Translation: Diligent study is like a spring seedling. You cannot see it growing taller. In fact, it grows taller every day.

Putting down study is like a sharpening stone. You cannot see it growing taller. By the time it gets thinner, the stone is actually getting thinner every day.

Source: Tao Yuanming's famous saying: "Studying diligently is like a seedling that rises in spring. If you don't see its growth, it will grow every day. Dropping out of school is like a sharpening stone. If you don't see its loss, you will lose some money every day."

Extended information:

1. Tao Yuanming (352 or 365-427), named Yuanliang, also known as Qian, privately nicknamed "Jingjie", known as Mr. Jingjie in the world, Chaisang Xunyang (now Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province). A great poet and poet from the late Eastern Jin Dynasty to the early Southern Song Dynasty.

He once served as Jiangzhou Jijiu, Jianwei Army Joiner, Zhenjun Army Joiner, and Pengze County Magistrate. The last time he served as an official was Pengze County Magistrate. He abandoned his post after more than 80 days and left from then on. Retreat to the countryside. He is China's first pastoral poet and is known as "the sect of reclusive poets in ancient and modern times". He has "The Collection of Tao Yuanming".

2. Pastoral poetry: Pastoral poetry in ancient China refers to poetry that sings about pastoral life, mostly based on rural scenery and the labor of farmers, shepherds, fishermen, etc.

After Tao Yuanming, the great poet of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, created the pastoral poetry style, the pastoral poetry in Tang and Song poetry mainly became pastoral life-oriented poems written by literati who lived in seclusion and officials who retired from officialdom and settled in the countryside. Poems about objects. Pastoral poetry and frontier fortress poetry are both known as the two major schools of poetry during the Kaiyuan and Tianbao years of the Tang Dynasty. The former is tranquil and simple, while the latter is vigorous and heroic.

3. Quotes about studying hard:

The edge of a sword comes from sharpening, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold.

There is a road to the mountain of books, hard work is the path, and the sea of ??learning is boundless and the boat is made with hard work

Excellence in work is due to diligence and neglect of play, success is achieved in thinking and ruined in follow-up

If young people don’t work hard, old people will be sad.

If you don't get up early in the morning, you will miss a day's work; if you don't study hard in childhood, you will miss a lifetime.

Black-haired people don’t know how to study hard early, and white-headed people regret studying late.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia: Tao Yuanming