Confucian Analects · Analects 16.9
Confucius said, 'Those who are born with the possession of knowledge are the highest class of men. Those who learn, and so, readily, get possession of knowledge, are the next. Those who are dull and stupid, and yet compass the learning, are another class next to these. As to those who are dull and stupid and yet do not learn;-- they are the lowest of the people.'
Chinese · source text【第九章】孔子曰、生而知之者、上也、學而知之者、次也、困而學之、又其次也、困而不學、民斯為下矣。
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Confucius · English translation by James Legge · bilingual transcription
James Legge, The Chinese Classics, Volume 1: Confucian Analects · Project Gutenberg #4094
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