This was a grave mistake and was wrong.(大謬不然)
Sima Qian was China's most eminent
historian. He and his father both served as officials in the central
government, responsible for recording history. While this position was not
particularly high-ranking or well-paid, it was highly respected.
Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian
is China's most classic history book. In his youth, he travelled throughout
China conducting detailed fieldwork. In middle age, he began to compile Chinese
history from 2700 BC to 100 BC based on the materials he had collected.
In 99 BC, an event occurred that would
profoundly impact his life.
A Han Dynasty general named Li Ling led an
army of just 5,000 men against a Xiongnu Kingdom army of 80,000. Due to the
overwhelming disparity in numbers, Li Ling's army was defeated. Li Ling
surrendered, but was not killed; instead, he was taken prisoner by the Xiongnu
Kingdom.
Upon hearing the news of Li Ling's defeat,
the Han dynasty king was enraged. He was not only angry about the defeat
itself, but also believed that Li Ling's surrender demonstrated disloyalty to
the Han Dynasty and that he had betrayed it.
In his extreme fury, the king of the Han
Dynasty issued a decree that all of Li Ling's family members were to be
executed because of his betrayal.
After this decree was announced, most
ministers disagreed, but none dared to voice their opposition. They knew that
speaking out against the enraged king would incur his wrath.
Sima Qian, the official responsible for
recording history, knew that if the decree were carried out, it would affect
not only Li Ling, but also the king himself. Future generations of Chinese
people would remember the king for making this cruel and erroneous decision in
a fit of rage.
Ultimately, Sima Qian decided to voice his
opposition. This decision brought him immense shame: the enraged king sentenced
him to castration.
After being punished, Sima Qian wrote an
angry letter to his close friend Ren An, stating that he should not have
suffered such hardship and that it was a grave mistake and was wrong .
Having experienced such injustice, Sima
Qian felt hopeless, but remembering his father's dying wish for him to become
an outstanding chronicler of Chinese history, he slowly climbed out of the
depths of despair. His final work, the Records of the Grand Historian, is not
only China's most classic history book, but has also influenced countless
generations of Chinese people.
This idiom translates as "This was a
grave mistake and it was wrong".
Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts
have you gained from this story?
Have you ever made a wrong decision in a
fit of extreme anger? Have you ever felt like you had hit rock bottom?
I hope this story will provide you with
some new insights.
大謬不然(This was a grave mistake and was
wrong.)
司馬遷是中國最傑出的歷史學家。他的父親與他都在中央政府內擔任負責記錄歷史的官員，這個工作沒有非常高的地位與非常好的薪水，但是這是一個非常令人尊敬的職位。
司馬遷寫的史記是中國最經典的歷史書。他在青年時代走遍了全中國，進行詳細的田野調查。他在中年之後根據所蒐集的材料，開始整理中國從公元前2700年到公元前100年間的中國歷史。
西元前99年，發生了一件對他的生命影響巨大的事情。
漢王朝有一個名字叫做李陵的將軍，他領導著一隻只有五千人的軍隊與八萬的匈奴王國的軍隊對戰，由於雙方的兵力太過懸殊，所以李陵率領的軍隊戰敗了，李陵投降所以沒有被殺，他被俘虜到匈奴王國。
漢王朝的國王聽到李陵戰敗的消息後非常的憤怒，他憤怒的原因不只是因為李陵被打敗而是因為他認為李陵投降的行為顯示出李陵對漢王朝並不忠誠，他背叛了漢王朝。
漢王朝的國王在極度的憤怒的情緒下公告了一條命令，由於李陵背叛了漢王朝，因此所有李陵的家人全部都要被處死。
這條命令公告之後，多數的大臣們心中都不認同，但是卻都沒有人敢提出反對的意見，大臣們知道，在盛怒的國王面前，如果提出反對意見，那麼國王的怒氣可能會延伸到自己身上。
司馬遷是一個主管負責記錄歷史的官員，他知道這條命令如果真的被執行，那麼影響到的人不只是李陵，還有下達這條命令的國王，所有中國後代的人們都會記得國王在盛怒之下做出了這個殘忍又錯誤的決定。
司馬遷最後決定勇敢地提出反對的意見，司馬遷的這個決定為他自己帶來了極大的恥辱，他被盛怒的國王判處了宮刑的刑罰。
司馬遷在被刑罰之後，他曾經寫信給自己一個叫做(任安)的好朋友，他在這封信中氣憤地說，我不應該遭受到這種患難，這件事是極大的錯誤，這件事是不對的。
司馬遷在遭遇到這樣不公正的事情之後曾經感到人生失去了希望，但是他想到自己繼承了父親的遺願，要做一個傑出的中國歷史的紀錄者，所以他從人生的谷底慢慢爬出，他最後完成的(史記)不只是中國最經典的歷史書，這本書更影響了後代的許許多多的中國人。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是這件事是極大的錯誤，這件事是不對的。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢。
你曾經在極度憤怒下做出錯誤的決定嗎?你是否曾經感覺到自己跌入人生的谷底呢?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為司馬遷-報任少卿書
https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E5%A0%B1%E4%BB%BB%E5%B0%91%E5%8D%BF%E6%9B%B8