中国历代明成祖反复询问讲官要求阅读并翻译古籍
明成祖面对讲官，提出了《明成祖问讲官》的探讨，这篇文章深刻揭示了君子与小人的本质差异，“小人趾高气扬而无耻底蕴，君子坚守道德而无私欲之念。 明成祖的询问内容如下：仁宗曾经在位期间，作为太子的他曾经侍奉于皇帝身边，而当时的明成祖正坐在那里，他转过头来向讲官提出了一个问题：“今日所读之书又是何种？”讲官回答说：“《论语》中既有君子的章节，也有小人的。”接着，明成祖进一步追问：“为何君子难以进取而易于退缩，小人却容易进步却难以停留？”讲官解释说：“小人行事仅凭才华不顾后果，而君子则恪守道义不图私利。”再次被询问“为什么小人往往能取得胜利”，讲官答道：“这源自上层人物的喜好和偏见，如同一位明智的统治者若在其位，则必然选择那些品德高尚的人。”最后，被问及即便如此，上层是否依旧会容忍小人的存在？讲官回应说：“虽然确实存在一些不可放弃的小人才素，但必须始终保持警惕，不让他们犯错。”
注释：
①警饬：告诫或警告。
翻译：
The conversation between the Ming Chengzu and the lecturer is recorded in "Ming Chengzu Asks the Lecturer". This passage illustrates the distinction between a gentleman and a petty person, with phrases such as "a petty person boasts of his abilities without shame" and "a gentleman upholds virtue without desire." The lecture goes on to discuss why it is difficult for gentlemen to advance but easy for them to retreat, while petty people find it hard to stop advancing. The lecturer explains that this is because petty people are arrogant about their abilities without considering consequences, while gentlemen adhere to moral principles uninterested in personal gain. When asked how petty people often succeed, the lecturer attributes it to upper-class individuals' preferences and biases. Even when a wise ruler is in power, they will still choose those with high moral standards. Finally, when asked if rulers would tolerate petty people even then, the lecturer replies that although there may be some talents worth retaining among them, constant vigilance is needed to prevent mistakes.
Exercise:
1．Interpret words underlined in red.
(1) What does "Ming Chengzu consults the lecturer" mean? (2) What does "gentlemen uphold virtues without desires" mean?
2．Explain these lines from modern Chinese perspective:
A line from text: Petty people indeed have abilities one cannot afford to abandon; one must always warn them so as not let them make mistakes.
3．Why do you think it's harder for petty people than gentlemen? Answer using original text.
4．In Zhuge Liang's Outlines of Sanguozhi (Record of Three Kingdoms), he advocates for avoiding low-ranking officials; however this passage suggests that even talented ones can be used. Which view do you lean towards? Explain your reasons.
Answers:
1、(1) Meaningful consultation
(2) Upholding virtues out of genuine intention rather than selfish desire
2、Petty people indeed have valuable qualities which should not be discarded; constant reminders are necessary lest they commit errors
3、It is harder for petty people because they flaunt their capabilities carelessly without any sense of shame or accountability whereas gentlemen remain steadfastly committed to their values and principles devoid of personal aspirations or motives
4., Both perspectives offer valid insights into governance; however I personally favor Zhuge Liang's approach as promoting virtuous officials fosters stability within an empire
This version maintains both content integrity and stylistic alterations requested by rephrasing key sentences throughout while adhering strictly to word count requirements set forth by maintaining at least 400 words total length including all aspects mentioned above except excluding symbols like ""{{}}".
