Pinyin/On Determination

Author: Liang Qichao

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The original

天下古今成败之林，若是其莽然不一途也。要其何以成？何以败？曰：“有毅力者成，反是者败。”盖人生历程，大抵逆境居十六七，顺境亦居十三四。而顺逆两境，又常相间以迭乘。无论事之大小，而必有数次乃至十数次之阻力。

Modern Chinese translation

天下古今成败的种种事情，是如此的情况繁多、道路不一啊。概括地研究它们为什么成功、为什么失败？是有毅力的人成功，与此相反的人失败。人生的历程，大抵逆境占十分之六、七，顺境也占十分之三、四，顺、逆两境又常常互相间隔、交替出现。无论事情的大小，必定有几次乃至十几次遇到阻力。

Pinyin translation

Tiānxià gǔjīn chéngbài de zhǒngzhǒng shìqíng, shì rúcǐ de qíngkuàng fánduō, dàolù bùyī a. Gàikuò de yánjiū tāmen wèishéme chénggōng, wèishéme shībài? Shì yǒu yìlì de rén chénggōng, yǔcǐ xiāngfǎn de rén shībài. Rénshēng de lìchéng, dàgài nìjìng zhàn 60-70%, shùnjìng zhàn 30-40%, shùnjìng hé nìjìng yòu chángcháng hùxiāng jiàngé, jiāotì chūxiàn. Wúlùn shìqíng de dàxiǎo, bìdìng yǒu jǐ cì nǎizhì shí-jǐ cì yùdào zǔlì.

English translation

Things that happened in history are so complicated that it took different paths. Briefly studying why some became successful and why some became failure? Those who had determination succeed, conversely those who were not determined fail. The journey of one's life, roughly 60-70% are adversity, 30-40% are prosperity. Adversity and prosperity often appear in alternate interval. No matter how big or small a situation was, there must be several to severals times where impediments were encountered.

Paragraph 2

The original

其阻力虽或大或小，而要之必无可逃避者也。其在志力薄弱之士，始固曰吾欲云云，吾欲云云。其意以为天下事固易易也。及骤尝焉，而阻力猝来，颓然丧矣。其次弱者，乘一时之客气，透过此第一关，遇再挫而退。稍强者，遇三四挫而退。更稍强者，遇五六挫而退。其事愈大者，其遇挫愈多，其不退也愈难。非至强之人，未有能善于其终者也。

Modern Chinese translation

它们的阻力虽然或大或小，但总之是必定无可逃避的。那些志力薄弱的人，开始时一定说 "我要怎样，我要怎样"，他们的意思是以为天下的事情本来十分容易，等到很快地尝试一下，阻力突然来了，就灰心丧气地打退堂鼓了；那些志力稍微薄弱的人，乘着一时的意气，通过了这第一关，遇到两次挫折就退后了；那些志力稍微强大的人，遇到三、四次挫折就退后了；那些志力更加强大的人，遇到五、六次挫折也退后了；那种事情越大的，做的人遇到的挫折越多，他没有退后是不容易的，不是志力最强的人，没有能够好好地做到底的。

Pinyin translation

Tāmen de zǔlì suīrán huò dà huò xiǎo, dàn zǒngzhī shì bìdìng wúkě táobì de. Nàxiē yìzhìlì bóruò de rén, kāishǐ shí yīdìng shuō "wǒ yào zěnyàng, wǒ yào zěnyàng", tāmen de yìsī shì yǐwéi tiānxià de shìqíng běnlái shífēn róngyì, děngdào hěn kuài de chángshì yīxià, zǔlì tūrán lái le, jiù huīxīnsàngqì de dǎtuìtánggǔ le; nàxiē yìzhìlì shāowēi bóruò de rén, chéngzhe yīshí de yìqì, tōngguòle zhè dì-1 guān, yùdào 2 cì cuòzhé jiù tuìhòu le; nàxiē yìzhìlì shāowēi qiángdà de rén, yùdào 3-4 cì cuòzhé jiù tuìhòu le; nàxiē yìzhìlì gēngjiā qiángdà de rén, yùdào 5-6 cì cuòzhé yě tuìhòu le; nà zhǒng shìqíng yuè dà de, zuò de rén yùdào de cuòzhé yuè duō, tā méiyǒu tuìhòu shì bù róngyì de, bùshì yìzhìlì zuì qiáng de rén, méiyǒu nénggòu hǎohǎo de zuòdàodǐ de.

English translation

Their impediment although can be large or small, but it must be unescapable. Those who have weak perseverance, in the beginning say "I want that, I want that". Their meaning is to think that things in this world is essentially very easy and wait until trying, the impediment suddenly come and frustratingly one chicken out. Those people with less perseverance with a moment of impulsivity, passed the first round, encountered two times set back and retreat. Those with a slightly strong perseverance retreat after encountering three to four times of setback. Those with even stronger perseverance, retreat after five to six times of setback. The bigger a matter is, the people doing it will encounter more setback. He/she without retreat is not easy. Those who don't have the strongest perseverance, can't finish a matter finely to the end.

