-- "Leading Cadres Should Love Reading, Read Good Books, and Be Good at Reading-Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Second Batch of Advanced Classes and Special Seminars of the Central Party School in the Spring Semester of 2009" and other articles

■Interpretation

Comrade Xi Jinping regards reading as a way of life for himself, and believes that reading can have "three lets" - to keep people alive in thought, to let people be inspired by wisdom, and to nourish the spirit of Haoran. In Comrade Xi Jinping's view, when you are young, you have a good memory and strong receptivity, and you should pay close attention to studying. He himself read through Marxist-Leninist works when he was young, dabbled in a wide range of books, and laid a lifelong intellectual foundation during the seven years he spent in the countryside. Therefore, on many occasions, he encouraged young people to live up to their time, seize the time, and study hard. When you are middle-aged, you are energetic and have a broad vision, so you should strive to expand the breadth and depth of your reading and lay a solid foundation for your life's learning. When you are old, you have plenty of time and experience, so you must have the attitude of perseverance and constant reading, and the energy to never get tired of reading, so as to understand life and forget your worries in the world of reading.

■Original text

Jin Pinggong asked Yu Shikuang: "I am seventy years old, and if I want to learn, I am afraid that it is already twilight." Shi Kuang said: "Why don't you burn candles? Ping Gong said: "An You is a minister and plays with his king? Shi Kuang said: "Blind ministers dare to play with their kings? When the minister hears it, he is little and studious, like the sun of sunrise; Strong and studious, like the light of the day; Old and studious, like a candle. The light of the candle, which is the one who is ambiguous? Ping Gong said: "Good! ”

——(Western Han Dynasty) Liu Xiang "Saying Yuan: Jianben"

■Definition

This is a story in "Shuo Yuan": Jin Pinggong once asked the blind musician Shi Kuang: "I am seventy years old, and I really want to learn, but I am afraid it is too late." Shi Kuang replied, "Why don't you light a candle?" When Pinggong heard this, he was very angry: "How can anyone who is a courtier make fun of the monarch?" Shi Kuang said: "How dare the blind minister tease the monarch? I have heard that when I was young, I was studious, and I was as bright as the rising sun; In the prime of life, he was studious, as hot as the sun at noon; In old age, he is studious, like lighting with a candle, shining in the dark. Which is better to walk with candles or walk in the dark? Jin Pinggong couldn't help but praise: "Well said! ”

Shi Kuang used "sunrise", "mid-day" and "candle" to illustrate the importance of learning and the three stages of life learning, encouraging people to live and learn until they are old. The Northern Qi writer Yan Zhitui quoted this metaphor of Shi Kuang in "Yan's Family Motto": "Young and scholar, like the light of the sunrise; Old and scholarly, like a candle walking at night, is still a virtuous person who is blind and does not see. "Reading and learning for the elderly is like walking at night with candles", and if they don't learn, they will "turn a blind eye and see nothing". It can be seen that it is still very meaningful to be old and studious.

In ancient Chinese, there are two usages of "Bing Candle" and "Bing Candle", such as "Bing Candle Zhiming" and "Bing Candle Night Walk". In modern Chinese, only the word "bingzhu" is used, such as "bingzhu waiting".