The original text and translation of Xu Heng's biography are as follows:
Original text
Xu Heng, courtesy name Zhongping, was born in Hanoi, Huaizhi, and was a farmer all his life. He entered school at the age of seven and was taught chapters and sentences. He asked his teacher: "What is the purpose of studying?" The teacher said: "Get Cordier!" He said: "That's all?" The teacher was surprised. Every time a book is given, one can also ask about its purpose. After a long time, the teacher said to his parents: "My son has extraordinary talent and enlightenment, and one day he will be better than others. I am not his teacher." Then he resigned, and his parents were so strong that they couldn't stop it.
In this case, there are three more teachers. When he was a little older, he was as hungry and thirsty for learning as he was, but he suffered from the chaos of the world and had no books. After fleeing to Mount Cuilai, Wang Fusi's theory of "Yi" was obtained. At that time, when the army was in chaos, I would think about it all night and recite it all day long, and practice it with my body. My words and actions would be inspired by all the meanings and then come out. When I was crossing the Yangtze River in the summer heat, I was very thirsty. There were pears in the road, and everyone was trying to eat them. Heng was sitting alone and contentedly under the tree. Or when asked, he said: "It is impossible to take something that does not exist." People said: "The world is in chaos, and this has no owner." He said: "The pear has no owner, and my heart alone has no owner?"
He transferred to Lu and stayed in Wei. People saw that he was virtuous and followed him a little. After living there for three years, I heard about the chaos and settled down, so I returned to my hometown. All funerals and marriages must be performed according to the ceremony, so as to encourage the people of the country and the scholars. If the family is poor, they work hard at farming. If the millet is ripe, they will eat it. If the millet is not ripe, they will eat the bran core and vegetables. If there is excess wealth, it will be divided among the clansmen and the poor in life.
When people leave something behind, there is no justice or acceptance. Yao Shu was summoned to the capital and lived in Heng's Xuezhai. He ordered the guards to stay in the palace, but Heng refused. There is a fruit in the garden that is ripe and rotten and falls to the ground. A boy passes by it and goes away without looking at it. This is how his family behaves.
Jiayin, the founder of the Qin Dynasty, wanted to convert the people of Qin, so he called Heng to study in Jingzhao. The people of Qin were newly separated from the army and wanted to learn without a teacher. When they heard that Heng was coming, everyone was happy to come to learn. Schools were built in all counties and counties, and the people were transformed. The ancestors of the Han Dynasty went south to conquer the country, but they were still pregnant. Scholars were unable to stay, so they sent him back to Lintong.
In the first year of Zhongtong, Shizu became the emperor and was summoned to the capital. Not long after, Heng Xie returned from illness. In the second year of the Yuan Dynasty, the emperor appointed An Tong as the right prime minister. In order to assist him, he summoned him back to the capital and ordered him to write to the province during the meeting.
Ahema was in charge of the affairs of Zhongshu Pingzhang, leading the six ministries of the Shangshu Province. Because he was good at power, he had great influence in the government and the opposition. In addition to Zuo Cheng in Russia, Heng was repeatedly dismissed.
The emperor wanted to open an imperial college for a long time, so Huiheng asked Yili to do so, so he followed his request. In the eighth year, he was appointed as a scholar of Jixian University and as a minister of the state. He personally selected Mongolian disciples to teach them. When Heng heard the fate, he said happily: "This is what I have to do. The country's people are very simple, and they are dedicated to hearing and seeing. If they are cultivated in a good class for a few years, they will definitely serve the country." The disciples selected at that time were all naive, and Heng treated them as such. As an adult, you love your child like a child, go in and out, and be as strict as a monarch and his ministers. When I have less time to recite lessons, I can practice etiquette or arithmetic.
Repaying illness with kindness. In the eighteenth year, Heng became seriously ill. He died at the age of seventy-three. No matter how young or old you are, everyone weeps at the door. When the scholars from all over the world heard the news, they all gathered together and cried. People from thousands of miles away come to offer sacrifices to those who are crying in their graves.
Translation
Xu Heng, courtesy name Zhongping, was from Hanoi, Huaizhou, and had been farming for generations. He had a unique temperament since he was a child. When he entered school at the age of seven, the teacher asked the students to analyze chapters and sentences. Xu Heng asked his teacher: "What are you studying for?" The teacher said: "To pass the imperial examination!" Xu Heng said : "Is that just for this?" The teacher was very surprised. Every time he was asked to read, he would ask about the meaning of the text.
