【原文】
子曰：〝苗而不秀者有矣夫！秀而不實者有矣夫！〞
【參考譯文】
孔子說：〝有的人就像一些莊稼苗一樣，雖發牙卻不揚花，有的雖揚花卻不結實。〞
【English Translation】
Confucius said: "Some seedlings spring up but never flower while others flower but do not bear fruit. "
Note: These images allude to the problem of giving up halfway.