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Tsze Han · 18

子zǐ曰yuē，譬pì如rú为wéi山shān，未wèi成chéng一yí篑kuì，止zhǐ，吾wú止zhǐ也yě，譬pì如rú平píng地dì，虽suī覆fù一yí篑kuì，进jìn，吾wú往wǎng也yě。

Modern Chinese Guide

孔子说：好比堆土成山，只差一筐土就完成了，若停下来，那是我自己停下的；又好比在平地上堆山，虽然才倒下一筐土，若继续前进，那是我自己在前进。

James Legge Translation

The Master said, "The prosecution of learning may be compared to what may happen in raising a mound. If there want but one basket of earth to complete the work, and I stop, the stopping is my own work. It may be compared to throwing down the earth on the level ground. Though but one basketful is thrown at a time, the advancing with it is my own going forward."

Source: James Legge, public domain, 1893.

Notes

  • 底本：Wikisource 整理的 James Legge《The Chinese Classics》公版中英文本（1893–1895）。
  • 简体化：原文由繁体转为简体（OpenCC），与公版英译逐句对应。
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