The original text

The gentleman said: You can't learn. Green, take it from blue, and green is blue; Ice, water for it, but colder than water. The wood is straight in the rope. Think of it as a wheel, and its curve is in the rules. Although there is a crisis, those who no longer stand up will make it happen. Therefore, the wood is straight by the rope, the gold is sharp and beneficial, and the gentleman is knowledgeable and saves himself every day, so he knows clearly and does nothing wrong.

I think all day long, so it's better to learn in an instant. I've tasted it and looked forward to it. It's better to climb the mountain and see it. Climb high and recruit, the arm is not lengthened, but the person who sees it is far away; Call with the wind, the sound is not added to the disease, but the listener is obvious. Those who cheat on horses are not good enough, but cause thousands of miles; Those who fake a boat can't live in water, but can't live in rivers. A gentleman's life is not different, and he is good at fake things.

the accumulation of soil makes mountains, and the wind and rain flourish; Little drops of water make an ocean, the dragon is born; Accumulate goodness into virtue, while the gods are complacent and the sacred heart is prepared. Therefore, if you don't accumulate steps, you won't be able to travel thousands of miles; If you don't accumulate small streams, you can't make rivers and seas. Leap, not ten steps; It's a great contribution to the success of Xu Ma. Perseverance, rotten wood does not fold; Perseverance, the stone can be carved. Earthworms have no advantage of minions, and their bones and muscles are strong. They eat the earth and drink the yellow earth, and they are also attentive. The crab kneels six times and pinches two times. It is not the snake's hole that has no sustenance, but it is also impetuous.

Translation

The gentleman said: Learning can't stop. Indigo is extracted from bluegrass, but its color is bluer than bluegrass; Ice is condensed by water, but it is colder than water. A piece of wood is very straight, which conforms to the carpenter's straight ink line. If it is bent by fire to make a wheel, its curvature can conform to the circle planned by compasses.

even if it is dried in the sun, it can no longer be straight, which is due to human processing. Therefore, when the wood is scratched by ink lines, the axe and saw will be straight, and the metal sword will be sharpened when it is worn on the grindstone. A gentleman can learn extensively and check himself every day, so that he can be intelligent and knowledgeable, and his behavior will be blameless.

I used to daydream all day, but I didn't get as much as a moment's study. I have stood on tiptoe and looked far away, so I might as well climb high to see widely. Climbing high and waving, the arm does not grow, but people can see it in the distance; Shouting along the wind didn't get louder, but the listener heard it clearly.

People who use chariots and horses can travel thousands of miles, not with their feet fast; People who use boats can not swim, but can cross the Yangtze River and Yellow River. Gentlemen are no different in nature from ordinary people, but they are good at learning with the help of foreign things. When the soil accumulates into a mountain, the wind and rain will rise from there; Water becomes a deep pool, where dragons will grow; Accumulate good deeds and cultivate good moral character, so that we can reach a high spiritual realm, develop wisdom and possess the thoughts of saints.

so if you don't accumulate small steps, there is no way to travel thousands of miles; Without converging the trickle, there is no way to become a river and sea. A fine horse can't jump ten paces at a time; A bad horse can go a long way by pulling a cart for ten days. Its success lies in its non-stop walking. Carve it and let it go. Don't carve it, nor can rotten wood be carved. If you don't stop carving, the stone can also be carved successfully.

Earthworms have no sharp claws and strong bones and muscles, but they can eat dirt and drink groundwater, which is because they are single-minded. Crabs have six feet and two crab claws, but without snakes and eel holes, there is no place to rely on their bodies to survive. This is because they are impetuous and not single-minded.

Extended materials

Creation background

During the Warring States Period, the slavery system further collapsed, the feudal system gradually formed, and history experienced epoch-making changes. Many thinkers expressed their opinions on the social changes at that time from different standpoints and angles, and gradually formed different factions such as Mohism, Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism, which were called "hundred schools of thought" in history.

hundred schools of thought has written many books, publicized his own ideas and criticized others, resulting in a situation of "a hundred schools of thought contend". Xunzi was a representative figure of Confucianism in the late Warring States period. He believes that the existence of nature is independent of human will, but people can use subjective efforts to understand it, adapt to it and use it. In order to reveal the significance of learning the day after tomorrow, he created the article "Encouraging Learning".

