A long time ago, in Henan there was a young man named Le whose family was very poor.

从前，河南有个青年，名叫乐羊子，家里很穷。

One day, Le Yangzi picked up a piece of gold on the road.

有一天，乐羊子在路上拾到一块金子。

He happily took it home and gave it to his wife.

高高兴兴地拿回家，交给妻子。

His wife said in all seriousness:

妻子却一本正经地说:

"I heard that men with aspiration¹ do not drink from the Dao (meaning steal in Chinese) Spring, and honest men do not take handout² food.

“我听说，有志气的人不喝盗泉之水，廉洁的人不吃磋来之食。

Furthermore, picked-up money and things will stain one's moral character."

何况，这拾来的钱物，会站污一个人的品德!”

Hearing this, Yangzi was very ashamed of himself.

乐羊子听了妻子的话，心里感到非常惭愧。

So he threw the piece of gold away in the open field.

就把金子扔到野外去了。

This incident touched Le Yangzi deeply.

这件事，对乐羊子的触动很大。

He made up his mind to leave home and go to a faraway place to study under a master.

他下了决心，离家去很远的地方，拜老师学习。

One year later, Le Yangzi returned home.

一年以后，乐羊子回到家里。

His wife inquired why he returned so soon. Le Yangzi smiled and said:

妻子询问丈夫为什么这么快就回来了。乐羊子笑着说:

"There is no other reason except that I, being all alone away from home, miss you so much that I come back."

“没有别的原因，只是一个人在外面太想念你了，所以就回来了。”

His wife turned pale at his words.

妻子一听，脸色变得刷白。

She took up a knife, ran to the silk loom³, put the knife on the silk fabric⁴ woven from natural silk, and said to Le Yangzi in an agitated⁵ tone:

她顺手拿起一把刀，奔到丝织机前，把刀放在蚕丝织成的绸面上，激动地对乐羊子说:

"I reeled silk strand⁶ by strand from cocoons⁷ and, with the shuttle moving to and fro, weaved it inch by inch into this bolt of silk fabric.

“这丝绸，是我从蚕茧缴成丝线，一丝一缕，一梭子来，一梭子去，一寸一寸地织，才织成这一匹的啊!

Now if I should cut the fabric with the knife, all the previous efforts and time I've devoted⁸ would be wasted.

现在，我假使一刀割断这匹丝绸，岂不前功尽弃，白白地浪费了时间吗?

While studying, you should always remind yourself that there is yet much more to learn.

你呀，读书求知识，也应该随时提醒自己学得还很不够。

Only in this way can you cultivate a noble moral character.

这样才能养成高尚的品德。

If you give up halfway⁹, it will be just like cutting up this silk fabric at one stroke."

如果你半途而废，那么跟一刀割断这匹丝绸又有什么两样呢!”

Deeply moved by his wife's words, Le Yangzi bid farewell to her at once, went to the faraway place, and made determined¹⁰ efforts to study hard.

听了妻子的这番话，乐羊子深深地感动了。他马上告别了妻子，去远方发愤攻读。

He had been away from home for a good seven years, and finally succeeded in his studies.

整整七年没有回家，最后终于学成功了。