春秋时期，晋国有个乐师叫师旷，眼睛失明，但善弹一手好琴，精于辨音。有一天，晋平公问师旷，我已经70岁了，还想学习，恐怕已“暮”了，先生你看呢？师旷没有正面回答，而是接过晋平公的“暮”字说道：“暮何不炳烛乎？” 晋平公有些不解，怔怔地望着师旷。师旷便进一步解释说：“臣闻之，少而好学，如日出之阳；壮而好学，如日中之光；老而好学，如炳烛之明。炳烛之明，孰与昧行乎？”晋平公听了，恍然大悟，高兴不已，从此开始了晚年的求学路。
《炳烛之光》
晋平公问于师旷曰：“吾年七十，欲学恐已暮矣。”师旷曰：“何不炳烛乎？”平公曰：“安有为人臣而戏其君乎？”师旷曰：“盲臣安敢戏君乎？臣闻之；少而好学，如日出之阳；壮而好学，如日中之光；老而好学，如炳烛之明。孰与昧行乎？”平公曰：“善哉！”
The Light of a Candle
One day Marquis Ping of the State of Jin said to his minister Shikuang: "I'm seventy years old now. Though I desire to read and learn more, I am afraid it may be too late. You see I'm in the evening of my life." "In the evening? Then why don't you light a candle?" "I have spoken to my minister I earnest and he in turn jests with his lord." Shikuang said: "How dare I, a blind man? I have heard that a youth who is eager in his studies has a bright future radiating light like the rising sun. A person of middle age, if he is keen on his learning, just shines as the sun at high noon. A person of old age, if he is still given to his study and reading, will give out light as much as a lighted candle does. In spite of its dim light, it is far far better than pitch-dark!" "What you said is quite right," approved Marquis Ping admiringly.
