1. Ji Hong Jize's letter to Zeng Guofan is translated as follows:
Today, I sent a letter from home. At the beginning, I received letters from Wang Huisi and others on the tenth day of April. One is yours and the other is Uncle Cheng's. So I know everything. The handwriting you came in to write is very weak and spineless. The words are not full enough, which is consistent with your own consistent lack of attention to calligraphy. You should copy Yan Zhenqing Guo Miao Monument, Liu Gongquan Langya Monument and Mi Yuan Pagoda Monument with oiled paper to correct your mistakes. Pay attention to writing thick and full every day. Otherwise, words are thin and people's temperament becomes thin and frivolous. Because people's temperament is innate and difficult to change. Only reading can change temperament. The ancient essence method also said that reading can change bones. If you want to find a way to change your temperament, you always need to set up a firm ambition first. Take my life as an example. Before the age of 30, I liked smoking best, and I couldn't live without it for a moment. On 1 1 February 2 1 day, I decided to give up smoking, and I haven't smoked again until today. I can't stick to my job until I am forty-six. For nearly five years, I thought it was a strictly observed commandment. I can persevere in big and small things now. It can be seen from these two things that nothing can't be changed. You must aspire to be heavier. In ancient times, there was a saying that you turned into an elixir. I think determination is a panacea for change. This is my expense.
2. "The House of Hundred Officials" translated a letter from Zeng Guofan: It is easy for an official's family to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to return to frugality from luxury. You are still young, remember not to be greedy for extravagant things and not to regard laziness as a habit. Whether it is a big family or a small family, officials, farmers, workers and businessmen have no thrills and thrills, and there are no losers who are arrogant and extravagant.
Don't stop reading and writing, get up early in the morning, and don't fall behind the family tradition handed down by your ancestors. As you know, both our uncle and father get up at dawn.
All wealth and fame are predestined, half is human nature, and the other half is resigned. Only by learning the wind of sages, it is all about yourself, and it has nothing to do with fate.
I have the ambition to learn to be a saint. When I was young, I lacked the ability to be quiet. Until now, I still have to talk and act sometimes. You should behave yourself and don't say anything casually, which is the cornerstone of human virtue.
Original sentence: where the official family is, from frugality to luxury, from luxury to frugality. You are still young, you must not be greedy and lazy. No matter how small scholars, farmers, workers and businessmen we are, we are diligent and thrifty, not discouraged, not arrogant, not tired and unbeaten. You should always read and write, get up early in the morning, and don't fall into the family style handed down by your great-great grandfather since he took the exam. My father and uncle, they both get up at dawn, and you know everything.
All wealth and fame are predestined, half by manpower and half by nature. Only learning to be a saint is your own business, and you don't interfere in your destiny. I am interested in being a saint in Yu Xuecheng, which I owed to my family when I was young. I can't help joking now and then. Being dignified and decent, not making mistakes, has entered the foundation of virtue.
From: Zeng Guofan [modern] Zeng Guofan's letter.
Extended data:
Historical background of the article
Zeng Guofan devoted himself to study in his early years, and his academic research ranged from history and ancient prose to calligraphy, neo-Confucianism and various laws and regulations.
He is thirsty for knowledge, comparable to Mei Zengliang and what a famous scholar, but he did not become a scholar with rich writings in the end, mainly because he didn't have time to write books, and he was promoted to a second-class official. He was busy with the battle of officialdom, and then devoted himself to the military campaign, which made him unable to stick to the library and concentrate on his studies.
Nan, a famous contemporary scholar, said in The Analects of Confucius: "Zeng Guofan, a famous minister of ZTE in the Qing Dynasty, had thirteen sets of knowledge, two of which were handed down from generation to generation, one of which was a letter from Zeng Guofan." Today, people can study Zeng Guofan's letters. It records the main activities of Zeng Guofan's life and his main thoughts in politics, family management, scholarship and army management, which is a precious material for future generations to study Zeng Guofan's thoughts.
