Classical Prose
卖油翁
陈康肃公善射，当世无双，公亦以此自矜。
尝射于家圃，有卖油翁释担而立，睨之久而不去。
见其发矢十中八九，但微颔之。
康肃问曰：“汝亦知射乎？吾射不亦精乎？”
翁曰：“无他，但手熟尔。”
康肃忿然曰：“尔安敢轻吾射！”
翁曰：“以我酌油知之。”
乃取一葫芦置于地，以钱覆其口，徐以杓酌油沥之，自钱孔入，而钱不湿。
因曰：“我亦无他，惟手熟尔。”
康肃笑而遣之。
Translation
Lord Chen Kangsuo was skilled in archery, unmatched in his time, and he was proud of it. Once, while shooting in his family garden, an old oil seller put down his carrying pole and stood watching him. He looked on askance for a long time and did not leave. Seeing Chen shoot ten arrows and hit eight or nine, the old man merely nodded slightly. Kangsuo asked, “Do you also understand archery? Is my shooting not excellent?” The old man said, “There is nothing special about it. It is only a matter of practiced hands.” Kangsuo said angrily, “How dare you look down on my archery!” The old man replied, “I know this from pouring oil.” He then took a gourd and placed it on the ground. Covering its mouth with a coin, he slowly ladled oil into it. The oil passed through the hole of the coin, yet the coin itself was not wetted. He then said, “I too have nothing special. It is only practiced hands.” Kangsuo laughed and sent him away.
Analysis
“The Old Oil Seller” is a concise anecdotal essay that teaches the principle that mastery comes through practice. Ouyang Xiu contrasts two forms of skill: Lord Chen Kangsuo’s archery and the old man’s oil pouring. One belongs to the world of martial display, the other to humble daily labor. Yet the underlying principle is the same. Chen is indeed an excellent archer, but he is also proud. When the old man merely nods after seeing him hit eight or nine out of ten shots, Chen feels slighted. His question seeks admiration. The old man’s answer, “It is only practiced hands,” does not deny Chen’s skill. Rather, it removes the aura of mystery around it and explains it as the result of long repetition. The demonstration with the coin and gourd is the center of the essay. Pouring oil through the hole of a coin without wetting the coin is a remarkable feat, yet the old man performs it calmly. This humble act mirrors the archer’s skill and gives the old man moral authority. Practice, not pride, is the source of mastery. The ending is gentle. Chen laughs and sends the old man away. He is not destroyed by the lesson; he accepts it. The essay therefore teaches not only “practice makes perfect,” but also humility before skill, including skill found in ordinary work.
About the Author
Ouyang Xiu was a Northern Song writer, historian, and statesman, also known as Zuiweng and Liuyi Jushi. He is one of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song and played a major role in the revival of classical prose. His writing is clear, natural, and often rich in meaning despite its simplicity. “The Old Oil Seller” shows his ability to draw a memorable moral lesson from an ordinary scene.