Xiě wán zhè běn shū de gǎnshòu, zhēnshi dé shī cùn xīn zhī.
The feeling of finishing this book — only my own heart truly knows the gains and losses.
Tips
history
From 杜甫 Du Fu 《偶题》: 文章千古事，得失寸心知 — 'writing is an affair of the ages; gains and losses — only an inch of heart knows.' A favorite self-deprecating motto of Chinese writers and scholars.
usage
寸心 literally 'inch-heart' = one's own mind/heart (traditional metaphor: heart was thought to be an inch wide). Often quoted with 文章千古事 to complete the couplet — the half alone has also become proverbial.