After a long time, the teacher said to his parents: "This child is extremely smart and will definitely be far better than ordinary people one day. I am not suitable to be his teacher." So he said goodbye and left. My parents tried their best to keep her but could not. Like this *** three teachers were changed. As he grew up, Xu Heng was fond of reading and voraciously read. However, he encountered great chaos in the world at that time, and his family was poor and had no collection of books. Later, when he fled to Culai Mountain, he began to get Wang Fusi's explanation of "Yi".
It was a time of war. Xu Heng thought about it at night, read it during the day, experienced it personally, and worked hard to practice it. He must understand the righteousness of the book before acting and speaking. I once passed by Heyang on a hot summer day and was very thirsty. There was a pear tree next to the road. Everyone was vying to pick pears to eat, but Xu Heng was sitting alone under the tree, looking calm.
Someone asked him why he didn't pick pears to eat. He replied: "It is not allowed to eat pears that are not yours.
The man said: "The world is in chaos, and this tree has no owner." Xu Heng replied: "The pear tree has no owner, so don't I have an owner in my heart?"
Xu Heng later moved to Shandong and stayed in Weizhou. People saw that he was morally noble, and gradually began to Follow him. Xu Heng stayed in Weizhou for three years. He heard that the war was about to subside, so he returned to Huaizhou. He must follow the etiquette and law in all weddings and funerals, and encouraged his fellow villagers to do so. The number of people gradually increased.
Because his family was poor, Xu Heng went to work in the fields himself. He would eat grains when they were ripe and eat bran vegetables when they were not. The appearance is as beautiful as music. If the family has more money, Xu Heng will give it to his fellow tribesmen and poor students.
If people have any gifts, as long as they are not in line with etiquette, he will give them to others. He would not accept it. Once Yao Shu was summoned to the capital, he let Xu Heng live in his snow house and ordered the people who stayed behind to entertain him. Xu Heng refused. Some ripe fruit fell to the ground in the courtyard, and Xu Heng's child was taken away from him. After this experience, Xu Heng's family was so deeply influenced by him that he left the capital. This method was used to educate the people of Qin, so Heng was recruited to serve as a tutor in Jingzhao. The people of Qin had just escaped from the war and wanted to study without teachers. When they heard that Xu Heng came to take charge of education, everyone came to study happily.
Schools were built in all counties and counties, and the people were greatly influenced by education. Xu Heng then returned to Huaizhou. The students tried to persuade him to stay but failed, so they sent him to Lintong. Come back.
In the first year of Zhongtong, Shizu ascended the throne and summoned Xu Heng to return to the capital. Soon after, Xu Heng resigned and returned to his hometown. In 1999, the emperor appointed An Tong as the right prime minister and asked Xu Heng to assist him, so he summoned Xu Heng to the capital and asked him to participate in the affairs of the Zhongshu Province.
Ahema served as Zhongshu Pingzhang and political affairs. He was in charge of the affairs of the six ministries of the Shangshu Province, so he took over the political power, and his power was far greater than that of other people in the government and the opposition. For a while, many ministers were fawning on him. Xu Heng would speak out and not give in at all every time he discussed with him. Soon he was transferred to Zuo Cheng. Xu Heng repeatedly requested to resign.
The emperor had long wanted to establish the Imperial College, but Xu Heng repeatedly tried his best to resign, so he agreed to his request for eight years (in the Yuan Dynasty) and appointed Xu Heng to serve. Jixian University Scholar, who also served as the state's minister, personally selected Mongolian disciples for Xu Heng to educate him. Xu Heng received the appointment and said happily: "This is what I should do.
The original and simple qualities of the Chinese people have not been lost, and they are very attentive to what they see and hear. If they are trained among kind and virtuous people for a few years, they will definitely become useful members of the country. Talent. "The disciples he chose at that time were all still young. Xu Heng treated them like adults and loved and cared for them like his own children. The etiquette of entering and exiting was as strict as the relationship between king and minister. During his free time after school, he let them learn etiquette. Sometimes he practiced calligraphy and arithmetic.
(Later) Xu Heng requested to return to his hometown of Huaizhou (in the Yuan Dynasty). Xu Heng died of illness soon at the age of seventy-three. Rich, poor, young and old all cried and worshiped in front of Xu Heng Ling. When they heard the news of Xu Heng's death, they all gathered together and cried bitterly. Some people came from thousands of miles away to pay homage to Xu Heng's tomb. p>