Commit suicide(引決自裁)
Sima Qian was China's most eminent
historian. His Records of the Grand Historian is China's most classic historical
work. In his youth, he travelled throughout China conducting detailed field
investigations. 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, a few years after he began
writing the Records of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian displeased the Han
Dynasty king with one of his views and was sentenced to castration.
This was an extremely humiliating and
unacceptable punishment for a man, and Sima Qian considered suicide. However,
he thought of his dream, his promise to his father and all the work he had put
into this book. Ultimately, he decided to endure the humiliation and continue
living.
A passage from a letter that Sima Qian
wrote to a close friend is summarised below.
In Chinese history, Ji Chang, the founder
of the Zhou dynasty, was a highly respected earl. He was later imprisoned by
the king of the Shang dynasty. Li Si, the great prime minister of the Qin
dynasty, was arrested and executed after its establishment. Han Xin, a highly
skilled general who helped Liu Bang establish the Han dynasty, was arrested and
forced to wear shackles. Several famous ministers and generals of the Han
Dynasty, including Peng Yue, Zhang Ao, Zhou Bo and Dou Ying, originally enjoyed
great prestige, but they were also arrested and sentenced for crimes.
All of these individuals were once very
powerful and influential, and they originally enjoyed very high reputations and
prestige. However, if they did not immediately commit suicide upon arrest, they
would be abused and humiliated by prison staff.
Reflecting on these individuals and my own
experiences, I am deeply moved.
I suddenly realised that a person's
reaction can be either courageous or cowardly, and their actions either strong
or weak, depending on the external circumstances.
I used to misunderstand, always thinking
that historical figures weren't brave enough. But after experiencing these
things myself, I suddenly understand the cowardice they displayed.
I feel quite emotional. I should have committed
suicide before being castrated. Had I died then, I wouldn't have had to endure
these humiliations. Now, in these circumstances, I want to defend my dignity
and integrity, but I think it's too late.
This idiom translates directly as
"Commit suicide".
Dear friend, what thoughts or inspiration
have you had after hearing this story?
Have you ever regretted your decision? If
you were oppressed by those in power, do you think you could still uphold your
dignity?
I hope this story gives you some new insights.
Commit suicide(引決自裁)
司馬遷是中國最傑出的歷史學家。他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。
公元前99年，在司馬遷開始寫史記這本書的幾年之後，他所提出的一個看法讓當時的漢王朝的國王不開心，他被判處了宮刑的刑罰。
這是一個對於男人來說非常難堪又難以接受的刑罰，因此司馬遷一度想自殺但他想到自己的夢想，他想到他對他的父親的承諾，他想到自己為了這本書付出的那些努力與準備。他後來決定選擇忍受這種屈辱而繼續活著。
司馬遷寫給自己的好朋友的一封信中有一段話的大意如下。
中國歷史上，周王朝的奠基者姬昌是一個非常有聲望的伯爵，他後來被商王朝的國王所囚禁，秦王朝的偉大的宰相李斯在秦王朝建立後被捕並且被處死刑，協助劉邦建立漢王朝的非常擅長打仗的將軍韓信被逮捕並且被強迫在身上穿上刑具，彭越、張敖、周勃與竇嬰這幾位漢王朝中的著名的幾位大臣與將軍本來有著非常高的聲望，他們後來也都因為犯罪被捕與被判刑。
上述我所舉例的這些人，他們都曾經非常的有權力與勢力，他們原本都有著非常崇高的名譽與聲望，但是在他們因為犯罪而被逮捕之後，他們如果沒有立刻自殺，他們一旦入獄之後，他們就會被那些監獄的管理人員任意地欺負與侮辱。
想到這些人與我本身的經歷，我感到非常的感慨。
我突然感到一個人會因為外在形勢的不同而表現出勇敢或怯懦的反應，一個人會因為外在情況的不同而做出強大或弱小的舉動。
我以前不理解我總以為那些歷史中的人物不夠勇敢，但我自己經歷了這些事情之後，我突然可以理解那些歷史中的人物所表現出來的怯懦。
我感到有點感慨，我應該在還沒有被執行宮刑的刑罰前就自殺，如果那個時候我死了，我就不用活著遭受這些侮辱，我在現在這種情況下才想要捍衛自己的尊嚴與人格，我認為已經太遲了。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是採取自殺的行動。
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。
你使否曾經因為那個決定而後悔呢?你如果遭遇到巨大的權力壓迫，你認為你還可以堅持自己的尊嚴嗎?
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