大器晚成(대기만성)

大器晚成

큰 그릇은 늦게 완성된다.
큰 인물이 되기 위하여는 많은 노력과 시간이 필요하다.
"큰 독은 짓기 어렵다"고 하는 속담이 있고, 큰 인물은 갑자기 이루어지지 않는다는 의미이다.
"로마는 하루아침에 이루어지지 아니한다."
The great vessels take years to produce.
a great vessel will be long in completion
great vessels are late in completion
It takes a long time to make a big pot.
great instruments are never quickly forged
A great talent takes time to mature.
A great man becomes famous late in life.
A great man will succeed late in life.
Great talents mature late.
Great talents are slow in maturing.
People who can take on important responsibilities have to go through long-term training, so the achievement is late.
A major figure will develop into a pillar of the state.
great man matures slowly
great minds mature slowly
Late fruit keeps well.
Rome was not built in a day.
  
老子 《道德經》 上士聞道，勤而行之；中士聞道，若存若亡；下士聞道，大笑之。不笑不足以為道。
故建言有之：
明道若昧；
進道若退；
夷道若纇；
上德若谷；
太白若辱；
廣德若不足；
建德若偷；
質真若渝；
大方無隅；
大器晚成；
大音希聲；
大象無形；
道隱無名。
夫唯道，善貸且成。
노자 《도덕경》 상사문도，근이행지；중사문도，약존약망；하사문도，대소지。불소부족이위도。
고건언유지：
명도약매；
진도약퇴；
이도약뢰；
상덕약곡；
엄덕약부족；
건덕약투；
질진약투；
대백약욕；
대방무우；
대기만성；
대음희성；
대상무형；
도은무명。
부유도，선대차성。
Scholars of the highest class, when they hear about the Dao, earnestly carry it into practice. Scholars of the middle class, when they have heard about it, seem now to keep it and now to lose it. Scholars of the lowest class, when they have heard about it, laugh greatly at it. If it were not (thus) laughed at, it would not be fit to be the Dao.
Therefore the sentence-makers have thus expressed themselves:
"The Dao, when brightest seen, seems light to lack;
Who progress in it makes, seems drawing back;
Its even way is like a rugged track.
Its highest virtue from the vale doth rise;
Its greatest beauty seems to offend the eyes;
And he has most whose lot the least supplies.
Its firmest virtue seems but poor and low;
Its solid truth seems change to undergo;
Its largest square doth yet no corner show
A vessel great, it is the slowest made;
Loud is its sound, but never word it said;
A semblance great, the shadow of a shade."
The Dao is hidden, and has no name; but it is the Dao which is skilful at imparting (to all things what they need) and making them complete.
 
훌륭한 선비는 도를 들으면 열심히 행하고, 보통의 선비는 도를 들으면 반신반의하고, 어리석은 선비는 도를 들으면 크게 비웃는다. 어리석은 선비가 비웃지 않으면 도라고 하기에 부족하다.
그러므로 도인(道人)은 주장한다:
도가 아주 밝은 때에는 어두운 듯하다;
도 안에서 나아갈 때에는 물러나는 듯하다;
도가 나아가는 길이 평평하면 울퉁불퉁한 듯하다;
가장 높게 큰 도는 골짜기로부터 올라오는 듯하다;
가장 깨끗한 도는 더러운 듯하다;
넓게 큰 도는 부족한 듯하다;
건실하게 큰 도는 잘고 옹졸한 듯하다;
확고하게 진실한 도는 바뀌는 듯하다;
크게 모가 나면 모서리가 보이지 않고,
큰 그릇은 늦게 이루어진다.
큰 소리를 내면 소리가 들리지 않고,
큰 형상은 형체가 없다;
도는 숨어서 드러내지 아니하므로, 이름을 떨치지는 아니한다.
오직 도는 필요하면 나누어 주고, 잘 이루어지게 할 수 있을 뿐이다.
 
[成語故事]
三国时期，袁绍身边有一位门客，名叫崔琰。他从小学习武艺，不过直到二十三岁才开始读《论语》、《诗经》等书籍。
崔琰为人耿直，很有见识，连曹操都很敬重他。
崔琰在对人才的识别方面，有着独到之处。崔琰有个堂弟名叫崔林，年轻时没有什么成就和名望，亲戚朋友都瞧不起他。但是崔琰却对这位堂弟相当器重，常常对别人说："此所谓大器晚成者也，终必远至。" 意思是说，能做大事的人往往要经过长期的锻炼，崔林将来一定会成大器。 后来，崔林受到重用，先是在曹操手下担任主簿等官职，后来在魏文帝曹丕朝中被封为安阳乡侯，成为魏国的重臣。
[성어고사]
삼국시기，원소신변유일위문객，명규최염。타종소학습무예，불과직도이십삼세재개시독《논어》、《시경》등서적。
최염위인경직，흔유견식，연조조도흔경중타。
최염재대인재적식별방면，유착독도지처。최염유개당제명규최림，연경시몰유십요성취화명망，친척붕우도초불기타。단시최염각대저위당제상당기중，상상대별인설： "차소위대기만성자야，종필원지。" 의사시설，능주대사적인왕왕요경과장기적단련，최림장래일정회성대기。 후래，최림수도중용，선시재조조수하단임주부등관직，후래재위문제조비조중피봉위안양향후，성위위국적중신。
During the period of the Three Kingdoms, Yuan Shao(袁紹), a contemporary warlord, had a guest called Cui Yan(崔琰). He practiced martial arts from a young age, but only started reading books like The Analects of Confucius(論語), and The Book of Song(詩經) at the age of twenty-three. Cui Yan was frank and honest with others, with a lot of experience. Even Cao Cao(曹操), another famous Warlord and poet, greatly respected Cui Yan.
Cui Yan had a unique way of identifying talent. Cui Yan had a cousin called Cui Lin(崔林) who, when he was young, didn’t achieve anything significant or have a great reputation, and was often looked down upon by his family and friends. But Cui Yan always regarded this cousin quite highly, and often told others: "This is what people call a late bloomer, give it time." He meant that a person who has the capability of doing great things often takes a long time to practice, Cui Lin would become a great talent one day. Eventually, Cui Lin was given great responsibilities, first working as a civil servant under Cao Cao, then becoming an important court minister in the Wei Kingdom.