English Original
Once upon a time, there was a scholar named Su Qin. He was utterly destitute from a young age and had no money for education. To make a living and study, he often sold his hair or worked for others, eventually traveling far from home to the State of Qi to learn.
After a year of study, he decided he had mastered his teacher's skills. He hastily left his teacher and classmates and wandered from place to place to earn a living. However, a year later, he owned nothing and was completely penniless. He returned home in rags and straw sandals.
When he arrived, he was lean as a rake, ragged, and dirty. His wife sighed at the sight of him and continued weaving; his sister-in-law turned and walked away, unwilling to cook for him; his parents, brothers, and sisters all ignored and laughed at him.
Heartbroken by his family's treatment, Su Qin closed his door for profound self-reflection. He recognized his shortcomings and resolved to change. He took out all his books and devoted all his energy to study.
Every day, he studied late into the night. Sometimes he fell asleep at his desk. He would regret it deeply upon waking but had no good way to prevent it. One day, he was so sleepy he involuntarily fell asleep at the desk but suddenly woke when his arm was pierced by something—an awl left on the desk. He found a way to avoid dozing off: piercing his own thighs! From then on, whenever he felt drowsy, he would stab his thighs to jolt himself awake with pain. His thighs were often bloody and horrible to see.
Seeing this, his family could not stand by idly. They pleaded with him, "We understand your desire to succeed, but you must not maltreat yourself like this!"
Su Qin replied, "If I do not do this, I will forget my past shame." After this "bloody" year of relentless study, Su Qin became a man of great learning. He set out to wander again, and this time he succeeded, embarking on a glorious political career and becoming a famous political strategist during the Warring States Period.
中文翻译
从前，有一位名叫苏秦的学者。他自幼家境贫寒，无钱求学。为了谋生和学习，他常常卖头发或为他人打工，最终远离家乡前往齐国求学。
学习一年后，他自认为已掌握了老师的全部本领，便匆匆告别师友，四处游历谋生。然而一年后，他依旧一无所有，身无分文，只得衣衫褴褛、脚穿草鞋地回到家中。
到家时，他瘦骨嶙峋、衣衫破旧、满身污垢。妻子见到他后叹了口气，继续织布；嫂子转身走开，不愿为他做饭；父母、兄弟、姐妹也都无视并嘲笑他。
家人的冷遇让苏秦心碎。他闭门进行深刻反省，认识到了自己的不足，于是振作精神，取出所有书籍，全身心投入学习。
他每天苦读到深夜，有时伏在书桌上就睡着了。第二天醒来总是懊悔不已，却又没有好办法防止。一天，他困极了，不由自主地趴在桌上睡着，手臂突然被什么东西刺醒——原来是桌上的一把锥子。他找到了防止打瞌睡的方法：刺自己的大腿！从此，每当他犯困点头时，就用锥子刺大腿，用疼痛让自己清醒。他的大腿常常血迹斑斑，令人不忍直视。
家人见此情景于心不忍，劝说道：“我们明白你想成功，但你不该这样虐待自己！”
苏秦答道：“如果我不这样做，就会忘记过去的耻辱。”经过这“血淋淋”的一年苦读，苏秦终于学有所成。他再次外出游说，这次他成功了，开始了辉煌的政治生涯，成为战国时期著名的纵横家。