轮扁斫轮

轮lún扁biǎn在zài堂táng下xià做zuò车轮chē lún，齐qí桓huán公gōng在zài堂táng上shàng读书dú shū。

Wheelwright Bian was making wheels below while Duke Huan read above.

轮lún扁biǎn说shuō：您nín读dú的de书shū是shì古人gǔ rén的de糟zāo粕pò。桓huán公gōng怒nù了liǎo：你nǐ说shuō说shuō理由lǐ yóu。

Bian said: your books are the ancients' dregs. Angered, the duke demanded a reason.

轮lún扁biǎn说shuō：我wǒ做zuò轮子lún zi，孔kǒng大dà一yī分fēn轴zhóu就jiù松sōng，小xiǎo一yī分fēn轴zhóu就jiù进jìn不bù去qù——快kuài慢màn之间zhī jiān的de手shǒu感gǎn，嘴zuǐ里lǐ说shuō不bù出来chū lái，儿子ér zi也yě学xué不bù会huì，我wǒ七qī十shí了liǎo还huán在zài自己zì jǐ做zuò。古人gǔ rén真正zhēn zhèng的de好hào东西dōng xi说shuō不bù出来chū lái，书shū里lǐ剩下shèng xià的de当然dāng rán是shì糟zāo粕pò。

Bian said: boring a wheel hub, a hair too loose, the axle slips; too tight, it won't fit. The feel between slow and fast can't be spoken, my own son couldn't learn it; I'm seventy and still carving. The ancients' real knowledge died with them; the words left are dregs.

真正zhēn zhèng会huì的de东西dōng xi，书shū上shàng没有méi yǒu——手shǒu上shàng得děi来lái的de，才cái是shì活huó的de。

What matters lives in the hand, not on the page.