A child prodigy does not necessarily become a great adult; early brilliance does not guarantee future success.
他小时候成绩一直名列前茅，是个公认的神童，但老师也提醒大家，小时了了，大未必佳，还需要继续努力。
He always topped his class as a child and was recognized as a prodigy, but the teacher also reminded everyone that early brilliance doesn't guarantee future success, and continuous effort is still needed.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Synonym:
Story:
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, 10-year-old Kong Rong went to visit Li Yuanli, the famous governor of Henan, claiming to be a relative. Li Yuanli didn't recognize him, so Kong Rong cleverly linked the descendants of Laozi and Confucius as relatives to establish their connection.
Chen Wei, a Grand Master, mocked Kong Rong, saying, 'Clever in childhood, but not necessarily outstanding as an adult.'
Kong Rong immediately retorted, 'I imagine you must have been very clever in your childhood too!'
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