Although Chen Yaozi was a civil official in Song Dynasty, he loved archery very much, and was pretty good at it.

 

One day he was practicing in his own field, and eight or nine times out of ten he hit the target. He became quite complacent¹.

 

Looking around, he found an old man who sells oil standing² nearby. And the old man only nodded slightly towards his skills, not amazed. Angered by this, he called the old man to come over and asked him, "Do you also know archery? Aren't my skills brilliant?" The old man took out a gourd³ from the wicker-basket and placed it on the ground. He covered the opening of the gourd with a copper⁴ coin. And then he scooped⁵ a spoon of oil and began to pour the oil into the gourd through the hole in the coin drop by drop without wetting the coin. The old man said to Chen Yaozi, "This is only practice makes perfect, nothing so brilliant." Chen Yaozi laughed and sent him away.

 

宋朝大臣陈尧咨虽然是进士出身，却爱好射箭，而且技艺不俗。

 

一天，他在自家的场地上演习，中靶率高达百分之八九十，心中大为得意。

 

四周一看，发现旁边站了很久的一位卖油的老头对此只是微微点点头，并不特别惊讶，顿时无名火起，将老头叫过来，问道：“你也懂射箭吗？我的技术难道不高明吗？”老头从筐里取出一只葫芦，放在地上，用一枚铜钱盖住葫芦口，舀出一勺油，通过钱眼，一滴一滴倒进葫芦里，铜钱上一星油迹也没有。老头对陈尧说：“我这不过是熟能生巧，谈不上什么高明。”陈尧咨笑笑，将老头打发走了。

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