The original text and translation of Xunzi's "Encouraging Learning" are as follows:
Persuade the original:
xunzi
Mr. Wang said: I can't learn.
Green is taken from blue, and green is blue; Ice, water, but colder than water. Wood is straight in the rope, not a wheel, and its curve is in the gauge. Although there is a crisis, those who stop coming forward will make it happen. Therefore, the wood is straight, the gold is sharp, and the gentleman is knowledgeable and saves himself, so he knows what is clear and not wrong.
Think all day long, it is better to learn it in a moment; I've tasted it and I'm looking forward to it. Let's go hiking. Climb a trick, the arm does not lengthen, but the person you see is far away; Call with the wind, the sound does not add disease, but the listener is obvious. Those who cheat horses are not good enough, but cause thousands of miles; A man who pretends to be a boat can't swim, but he can't swim. The life of a gentleman is the same, and the goodness lies in personal leave.
Accumulated soil becomes mountains, and the wind and rain are prosperous; The water drops merged into the ocean and the dragon was born; Accumulate goodness into virtue, the gods are complacent, and the sacred heart is prepared. Therefore, you can't take Wan Li Road without accumulating steps; If you don't accumulate small streams, you won't be a river. Leap, not ten steps; This is a great contribution to the success of Ma Xu.
Perseverance, rotten wood can't be carved; Perseverance, the stone can be carved. Earthworms do not have the advantages of minions, and their bones and muscles are strong. They eat the earth and drink the yellow land with their hearts. Crab kneels six times, but it's not a snake hole without sustenance, it's also impetuous.
Translation:
The gentleman said, learning can't stop. Indigo is extracted from Polygonum cuspidatum, but it is bluer than Polygonum cuspidatum. Ice is condensed from water, but it is cooler than water.
The wood is straight enough to conform to the straightened ink rope. If heated to bend it into a wheel, its curvature can conform to the compass. Even if it does, it won't be straight again. This is because it is artificially bent like this.
Therefore, wood is straight after being measured with ink lines, and metal tools are sharp after being ground on a millstone. A gentleman who reads widely and checks himself every day will be wise and knowledgeable and will not make mistakes in his actions.
I used to think all day, and the harvest was not as good as learning for a moment; Once I stood on tiptoe and looked at it, but it was not as wide as it was when I climbed high. Climbing and waving, the arm is not lengthened, but people can see it in the distance; Shouting with the wind, the voice does not improve, but the listener will hear it clearly.
With the help of chariots and horses, people can walk Wan Li Road without walking fast; People who use boats can't swim by themselves, but they can cross the river. The essence of a gentleman is no different from ordinary people, but he is good at using foreign things.
The mounds are mountains, and the wind and rain start from there; Water flows into the abyss, where dragons grow; Accumulate good deeds and form good moral character, and you will gain the highest wisdom and have the ideological realm of saints.
Therefore, you can't take Wan Li Road without accumulating steps; Without the collection of small streams, rivers and seas cannot be formed. A good horse cannot jump ten steps at a time; A car that has been broken for ten days can go far, and its success lies in its non-stop.
Carve things with a knife, give up halfway, and you can't carve rotten wood; Stick to carving and the stone will be carved successfully. Earthworms have no sharp claws and strong bones and muscles, but they can eat the soil on the ground and drink spring water because they are single-minded; A crab has six legs and two big clips. But the snake eel has no place to live in the cave because of its impetuous heart.