On Teachers
Scholars since ancient time all have teachers. A teacher is the one who passes on what is right and wrong, imparting knowledge and skills , and solving doubts. People are not born with knowledge, who could claim not having any doubts? Should one refuse to be instructed by teachers he would remain muddleheaded and his doubts would stay unsolved.
Men born before me know the truth ahead of me， I respect them as my teachers; those born after me may also know the truth before me, likewise I respect them as teachers . It is the truth that I am seeking. Do I need to know whether my teacher was born earlier or later than me? Thus wherever the truth exists, there are teachers for me over there, no matter whether they are nobles or the humble, whether they are old or young.
-Han Yu (Tang Dynasty)
【作者简介】韩愈（768年—824年12月25日），"唐宋八大家"之首，与柳宗元并称"韩柳"，有"文章巨公"和"百代文宗"之名。后人将其与柳宗元、欧阳修和苏轼合称"千古文章四大家"。在旧《广东通志》中被称为"广东古八贤"之一。 他提出的"文道合一"、"气盛言宜"、"务去陈言"、"文从字顺"等散文的写作理论，对后人很有指导意义。著有《韩昌黎集》等。
- 原载 《海外南开人》109期
