10. Reading History and Diligent Study

身（shēn）虽（suī）劳（láo），（）犹（yóu）苦（kǔ）卓（zhuó），（）苏（sū）老（lǎo）泉（quán），（）二（èr）十（shí）七（qī）。（）

Though physically weary, they still worked hard. Su Laoquan, Su Xun, began determined study at twenty-seven.

The example answers late starters: beginning late is not fatal; never beginning is.

始（shǐ）发（fā）愤（fèn），（）读（dú）书（shū）籍（jí），（）彼（bǐ）既（jì）老（lǎo），（）犹（yóu）悔（huǐ）迟（chí）。（）

Only then did he set himself to books. Though older, he still regretted having begun late.

The lesson is not that late study is useless, but that early effort spares later regret.

尔（ěr）小（xiǎo）生（shēng），（）宜（yí）早（zǎo）思（sī），（）若（ruò）梁（liáng）灏（hào），（）八（bā）十（shí）二（èr）。（）

You young students should think early. Liang Hao, for example, sat the palace examination at eighty-two.

The story shows that resolve can persist into old age, while also urging the young not to waste their earlier chance.

对（duì）大（dà）廷（tíng），（）魁（kuí）多（duō）士（shì），（）彼（bǐ）既（jì）成（chéng），（）众（zhòng）称（chēng）异（yì）。（）

He answered in the great court examination and ranked first among many scholars. After he succeeded, people marveled.

The line completes Liang Hao’s story: late success is possible, but it should not become an excuse for delay.

尔（ěr）小（xiǎo）生（shēng），（）宜（yí）立（lì）志（zhì），（）莹（yíng）八（bā）岁（suì），（）能（néng）咏（yǒng）诗（shī）。（）

Young students should set their resolve. Zu Ying could chant poetry at the age of eight.

The point of early talent stories is not comparison for its own sake, but encouragement that youth can already begin serious work.

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