Song Lian
When I was a child, I was addicted to learning (2). My family was poor and I couldn't read. Every time I borrow books from the library (3), I take notes and count the days when I pay back the money. It's cold, the inkstone is hard, fingers can't bend and stretch, and I'm lazy (4). After recording, I will take (5) as a gift, but I dare not exceed the appointment (6) slightly, so many people regard the book as a holiday, and I will finish reading it. It not only increases the crown (7), but also benefits the way of respecting sages (8), and suffers from no masters, no nameless people and no tourists (9). Taste a hundred miles away (10) and ask questions to the leaders in your hometown (1 1). First, Delong looked at the statue, and his disciples filled his room. He never let go (12). Yu Lishi waited around, assisted the suspect (13) and leaned over to ask questions; Or when being scolded (14), the more respectful and polite, the more afraid to say a word. Once they are happy (15), please ask again. So although I am stupid, I have heard about my death (16).
When Yu studied as a teacher, he dragged himself (17) in the ravine. Poor winter (18) gale, snow several feet deep, chapped skin (19) without knowing it. To give up, the limbs are stiff (20), so people hold Tangwo Irrigation (2 1) and hold shoes (22), which is a long-term harmony. If you stay with your host (23) and eat (24) every day, you won't enjoy the taste of fresh fat. All the students are embroidered by Qi (25), wearing hats decorated with (26), with a circle of white jade (27) around their waist, a sword on the left and a bad smell on the right (28), and (29) looks like a god. In the rest, robes and clothes (30) are slightly unattractive; Because there are enough things in your heart to make you happy, don't feel that the enjoyment of food is not as good as others. Gaiyu works hard. Although I am old (3 1) and have no achievements, I am still fortunate to be among the gentlemen (32), but I am proud of the son of heaven, and after posting (33) an official, I am a counselor, and the four seas are also hollow (34). What else?
Nowadays, students are studying in imperial academy (35), county officials have a little support every day (36), and their parents have the legacy of Qiu Ge (37), so they are not afraid of being frozen. There is no need to escape from sitting downstairs and reciting poems; There is a teacher, and the doctor (38) is a teacher. If you don't ask, don't tell, you can't ask; All the books should be kept here. There is no need to record them through other people's hands and read them later. Those who are not skilled in business and have poor morality are inferior in nature (39), so they are not dedicated to others, and others are embarrassed!
Dongyang Horse, who lived in imperial academy for two years, was called a saint by the younger generation (40). Yu Ducheng (4 1) was born in the same town (42) and wrote a long volume (43), which was very smooth; Debate with it and make peace with it (44). He said that he studied hard when he was young and was a good scholar. He was going home to visit his parents, and I told him about the difficulties in his studies. It is said that Yu Mian is a scholar, and so is Yu (45); After all, I am proud of the prosperity of my wealth and my hometown (46), but I'm afraid the rest are all!
[Introduction to the author]
Song Lian (Li á n Company) (1310—1381) was born in Jinhua and moved to the west (now Jinhua, Zhejiang). There was a literary name in his early years. From Yuan Dynasty to Mindfulness, he was recommended for editing by the Hanlin Academy, but he refused to give up his writing and write in seclusion in the mountains. Later, he and Liu Jitong were hired as consultants by Zhu Yuanzhang. After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the official to the academician undertook the task of knowing the imperial edict (responsible for drafting imperial edicts). Many imperial edicts were written by him, and he also led the revision of Yuan history. After returning to his hometown in his later years, he was involved in an incident, died on the way to relegation to Maozhou, Sichuan, and was "Wen Xian". He is the author of The Complete Works of Song Shi Xue. Some of Song Lian's biographies have realistic significance and vivid characters.
