My friend on the first floor answered correctly.
From No. 12 of "The Analects of Confucius Yong Ye Sixth".
Original text
6?12 Ran Qiu said: "It is not impossible to say (1) that the way of the Master is insufficient." Confucius said: "Those who are not strong enough will give up in the middle way. . Jin Nv Hua (2). ”
Notes
(1) The sound is yuè, Tongyue.
(2) Draw: draw boundaries and stop moving forward.
Translation
Ran Qiu said: "It's not that I don't like what you teach, teacher, but my ability is not enough." Confucius said: "Insufficient ability only comes halfway." Stop, now you have drawn a boundary for yourself and don’t want to move forward.”
Commentary
Judging from the dialogue between Confucius and Ran Qiu, the teacher and student, in this chapter, Ran Qiu has a deep understanding of learning Confucius. The theories taught created a fear of difficulties, and they felt that their abilities were not enough, and they felt very strenuous in the learning process. However, Confucius believed that Ran Qiu's problem was not his ability, but his fear of difficulties, so he criticized him.
Similar meanings can also be found in: Mencius criticized King Hui of Liang (i.e. King Hui of Wei) in the chapter "The Matter of Qi Huan and Jin Wen" in "Mencius: King Hui of Liang" (Part 1) for "not doing anything".
Original text
said: "There is a king who said (1): 'My strength is enough to lift a hundred jun (2), but not enough to lift a feather; I am bright enough to detect the hair of a feather. At the end of (3), Yu Xin (4) was not seen. "Then the king promised it (5)?"
Said: "No!"
"This is enough for the beast. (6) If the merit does not reach the people, how can it be done? However, if a feather is not lifted, it is a waste of effort; if the public support is not seen, it is a lack of understanding; if the people do not see the protection (7), it is a lack of kindness. Therefore, the king is not a king (8). He does not do it, but he cannot do it. "
He said: "Why are the shapes of those who do not do anything different from those who cannot do it (9)? "
Said: "Take Mount Tai to cross the North Sea (10), and the speaker said: 'I can't.' This is because you can't do it sincerely. Breaking branches for the elders (11), the speaker said: 'I can't.' This is not possible, It’s not impossible. Therefore, to be a king is not to hold the Taishan Mountain to reach the North Sea; to be a king is to break a branch.”
Notes
(1) )Re: report.
(2) Jun: In ancient times, 30 kilograms was considered as one Jun.
(3) Ming: eyesight. The end of autumn hair: the tip of the downy hair of birds and animals in autumn, which is a metaphor for very small things.
(4) Public fuel: a cart of firewood.
(5) Wang Xu Zhihu: Does the king believe it? Xu: Believe, agree.
(6) The following sentence of "Jin En" is Mencius's words. The word "曰" is omitted to express an urgent tone.
(7) See protection: be protected or comforted. See: being.
(8) A king is not a king: The king cannot unify the world with kingly ways. The second king is a verb.
(9) Shape: specific external differences and expressions. Difference: difference.
(10) xié: Hold under the arm. Taishan: Mount Tai. Super: Skip. Beihai: Bohai Sea.
(11) Branch: Branch is the same as "limb". This sentence means massaging the limbs of the elderly. One said he pointed at the old man and bowed down, and the other said he climbed branches for the elder. All refer to things that are easy.
Translation
(Mencius) said: "(Suppose) someone reports to the king: 'I am strong enough to lift three thousand catties, but I cannot lift a feather; ( My) eyesight is enough to see the ends of the new autumn hairs of birds and animals, but I can't see the whole cart of firewood." (King Xuan of Qi) said: "I don't believe it. "
(Mencius said:) "Now your kindness is enough to extend to the beasts, but the common people can't get your merits. Why? From this point of view, it seems that you can't lift a feather. It’s because you don’t use your strength; you can’t see the load of firewood because you don’t use your eyesight; the people are not protected because you are unwilling to give kindness. Therefore, Your Majesty, you cannot unify the world with the kingly way, it is because you are unwilling to do it, not because you are unable. Do it."
(King Xuan of Qi) said: "What is the difference between unwillingness to do it and being unable to do it?"
(Mencius) said: "Hold Mount Tai (with arms). Go jump across the Bohai Sea and tell others: 'I can't do it.' . The reason why the king cannot unify the world does not belong to the category of carrying Mount Tai to jump over the Bohai Sea; the king cannot unify the world, which belongs to the category of bowing down to the elders.