废寝忘食

Fèi Qǐn Wàng Shí

顾不上睡觉，忘了吃饭。形容做事非常专心、努力。

Forgetting sleep and meals — pouring oneself into work with total, consuming effort.

春chūn秋qiū时shí期qī，孔kǒng子zi带dài着zhe学xué生shēng周zhōu游yóu各gè国guó，宣xuān传chuán自zì己jǐ的de主zhǔ张zhāng。他tā一yī生shēng勤qín奋fèn好hào学xué，不bù管guǎn走zǒu到dào哪nǎ里lǐ，都dōu在zài读dú书shū、思sī考kǎo、教jiào学xué。

有yǒu一yī次cì，有yǒu人rén问wèn孔kǒng子zi的de学xué生shēng子zi路lù：“你nǐ的de老lǎo师shī是shì个gè怎zěn样yàng的de人rén？”子zi路lù一yī时shí回huí答dá不bù上shàng来lái。孔kǒng子zi听tīng说shuō后hòu说shuō：“你nǐ怎zěn么me不bù告gào诉sù他tā：这zhè个ge人rén啊a，发fā愤fèn起qǐ来lái就jiù忘wàng了le吃chī饭fàn，高gāo兴xìng起qǐ来lái就jiù忘wàng了le忧yōu愁chóu，连lián自zì己jǐ快kuài要yào老lǎo了le都dōu不bù知zhī道dào呢ne。”

孔kǒng子zi说shuō的de，其qí实shí就jiù是shì他tā自zì己jǐ。他tā做zuò学xué问wèn、教jiào弟dì子zǐ，经jīng常cháng日rì夜yè不bù停tíng，废fèi寝qǐn忘wàng食shí。

后hòu来lái，“废fèi寝qǐn忘wàng食shí”就jiù成chéng了le人rén们men夸kuā一yí个gè人rén学xué习xí或huò工gōng作zuò特tè别bié用yòng功gōng的de话huà。

During the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius traveled from state to state with his students, sharing his ideas. All his life he loved to learn — wherever he went, he was reading, thinking, and teaching.

Once, someone asked his student Zilu, “What kind of man is your teacher?” Zilu didn't know how to answer. When Confucius heard about it, he said: “Why didn't you tell him? He is the kind of man who forgets his meals when he is hard at work, forgets his worries when he is happy, and does not even notice that old age is drawing near.”

Confucius was describing himself. In his studies and his teaching, he often worked day and night, skipping meals and sleep without a thought.

From then on, “giving up sleep and forgetting to eat” became a phrase used to praise anyone who studies or works with total, wholehearted effort.