In this speech, the author described his early experience of seeking advice with humility and studying hard, and encouraged young people to cherish a good reading environment and concentrate on their studies. This paper vividly and concretely describes the difficulty of borrowing books from teachers and the pain of running around hungry and cold, and compares it with the superior conditions of Taiji students, which strongly shows that whether or not academic achievements depend mainly on subjective efforts, not on the level of talent and the quality of conditions. This understanding of the author still has reference significance today. But what he said about the purpose and content of learning is not enough. This article has distinct layers. Detailed description, sincere feelings and fluent writing.
[Notes]
(1) Dongyang: Dongyang County, Zhejiang Province today, belonged to Jinhua Prefecture with Qianxi at that time. Ma Sheng: Tai's student's surname is Ma, which is Ma Junze in the article. Foreword: Stylistic names include book foreword and gift foreword. This article is a preface to the gift.
(2) Yu: First, studious: I like reading.
(3) borrow: borrow.
(4) Laziness: that is, "lazy" and not lazy.
(5) Go: Run, which means "hurry" here.
(6) overdue: exceeding the agreed time limit.
We're already here. Crown raising: When an ancient man reached the age of 20, he held a crown raising ceremony to show his manhood.
(8) The way of sages: refers to the way of Confucius and Mencius. Song Lian is a neo-Confucian, advocating benevolence, righteousness and morality, so he is highly respected.
(9) The book says: A master is a scholar. Travel: making friends.
(10) Taste: Zeng. Trend: Go.
(1 1) Hometown Pioneer: a well-known local elder with moral knowledge. This refers to ancient writers such as Liu Guan from Pujiang and Huang Cheng from Yiwu. Ask for scriptures: bring scriptures for advice.
(12) slightly lower rhetoric: words and attitudes are very serious, and there is nothing casual.
(13) aid nature: ask questions and ask the truth.
(14) scold (eat) (toot toot): reprimand.
(15) once (Sisi): and so on. Symplectic (xρnXin): Homosymplectic.
(16) pawn: finally.
(17) basket (stolen by qiè): box. Drag (night) slippers.
(18) Poor winter: deep winter.
(19) chapped skin (jūn army): The skin is cracked due to dryness or cold.
(20) Stiff: Stiff.
(2 1) Any: This refers to the waiting servant. Tang nest irrigation: refers to drinking or soaking in hot water.
(22)(qρn Qin): quilt.
(23) the boss of the reverse tour: the boss of the hotel.
(24) Daily feeding: two meals a day.
(25) Embroidered sutra (p θ θ θ θ θ θ θ θ θ θ θ θ θ θ θ θ 92) is the same as "wearing". Qi, patterned silk.
(26) Zhu Yingbao ornaments: Red tassels are dotted with beads and other ornaments.
(27) White jade ring at the waist: a white jade ring is hung at the waist.
(28) Odor tolerance: sachet.
(29) Leaves (page yè) Natural: bright luster.
Robe: A robe made of coarse cloth. My clothes: rags.
(3 1) wool hat is old: old. People in their eighties and nineties are called Yao. Song Lian is sixty-nine years old at this time.
Luckily, I had the honor to attend. A gentleman refers to a scholar with moral knowledge.
(33) Affix: Here is the meaning of "following".
(34) False report: improper praise. This is the author's modest words.
(35) Students: refers to students. Imperial academy: A school established by the central government in the Ming Dynasty to educate scholars, called imperial academy or imperial academy.
County magistrate: This refers to the imperial court. This is a good example.
(37) Qiuqiu: leather clothes. G: summer clothes. Legacy (wèi): Gift, here refers to assistance.
(38) Division and Doctor: Deputy Chief and Professor of imperial academy respectively.
(39) Unborn inferiority: If it weren't for low talent.
(40) generation: peers.
(4 1) Chao: In the old days, courtiers appeared before the monarch. When Song Lian wrote this article, he came to Beijing from his hometown and met Zhu Yuanzhang in Nanjing.
(42) Being a countryman: Being the son of a countryman. Yaya: Come and see me.
(43) Transfer earning: the same as "transfer" and writing. Long book: long letter. Basket (Zhi Zhi): A gift given when we first met in ancient times.
(44) Yi: Yi.
