On Xunzi's "Persuasion" in Pre-Qin Period
Description: Maxima will not leap ten steps; Bad horses walk slowly, but they can go far even if they walk for ten days. This is because it can persevere.
original text
Xunzi's "Persuasion" (Excerpt)
Mr. Wang said: I can't learn.
Green is taken from blue, and green is blue; Ice, water, but colder than water. Wood is straight in the rope, not a wheel, and its curve is in the gauge. Although there is a crisis, those who stop coming forward will make it happen. Therefore, the wood is straight by the rope, the gold is sharp, the gentleman is knowledgeable, and he saves himself every day, so he knows clearly without fault.
So, if you don't climb the mountain, you don't know the height of the sky. Don't face the deep stream, I don't know the thickness of the ground; I didn't know the greatness of learning until I heard the last words of my late king. The sons of Gan, Yue, Yi and Xun were born in unison, long and different, and naturally educated. The poem says, "Dear Sir, there is no constant rest. Jing * * *, good is integrity. Listen to God and you will be blessed. " God is greater than Tao, and joy is greater than harmlessness.
Think all day long, it is better to learn it in a moment; I've tasted it and I'm looking forward to it. Let's go hiking. Climb a trick, the arm does not lengthen, but the person you see is far away; Call with the wind, the sound does not add disease, but the listener is obvious. Those who cheat horses are not good enough, but cause thousands of miles; A man who pretends to be a boat can't swim, but he can't swim. The life of a gentleman is the same, and the goodness lies in personal leave. (A gentleman is born with sex)
In the south, there is a bird named Meng Dui, whose nest is feathers, whose hair is woven and whose reed is tied. When the wind breaks, the egg broken child dies. The nest is endless, but so are the people connected with it. There is a kind of wood in the west called Shegan. Its stem is four inches long, and it was born on a high mountain. However, in the abyss, the wooden pole can't grow out, but it stands naturally. In the bitter fleabane bitter fleabane, I can't bear to go straight; White sand is nirvana, and it is black. Lan Huaigen is a cheese, but he grows up, and the gentleman is not close, so he refuses to accept it. Its quality is not beautiful, but it is also gradual. Therefore, a gentleman must choose his hometown when he is born, and he must be a scholar when he travels. Therefore, we must also guard against evil and righteousness.
Everything has a beginning and an end. When honor or disgrace comes, it will be like virtue. Meat rots into adults, and fish withers into moths. Ignoring and forgetting your body is a disaster. Strong cultivation, soft cultivation. Evil is in the body, and resentment is in the structure. Wages are the same, the fire is dry, the ground is the same, and the water is wet. Vegetation is born, birds and animals are numerous, and things are human beings. Is a piece of nature, bows and arrows are very important; Lin, and the axe is heavy; Trees provide shade, but birds rest. Acyl acid, but not. Therefore, words are troublesome, actions are humiliating, and gentlemen are cautious about words!
Accumulated soil becomes mountains, and the wind and rain are prosperous; The water drops merged into the ocean and the dragon was born; Accumulate goodness into virtue, the gods are complacent, and the sacred heart is prepared. Therefore, you can't take Wan Li Road without accumulating steps; If you don't accumulate small streams, you won't be a river. Leap, not ten steps; This is a great contribution to the success of Ma Xu. Perseverance, rotten wood can't be carved; Perseverance, the stone can be carved. Earthworms do not have the advantages of minions, and their bones and muscles are strong. They eat the earth and drink the yellow land with their hearts. The crab kneels six times and pinches twice. It's not that the snake hole has no sustenance, it's also impetuous. (Jianghai Zuo Yi: River)
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The gentleman said: learning can't stop.
Indigo is extracted from bluegrass, but its color is darker than bluegrass. Ice is condensed from water, but it is cooler than water. The wood is straight enough to conform to the straight ink line. If the wheel is made by painting, the radian of the wood conforms to the standard of circle. Even if it is dried by the wind and the sun, the wood will not be straight again, because it has been processed like this. Therefore, the wood can be straightened after being measured with ink lines and then processed with an axe saw, and the sword can be sharpened by grinding it on a millstone. A gentleman can learn from others and reflect on himself every day, then he will be wise and there will be no mistakes in his behavior.
Therefore, if you don't climb the mountain, you don't know how high the sky is; I don't know how thick the ground is without facing the deep stream; If you don't understand the legacy of the emperor, you won't know the breadth of knowledge. Children of michel platini, Vietnamese, foreigners and raccoons cry at birth with the same sound, but their customs are different when they grow up. This is because of education. The Book of Songs says, "You are a gentleman, don't always covet comfort. Respect your work and love the virtue of integrity. The gods will give you good luck and blessings when they hear all this. " There is no greater spiritual accomplishment than moral edification, and there is no greater blessing than no disaster.
I used to think all day and didn't learn much in an instant; I once stood on tiptoe and looked at it from a distance, but I didn't see it as wide as when I was climbing. Wave when you climb high, your arms are not lengthened, but others can see you in the distance; Calling with the wind will not get louder, but the listener can hear clearly in the distance. With the help of chariots and horses, people can walk Wan Li Road without walking fast; People who use boats and boats are not good at swimming, but they can cross the river. A gentleman's qualification is no different from that of ordinary people, but he is good at using foreign things.
