The first sentence: the most annoying word, pride.
"Self-sufficiency in talents and self-esteem in abilities are taboo for villains and despised by gentlemen".
Translation: Being complacent with one's ability and boasting of one's ability will be envied by villains and looked down upon by gentlemen.
the second sentence: be kind and shut up.
"Don't do what you want, don't say what you want".
Translation: Do not be willful in your life; Be more careful what you say, and don't talk nonsense at will.
the third sentence: people can't be complete and melons can't be round.
"content with the breadth of the world, greedy for the pass of the universe".
Translation: When you know that you are satisfied, you will feel that the world is wide; If you are insatiable, you will feel that the universe is narrow.
"People are not perfect, melons are not round", which means that there is nothing perfect in the world, and people can be wide and wide only if they are satisfied.
the fourth sentence: the attitude and process of doing things are more important than the result.
"If you are not a sage, you are an animal. Mo Wen reaps, but asks for cultivation "
Just work hard, don't worry about whether you will reap, as long as you keep working, you will reap one day.
the fifth sentence: be kind to your family and make money smoothly.
"Brothers live in harmony, although the poor and the self-help are bound to prosper; Brothers are not harmonious, although the aristocratic family will fail. "
Brothers live in harmony, although even a small poor family is bound to prosper. Brothers don't agree, even though they are bureaucrats from generation to generation, they are bound to fall.
the sixth sentence: it is not advisable to sail all the sails when there is wind, so you are blessed.
"wealth is too heavy, and it is not a good elephant ear."
Too much wealth is not a good sign.
the seventh sentence: nothing is difficult in the world.
"frugality at home leads to prosperity, diligence leads to health, diligence leads to frugality, and never leads to poverty".
The family can prosper if it keeps the frugal tradition. People can be healthy if they keep industrious. If the family can be industrious and frugal, then life will never be poor.
there is a saying that "all kinds of ills are born from laziness.
the eighth sentence: reading is the lowest threshold to nobility.
"I'll be left alone for a thousand years, and I'll study again when I come back from a hundred battles."
Even in the years of war, don't forget to keep a calm mind to study and cultivate one's morality.
Su Shi said: "Only the book can reach far, and the belly is full of poetry and books."
Zeng Guofan said: "People's temperament is hard to change because they are born, but reading can change their temperament." What is said is: reading can not only optimize the mind, load more knowledge, but also cultivate moral sentiments, let books infiltrate one's soul and even change one's appearance and temperament.
Zeng Guofan's "two-way reading method" is worth learning, that is, don't read his books until a book is finished. Many people buy a good book when they see it, and then leave it on the shelf after reading two pages.