Need help with a 文言 sentence by 董其昌

[Tomsima]

Is there anyone able to help out with this sentence:

 

大都翰墨之事，不重久學，不輕新進，伏生皓首授書，何郎白面談《易》，何容置甲乙也

 

（明代董其昌《〈珍善齋印〉序》）

 

I think get the gist, but it's annoying me I can't clarify exactly what every character is doing, I've searched around on baidu with no success, was hoping there might be someone able to help out here?

 

For context, it's quoted in a book where the author is discussing the relevance and subjectiveness of age in mastering calligraphy.

 

so far i read:

 

"On the whole, calligraphy does not place emphasis on studying for a long time, nor does it look lightly upon the newly qualified (Imperial exam candidate, i'm going for this translation based on 董其昌s position and it being 明代, although in this context might it simply be 'new students'?) 伏生(yield to students the teachings from…?)those of old age passing on teachings, why discuss the "book of changes" with young men, why 容置(is it easy to arrange…?) their rank?

 

Sorry if I'm missing something really obvious in there…

[mouse]

伏生 and 何郎 are people. Fu Sheng was old when he received the Book of Documents, He Yan was young when he discussed the Book of Changes. 

 

As for 新進, you're right that it can refer to a recently qualified civil servant, but maybe it works better to see it grammatically on par with 久學; 'long time' and 'newly' being parallel.

 

何容 is a rhetorical question. You're right about the 'arrangement' bit, I think. The sense is something like 'How does one rank them?'

[Tomsima]

"On the whole, calligraphy does not give importance to (one who has) studied for a long time, nor does it look lightly upon the new student. Fu Sheng was old when he received the Book of Documents, He Yan was young when he discussed the Book of Changes. How can you rank one above the other?"

 

Sloppy, but I get the gist and its clarified a much wider passage for me, thanks @mouse

[mouse]

3 hours ago, Tomsima said:

Sloppy, but I get the gist

 

Not sloppy at all.

 

I was thinking about the heavy/light thing, and the only thing I came up with was: "calligraphy does not stress lengthy study, nor does it look lightly upon the new student".