Original text:

When Gaishi people study, they must first have ambition, secondly have knowledge, and thirdly have perseverance. If you have ambition, you will not be willing to be inferior; if you have knowledge, you will know that knowledge is endless, and you will not dare to be self-sufficient in one thing. You are like a river boy looking at the sea, like a frog in a well peeping into the sky. They are all ignorant; if you have perseverance, you will be able to accomplish anything. All three are indispensable. At this time, my brothers, I can only understand that it cannot be a few steps; as for having ambition and perseverance, I can only encourage them.

——Quoted from "The Complete Works of Zeng Wenzhenggong"

Translation:

When scholars study, they must first have ambition, secondly have knowledge, and thirdly Third, we must have perseverance. If you are ambitious, you will not be willing to be a mean person; if you are knowledgeable, you will know that there is no end to learning, and you will not dare to be complacent with a little experience, just like a river boy looking at the sea, or a frog in a well looking at the sky, these are people without knowledge; if you have perseverance, you will not be successful. Things that can't be solved. These three things are indispensable. Dear brothers, you can't rush to gain knowledge right now. As for ambition and perseverance, I hope you can work hard.

Central idea: Learn to read.

Extended information

"The Complete Works of Zeng Wenzhenggong" is a book published by China Bookstore Publishing House in 2011. The author is Zeng Guofan. This book presents the complete "Complete Works of Zeng Wenzhenggong" published by Chuanzhong Bookstore in a simplified Chinese version for the first time.

This book is a collection of essays by Zeng Guofan, a famous official of the late Qing Dynasty. It adopts the earliest and currently considered the most classic version, the Chuanzhong Bookstore edition.

Zeng Guofan is known as the three immortals for his meritorious services, virtues and words, which are embodied in this set of "The Complete Works of Zeng Wenzhenggong". The whole book collects the main cultural essence of Zeng Guofan's life, reflecting from different aspects the wisdom of this "most perfect man throughout the ages" in self-cultivation, family management, country governance, and world peace. The language is plain and easy to understand, and at the same time it contains rich knowledge and Life experience.

The complete collection was edited by dozens of scholars, celebrities, officials and gentry at that time. On the basis of the original text, a large amount of processing and organization work was also carried out in an attempt to convey the most valuable content to future generations. Present it better and pass on Zeng Guofan's knowledge to future generations.

The whole book includes one volume for the first time, thirty volumes of memorials, thirty-three volumes of letters, twenty-eight volumes of poems from eighteen schools of thought, twenty-six volumes of miscellaneous works of classics and history, and six volumes of manuscripts. There are four volumes of collected works, four volumes of poetry collections, two volumes of Ming Yuantang's papers, two volumes of compilations of hundreds of classics and history, ten volumes of Qiuquezhai's reading records, two volumes of Qiuquezhai's diary notes, ten volumes of chronicles, etc.

Catalog of works

The book is divided into twelve volumes. The specific contents of the volumes are as follows:

Volume 1: The first volume, the chronicle of Zeng Wenzhenggong Twelve volumes, two volumes of Qiuquezhai's diary notes

Volume 2: Volumes 1 to 12 of Zeng Wenzhenggong's memorials

Volume 3: Zeng Wenzhenggong Volumes 13 to 24 of the memorials

Volume 4: Volumes 25 to 30 of the memorials by Zeng Wenzhenggong, and six volumes of official stamps written by Zeng Wenzhenggong

< p>Volume 5: Volumes 1 to 13 of the Letters of Zeng Wenzheng

Volume 6: Volumes 14 to 27 of the Letters of Zeng Wenzheng

Volume 7: Volumes 28 to 33 of the Letters of Zeng Wenzhenggong, four volumes of the collected works of Zeng Wenzhenggong, and four volumes of Zeng Wenzhenggong's miscellaneous works

Volume 8: Notes on Poems of Eighteen Families Volumes 1 to 16

Volume 9: Volumes 17 to 28 of Poems of the Eighteen Masters, Four Volumes of Zeng Wenzhenggong’s Poems

Tenth Volume: Volumes 1 to 13 of Miscellaneous Notes of One Hundred Schools of Classics and History

Volume 11: Volumes 14 to 26 of Miscellaneous Notes of One Hundred Schools of Classics and History

Volume 12: Two volumes of compilations of hundreds of classics and history, two volumes of Ming Yuantang's papers, and ten volumes of Qiuquezhai's reading records

Reference materials: Baidu Encyclopedia - Complete Works of Zeng Wenzhenggong