(45) "Yu Yu" sentence: I think I am encouraging fellow villagers to study hard, which is my original intention.
(46) Defamation: slander. Prosperous fortune: encountering honor refers to the appreciation and reuse of the emperor. Fellow townsman: Be proud of fellow townsman.
[translation]
When I was young, I liked studying very much. My family is so poor that I have no money to buy books. I often borrow books from people who have books at home, and copy the contents of the books with my own pen, which is a good day and returns them on time. In winter, the weather is very cold. The ink in the inkstone is as hard as ice, and my fingers are too cold to bend and stretch, and I never dare to be lazy. Return the book quickly after copying, and dare not exceed the agreed date at all. Therefore, people are often willing to lend me books. So I can read many books. By the time I was 20 years old, I was even more envious of the moral thoughts of sages, and worried that without smart teachers, I would not be able to make celebrity friends. I used to travel hundreds of miles away, following the famous and learned ancestors of our village, holding classic works and asking for advice humbly. These ancestors have high morality and high prestige. Many people and disciples came to study, and the room was full. Their words and expressions are always serious. I stood respectfully, accompanied by my elders, asking them questions carefully, asking the truth, and often leaning down carefully for advice; Sometimes, when I meet the anger of my elders, my face is more humble and my manners are more comprehensive, and I dare not say a word to answer; The elder was happy and asked him questions. So, although I am stupid, I finally learned a lot of knowledge.
When I studied with my teacher, I trudged through the mountains and valleys with my book box on my back and my shoes on. In the cold winter, the wind was blowing hard, and the snow accumulated several feet deep, and the skin on my feet was frozen and cracked. When I got to my place, my limbs were stiff and I couldn't move. My maid washed my hands with hot water, surrounded me with a quilt and covered me. It took a long time to warm up. Living in the host's house, eating the next day, there is no fresh and delicious taste to enjoy. The students who live together are all wearing beautiful silk embroidered clothes, red tassels, white jade rings on their belts, a knife on the left and a bag of incense on the right, all shining like immortals. I am wearing shabby clothes among them, and I don't envy glamorous ideas at all, because I have enough studies in my heart to make me happy, so I don't feel inferior to others in food and clothing. I study very hard, and that's about it. Now, although I am old and have not achieved anything, I am fortunate to be an official in the DPRK. Thanks to the brilliance of the son of heaven, I follow behind the officials and sit beside them every day, ready to answer their questions. Even if the surnames and names of officials are noble, some people in the world call them wrong, and their talents are far superior to mine. (Note: This sentence means that my position is not as normal as that of an official, so it is not surprising. )
Now you students are studying in imperial academy, enjoying the meals provided by the imperial court every day, and enjoying the leather cloth provided by your parents every year, and there is no fear of freezing and hunger; Sitting under a tall house reading poetry books, there is no longer the hard work of running around reading; There are tutors in imperial academy to be your teachers. There will be no more cases where you ask questions without telling them and seek answers without results. All the books you should have are concentrated here, and you don't have to copy them yourself like me anymore. You have to borrow it from others to see the situation of the book. Among the students in imperial academy, if there are people who are not diligent in their studies and have poor moral cultivation, it is not that they are less gifted than others, but that they are not as attentive to their studies as I am. What's wrong with others?
Ma from Dongyang, you studied in imperial academy for two years, and your peers highly praised you for having both ability and political integrity. When I was in court in Kyoto, Ma Sheng met me as the son of a fellow countryman and wrote a long letter as a gift to meet my elders for the first time, which was very eloquent. When discussing the debate with Ma Sheng, Ma Sheng spoke with a modest attitude and an approachable face. Ma Sheng said that when he was young, he studied hard. Only such students can be called good students! Ma Sheng is going back to his hometown to meet his relatives, so I wrote down the difficulties in studying and told my younger generation. Saying that I encourage fellow villagers to study hard is exactly what I want; If I distort my original intention, brag about my good luck and be conceited in front of my fellow villagers, how can I understand my mind!