明成祖反复询问讲官要求详细阅读及准确翻译中国朝代年份表
明成祖对讲官说：“《明成祖问讲官》这篇文章里，讲述了君子和小人的区别。文章中写道，小人为了显示自己的才能而不顾羞耻，而君子则坚守道德原则而没有私欲。明成祖向讲官提出了几个问题，希望他能解答。”
“仁宗在位时，你曾经侍奉在侧，现在我问你：我们今天讨论的是哪一本书？”讲官回答说：“陛下，我们今天讨论的是《论语》，其中有关于君子的品质和小人的行为的章节。”明成祖接着问：“为什么君子容易进步却容易倒退，而小人却难以进步却又难以倒退？”
讲官进一步解释说：“小人之所以能够逞才无耻，是因为他们只关注短期的利益，不顾长远的后果。而君子，则始终保持着高尚的道德标准，无私心地追求真理。” 明成祖继续追问：“那么，在国家上台的情况下，小人怎么会常胜呢？”
讲官回答说：“这就像上天赋予人们不同的喜好，就如同一个明智的领导者在位时，必定会选择那些真正忠诚于国家的人来辅佐自己。”最后，明成祖询问是否真的需要用到那些不值得信任的小人才。
LECTURE OFFICIAL: "The article 'Ask the Lecture Official' is a text in Classical Chinese. It highlights the differences between gentlemen and petty people, stating that petty people flaunt their talents without shame while gentlemen adhere to principles without desires. The emperor asked the lecture official about this matter."
LECTURE OFFICIAL: "We are discussing 'Analects of Confucius,' which contains chapters on both virtuous individuals (gentlemen) and those lacking in virtue (petty people)."
EMPEROR: "Why do gentlemen find it difficult to advance but easy to retreat, while petty people easily advance but find it hard to retreat?"
LECTURE OFFICIAL: "Petty individuals show off their talents with no shame, whereas gentlemen keep themselves grounded in principle without desire."
EMPEROR: "How does one explain why petty individuals often succeed?"
LECTURE OFFICIAL: "It's as if heaven bestows different tastes upon men; just as a wise ruler above will favor those who truly serve the country well."
Finally, the emperor asked whether they could ever use such untrustworthy characters.
Explain the meaning of underlined words:
(1) “The Emperor consulted with an official”
(2) “Gentlemen uphold principles and have no desires”
Interpret these sentences using modern Chinese:
Petty individuals have some qualities worth keeping; we must constantly remind them not to make mistakes.
Why is it said that “petty individuals are easily advanced yet difficultly retreated?”
In Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War', he advocates for avoiding small enemies and focusing on large ones. However, this passage suggests that even small enemies can be useful at times.
5-6 years old
7-8 years old
