I liked studying when I was young. Because my family is poor, I can't get books to read. I often borrow money from the library, copy it myself, and send it back on the appointed day. When the weather is cold, the water in the salt pond freezes into ice and I can't stretch my fingers. I still don't relax reading. After copying, please go back to China, and dare not exceed the agreed time limit slightly. So most people will lend me books so that I can read all kinds of books. Since it is crowned, it is beneficial to admire saints. He has also suffered from celebrities and tourists without owners. He has tasted hundreds of miles away and asked the pioneers in his hometown for advice. Senior honorary person, Yemeni students crowded his room, and his words and attitude were never slightly euphemistic. Around Lishi, he assisted the suspect and leaned over to ask questions; Or the more respectful and polite you are when you meet, you dare not say a word; Please ask again as soon as it is happy. So I was stupid and finally learned a lot.
When he was a teacher, he dragged himself into the deep mountains and valleys. In winter, the wind is fierce, the snow is several feet deep, and the skin is chapped. After entering the room, my limbs were stiff and I couldn't move. The servant gave me hot water and covered me with a quilt. It took a long time to warm up. Stay in a hotel and eat two meals a day, without fresh fat and delicious enjoyment. All the students are all embroidered, wearing hats decorated with treasures, white jade rings on their waists, swords on their left and smelly faces on their right. In the meantime, I have no desire for beauty. I don't know if my mouth and body are not as good as people. My efforts and efforts are probably like this. Although I am old and have no achievements, I am fortunate to be among the gentlemen. However, I have been blessed by the son of heaven. After I became a public official, I worked as a consultant every day, and the whole world misreported my last name. What else?
Now all the students are studying in imperial academy, and the county officials have a little support every day. Their parents have Qiu Ge's legacy at the age of 20, and there is no danger of being frozen and embarrassed. There is no need to escape from sitting downstairs and reciting poems; There are teachers, doctors are teachers, and those who don't ask, don't tell, ask but can't; All the books should be kept here. There is no need to record them through other people's hands and read them later. People who are not skilled in the industry and fail in virtue are not inferior in nature, so they are not dedicated to their own ears and others are embarrassed!
Dongyang Ma, who studied in imperial academy for two years, was praised by his peers for his virtue. The capital of the Yu dynasty, who was born in the same town, wrote a long book and thought it was a smooth speech. Debate with it and make peace with it. He said that he studied hard when he was young and was a good scholar. He was going home to visit his parents, and I told him about the difficulties in his studies. It is said that Yu Mian's fellow villagers are all scholars, and so is Yu. Those who despise me, brag about my wealth and prosperity, and be arrogant to my hometown know the rest!
Translation of Preface to seeing Ma Sheng off to Yang;
I liked reading when I was a child. Because my family is poor, I can't get books to read, so I often borrow books from people who have books, copy them with my own pen, and count the days and return them on time. It's very cold (winter), the ink in the inkstone pool is frozen, my fingers can't bend and straighten, and I still dare not relax (copy books). Run to return the book after copying, and dare not exceed the agreed time limit slightly. Because of this, many people are willing to lend me books, so I can read books widely. As an adult, I admire the theory of ancient sages more. Later, I was worried that no masters or celebrities would associate with me. Once I ran a hundred miles away and asked the local moral and learned predecessors with scriptures. This senior has a high moral reputation, and his study is crowded with students who ask him for advice. He never speaks his words gently, but faces them gently. I stood by and waited, asking questions, asking truth, bending over and asking with my ears sideways; Sometimes when I meet his reprimand, my attitude becomes more respectful and polite, and I dare not say a word in return; He was happy and went to consult again. So although I am stupid, I can finally gain something.
When I was a teacher studying, I carried a book box and dragged my shoes in the old valley in the mountains. The cold wind is fierce in the deep winter, and the snow is several feet thick, so my feet and skin are frozen and cracked. When I arrived at the library, my limbs were stiff and I couldn't move. The waiter brought me hot water to wash my hands and warm my feet, and wrapped me in a quilt. I spent a long time warming up. I live in a hotel. I only eat two meals a day. There is nothing fresh, fat and delicious to enjoy. The classmates who live with me are all dressed in gorgeous clothes, wearing red tassels and jeweled hats, with white jade rings hanging around their waists, knives on the left and sachets on the right, which look radiant and like immortals; Although I live among them in rags, I don't envy them, because I have enough happiness in my heart, and I don't feel inferior to others in food and clothing. This is probably the case with my diligence and hard work when I was studying.
Now, although I am old and have not achieved anything, I am fortunate to be an official in the DPRK. Thanks to the brilliance of the son of heaven, I follow behind the officials and sit beside them every day, ready to answer their questions. Even if the surnames and names of officials are noble, some people in the world call them wrong, and their talents are far superior to mine.
Now you students are studying in imperial academy, enjoying the meals provided by the imperial court every day, and enjoying the leather cloth provided by your parents every year, and there is no fear of freezing and hunger; Sitting under a tall house reading poetry books, there is no longer the hard work of running around reading; There are tutors in imperial academy to be your teachers. There will be no more cases where you ask questions without telling them and seek answers without results. All the books you should have are concentrated here, and you don't have to copy them yourself like me anymore. You have to borrow it from others to see the situation of the book. Among the students in imperial academy, if there are people who are not diligent in their studies and have poor moral cultivation, it is not that they are less gifted than others, but that they are not as attentive to their studies as I am. What's wrong with others?
Ma from Dongyang studied in imperial academy for two years, and his peers rated him as having both ability and political integrity. When I was in court in Kyoto, Ma Sheng met me as the son of a fellow countryman and wrote a long letter as a gift to meet my elders for the first time, which was very eloquent. When discussing the debate with Ma Sheng, Ma Sheng spoke with a modest attitude and an approachable face. Ma Sheng said that when he was young, he studied hard. Only such students can be called good students! Ma Sheng is going back to his hometown to meet his relatives, so I wrote down the difficulties in studying and told my younger generation. Saying that I encourage fellow villagers to study hard is exactly what I want; If I distort my original intention, brag about my good luck and be conceited in front of my fellow villagers, how can I understand my mind?