This sentence comes from Liu Xin's Miscellanies of Xijing in the Han Dynasty, Volume II.
Excerpt from the original:
Kuang Heng studied hard without a candle. His neighbor had a candle but didn't catch it. Balance is to send its light through the wall and read it with a book that reflects the light. City people can't read their surnames. They have money at home and many books. Therefore, Heng is cooperating with him, not claiming compensation. The master was surprised and asked Heng, who said, "May the master read all the books." The host sighed, gave books and became a university.
Vernacular translation:
Kuang Heng is diligent and studious, but there are no candles at home. There are candles next door, but the light can't reach his house. Therefore, Kuang Heng dug a hole in the wall to attract the light from his neighbors, so that it could be read in a book.
There is a big family in the county, which is famous for its literary knowledge, but it is rich and has many books. Kuang Heng went to his house as an employee, but he didn't want to be paid. The host was surprised and asked him why. He said, "I hope to read all the books of the host family." Hearing this, the master sighed deeply, so he lent Kuang Heng a book (to help Kuang Heng read it). So Kuang Heng became a great scholar.
Idiom-Digging the Corner and Stealing Light
From the story of Kuang Heng, a great writer in the Western Han Dynasty, when he was young, he cut through the wall to attract his neighbors to study by candlelight, and eventually became a generation of writers. Now it is used to describe people who are poor and study hard.
1, meaning: describe studying hard, working very hard.
2. Synonymy: the capsule firefly reflects the snow, burns the paste, and digs the wall to borrow light.
3, antonym: unlearned, illiterate, no ink on the chest.
4. Sentence making: Learning is a very hard thing, and it is impossible without the spirit of stealing light and perseverance.
5. Use case: (Yuan Qiaoji's "30% discount on Li Taibai's allocation of money"): "Abandoning poverty, nine classics, three histories and a hundred schools of thought, and learning" money "without learning from ancient sages.
Extended data
Kuang Heng was born in Chengxian County, Donghai County. He was a scholar and minister in the Western Han Dynasty, and was famous for his poems. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Yuan are prime ministers. =
The Kuang family has been farming for generations, but they are very diligent and eager to learn. Because his family is poor, he has to help others get an education. He was studying the Book of Songs with a doctor. Because of his diligent study, his understanding of this poem is very unique and thorough. Confucian scholars at that time once said that there was no need to say poetry.
But Kuang Heng's career didn't go well at first. According to the regulations of the Han Dynasty, once a doctoral disciple has mastered one of the Six Classics, he can obtain an official position through the examination. A-level students can be doctors, B-level students are Prince Scheeren, and C-level students can only make up literary anecdotes. Kuang Heng got nine subjects, only a C, and was compiled as a history of literary death in Taiyuan County.
After Emperor Hanyuan ascended the throne, Kuang Heng was appointed as a doctor, and he was transferred as a doctor. At this point, the capital Chang 'an area suffered from solar eclipse, earthquake and other disasters. Kuang Heng took the opportunity to write a letter, and Kuang Heng's book was appreciated by Yuan Di, so he moved to Doctor Guanglu and Prince Shaofu.
At the end of Han Dynasty and the beginning of Yuan Dynasty, eunuch Shi Xian was appointed as the secretariat. He formed a group for personal interests, controlled state affairs, encouraged Yuan Di to increase taxes and exploited the people, but because of the favor of the emperor, no one dared to offend him. After the emperor ascended the throne, Kuang Heng impeached Shi Xian, listed his previous crimes and corrected his henchmen. This is the last thing that Kuang Heng tried his best to eradicate the yes-men and serve the Han Dynasty.
Soon, Kuang Heng and his colleagues gradually drifted apart. He was impeached, demoted to Shu Ren and returned to his hometown, where he died within a few years.