Author's brief introduction

Xunzi (circa 313-238 BC), whose name was "Qing" when people respected him, was also called Sun Qing in the Western Han Dynasty to avoid the taboo of Liu Xun, the Emperor Xuandi of Han Dynasty, because "Xun" and "Sun" have the same ancient sound. At the end of the Warring States period, the Yi family of Zhao (now Anze County, Shanxi Province) was a representative figure in the late pre-Qin Confucianism.

Xun Kuang is a thinker of the emerging landlord class. His knowledge is profound. On the basis of inheriting the early Confucianism, he absorbed the strengths of various schools to synthesize and transform, established his own ideological system, and developed the ancient materialism tradition. There are 32 existing Xunzi, most of which are Xunzi's own works, involving many aspects of philosophy, logic, politics and morality.

Xunzi criticized all schools, but praised Confucius' thought as the best idea of governing the country. Xunzi claimed to be the heir of Confucius, and especially inherited Confucius's "foreign Wang Xue". From the standpoint of epistemology, he critically summarized and absorbed hundred schools of thought's theoretical ideas, and formed a distinctive view of nature, morality and social history, and on this basis, he summarized the pre-Qin philosophy.

The issues of Heaven, Destiny and Heaven have always been the concerns of various families in the pre-Qin period. During the Yin, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasties, "Heaven" and "Destiny" were regarded as personality gods. When it came to Confucius, its personality color was diluted. Confucius mainly talked about benevolence by kissing, but regarded destiny as a blind dominant force.

after Confucius, his disciples and later scholars tried to connect "benevolence", "mind" and "destiny". On the one hand, the pursuit of "benevolence" and "mind" was supported by ontology; on the other hand, the "heaven", "destiny" and "heaven" were rationalized and valued.

Xunzi has taken elements from Taoist views on nature, such as Heaven, Heaven and Destiny. However, its theoretical purpose is not to move towards naturalism, but to highlight the separation between heaven and man, and then to construct his own theory of humanity based on the separation between heaven and man.

Xunzi naturalized, objectified and regularized "Heaven", "Destiny" and "Heaven", which can be found in his article On Heaven. In Xunzi's view, heaven is nature, and there is no reason, will, good and evil, likes and dislikes. Heaven is a natural day, not a personality god. He called the subtle functions of yin and yang, wind and rain, etc. God, and called the nature formed by this function heaven. The creation of the universe is not created by god, but the result of the movement of everything itself.

Xunzi thinks that the sky is not mysterious and changeable, but has its own unchangeable laws. This law is not a mysterious heaven, but a natural inevitability, which changes independently of human likes and dislikes. People can't violate this law, but can only strictly abide by it.

there are always things in heaven, not for Yao's survival or for Jie's death. It is good to treat it with governance, and it is fierce to treat it with chaos. Heaven will not change because of people's emotions or will, and it is completely indifferent to the distinction between good and evil. Xunzi held a critical attitude towards traditional religious superstitions, and believed that there was no necessary connection between natural changes and social chaos. It is believed that all kinds of religious ceremonies to sacrifice and mourn the dead are only expressions of "aspiration and admiration" and are "humanity" rather than "ghost".

Xunzi believes that nature and human beings have their own laws and duties. Heaven can't interfere with humanity, heaven returns to heaven, and man returns to man, so it is said that heaven and man are separated and don't agree. Good or ill luck in dealing with chaos lies in people, not in heaven. And heaven and man have different functions. In Xunzi's view, instead of being superstitious about the authority of heaven, admiring it, praising him and waiting for the gift of "heaven", it is better to use the laws of nature to serve people.

Xunzi is most famous for his theory of evil nature, which is directly opposite to Mencius' theory of good nature. His general argument is that all good and valuable things are the products of human efforts. Value comes from culture, and culture is human creation. It is at this point that man is as important as heaven and earth in the universe.