The translation of "The Ancients Talk about Reading" is as follows:
Those who are talented and eager to learn should not be ashamed to ask for advice from those whose status is lower than themselves and who are less knowledgeable than themselves. Knowing means knowing, and not knowing means not knowing. This is true wisdom. Silently remember the knowledge you have learned, learn without feeling satisfied, and teach without feeling tired.
I once said: When reading, you should pay attention to the "three things", that is, you must concentrate on reading, read carefully, and recite. If the mind is not on the book, then the eyes will not read carefully; since the mind and eyes are not focused and united, but just read casually, then they will not remember it, and even if they do, they will not remember it for long. Of these three, the heart is the most important. If the mind is concentrated, will the eyes and mouth still lose focus?
When scholars study, they must first have ambition, secondly have knowledge, and thirdly have perseverance. If you are ambitious, you will never be willing to live in an inferior position; if you are knowledgeable, you will know that there is no end to learning, and you will not dare to be self-satisfied with a little experience, like a river boy looking at the sea, or a frog at the bottom of a well looking at the sky. This is all without knowledge; if you have perseverance, you will definitely not be satisfied. Things that can't be done. Ambition, knowledge, and perseverance are all indispensable.
Original text: "The Ancients Talk about Reading" Zhu Xi? [Song Dynasty]
Smart and eager to learn, and not ashamed to ask questions. To know is to know, and to not know is to know. This is knowledge. Know it silently, never tire of learning, never tire of teaching.
I have always said that there are three aspects of reading, namely, understanding with the heart, understanding with the eyes, and understanding with the mouth. If the mind is not here, the eyes will not look carefully. The mind will not be focused, but will only read rambles. It will never be memorized, and it will not be memorized for a long time. Among the three arrivals, I feel the most anxious. Now that the heart is there, won’t the eyes and mouth not care?
When Gaishi people study, they must first be ambitious, secondly knowledgeable, and thirdly perseverant. If you have ambition, you will never be willing to be in a low position; if you have knowledge, you will know that knowledge is endless, and you will not dare to be self-sufficient in one thing. You are like a river boy looking at the sea, like a frog in a well peering into the sky. They are all ignorant; if you have perseverance, you will never be able to accomplish anything. All three are indispensable.
Zhu Xi's reading method:
The six "Zhu Xi's reading method" are: step by step, read carefully, reflect with an open mind, observe deeply, pay close attention to exertion, and be respectful and persistent. This is a concentrated summary of Zhu Xi's reading method made by Zhu Xi's disciples.
The step-by-step approach has three meanings: first, reading should be in a certain order and not reversed; second, "do what you can and stick to it"; third, don't swallow it all and rush for success. Reading well and thinking well means reading well and reciting it well, but also being good at thinking. The "humbly" in "humbly" refers to chewing over and over again and pondering carefully when reading.
Personal experience emphasizes that reading must be reflected in one's own actual actions and practice it. Working hard has two meanings: first, you must seize the time when reading, work hard and forget to eat, and oppose leisurely; second, you must be energetic, work hard, and oppose being lax. The word "Ju Jing" in Ju Jing's aspiration emphasizes that reading requires concentration and high concentration. The so-called "persistence of ambition" means to establish lofty ambitions and stick to them for a long time with tenacious perseverance.