任重道遠

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See also: 任重道远

Chinese

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to assign; to appoint; office
to assign; to appoint; office; responsibility
 
heavy; serious; to double
heavy; serious; to double; to repeat; repetition; iteration; again; a layer
 
direction; way; method
direction; way; method; road; path; principle; truth; reason; skill; Tao (of Taoism); a measure word; to say; to speak; to talk
 
far; distant; remote
trad. (任重道遠)
simp. (任重道远)
Literally: “heavy load and long course”.

Etymology

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From the Analects, Book 8 (《論語·泰伯》):

曾子:「不可以任重道遠以為死而後已?」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
曾子:「不可以任重道远以为死而后已?」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Zēngzǐ yuē: “Shì bùkěyǐ bù hóng yì, rèn zhòng ér dào yuǎn. Rén yǐwéi jǐ rèn, bù yì zhòng hū? Sǐ érhòu yǐ, bù yì yuǎn hū?” [Pinyin]
The philosopher Zeng said, "The officer may not be without breadth of mind and vigorous endurance. His burden is heavy and his course is long. Perfect virtue is the burden which he considers it is his to sustain - is it not heavy? Only with death does his course stop - is it not long?"

Pronunciation

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Idiom

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任重道遠

  1. to shoulder a heavy responsibility for a long time