After the conquest of Tianjing, Zeng Guofan was in power and returned to Gao Zhen, which made the Qing Dynasty extremely uneasy. Emperor Xianfeng once sighed when the Xiang army regained Wuhan: "I went to half of Hong Xiuquan and came to Zeng Guofan."
Zeng Guofan has rich political experience and historical knowledge, and is familiar with anecdotes of past dynasties. Therefore, after defeating the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, on the one hand, he killed the Xiang army, and on the other hand, he published letters to show his loyalty to the Qing court and stopped the jesters.
Zeng Guofan's letters have been widely circulated since ancient times. After many choices, a variety of versions have been formed.
Generally speaking, there are more than 1400 letters in his family, which lasted for 30 years from 20 years of Daoguang to 10 years of Tongzhi, including self-cultivation, teaching children, housekeeping, making friends, employing people, dealing with the world, managing finances, doing research, running the army and going into politics.
These letters are real and detailed, ordinary and in-depth, and they are real and vivid treasures of life.
Zeng Guofan's letters are important materials for studying Zeng Guofan and the late Qing Dynasty. After Tongcheng School, Zeng Guofan traced back to history and did not establish Xiangxiang School. His writing style is calm and free in form. He saw the truth in every bit of real life and accumulated his conscience, which fully embodied his reputation as "the highest generation of moral articles".
Zeng Guofan (18 1 1 year165438+1October 26th-1March 872 12), Han nationality, first named Zicheng, Ben.
China was a politician, strategist, philosopher and writer in modern times, the founder and commander-in-chief of Xiang Army. Hu Linyi, Zeng Hu, Li Hongzhang, Zuo and Zhang Zhidong are called "four famous ministers in the late Qing Dynasty". The official to the governor of Liangjiang, the governor of Zhili, and the university student of Wuyingdian were awarded the first-class Yi, named.
3. Seek to translate Zeng Guofan's family letter "Word Yu Jihonger". Word Yu Jihonger: Most people who come to the camp at home praise your generous behavior, and I am a little gratified.
People all over the world want their descendants to be big officials. I don't want them to be big officials, I just want to be a gentleman who knows books and is sensible. Diligence and self-improvement, hard work and hardship, both happiness and great frugality, this is the gentleman.
I have been an official for 20 years, and I dare not get a little bit of officialdom habits. I still abide by the cold family style when I eat and live. I can be extremely frugal or a little richer. If I have too much money, I dare not. It is easy for an official's family to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to return from luxury to frugality.
You are still young, don't covet luxury and get into the habit of laziness. No matter whether it is a large family or a small family, a scholar or an industrial and commercial person, agriculture will not flourish as long as it is diligent and thrifty; Nothing in the family business will not decline because of arrogance and fatigue.
You can't read and write, you can't get up early, and you can't lose the family tradition handed down by your great-great grandfather. As you know, my father and uncle both get up at dawn.
All wealth and fame are doomed, half of which lies in manpower and half in fate. Only by learning to be a saint can you make your own decisions, which has nothing to do with fate.
I am interested in learning to be a saint, but when I was a child, I didn't have time to stay at home, so it was inevitable that there would be jokes and banter. You should have dignity and don't talk casually, which is the basis of moral cultivation.
(On the evening of September 29th, 2006, Xianfeng) Because typing was really slow, I typed this for two days, and the other one was typing. I hope it works for you.
4. Seek the translation of Zeng Guofan's letter "Yu Zi Ji Honger"
Word Oracle Bone Inscriptions Ji Honger:
Most people who come to camp at home praise your generous behavior, and I am a little gratified. People all over the world want their descendants to be big officials. I don't want them to be big officials, I just want to be a gentleman who knows books and is sensible. Diligence and self-improvement, hard work and hardship, both happiness and great frugality, this is the gentleman.
I have been an official for 20 years, and I dare not get a little bit of officialdom habits. I still abide by the cold family style when I eat and live. I can be extremely frugal or a little richer. If I have too much money, I dare not. It is easy for an official's family to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to return from luxury to frugality. You are still young, don't covet luxury and get into the habit of laziness. No matter whether it is a large family or a small family, a scholar or an industrial and commercial person, agriculture will not flourish as long as it is diligent and thrifty; Nothing in the family business will not decline because of arrogance and fatigue. You can't read and write, you can't get up early, and you can't lose the family tradition handed down by your great-great grandfather. As you know, my father and uncle both get up at dawn.
