Original text:

Cutting off a foot-long club by half every day will not exhaust it any day. In this way, the debater corresponds to Hui Shi, endless. The debaters of Huan Tuan and Gong Sunlong embellish and change people's hearts. They can win people's hearts, but they can't convince them. This is also the debater's embarrassment. It is strange for Hui to use his knowledge to argue with debaters in the world. However, when Hui Shi talked about this matter, he thought he was the wisest, saying that "heaven and earth are strong, but Shi Cunxiong has no skills." There are people who lean on others in the south, saying that they are dazzled and ask about heaven and earth, so they don't fall or sink, and there are storms.

Hui Shi left without saying goodbye, without thinking, and said everything. If you talk endlessly, you will feel that you have fewer people and you will benefit from it. It's hard to win. Weaker than morality, stronger than things, is smearing. Looking at Hui Shi's ability in the way of heaven and earth is still as tired as a mosquito. What is this thing? It's ok to accept my husband's money, but the more expensive you are, the more you know! Hui Shi can't be complacent, scattered in all things without taking pains, and died in the name of eloquence. Treasure it! Hui Shi's talent, however, was unmoved, pursuing everything without being reversed. They are poor, echo with their voices, and race away from each other. What a pity!

Vernacular translation:

A foot-long stick, cut in half every day, will never be finished. The debater used these arguments to argue with Hui Shi for life. Huan Xuan and GongSunLong, argumentative people, demagogued people and changed their minds. They can beat people with their tongues, but they can't convince them. This is the limitation of debaters. Yi Hui argues with others with his wisdom every day, and talks strange ideas with debaters all over the world, which is their foundation.

Hui Shi, on the other hand, is eloquent and thinks he is the most capable, saying that heaven and earth are really great! Hui Shi has ambition but no magic. There is a strange man named Huang Qing in the south. He asked why the sky and the earth never fall or sink, and what is wind, rain and lightning. Hui Shi accepted questions without hesitation, responded without thinking, and explained everything in the world extensively. He talked endlessly, but he said too little and added some strange sentences.

It is true to say that it is against human nature, and I want to gain fame by arguing with others, so I am different from others. He ignored moral cultivation, blindly pursued foreign things and took a crooked path. Judging from the way of heaven and earth, Hui Shi's talent is as futile as a mosquito.

What is the use of everything! As a family, not bad. If we can further worship the avenue, it will be almost the same! Hui Shi was uneasy about Tao, distracted by everything, enjoying himself, and finally became famous for his eloquence. What a pity! Hui Shi's talent, dissolute and heartless, pursues everything without turning back, just like chasing back the sound with sound, walking in shadow. Pathetic!

This article comes from Zhuangzi's Zhuangzi Miscellaneous Articles in the World in the Spring and Autumn Period.

Extended data writing background:

Zhuangzi's essays are titled "The World". The whole article is divided into seven sections, which records the historical origin and ins and outs of hundred schools of thought in the pre-Qin period. A summary paper that evaluates the main points and criticizes them. According to the research of scholars in the Republic of China, the author was a post-school student of Zhuangzi at the end of the Warring States Period.

Zhuangzi, also known as the South China Classic, is a Taoist classic, written by Zhuangzi in the middle of the Warring States Period and later scholars. After the Han Dynasty, Zhuangzi was honored as a real person in the south of the Yangtze River, so Zhuangzi was also called a classic in the south of the Yangtze River. His books, Laozi and Zhouyi are called "San Xuan". Zhuangzi mainly embodies Zhuangzi's critical philosophy, art, aesthetics and so on. Its content is rich and profound, involving philosophy, life, politics, society, art, world outlook and many other aspects.

About the author:

Zhuangzi was a thinker, philosopher and writer in the mid-Warring States period. Zhuang, Zhou, was born in the Song Dynasty. His ancestor was the Duke of the Song Dynasty and the monarch of the Song Dynasty. He is the representative of Taoist school after Laozi and founded Zhuangzi, an important philosophical school in China. Also known as "Lao Zi" with Lao Zi. Zhuangzi should not be employed by Chu Weiwang because he stands for freedom. He only worked as a lacquer garden official in the Song Dynasty, and was known as the "proud lacquer garden official" in history, and was praised as a model of local officials. His earliest thought of "sage inside and king outside" had a far-reaching influence on Confucianism.

He has a profound insight into the principles of the Book of Changes, pointing out that the Book of Changes is based on yin and yang, and his "three tones" thought is consistent with the three talents in the Book of Changes. His imagination is extremely rich, his language is freely used and flexible, and he can make subtle and unspeakable philosophies fascinating. The masterpiece is Zhuangzi, among which the famous articles are Xiaoyao and On Wuqi. His works are called "the philosophy of literature, the literature of philosophy". It is said that Zhuangzi tried to live in seclusion in Nanhua Mountain and was buried in Nanhua Mountain. Therefore, at the beginning of Tianbao, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty was named a South China True Man, and his book Zhuangzi was regarded as the South China True Classic.

Zhuangzi inherited and developed Laozi's viewpoint of "Taoism is natural" in philosophy, which made Taoism a real science. He himself became an important representative of Taoism and was called "the ancestor of Taoism" with Laozi. Zhuangzi's intellect should not be underestimated, however, it is attributed to Laozi's words, so most of his books are fables, such as Fisherman's Father, Stealing Feet, First Prize and so on. , used to identify Lao Tzu's thoughts. He led "noble life" and "for me" to "mature life" and "selfless", which was attributed to the natural unity of Tao and me.