The most important thing in life is diligence. What can you get if you don't explore (labor)? In other words, people's life lies in diligence, and if they don't actively seek it, they will get nothing. This sentence was said by Zhang Heng in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and Zhang Hengchuan was written by Ye Fan in the Southern Dynasties.

The original excerpt is as follows:

Once upon a time, there was a king of Wen who asked for more blessings. Life is hard work and no gain. If you condescend to yourself, what kind words can you help each other? Singing in a tree is a golden sound and a vibration of jade.

Vernacular translation:

In the past, Zhou Wenwang actively sought all kinds of blessings. A person's life lies in diligence, where can he get something without asking for it? Why don't you bow and bow, wronged yourself, and won the world with good words? Just like a bird singing on a tall tree, it can make a loud sound of harmony between gold and jade.

Extended data

Ye Fan (398-445), born in Yang Shun County (now Xichuan, Henan Province), was an official, historian and writer in the Southern Song Dynasty, the great-grandson of Wang Fan, general of Anbei in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the grandson of Fan Ning, the son of Fan Tai.

He was brilliant all his life and made outstanding achievements in history. The book "The History of the Later Han Dynasty" is rich in materials, rigorous in structure and rich in words, and is also called "the first four histories" with Historical Records, History of the Han Dynasty and History of the Three Kingdoms.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia-Ye Fan

Baidu Encyclopedia-Diligence Famous Words