Below are the Chinese text for the Chinese-to-English program of the 7th "English World" Cup Translation Competition, the translation by the first prize winner, and the translation by yours truly.  

知识与智慧

文/林巍

知识与智慧的关系，是人们历来愿意谈论而又似乎谈不清的问题；然而，它的确与人们的学习、教育、生活、科技等方面有关。

“知识”可以理解为“人类至今对于物质世界里客观事实系统化的认知”，而“智慧”则很难定义。查阅了各种工具书，其解释都难以令人满意，因为所谓智慧常与能力或聪明相混淆。

不同于许多人的观点，我以为，知识是智慧的基础，因为不可想象，一个有智慧的人是无知的。作为智慧化身的诸葛亮所以使出“借东风”的计谋，是因他有着丰富的天文地理知识；“塞翁失马”所以复得，是因他熟知马的习性。故而，亚里士多德说，在某种意义上，智慧是一种知识。

但是，有知识绝不等于有智慧。一个大字不识的人，可能把某个复杂的问题看得很透，而一个哲学教授却可能在某些简单事情上做出蠢事。

孔子说，“学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆”；这里的“学”可理解为获得知识，“思”则是对于知识的运用，形成智慧。

知识可以占有，智慧只能发挥；知识向外求得，智慧于内感悟；知识越获越丰富，智慧越凝越升华。老子说，“为学日益，为道日损”。

对于人的智力，知识是分学科的，而智慧则是打通的；知识具有客观性、一致性、逻辑性，智慧则具主观性、个体性、创造性；知识没有善恶，智慧却可善可恶；知识最终为智慧所推论、总结、应用。

能力，是智慧在某一具体环节上的运用；聪明，则可理解为狭义的智慧。

智慧其实无法尽用语言概括——还包括情感、品格、观念、德行、性情以及天时地利等综合因素的整合, 而其最高境界是“大智若愚”。所以，应当厘清概念：人工智能只可代替知识、能力和聪明，却永远也代替不了人的智慧。

Translation by 李小撒, First Prize Winner

The relationship between knowledge and wisdom is something that we have long been trying to pin down, but to no avail. Notwithstanding its elusive nature, this issue merits further discussion, for it undoubtedly has much to do with our learning, education, life, science, technology, and so on.

While “knowledge” could be regarded as “human beings' systematic perception of the objective facts in the physical world to this day”, “wisdom” is very difficult, if not impossible, to define. Explanations offered in various reference books are far from satisfactory, as the so-called wisdom is often confused with competence or cleverness.

Contrary to what many people might think, my opinion is that knowledge constitutes the basis of wisdom, because it seems inconceivable that a man of wisdom could be ignorant. For example, it would not have dawned upon Zhuge Liang, the epitome of wisdom, that sufficient arrows could be “borrowed” from the opponent army with the aid of an “east wind”, but for his rich knowledge in astronomy and geography. Similarly, had the “old man at the frontier” known little about horses, he could not have regained his lost possession. No wonder Aristotle came to the conclusion that wisdom is, in a certain sense, some kind of knowledge.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that knowledge can by no means be equated with wisdom, because an illiterate man might be able to keep a very complicated issue in perspective whereas a philosophy professor could do something quite stupid in his dealing with simple matters.

Confucius once remarked, “Learning without thinking is labor lost; thinking without learning is perilous.” In this context, “learning” can be taken as acquiring knowledge while “thinking” might be seen as the application of knowledge to arrive at wisdom.

Knowledge can be possessed while wisdom is not exclusive to any particular person. Knowledge is derived from the outside world while wisdom comes from within. The more knowledge one accumulates, the more comprehensive it gets; in contrast, the greater the wisdom, the simpler it becomes, hence the saying by Lao-tzu, “Learning is addition whereas the practice of Tao is subtraction.”

In terms of human intelligence, knowledge can be categorized according to subject or discipline, but wisdom knows no boundaries between different subjects. Compared with knowledge, which is relatively objective, consistent and logic, wisdom is subjective, individual and creative. While knowledge is neither good nor bad, wisdom could be either good or bad. In the final analysis, knowledge is deduced, abstracted and put to use by wisdom.

Competence is the application of wisdom in a specific case while cleverness can be seen as wisdom in a narrow sense.

Honestly, I am afraid language can not fully convey the rich tapestry of wisdom, for it also involves one’s emotions, character, views, values, dispositions and a combination of various other elements, such as an opportune time and favorable geographic conditions. “A man of great wisdom is like a fool”, so goes a Chinese saying. This is what true wisdom is about. Therefore, we need to distinguish between knowledge and wisdom, and realize that even though artificial intelligence (AI) may replace knowledge, competence and cleverness, it would never take the place of human wisdom.

My Translation

The relationship between knowledge and wisdom has long been debated, yet without much a resolution. What is clear is that it has to do with learning, education, life, technology, among others.

While there is a general understanding about knowledge – the collective and evolving human perception of the physical world – the same can hardly be said of wisdom. Look up the term in various encyclopedias and you will find none of the definitions satisfactory. It appears that wisdom is often confused with competence or cleverness.

I view knowledge rather unconventionally as the foundation of wisdom. I simply cannot imagine a wise person being at once ignorant. Had he not been superbly knowledgeable in meteorology, Zhuge Liang, the epitome of wisdom, could have not conceived the stratagem of "borrowing the east wind". Likewise, the namesake of the fable, "an old man at the frontier whose horse runs away", would not be so prescient if he did not know a thing or two about horses. No wonder Aristotle came to the conclusion that wisdom is in a sense some kind of knowledge.

And yet being knowledgeable does not automatically lead to being wise. Just as an illiterate may happen to display a perceptive insight into a complicated issue, a philosophy professor may blunder over simple matters.

"To study and not think is futile; to think and not study is perilous," said Confucius. Here "to study" may be interpreted as to acquire knowledge, and "to think" as to apply knowledge, which in turn creates wisdom.

One may possess knowledge and, as he continues to procure it from the outside world, he will have more of it. By contrast, one has no use of wisdom without employing it, which is mined within oneself and, with experience, condenses to an ever purer form. Thus the remark by Laozi: "Each day sees more knowledge acquired. Each day sees fewer doctrines remaining."    

While knowledge is divided into many disciplines, wisdom is jack – and master – of all trades; while knowledge is objective, consistent, and logical, wisdom is subjective, idiosyncratic, and original; while knowledge is unfettered by morality, wisdom is ridden with good and evil. At the end of the day, knowledge is leveraged by wisdom, deductively, inductively, and some other ways.     

Competence is the manifest of wisdom in a specific circumstance. Cleverness can be considered as a subset of wisdom.

I have to admit that wisdom the concept cannot possibly be treated adequately in a short article, given that it is affected, individually and holistically, by many personal traits, such as emotion, character, belief, moral, and temperament, as well as overarching social and economic conditions. After all, as the saying goes, ultimate wisdom is hardly discernable from asininity. One thing is certain, however, and it is this: artificial intelligence may substitute for knowledge, competence, or even cleverness, but it will never substitute for human wisdom.