Paragraph 3

The original

夫苟其挫而不退矣，则小逆之后必有小顺，大逆之后必有大顺。盘根错节之既破，而遂有应刃而解之一日。旁观者徒艳羡其功之成，以为是殆幸运儿，而天有以宠彼也。又以为我蹇于遭逢，故所就不彼若也。庸讵知所谓蹇焉幸焉者，彼皆与我之所同，而其能征服此蹇焉，利用此幸焉与否，即彼成我败所由判也。更譬诸操舟，如以兼旬之期行千里之地者，其间风潮之或顺或逆，常相参伍。彼以坚苦忍耐之力，冒其逆而突过之，而后得从容以容度其顺。我则或一日而返焉，或二三日而返焉，或五六日而返焉；故彼岸终不可得达也。

Modern Chinese translation

如果他遇到挫折而不退后，那末在小的挫折之后，必定有小的顺利；大的挫折之后，必定有大的顺利。烦难复杂的地方已经过去了，接着就会有随着刀子下去就切断了的一天。旁观的人只是非常羡慕他的成功，以为他大概是幸运儿，天老爷有宠于他，又以为自己在遭遇上很艰难，因此所成就的事业不如他。这种人怎么知道所谓的艰难、幸运，都是他和我相同的，但那种能不能够征服艰难、利用幸运的态度，即是他成功、我失败所区别的地方。又比如驾船，如果在二十天的期间内，行驶千里的水路，其间风潮的或顺或逆，常常交相错杂。他凭借坚苦忍耐的志力，顶着逆风恶浪而突破、通过难关，然后能够从从容容进入到顺利的境地。我就有时行驶了一天即返回了，有时行驶了两三天即返回了，有时行驶了五六天即返回了，所以那边岸终于无法达到。

Pinyin translation

Rúguǒ tā yùdào cuòzhé ér bù tuìhòu, nàme zài xiǎo de cuòzhé zhīhòu, bìdìng yǒu xiǎo de shùnlì; dà de cuòzhé zhīhòu, bìdìng yǒu dà de shùnlì. Fánnán fùzá de dìfāng yǐjīng guòqù le, jiēzhe jiù huì yǒu suízhe dāozi xiàqù jiù qiēduànle de yītiān. Pángguān de rén zhǐshì fēicháng xiànmù tā de chénggōng, yǐwéi tā dàgài shì xìngyùn'ér, tiānlǎoyé yǒu chǒng yú tā, yòu yǐwéi zìjǐ zài zāoyù shàng hěn jiānnán, yīncǐ suǒ chéngjiù de shìyè bùrú tā. Zhè zhǒng rén zěnme zhīdào suǒwèi de jiānnán, xìngyùn, dōu shì tā hé wǒ xiāngtóng de, dàn nà zhǒng néng bù nénggòu zhēngfú jiānnán, lìyòng xìngyùn de tàidù, jiùshì tā chénggōng, wǒ shībài suǒ qūbié de dìfāng. Yòu bǐrú jiàshǐ chuán, rúguǒ zài 20 tiān de qījiān nèi, xíngshǐ qiānlǐ de shuǐlù, qījiān fēngcháo de huò shùn huò nì, chángcháng jiāoxiāng-cuòzá. Tā píngjiè jiānkǔ rěnnài de yìzhìlì, dǐngzhe nìfēng-èlàng ér tūpò, tōngguò nánguān, ránhòu nénggòu cóngcóng-róngróng jìnrù dào shùnlì de jìngdì. Wǒ jiù yǒushí xíngshǐle yītiān jiù fǎnhuí le, yǒushí xíngshǐle 2-3 tiān jiù fǎnhuí le, yǒushí xíngshǐle 5-6 tiān jiù fǎnhuí le, suǒyǐ nà biān àn zhōngyú wúfǎ dádào.

English translation

If he encounters setback and don't retreat, so after small setback, there must be small success, after big setback, there must be big success. Hard and complex part have gone, breakthrough will follow one day. Spectators are envious over his success, think he is a lucky star and that god is partial for him. On-lookers think oneself is confronted with hardship, so careerwise not as successful as the undertaker. Spectators don't know the so-call hardship and luck is the same as the undertaker. The attitude of conquering hardship and utilising luck distinguishes his success and my failure. As in sailing, if it is possible to sail 1,000 miles within 20 days. The wind records for the period whether with or against is always transient and complicated. He with determined patience and endurance, ride with the wind in adverse storm and breakthrough, passing through difficulties and then can enter the realm of success with ease. Sometimes I sailed for 1 day before return, sometimes I sailed for 2-3 days before return and sometimes I sailed for 5-6 days before return, so never can reach shoreline at that side.

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The original

孔子曰：“譬如为山，未成一箦，止，吾止也。譬如平地，虽覆一篑，进，吾往也。”孟子曰：“有为者譬若掘井，掘井九仞而不及泉，犹为弃井也。”成败之数，视此而已。

Modern Chinese translation

孔子说：“比如造山，还差一筐土，如果停止下来，那是我自己停止的；又比如填平土地，即使只倒了一筐土，如果继续去填，那是我自己去填的。”孟子说：“做事的人，比如挖井，挖了七、八丈深，还没有挖到井水，还是废井。”成败的规律，在此而已。

Pinyin translation

Kǒngzǐ shuō: “Bǐrú zàoshān, hái chā yī kuāng tǔ, rúguǒ tíngzhǐ xiàlái, nà shì wǒ zìjǐ tíngzhǐ de; yòu bǐrú tiánpíng tǔdì, jíshǐ zhǐ dàole yī kuāng tǔ, rúguǒ jìxù qù tián, nà shì wǒ zìjǐ qù tián de.” Mèngzǐ shuō: “Zuòshì de rén, bǐrú wā jǐng, wāle 7-8 zhàng shēn, hái méiyǒu wā dào jǐng shuǐ, háishì fèi jǐng.” Chéngbài de guīlǜ, zài cǐ éryǐ.

English translation

Confucius said: As in making mountain, still lacking a basket of soil, if stopped, this is to my own accord. As in land flattening, if there is a lackage of a basketful of soil, if continuing flattening, this is to my own accord. Mencius said: Doers, as in well-digging, after digging dozens of metres deep, still unable to find water, the well is derelicted. The nature of success or failure depend on this.