"Since ancient times, great talents have suffered many hardships, but dandies have never been great men" comes from the modern Wang Baochi's Qilu "Encouraging Learning", written in 1980.
The original text is:
It is expensive to explore the road in the woods, and there are wonders wherever there are no traces. Since ancient times, great men have faced many hardships, while dandy men have rarely been great men.
The wonderful scenery in Shushan is diligently used as a path, and the deep spring is known to be hard-working as a string. The romantic is willing to lag behind others, but the air is far ahead of others.
Vernacular translation: The key to trekking on the road of knowledge is to persevere and keep moving forward, just like there are often wonderful scenery in places where no one has reached. Since ancient times, people with great talents and strategies have always experienced a lot of hardships, and few of those playboys have outstanding talents.
The scenery at the peak of knowledge is wonderful, and only diligence is the way to success. To see the spring of hope in the ocean of knowledge, hardship must be used as a string. Scholars do not seek to be elegant and suave, but their stalwart temperament and bearing can be far ahead of those so-called rich people.
Extended information:
Wang Baochi, the author of Qilu "Encouraging Learning", was born in October 1958 in Dongguang County, Hebei Province. He started working in 1976 and worked successively in the County Agricultural Bureau and the County Party Committee He worked in the Rural Work Department and the county government office. He was appointed as the township head in 1986 and the township party committee secretary in 1990.
Since 1994, he has served as the County Family Planning Director, Transportation Director, Water Affairs Director, etc.; in September 1999, he was appointed as a member of the Party Leadership Group of the County Government and Assistant to the County Magistrate; in 2004, he was appointed as Vice Chairman of the County CPPCC; in 2007, he was appointed as Member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee. In September 2011, he was appointed Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the County CPPCC.
Wang Baochi loves literature and calligraphy. He likes to practice calligraphy and write poetry after work. In 1999, he set up his own personal website "Dexin Studio", with the online name "The Master of the Cottage". He published his literary works on the website, which was highly praised by netizens. In particular, his seven-character "Encouragement to Study" written in 1980 has been widely circulated on the Internet and has become a famous saying that inspires people with lofty ideals to work hard.