It means: All the books that should be available are gathered here. There is no need to copy them by hand like me and borrow them from others before reading them.

From Song Lian's "Preface to Sending Ma Sheng to Dongyang" in the Ming Dynasty, excerpt from the original text:

Everyone who has a doctor or a doctor as his teacher will not ask for help before asking, and will not get what he asks for; All the books that should be available are gathered here, there is no need to record them in my own hand and leave them to others to see later. If one's work is not refined and one's virtues are not perfect, it is not because of his inferior nature, but his mind is not as sharp as my ears. Is it anyone else's fault?

Translation:

There are teachers and doctors as their teachers. There is no one who asks without telling, and asks for advice without getting anything; all the books that should be available are concentrated here. , there is no need to copy it by hand like I do, and then borrow it from others to see it.

If some of them are not proficient in their studies, have not developed their moral character, if they are not talented or have low qualifications, or if their intentions are not as dedicated as mine, can it be said that it is someone else's fault?

Extended information

Creative background:

In the eleventh year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1378), the second year after Song Lian retired and returned to his hometown, he responded to the imperial edict from his hometown of Pujiang ( Pujiang County, Zhejiang Province) went to Yingtian (now Nanjing, Jiangsu Province) to pay homage, and Ma Junze, a junior from the same town, came to visit. Song Lian wrote this preface to introduce his own learning experience and attitude to encourage others to be diligent.

Purpose of the article:

In this preface, the author narrates his personal experience of humbly asking for advice and studying diligently in his early years, and vividly and concretely describes his difficulty in borrowing books to seek teachers. The hardships of running around in hunger and cold, and contrasted with the superior conditions of Taipei students, effectively illustrate that whether academic achievements can be achieved mainly depends on subjective efforts, not on the level of talent and conditions, so as to encourage young people to cherish a good reading environment. , concentrate on your studies.

About the author:

Song Lian (1310-1381), originally named Shou, also named Jinglian, also known as Qianxi, also known as Longmenzi, Xuanzhen Dunsou, etc., Han nationality . A famous politician, writer, historian, and thinker in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. Together with Gao Qi and Liu Ji, he is known as the "Three Great Masters of Poetry and Prose in the Early Ming Dynasty". Together with Zhang Yi, Liu Ji, and Ye Chen, he is also known as the "Three Masters of Poetry in Eastern Zhejiang". Mr. Four".

Both Song Lian and Liu Ji are famous for their prose creations and are known as the "ancestors of a generation". They were praised by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, as "the first civil servants in the founding of the country". Scholars call them Taishi Gong and Song Longmen. His prose may be simple and concise, or graceful and elegant, each with its own characteristics. He admired Taige literature and his writing style was honest and elegant, which provided a model for the literary creation of subsequent "Taige style" writers. His major works include "The Complete Works of Scholar Song".

Baidu Encyclopedia-Preface to Dongyang Ma Sheng