In the south, there is a bird called "Mongolian pigeon", which takes feathers as its nest, weaves with hair and ties it to the ear of a tender reed. When the wind blows, the reed spike breaks, the bird's nest falls down and all the eggs are smashed. It's not that the nest is poorly woven, but that it shouldn't be tied to reeds. In the west, there is a kind of grass called "Belamcanda", which grows on a high mountain. It is only four inches high, but it can overlook a hundred miles away. Not because grass can grow tall, but because it grows on the top of the mountain. Pennisetum grows in hemp fields and can stand upright without support. White sand will not turn white when mixed into black soil. The root of Sophora japonica is called Ai Xiang. Once it is immersed in smelly water, gentlemen and servants will avoid it. It's not that Ai itself is not fragrant, but that it is soaked and stinks. Therefore, a gentleman should choose a good environment to live in, and he must be close to a person with knowledge and character when traveling, so as not to delay him and maintain his moderation and integrity.
Everything happens for a reason, and the arrival of honor and disgrace also corresponds to virtue. Rotten meat gives birth to maggots, while dead fish give birth to worms. If you slack off and forget the code of conduct, something will happen. Too hard objects are easy to break, too weak ones are easy to be bound, and being bad with others will cause disgust. The same is true of firewood, except that when it burns, the fire always goes in the dry direction. The ground is flat, but when water comes, it always goes to places with moisture. There are many plants and animals, and everything is birds of a feather. Therefore, when the target is set, the bow and arrow will be shot. When a tree grows into a forest, it will lead to axe cutting. When the forest is lush and shady, birds will come to stay. When vinegar turns sour, it will attract mosquitoes. Therefore, words may cause trouble and actions may be humiliated. A gentleman can't help being cautious when dealing with people.
Earth and rock piled up into mountains, from which wind and rain started; Water flows into the abyss, and dragons are born from it; Accumulate good deeds, cultivate noble morality, improve spirit, and thus have the state of mind of a saint. Therefore, without the accumulation of half a step, there is no way to reach thousands of miles away; Without the accumulation of tiny flowing water, there is no way to merge into the rivers and seas. The horse jumped less than ten paces; A bad horse walks for ten days in a row, and its success lies in its non-stop. If you stop carving a few times, then the rotten wood will continue to carve. If you insist on carving, then this stone can be carved successfully. Earthworms have no sharp claws and teeth, and no strong bones and muscles, but they can eat the soil and drink the underground spring water, because they are single-minded. A crab has six legs and two claws, but it has nowhere to hide without snakes and eels, because it is impetuous.
To annotate ...
Gentleman: refers to a learned and cultivated person.
I have to learn (yǐ): I have to learn.
Green comes from blue: indigo comes from blue grass. Cyan, indigo, a dye. Blue, Polygonum blue, broomcorn millet, leaves contain blue juice, which can be used as blue dyes.
Zhòng rope: (wood) straight ink line. Rope, chalk line.
Róu: You have to go through "Xuan", which is an ancient process of bending wood strips by fire roasting.
Gauge: compass, a tool for drawing circles.
Although there is a storm (Pò u): even if it is dry. Yes, pass "again". Fuck, fuck. Violence is the same as "exposure" and drying.
Beautiful: straight.
Take-up rope: measure with ink line.
Gold: refers to metal swords, etc. Just sharpen it: take it to the grindstone and grind it. Sharpen, sharpen this stone. Just, verb, approach, approach.
Japanese ginseng (cān) province (xǐng) depends on itself: reflect on yourself every day. Reference, translation, inspection and testing; The second translation is the same as "three", many times. Provincial inspection. Hu, preposition, Yu. Erudition: To learn extensively. Day: Every day.
Zhiì: Knowing "wisdom" means wisdom. Ming: Minda. There is no fault in behavior.
Last words: old adage.
Gan (hán): Same as "Han", it was called in ancient times and was destroyed by the State of Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period. It is located in the northeast of Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province and refers to the State of Wu. Yi people: An ancient people living in the east of China. Miao (mò): Tong Miao, an ancient ethnic group living in the northeast of China.
You are a Gentleman: For the quotation, see The Book of Songs, Xiaoya Xiaoming. Jing, an. * * *, through "for". Introduce, give. King, big.
Y: Later, later.
Qǐ: stand on tiptoe.
Bo Jian: See widely.
Disease: Quick, quick, which means "loudly".
Akira: Obviously, very clearly. The meaning here is to hear more clearly.
False: rely on, use. Y: Carriage, here refers to the car.
Li Zu: Feet walk fast.
Water: swimming.
Absolutely: crossing.
Xìng: There is no difference in essence (from ordinary people). Health, communication "sex", talent, qualification.
Mongolian dove: a kind of wren, commonly known as yellow bird, also known as clever female bird, is gray and spotted, and often uses grass and reeds as its nest. )
Me (show rotten sound): Taomi water, that is, the so-called dirty water and smelly water.
