Zeng Guofan's original letter:
1October 2 1 day, I received a letter from Jiu Ge, Changsha, which contained a six-page diary on the road and a pack of medicine outside. I was glad to receive a letter from home on September 2.
Since Jiu Ge left Beijing, I have been worried every day, fearing that the road will change greatly, which is hard to guess. And after reading the book, I didn't expect it. I work hard and go home. Fortunately, I am lucky! I don't know enough about Zheng's companions. Yu Zitang is so good, I really appreciate it!
When I was in Changsha, I didn't talk about Pengshan. What is this?
Fourth brother's letter was written in great detail, and his ambition was overflowing between the lines. However, if you want to go to the museum, what's the point? However, it is said that home learning is too close to home, which is easy to delay. Might as well go out and wash your ears. However, studying abroad as a teacher will not delay. If you go abroad to teach, you will lose more time than home school. And if you can stand on your own feet, you can study at home, that is, in the wilderness, in the busy fields, or in paid grazing. If you can't stand on your own feet, you can't study at home, that is, you can't study in a clean country or a fairy land. Why choose land, why choose time, but ask yourself whether it is true or not.
Brother Liu blames himself, and Yu also thinks deeply; However, if I give in to a small test without complaining, I will snicker that my ambition is small and I am not worried. The ambition of a gentleman is also a matter of people, and the amount of things is also the industry of being a saint inside and a king outside. Then, if you are not satisfied with your parents' life, you are worthy of perfection in heaven and earth. Therefore, it is a worry, and it is not as good as Shun and Duke Zhou, and it is also a worry of virtue without learning. Therefore, stubborn people worry about it, barbarians worry about it in summer, villains worry about it when they are in power and sages don't shut up, and ordinary people don't worry about it themselves. The so-called compassion, this gentleman is also worried. If a husband is one, the whole family will be hungry and full, and the world will honor gains and losses, dignity and reputation. The gentleman was too worried, and the sixth brother succumbed to the quiz, calling himself strange, and the poor laughed at his little worries.
Since the first day of October, I have written everything I read every day in books, so that I can cure it and write regular script. Feng Shutang and Yu Tong keep diaries, and they also keep diaries. Shutang is extremely modest, loves me as a brother, respects me as a teacher, and will definitely achieve something in the future. I've always had one shortcoming, that is, I don't change. From then on, I can be the same for life. Gaiming is a good teacher and friend, who can enter but can't retreat. I wanted to copy the textbook for my brother, but I couldn't copy it because Teacher Jinghai came today and wanted to take it back. 1 1 month offers, please copy a few pages and send them back.
Translation:
1October 2 1 day, I received a letter in Jiu Ge, Changsha, which contained six pages of travel diary and a pack of medicine. On the 22nd, I received letters from two families in early September, and I was glad to learn that everything was gratifying.
I haven't been worried for a day since Jiu Ge left Beijing. I'm afraid the road is changeable and unpredictable. After reading the letter, it was as I expected, and it took a lot of trouble to get home. Lucky! How lucky! It's not enough just to follow Zheng, I knew it. I can't thank you enough for being so friendly at Yuzitang. When I was in Changsha, I didn't mention Peng Shanjue. Why?
The fourth brother's letter was written in detail, revealing his ambition to encourage himself between the lines; But you must go out and find a school. What does that mean? However, it is said that home and school are too close to home, which is easy to delay. Might as well go out quietly. However, studying abroad as a teacher naturally does not delay. If you teach abroad, the delay will be even worse than at home.
And if you can really stand on your own feet, then you can study at home, that is, in the wild and busy places, you can also study, pick firewood, graze, and all of them can study. If you can't stand on your own feet, it's not suitable for studying at home, even in a clean place and a fairy environment. Why choose a place? Why choose the time? Just ask yourself if your ambition of self-reliance is true.
Brother Liu complained that his fate was not good, and I was deeply convinced; But when he failed in a small test, he complained. I laughed at his ambition and anxiety. A gentleman is determined to have the ability to plead for the people, to have the virtue of cultivating a saint inside and a hero outside the world, and then to live up to his parents and give birth to himself. He deserves to be a perfect man between heaven and earth. So he is worried that he is not as good as Emperor Shun and Duke Zhou, and he is worried that his virtue is not cultivated and his knowledge is not great.
Therefore, stubborn and unruly people are difficult to influence, so they are worried; If savage barbarians and cunning summers can't be conquered, they will worry; The villain is in power, and the sage is far away, so he is worried; Ordinary women are worried if they don't get their favor. This is what is commonly called compassion. This is a gentleman's worry. If it is a person's grievances and grievances, a family's hunger, secular honor and disgrace, gains and losses, dignity, decay and reputation, a gentleman has no time to worry about these.
Brother Liu was wronged by the small test and claimed that his life was bad. I sniggered that what he was worried about was too small.
From the first day of October, I wrote down every idea and everything in a book so as to overcome it at any time and write it down in print. Feng Shutang and I started from the same diary, and there are also daily class brochures. Shutang is very open-minded, loves me as a brother, respects me as a teacher, and will definitely achieve something in the future. I've always had a problem with perseverance. From the beginning of keeping a diary, I can promise to persevere all my life. Mentor and friend, holding me hostage again and again, can only enter but not retreat.
I want to copy my daily textbooks for my brothers. Teacher Jinghai came to bring it back today, so I don't have time to copy it. 1 1 There will be a signalman in the month, and I plan to copy a few pages and send them back.