wind and rain stir up it; the accumulation of water forms a abyss, and dragons emerge; the accumulation of good deeds becomes virtue, and the gods are satisfied with themselves, and the holy heart is prepared.

Therefore, if you don’t accumulate steps, you can’t reach a thousand miles; if you don’t accumulate small streams, you can’t reach a river or sea. A horse can't take ten steps with one leap; a horse can ride ten times, but it's hard to give up.

If you persevere, the rotten wood will not be broken; if you persevere, the gold and stone can be carved. Earthworms don't have sharp claws and teeth, nor strong bones and muscles. They eat earth and drink from the underworld. They have the same intention.

A crab with six knees and two pincers is not a snake and eel that has nothing to rely on in its cave, so it is a sign of impatience.