All wealth and fame are doomed, half of which lies in manpower and half in fate. Only by learning to be a saint can you make your own decisions, which has nothing to do with fate. I am interested in learning to be a saint, but when I was a child, I didn't have time to stay at home, so it was inevitable that there would be jokes and banter. You should have dignity and don't talk casually, which is the basis of moral cultivation.
(evening of September 29th, Xianfeng six years)
Because typing is really slow, this one has been typing for two days and the other one is typing. I hope it works for you.
5. Translation of Letters from Zeng Guofan The bad blood between Qin Xue and Yuan Di is so deep that it is difficult for them to blend together in a short time. There are some mistakes in the manuscript of "Letter from Xueqin" approved by Yuan Di. The younger brother said that the snow piano is vivid. All eyes can see thousands of miles away, but they can't see their eyelashes. Judging from the sound and appearance, it shows that people often can't see themselves and don't understand their own sufferings when they are thousands of miles away. She doesn't know the severity of Xueqin; I'm afraid Yuan Di's debauchery is not harsh, but I just don't know. I once remembered that in the winter of seven years in Xianfeng, I complained that Luo treated me too poorly. Wen Fu said, "My brother's face is often embarrassed. "I remember that in the spring of 1 1, Shutang hated the insolence of Zhang's companion. I told him that Shutang's face also kept people away. Look at these two examples again, so Yuan Di's face is very strict. Isn't it because I don't know myself like Shutang?
My home is at its peak; I stole the position of general. There are nearly twenty thousand people under the command of Yuan Di, and four or five thousand people under the command of Emperor Ji. How many in modern times? In the past six months, Yuan Di has thanked Jun-eun seven times. How many people are like you these days? The sun will set in the west at noon. When the moon is round, it means it will be short, and my home should be round. The pipe said, "If the bucket is full, then people will scrape it flat." If people are complacent, the sky will be flat. "I said that the flatness of the sky is invisible, or it was scraped by human hands. Khodorkovsky was full, leveled by Wei Xiang and leveled by Xuan Di; Zhuge Ke was full, and was leveled by Sun Jun and Wu Zhu. It's too late to regret when someone else shaves it!
When my family is rich, we should try our best to shave by ourselves, without waiting for the day to shave or for others to shave. What do you mean by scraping yourself? It is nothing more than three words: clear, cautious and diligent. I recently changed the Ming word into a base word. The word prudence is changed to modesty, and the word diligence is changed to labor, which is particularly easy to understand. There is a place to do it. In the past, Brother Yuan was not very careful about the receipt and payment of money. Friends laugh at you and look down on you. That's the root cause. Don't take money casually in the future, send money to your family and send more relatives. This is a cheap time. Modesty exists in the hearts of others, but it is manifested in four aspects: first, face, second, words, third, letters, and fourth, subordinates. Brother Yuan recruited 6,000 people at a time, but Ji Di didn't recruit 3,000 people. This is impossible for other commanders, but it can still be done in his brother's place, which is quite convenient. And every time my brother writes a letter, he always asks for tents, gunpowder and other things, which is often ironic. If it is uneven, he writes to my silly brother, so the letter to others is more obvious. Yuan Di's servant attache is very arrogant, and his face is verbal. I didn't see him socializing with people. Shen Fu once said that he treated him in this tone a few years ago, and he still feels sorry! In the future, we should repent of our mistakes in these two aspects, which is modesty. It is difficult to count a few things to worry about every day when you are sleepy. This is the hard work.
Because of my great reputation and high status, I am often afraid that the blessings left by my ancestors will be exhausted by me alone, so I use the words "labor, modesty and honesty" to be vigilant at all times, and I hope that the two wise brothers can be vigilant and use them to scrape themselves flat.