熟能生巧

Shú Néng Shēng Qiǎo

练习多了，就能变得熟练、灵巧。形容只要肯下功夫，就能把事情做好。

Practice makes perfect — keep at it, and skill will come.

宋sòng朝cháo有yǒu一yí个gè射shè箭jiàn高gāo手shǒu，名míng叫jiào陈chén尧yáo咨zī。他tā射shè箭jiàn非fēi常cháng准zhǔn，人rén人rén都dōu夸kuā他tā，他tā自zì己jǐ也yě很hěn得dé意yì。

有yǒu一yì天tiān，他tā在zài院yuàn子zi里lǐ练liàn箭jiàn，十shí次cì有yǒu九jiǔ次cì都dōu射shè中zhòng了le靶bǎ心xīn。旁páng边biān有yǒu一yí个gè卖mài油yóu的de老lǎo人rén，只zhǐ是shì点diǎn点diǎn头tóu，没méi有yǒu说shuō什shén么me。

陈chén尧yáo咨zī不bù高gāo兴xìng，问wèn老lǎo人rén：“你nǐ会huì射shè箭jiàn吗ma？我wǒ射shè得de怎zěn么me样yàng？”老lǎo人rén说shuō：“也yě没méi什shén么me特tè别bié的de，只zhǐ不bú过guò是shì手shǒu熟shú罢bà了le。”

说shuō完wán，老lǎo人rén拿ná出chū一yí个gè葫hú芦lu，葫hú芦lu口kǒu上shàng放fàng了le一yì枚méi带dài小xiǎo孔kǒng的de铜tóng钱qián。他tā舀yǎo起qǐ一yì勺sháo油yóu，慢màn慢màn地de从cóng铜tóng钱qián的de小xiǎo孔kǒng里lǐ倒dào进jìn葫hú芦lu，油yóu倒dào完wán了le，铜tóng钱qián却què一yì点diǎn也yě没méi有yǒu沾zhān湿shī。老lǎo人rén说shuō：“我wǒ也yě没méi什shén么me本běn事shì，只zhǐ是shì做zuò得de多duō了le，手shǒu自zì然rán就jiù熟shú了le。”

陈chén尧yáo咨zī听tīng后hòu不bú再zài骄jiāo傲ào。人rén们men从cóng此cǐ就jiù用yòng“熟shú能néng生shēng巧qiǎo”来lái鼓gǔ励lì大dà家jiā：只zhǐ要yào多duō练liàn习xí、多duō用yòng心xīn，就jiù能néng把bǎ本běn事shì练liàn得dé又yòu稳wěn又yòu好hǎo。

In the Song dynasty, there was a famous archer named Chen Yaozi. His arrows almost always struck the center of the target. Everyone praised him, and he was quite proud of himself.

One day he was practicing in his courtyard. Nine out of ten arrows hit the bull's-eye. An old oil seller standing nearby only nodded without saying a word.

Chen Yaozi was annoyed and asked, “Can you shoot like this? What do you think of my skill?” The old man replied, “There's nothing special about it — just a practiced hand.”

Then the old man set down a gourd with a copper coin on top, the coin with a small square hole in its center. He scooped up a ladle of oil and poured it slowly through the tiny hole into the gourd. Every drop went in, and the coin itself stayed completely dry. “I'm nothing special either,” he said. “I've just done it many, many times.”

Chen Yaozi's pride melted away. From then on, people have used “practice brings skill” to encourage each other: steady practice is what makes any skill sure and fine.