Dior: The flower spike of reed.
Bud (yè) stem: also known as black fan, a herb. Its roots are used as medicine, and its slender stems are mostly born between cliffs and look like trees, so Xunzi called it "wood", which is actually a kind of grass. It is wrong to say that "wood" is "grass".
Four words: grass grows in the hemp field and can stand upright without help. When white sand is mixed with black soil, it will become as black as soil. Metaphor living in a good environment can also be a good person. Peng, Peng Cao. Marijuana, marijuana bush. Nie, ettringite, can make black dye. There is no word "Nirvana is always black" in Xieji, supplemented by the quotations "When the people are the only emperors" and "Justice" in Shangshu Hongfan.
Lan Huai: Vanilla, also known as Angelica dahurica, has white flowers and delicious taste. The ancients called its seedlings "orchids" and its roots "branches".
Jiān: Immersion. Xi incarnation: swill, sour rice washing water. This is called dirty water, smelly water.
Woman: Put it on.
Those who change gradually are naturally: this is a situation that is influenced and influenced. Sure, like this.
Evil person: a person with bad behavior. Zhongzheng: An upright man.
D?: A worm that eats away at utensils.
Strong self-pumping column: it means that the physical properties are too good and easy to break. Column, through "Zhu" (Wang said), break it. "Dai Li and Li Ji Persuade Learning" is a "discount".
Soft self-discipline: weak things lead to self-discipline.
Structure: knot, cause.
Domain: pass "Zhuo", class.
Mass: arrow target. (d √): the center of the target.
Kim: Axe.
Acyl (xρ): originally meant vinegar.
Ruì: The name of flying insects belongs to mosquitoes.
Kuǐ: When you walk, the distance between your feet is equal to the present step and half a step as the ancients said. Step: The ancients said that one step is that the distance between the left and right feet is one step forward, which is equal to the current two steps.
Qi (qí) Ji (jì): A good horse, a swift horse.
Xu's ten drivers: a bad horse can walk for ten days. A bad horse. In ancient times, when driving a carriage, it was loaded in the morning and unloaded at night. The cabin is called driving, so here we use "driving" to refer to the day's journey of the carriage. Ten driving is ten riding, which is a ten-day trip. This refers to a journey of a thousand miles.
Give up: Give up. Don't give up on the way.
Make an appreciative comment
Xunzi's articles, like other philosophical papers of pre-Qin philosophers, are unique. Unlike Laozi, it didn't put the dialectical thought of unity of opposites and contradiction through; Nor does it use strict and thorough formal logic to reason like Mozi; Unlike Zhuangzi, the sky is wide and full of romanticism. Unlike Mencius, his language is sharp and magnificent, and he has the characteristics of an orator. He is telling the truth. His articles are simple and vigorous, meticulous and rigorous, with neat sentence patterns, and he is good at expounding profound truth with diversified metaphors. All these constitute the characteristics of Xunzi's articles. Someone once summarized Xunzi as "an essay by a scholar", which is a very appropriate comment.
Creation background
During the Warring States period, slavery further collapsed, the feudal system gradually formed, and epoch-making changes took place in history. Many thinkers expressed their opinions on the social changes at that time from different positions and angles, and gradually formed different factions such as Mohism, Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism, which was called "a hundred schools of thought contend" in history. A hundred schools of thought contend and wrote many books, publicizing their own views and criticizing others, resulting in a situation of "a hundred schools of thought contend". Xunzi was a representative figure of Confucianism in the late Warring States period. He believes that the existence of nature does not depend on human will, but people can use subjective efforts to understand it, adapt to it and use it. In order to reveal the significance of learning the day after tomorrow, he created the article "Persuade Learning", encouraging people to change bad thoughts and behaviors through learning, revitalize etiquette, formulate statutes, and devote themselves to practicing the way of being a gentleman.
Brief introduction of the author
Xunzi (about 365,438 BC+03 BC-238 BC), whose real name was Qing (people respected each other when he said it, but his name was Qing), was a native of Zhao at the end of the Warring States Period, and was called "Sun Qing" in the Han Dynasty because he avoided asking the name of Emperor Wu. He was a thinker, philosopher, educator, representative of Confucianism and a master of a hundred schools of thought in the pre-Qin period. Xunzi served as the wine sacrifice of Jixia Xuegong in the State of Qi for three times and the order of Chu Lanling for two times. In his later years, he lived in Lanling County, wrote a book saying that he was a disciple and taught, and died in Sri Lanka. He is called "the post-saint". Xunzi critically accepted and creatively developed Confucian orthodoxy and theory, and advocated "both etiquette and law"; Put forward the view that people who "master their destiny and use it" will conquer nature; Oppose superstition of ghosts and gods; Put forward the theory of evil nature, attach importance to the influence of customs and education on people, and emphasize the application of what you have learned; Thought is reflected in Xunzi. Xunzi summed up hundred schools of thought's theoretical achievements and his own academic thoughts, and founded a complete simple materialist philosophy system in the pre-Qin period. His thoughts had a subtle influence on the development of feudal society for more than two thousand years.