荀子的《劝学》

　　  君子曰：学不可以已。

　　青，取之于蓝，而青于蓝；冰，水为之，而寒于水。木直中绳，輮以为轮，其曲中规。虽有槁暴，不复挺者，輮使之然也。故木受绳则直，金就砺则利，君子博学而日参省乎已，则知明而行无过矣。

　　吾尝终日而思矣，不如须臾之所学也；吾尝跂而望矣，不如登高之博见也。登高而招，臂非加长也，而见者远；顺风而呼，声非加疾也，而闻者彰。假舆马者，非利足也，而致千里；假舟楫者，非能水也，而绝江河。君子生非异也，善假于物也。

 积土成山，风雨兴焉；积水成渊，蛟龙生焉；积善成德，而神明自得，圣心备焉。故不积跬步，无以至千里；不积小流，无以成江海。骐骥一跃，不能十步；驽马十驾，功在不舍。锲而舍之，朽木不折；锲而不舍，金石可镂。蚓无爪牙之利，筋骨之强，上食埃土，下饮黄泉，用心一也。蟹六跪而螯，非蛇鳝之穴无可寄托者，用心躁也。

‘Never stop learning’, said by a saint.

The indigo, though extracted from cyan, is deeper in color than the cyan; The ice, though fromed by water, is colder in temperature than the water.

A timber, as straight as an unbent rope, can be made into a wheel by broiling; the incurvate degree of the wheel nearly equals that of a compass. Even though insolated dry, the already bent timber cannot be unbent any more due to the outward force of transformation.Therefore,

A wooden timber becomes straight if processed with an unbent rope; A metal knife becomes sharp if whetted on a stone.

Similarly, if a man keeps learning avidly and reflecting daily,he will be wise both in thought and action. This is the significance of keeping learning.

An entire day’s meditation does not match a few moments’ learning; An overlook on tiptoe does not compare a view on a high position.

A hand waved ona hogh position can be seen faraway not because the arm is lenghtened;A call before the wind can be heard clearly not because the sound is amplified.

A man by means of a chariot is able to reach a place a thousand miles away witout being a quick walker; and with the help of a boat, he can make an excursion on all rivers and lakes without being a good swimmer. You see, a saint is born no better than the rest of us. He is just good at making use of things. That’s all. This the the art of learning.

A pile of soil can gradually shap a high mountian where the wind and rain start. A deposit of water can eventually form an abysmal lake where dragons grow.

An accumulation of kindness can finally be upgraded to good virtue through which people’s spirit and wisdom will reach a super state of being. Such people have access to the wind and soul of the saints. Therefore,

A place a thousand miles away can never be reached without an addition of small paces; A deep ocean can never comes into being without the convergence of small streams.

While a fast horse cannot go further than ten steps in on jump, a slow horse can run far in ten goes non-stop. It is the same with doing sculpture.

With several times’ chipping, a rotten punk won’t break off; but with continuous chiselling, even a golden inscription can be carved.

An earthworm,lacking sharp paws and robust bones,is capable of eating soil and drinking fountain underground. All that owes to its concentrated hard work.

A crab, having six legs and two claws, is reduced to seeking residence in the caves of snakes or eels, due to its distracted mind.

It’s all about the attitude towards learning and the way of doing it.