铁杵成针

Tiě Chǔ Chéng Zhēn

只要肯下功夫,再难的事也能做成。比喻有恒心,就一定能成功。

Grind long enough and an iron rod becomes a needle — with patience, anything can be done.

唐táng朝cháo的de大dà诗shī人rén李lǐ白bái,小xiǎo时shí候hòu并bìng不bù喜xǐ欢huān读dú书shū。他tā常cháng常cháng跑pǎo出chū学xué堂táng,到dào外wài面miàn去qù玩wán。

有yǒu一yī天tiān,他tā又yòu逃táo学xué跑pǎo到dào河hé边biān,看kàn见jiàn一yī位wèi白bái发fā老lǎo婆pó婆pó,正zhèng蹲dūn在zài石shí头tóu上shàng,用yòng力lì磨mó一yī根gēn粗cū粗cū的de铁tiě棒bàng。李lǐ白bái好hào奇qí地dì问wèn:“婆pó婆pó,您nín在zài做zuò什shén么me?”

老lǎo婆pó婆pó抬tái起qǐ头tóu,笑xiào着zhe说shuō:“我wǒ要yào把bǎ这zhè根gēn铁tiě杵chǔ磨mó成chéng一yī根gēn绣xiù花huā针zhēn。”李lǐ白bái瞪dèng大dà眼yǎn睛jīng:“这zhè么me粗cū的de铁tiě棒bàng,怎zěn么me能néng磨mó成chéng针zhēn呢ne?”

老lǎo婆pó婆pó放fàng下xià铁tiě杵chǔ,认rèn真zhēn地dì说shuō:“只zhǐ要yào天tiān天tiān磨mó,不bù停tíng下xià来lái,铁tiě杵chǔ也yě能néng磨mó成chéng针zhēn啊a。”李lǐ白bái听tīng了le,心xīn里lǐ猛měng地dì一yī动dòng,红hóng着zhe脸liǎn跑pǎo回huí学xué堂táng,从cóng此cǐ再zài也yě不bù偷tōu懒lǎn了le。

后hòu来lái人rén们men就jiù用yòng“铁tiě杵chǔ成chéng针zhēn”,告gào诉sù自zì己jǐ:只zhǐ要yào有yǒu恒héng心xīn,再zài难nán的de事shì也yě能néng做zuò成chéng。

When the great Tang dynasty poet Li Bai was a child, he did not like studying. He often slipped away from school to play outside.

One day he wandered to a riverbank and saw a white-haired old woman crouched on a stone, rubbing a thick iron rod against it. “Grandma, what are you doing?” he asked.

She looked up with a smile. “I'm grinding this iron rod into an embroidery needle.” Li Bai's eyes grew wide. “This thick rod? How can it ever become a needle?”

The old woman answered calmly, “As long as I grind a little every day and never stop, even an iron rod can become a needle.” Li Bai's heart jumped. He turned red, ran back to school, and never slacked off again.

Today “grinding an iron rod into a needle” reminds us that with patience and daily effort, the hardest task can still be done.