It is known that it is helpful to enter, and it is said to be beneficial. People may be blessed by not supplementing it, or be punished by being beneficial. In the summer, the stove is used to scorch the dampness, and in the winter, the fan is used to fire. The world can be hoped for, but the Lord cannot be sure; it can be said that it can be changed, but it cannot be easy. If the master of the world likes literature, if he is a writer, he will meet him; if the master of the world likes martial arts, if he does it, he will not meet him. If the Lord is good at arguing, he will be met if he has a mouth; if the Lord is not good at arguing, he will not be met by himself. If the master of literature is not good at martial arts, the master of martial arts is not good at writing; if the master of debate is not good at practice, the master of practice is not good at debate. Writing and speaking can still be practiced; actions and abilities cannot be completed. If you don’t learn and practice, you won’t have a name. Without a clear name, there is no way to meet the Lord. Hasty work is called a moment, and the day's strength is insufficient. Without foreknowledge, how can you be sure of the master and accept his words, and go ahead and rely on his abilities? In the past, there were people in the Zhou Dynasty who were rarely seen as officials. They were old and white-headed, and wept on their faces. People may ask: "What is crying?" The answer is: "I don't meet many officials, and I hurt myself because I am old and lose my time, so I cry." People say: "Why don't I meet an official once?" The answer is: " When I was young, I studied as a scholar, and when I became a scholar, I wanted to be an official. The old master died, and the later master used martial arts. I became more martial, and the younger master died. Shi Li, it is easy to use young people, but I am old, so I have never met him. "There are times when officials are not available. Is it true that I am a quasi-master in this world, but I am not yet able to do it, I am high-minded and ambitious, I am not motivated by profit, my nature is determined, and I am not a customer?
When you meet someone, you don’t have to presuppose it. It is said that there is no prerequisite. The encounter is a joyful one, and the encounter touches your ideal, so it is called an encounter. As the quasi-main tune says, in order to obtain honor, it is called Chuai, not called Yu. When you sow in the spring, the grain will grow, and when you mow the grain in the autumn, you will harvest. If you ask for things, you will get them. If you do everything, it will come true. This is not called encounter. Not seeking, arriving by itself, not doing anything, is called encounter. It's like picking up things in Tu and abandoning them in the wild. If the heaven gives birth to the earth, the ghosts will help the gods, the spirit of the bird's breath will be clear, and the soul of Uncle Bao will silently lift it up. If so, it will be heard. Nowadays, common people cannot judge whether a case is met or not, and praise it when it is met, and destroy it because it is not met. If the evidence is effective and the case is completed, it is impossible to exercise the ability of trial.
Translation:
Conduct is always good, but officials are not always appreciated and reused. Whether one's character is good or not is a matter of talent and conduct; whether one is reused is a matter of luck. Having high talents and noble conduct cannot guarantee that one will be noble; having low talents and bad conduct cannot guarantee that one will be humble. Some people have superior talents and noble conduct, but are not appreciated and occupy a low status; while some people have low talents and bad conduct, but are reused and have a higher status than everyone else. Different eras have their own standards for selecting "scholars", and "scholars" also have their own ways to obtain fame. Promotion lies in being appreciated, while failure lies in being unappreciated. Being in a distinguished and prominent position does not necessarily mean that one is capable, but it is just that he is highly used; being in a humble and low position does not necessarily mean that he is stupid, but that he is not appreciated. Therefore, as long as he is appreciated, those who behave badly will be respected in Xia Jie's court; if they are not appreciated, even if they have noble moral integrity, they will be in a lowly position in Yao's court. Therefore, there are various reasons for being appreciated and reused or being disliked and repelled: some ministers are virtuous but assist the tyrant; some ministers are talented but must obey the less talented monarch; some ministers and monarchs are both talented but moral. But there are high and low grades; some have no morals, but they use their skills to please the emperor; some don't even have any skills, but are favored based on their beauty.
Wu Yuan and Bo Xi served Fu Chai together. Bo Xi was respected, but Wu Yuan was executed. This is how people with different moral conduct serve the same monarch. Some have the same talents and conduct, but because of the different monarchs they serve, some are appreciated and valued, while others are disgusted and rejected. This is the case for Yi Yin and Ji Zi. Yiyin and Jizi had the same talents. Yiyin became the prime minister, but Jizi became a slave. This is because Yiyin met Cheng Tang, while Jizi met Shang Zhou.
The young monarch just came to the throne and liked to appoint young people. I am old, so I have never been appointed. "Being an official is a matter of luck, and you should not force it. Alas, catering to social trends and trying to figure out the monarch's intentions will not achieve the goal, let alone those who have high moral integrity, high ambitions, are not tempted by wealth and salary, have fixed character and quality, and are not valued by the monarch. What?
The talent is not something that has been practiced in advance, and the idea is not usually prepared, but it happens that the monarch is satisfied and it just fits his mind. This is called "meeting". Trying to figure out the monarch's intentions to change one's own opinions and gain respect and status should be called "trying to figure out", not "encountering". Plowing in the spring will make the grain grow, and harvesting the grain in the autumn will yield a harvest. When something comes true, it cannot be called "encounter". Only when it comes to itself without asking for it, can it be called "encounter". It is like picking up something lost by others on the road, or picking up something abandoned by others in the suburbs; it seems to be given by God. Born from the earth, assisted by ghosts; just like the spirit of the bird's breath secretly recommends Baili Xi, and the soul of Uncle Bao secretly recommends Guan Zhong, like this, it is considered "encounter". Nowadays, ordinary people can neither meet nor meet. It is impossible to measure conduct and examine talent by making correct judgments based on discussion, and praising someone simply because they are reused, and slandering someone if they are not reused.