Original text

I read it when I was young and could recite it as soon as I saw it. It's not a big loss if you keep it secretly. However, if you bear this, you will let yourself go, and you will be happy to follow the funny drinkers. Between Xun and Shuo, there are only a few days left to roll. Therefore, although one has the ability to memorize, it is often wasted due to lack of diligence.

Over the past few years, I have been quite angry and punished myself, regretting what I have done before; but my wisdom has declined, and I am almost not as good as in the past. Every time I read something, I must search and interpret it endlessly. I cover up the book in a daze, and I often don't wake up. Therefore, although there is pain in hard work, it is often wasted in forgetfulness.

Sigh! Those who defeat me always have these two things. After reading the "History of Qi", I saw that Sun Xing replied to Xing's Ci: "I have three thousand elite cavalry, which is enough to equal your tens of thousands of soldiers." He was good at what he said, because he took the "Classics", "Biography", "Zi" and "History" If it can be used for literary purposes, a few pieces will be obtained and compiled into several volumes, and the title will be "Jingqi Collection".

Hey! What is the point of ignorance if you are too few but diligent? Long and forgetful, Shuji makes up for it with this.

Translation

When I was young, I could recite the book after reading it once, and I would not make many mistakes if I wrote it dictating it. Relying on this ability, I let myself go. I like to associate with people who are eloquent and drink. I don't read a book for a few days in a month. Therefore, even if you have a strong memory, it is often wasted due to lack of diligence.

In recent years, I have been very diligent and regretted what I did before; however, my wisdom has been exhausted, and I am probably not as good as two-tenths of what I was before. Every time I read something, I think about it several times in my mind and close the book. I still feel confused and I don’t know anymore. So even if there is diligent and hard work, it is often wasted in forgetfulness, hey! It was these two situations that often hurt my studies. I recently read "History of Qi" and saw this sentence in Sun Mo's answer to Xing: "I have three thousand elite cavalry, and I can defeat you with tens of thousands of soldiers."

I agreed with this statement in my heart, so I Phrases that can be used when writing articles from "Classics", "Zhuan", "Zi" and "History" were extracted. Thousands of sentences were extracted and compiled into several volumes, named "Jingqi Ji".

Ah! There is nothing you can do if you are not diligent when you are young. Maybe you can use this to remedy your forgetfulness as an adult.

Notes

① This text is selected from the "Preface to the Collection of Jingqi" by Qin Guan, a poet of the Wanyue School in the Northern Song Dynasty. Qin Guan, whose courtesy name was Shaoyou and also known as Huaihai Jushi, was a native of Gaoyou (now part of Jiangsu Province) and one of the "Four Scholars of Su Sect".

② Noir: often.

③ Chant: memorize, memorize.

④ Dark writing: silent writing.

⑤ Negative: Rely on.

⑥ Self-release: release, indulgence. That is, letting oneself go.

⑦ Funny: witty and eloquent. Refers to a drunkard who behaves dissolutely and cynically.

⑧ Xun Shuo: In ancient times, ten days constituted one Xun, which generally refers to a longer period of time. Xun, ten days. Shuo, the first day of every month in the lunar calendar, also refers to a month.

⑨ Hold the volume: read a book.

⑩ Ratio: Near, recently.

11 Punai: Punishment: warning, warning; Ai reads yì. That is to punish mistakes and warn the future.

12 almost: probably, probably.

13 曩时: the past.

14 Eleven Twelve: Two-tenths.

15 The number of must-sees and interpretations will end: Seeking and interpretation: thinking. End of count: many times, many times. Read it from cover to cover several times.

16 Noir: always, just.

17 Province: understand, understand, here it means remember. .

18 Forgetful: Forgetful.

19 Sun Piao answered Xing: A general of the Northern Qi Dynasty.

20 Elite Cavalry: Elite cavalry.

21 Winning Pawn: A weak soldier.

22 Classics: Confucian classics, such as "The Analects", "Mencius", "Book of Changes", etc.

23 Biography: A work of character transfer.

24 Zi: There are hundreds of schools of thought.

25 Le: Ed. Shuji: Almost.