one day, ping gong, the king of the state of jin, said to his minister shi kuang: "i am over 70 years old. though i "am eager to read some books, i feel it is too late."
shi kuang said: "too late? why don't you light the candle?"
ping gong said: "i am serious. but you go so far as to make fun of me!"
shi kuang said: "how dare i, a blind minister, make fun of your majesty1? i heard that when a man in his youth is fond of studying, he is like the rising sun, brilliant and magnificent; when a man in the prime of life is fond of studying, he is like the sun at noon, with still half a day's good time ahead; when a man in his old age is fond of studying, he is like the flame of a candle. though the light is failing, it is better than groping in the dark."
hearing shi kuang's words, ping gong of jin said with pleasure: "how well you have put it!"
有一天，晋国君主晋平公对他的臣子师旷说：“我已经七十多岁了，虽然很想读些书，但是，总觉得时间太晚了！”
师旷说：“时间太晚吗？为什么不把蜡烛点起来呢？”
平公说：“我和你说正经话，怎么，你竟和我开起玩笑来了！”
师旷说：“我这个双目失明的臣子，哪里敢和大王开玩笑！我听说，一个人在少年的时候好学，就像初升的太阳那样，*而灿烂；壮年的时候好学，犹如正午的太阳，还有半天的好时光呢；老年的时候好学，就像蜡烛的火焰一样。蜡烛的光亮虽然是有限的，但是有了它，总比在黑暗中摸索着前进要好些吧！”
听了师旷的话，晋平公高兴地说：“你说得多好啊！”
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