Original text:
Liu Er's nephew asks for a book.
Author: Su Shi
It's not enough just to retire like a mountain. You have to read thousands of books to understand God.
Your family has its own yuan and feet, so don't be tired of asking people about chickens.
Translation:
Even if bald handwriting piles up like a mountain, it is not worth cherishing. Only by reading thousands of books thoroughly can we realize the creative realm of "connecting the gods".
Your Liu family has a calligrapher, Liu Zongyuan, who is your own treasure (domestic chicken). Don't reject this treasure, learn "Yuan He Jiao" well first, and then ask for advice from other calligraphy styles.
Extended data:
In the first two sentences, Su Shi thinks that the art of calligraphy can't be practiced only by light pen, and high-grade calligraphy needs a high degree of cultural literacy to support it. Reading thousands of books is a way to improve one's quality. Reading thousands of books can deepen one's knowledge, make knowledge and art permeate each other, understand the spirit and produce new ideas.
The last two poems say that those who have the origin of family studies should inherit family studies first, then learn from others and seek new development. In a word, these four poems are profound in meaning, endurable to chew, tireless in reading and always new in reading.