Original text:
The gentleman said: You can’t stop learning.
Green, derived from blue, and green from blue; ice, derived from water, and cold from water. The wood is straight and the rope is shaped like a wheel, and its curves are regular. Although there is violence, those who no longer stand up are the ones who make it happen. Therefore, if wood is supported by a rope, it will be straight; if metal is sharpened, it will be beneficial; if a gentleman is knowledgeable and examines himself every day, he will know how to act without making mistakes. I have been thinking about it all day long, and it is not as good as what I learned in just a moment.
It is better for me to stand on my knees and look forward, than to get a better view by climbing high. When you climb high and make moves, your arms are not lengthened, but the sight is far away; when you call along the wind, the sound is not faster, but the sound is louder when heard. A fake horse can travel thousands of miles without benefiting from its feet; a fake boat can run a thousand miles without benefiting from the water. A gentleman's life is not different, he is good at things and fake things.
When soil accumulates, mountains become the wind and rain; when water accumulates, the abyss becomes abyss, dragons emerge; when good deeds accumulate, virtue becomes virtuous, and the gods are satisfied with themselves, and the holy heart is prepared. Therefore, if you do not accumulate steps, you cannot reach a thousand miles; if you do not accumulate small streams, you cannot reach a river or sea. A horse can't take ten steps with one leap; a horse can ride ten times, but it's hard to give up. If you persevere, the rotten wood will not be broken; if you persevere, the metal and stone can be carved.
An earthworm has no sharp claws and teeth, nor strong muscles and bones. It eats earth and drinks from the underworld. A crab with six knees and two pincers is not a snake and eel that has nothing to rely on in its cave, so it means it is impatient.
Translation:
A gentleman says: Learning should never stop. For example, the dye indigo is extracted from indigo, but it is greener than indigo; ice cubes are formed by the condensation of cold water, but they are colder than water. The wood is straight and conforms to the ink line, but (extraction with fire) makes it bend into a wheel, (then) the curvature of the wood (then) conforms to (round to) the general standard of a compass, even if it is dried in the sun, (the wood) Nor will it stand straight again, as it was made so by extraction with fire. Therefore, wood becomes straight when compared with the ink line, and a metal sword becomes sharp when it is ground on a whetstone. A gentleman learns extensively and examines and reflects on himself every day, then he will be wise and reasonable and his actions will be faultless. .
I used to think hard all day long, (but) it was not as good as the knowledge (gain) gained in a moment; I once stood on tiptoe and looked into the distance, (but) it was not as good as climbing to a high place. wide. When you reach a high place and wave, your arms are not lengthened, but people in the distance can see it; when you shout along the wind, your voice is not louder, but the listeners can hear you clearly. People who use cars and horses are not good at walking, but they can reach thousands of miles away; people who use boats and boats are not good at swimming, but they can cross the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. A gentleman's qualifications and temperament are no different from those of ordinary people, (it's just that a gentleman is good at using external things).
The accumulation of earth and rocks creates mountains, and wind and rain rise from here; the accumulation of water flows creates abyss, and dragons emerge from here; the accumulation of good deeds develops noble character, and the mind will naturally become clear, and you will have The spiritual realm of the saint. Therefore, without accumulating one and a half steps, there is no way to reach a thousand miles; without accumulating small flows, there is no way to form rivers and seas. A good horse can reach the distance less than ten steps in one leap; a bad horse can reach the destination in ten days in a carriage, and its achievements come from walking non-stop. (If) it stops after a few carvings, (then) the rotten wood will continue to carve. (If) you keep carving, (then) you can carve gold and stone successfully. Earthworms do not have sharp claws or teeth, but they have strong muscles and bones, but they can eat soil upwards and drink water from the soil downwards. This is because they are single-minded. A crab has six legs and two claws. If there are no caves for snakes or eels, it will have nowhere to hide. This is because it has impetuous intentions.
Extended information:
"Encouraging Learning" is the work of Xunzi, a thinker and writer during the Warring States Period. It is the first chapter of the book "Xunzi". The article systematically discusses the theories and methods of learning, and comprehensively and profoundly discusses the issues related to learning from the aspects of the importance of learning, attitude towards learning, and the content and methods of learning.
The full text can be divided into four paragraphs. The first paragraph explains the importance of learning, the second paragraph talks about the correct attitude towards learning, the third paragraph talks about the content of learning, and the fourth paragraph talks about how learning should start and end well. The full text has in-depth reasoning and rigorous structure, representing the mature stage of pre-Qin essays.
Word notes:
Junzi: refers to a learned and cultivated person.
Learning cannot stop (yǐ): learning cannot stop.
Green comes from blue: indigo, obtained from indigo grass. Cyan, indigo, a dye. Indigo, Polygonum indica, is an annual herb whose leaves contain blue juice, which can be used as blue dye.
中 (zhòng) rope: (wood) conforms to the straightened ink line. Rope, ink line.
輮(róu): Tong "煣", an ancient craft of bending wood strips by roasting them with fire.
Compass: Compass, a tool for drawing circles.
Although there is (yòu) 槁风(pù): even if it is dried again. Yes, it passes "you". Haggard, withered. Bao, same as "exposure", sun-drying.
Stiff: straight.
By the rope: measured with the ink line.
Gold: refers to metal swords, etc. Just sharpen: take it to a whetstone and grind it. Sharpen, whetstone. Just, verb, close, close.
Rishen (cān) Province (xǐng) Huji: Reflect on yourself every day. Shen, the first translation is to check, check; the second translation is the same as "三", multiple times. Save, check. Hu, preposition, at. Erudite: Learn widely. Day: every day.
Zhi (zhì): through "wisdom", wisdom. Ming: Mingda.
Conduct without fault: Conduct without fault.
Last words: Still ancient teachings.
Qian (hán): Same as "Han", the name of an ancient country in the northeast of present-day Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province. It was destroyed by the State of Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period and became Wu Yi, which refers to the State of Wu. Yi: The ethnic group living in the east of China in ancient times. Raccoon dog (mò): Tong "貊", a nation living in the northeast of China in ancient times.
Six lines of "Sigh, Gentleman": For the introduction of the poem, see "The Book of Songs·Xiaoya·Xiaoming". Jing, An. ***, through "for". Introduce, give. View, big.
Xuyu (yú): a moment, a while.
跂(qǐ): stand on tiptoe.
Bojian: The scope of seeing is wide, and the scope of knowledge is broad.
Disease: The sound is loud.
Ang: Obviously, clearly. This means hearing more clearly.
Reference materials:
Encouragement to study - Baidu Encyclopedia