English Original
In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), there was a scholar named Wen Tong, also known as Yuke. He was admired not only for his great learning but also for his renowned skill in painting bamboo. Many people visited his home daily to request his artwork.
While several contemporary painters could draw bamboo well, Wen Tong's work was exceptional. His friends, the famous poets Su Shi and Chao Buzhi, offered vivid explanations for this in their writings.
Wen Tong's secret lay in his profound love for bamboo. He cultivated various species around his house and would observe them in the bamboo grove daily, regardless of season or weather. He contemplated the dimensions of the stalks and the shapes and colors of the leaves. Whenever he gained new insight, he would return to his study, prepare ink on his slab, and capture his mental image on paper.
Through years of such dedicated observation and practice, the images of bamboo in all seasons and conditions became deeply imprinted in his mind. Consequently, whenever he stood before paper with brush in hand, the myriad forms of bamboo he had studied would instantly appear before his eyes. This allowed him to paint with confidence and ease, producing works of remarkable vividness and lifelikeness.
When praised, Wen Tong modestly claimed he was merely transferring the bamboo images from his mind onto paper.
A young man seeking to learn bamboo painting approached Chao Buzhi for instruction, knowing of his deep understanding of Wen Tong's art. In response, Chao Buzhi wrote a poem containing these famous lines:
When Yuke painted the bamboos,
He had their images ready in his bosom.
Later generations condensed this idea into the idiom "having the bamboo in mind" (胸有成竹). It signifies having a well-conceived plan or a clear vision before undertaking a task, ensuring success. It also implies acting with calm assurance and a level head.
This story originates from an essay by Su Shi on Wen Tong's bamboo painting art.
中文翻译
宋朝（960-1279年）有一位学者名叫文同，字与可。他不仅因博学而受人敬仰，更以其画竹的卓越技艺闻名遐迩。每日都有不少人登门求取他的墨竹图。
当时虽有不少画家擅画竹，但文同的作品尤为出众。他的好友，著名诗人苏轼和晁补之，在他们的诗文中对此给出了生动的解释。
文同的秘诀源于他对竹子深切的热爱。他在房前屋后种满了各类竹子，无论季节晴雨，每日必去竹林中观察其生长。他仔细琢磨竹竿的粗细长短、竹叶的形状与颜色。每有新的领悟，他便回到书房，研墨铺纸，将心中的意象描绘下来。
经年累月如此专注的观察与练习，不同时节、不同天气下的竹姿已深深印刻在他的脑海中。因此，每当他提笔凝神立于纸前，平日所观察到的各种竹形便立刻浮现于眼前。这使他能从容自信地挥毫，所画之竹无不生动逼真，栩栩如生。
面对赞誉，文同总是谦逊地说，自己只是将心中的竹影付诸纸上罢了。
一位想学画竹的年轻人，得知晁补之深谙文同画艺，便前去求教。晁补之赠诗一首，其中有这样两句：
与可画竹时，
胸中有成竹。
后人将此意概括为成语“胸有成竹”。它意指在做某事之前，心中已有成熟的计划或清晰的构想，从而确保成功。也用来形容处事沉着冷静、心中有数。
这个故事出自苏轼论述文同画竹艺术的一篇文章。