Translation: Feng Guifen's comments on English (1861)
the internet archive is your friend :)

it's in the book "校邠廬抗議", 卷下﹒采西學議 (p66, p69)

https://archive.org/details/02092023.cn

There are many brilliant people in China; there must be some who can learn from the barbarians and surpass them

中國多秀民﹒必有出於夷而轉勝於夷者



These men are generally frivolous rascals and loafers in the cities and are despised in their villages and communities,

其人率皆市井佻達游閒﹒不齒鄉里



it seems that your book "age of ambition" is quite interesting :)