There was a scholar in the Zhou Dynasty who had tried several times in his life to seek for an official post, but failed again and again till his temples turned white.

周朝有个读书人，一生中几次谋求做官，可是直到两鬓斑白仍然没有做成。

One day, as he was walking on the road, he looked back upon the past and shed tears of sorrow. Someone asked him:

一天，他走在路上，回首往事，伤心地掉下了眼泪。有人问道:

"Why are you weeping?"

“您为什么哭泣呢?”

He replied:

他回答说:

"Several times I have failed to win recognition. Now I am old and no longer have any opportunity. That is why I am weeping."

“我几次都得不到赏识。现在年纪大了，再也没有机会了，因此哭泣。”

The man asked again:

那人又问:

"Then how is it that you have never won recognition?"

“那您怎么一次都得不到赏识呢?”

He replied:

他回答说:

"When I was young, I studied the classics hard and had all the literary qualifications. When I sought for an official post, unexpectedly the king liked to appoint old men. After the king died, his successor liked to appoint warriors¹. I made a determined² effort to learn martial³ arts, but when I had learned the military skills, the king who liked martial arts passed away. Now the new king likes to appoint young men, but I am already old. Thus I have never won recognition in my whole life and have never held an official post."

“我少年时苦读经书，文才兼备，去求官，不料君王喜欢任用老年人。君王死后，继位的君王又喜欢任用武士，我发愤改学武艺，谁知武功刚学成，好武的君王又死去了。现在新立的君王却喜欢任用年轻人，而我已经老了。就这样，我终生不曾得到一次赏识，也没有做过一次官。”