One day, Ping Gong, the King of the State of Jin, said to his minister Shi Kuang: "I am over 70 years old.
    Though I "am eager to read some books, I feel it is too late."
    Shi Kuang said: "Too late? Why don't you light the candle?"
    Ping Gong said: "I am serious. But you go so far as to make fun of me!"
    Shi Kuang said: "How dare I, a blind minister, make fun of Your Majesty?
    I heard that when a man in his youth is fond of studying, he is like the rising sun, brilliant and magnificent;
    when a man in the prime of life is fond of studying, he is like the sun at noon, with still half a day's good time ahead;
    when a man in his old age is fond of studying, he is like the flame of a candle.
    Though the light is failing, it is better than groping in the dark."
    Hearing Shi Kuang's words, Ping Gong of Jin said with pleasure:
    "How well you have put it!"
    有一天，晉國(guó)君主晉平公對(duì)他的臣子師曠說(shuō):“我已經(jīng)七十多歲了。
    雖然很想讀些書(shū)，但是，總覺(jué)得時(shí)間太晚了!”
    師曠說(shuō): “時(shí)間太晚嗎?為什么不把蠟燭點(diǎn)起來(lái)呢?”
    平公說(shuō): “我和你說(shuō)正經(jīng)話，怎么，你竟和我開(kāi)起玩笑來(lái)了!”
    師曠說(shuō): “我這個(gè)雙目失明的臣子，哪里敢和大王開(kāi)玩笑!
    我聽(tīng)說(shuō)，一個(gè)人在少年的時(shí)候好學(xué)，就像初升的太陽(yáng)那樣，輝煌而燦爛;
    壯年的時(shí)候好學(xué)，猶如正午的太陽(yáng)，還有半天的好時(shí)光呢;
    老年的時(shí)候好學(xué)，就像蠟燭的火焰一樣。
    蠟燭的光亮雖然是有限的，但是有了它，總比在黑暗中摸索著前進(jìn)要好些吧!”
    聽(tīng)了師曠的話，晉平公高興地說(shuō):
    “你說(shuō)得多好啊!”