Original text:

On the fifteenth day of the year of Fan, I had a quiet time in a room, but the courtyard was filthy. Xue Qin, a friend of his father's from the same county, came to wait for him and said to Fan, "Why don't you sweep the house to entertain the guests?" Fan said, "When a man lives in the world, he should sweep the world and live in one house." Qin knew that he had a clear mind, which was very surprising. .

Translation:

When Chen Fan was fifteen years old, he never cleaned (left unused) the room he lived in, and the courtyard room was in a mess. His father's friend Xue Qin from the same county came to visit him and asked Chen Fan, "Son, why don't you clean the courtyard to welcome the guests?" Chen Fan replied, "A man was born before Chen Fan." Chen Fan

should take cleaning up the world as his own responsibility, how can he be limited to tidying up a room?" Xue Qin knew that he had a great ambition to clarify society and thought he was very unusual.

Meaning:

Chen Fan has great ambitions and does big things without sticking to trivial matters. Xue Qin confirmed him on this point. In fact, from another perspective, "If you don't sweep one house, how can you sweep the world!" If you have big ambitions, you should start with small things and cultivate your talents.

Notes:

Taste: once. Adverb

Wusui (dirty): untidy.

County: ancient administrative regional unit.

Hour: visit.

With: And.

Dang: Should.

Things: Serve.

Qing Dynasty: To clarify society. Qing, to make... Qing, to make... clean, extended to "rectify".

Qizhi: I think he is strange. Strange, thinking that... is unusual; moving, feeling surprised.

Qi: Think... unusual.