I can only follow the tide of the masses,
rising or falling(從俗沉浮)
Sima Qian was China's most eminent
historian. His Records of the Grand Historian is China's most classic history
book. In his youth, he travelled throughout China conducting detailed field
investigations. In middle age, he began to organise 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 emperor of
the Han dynasty 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 dreams, 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.
The gist of the conclusion of a letter that
Sima Qian wrote to a close friend is as follows:
'Because of this punishment, I'm in a very
awkward situation. I am ridiculed in my hometown and cannot possibly retreat to
a mountain cave and live a secluded life. My best option now is to continue
working for the central government.
I can only follow the tide of the masses,
rising or falling with it.
I can only adapt to external circumstances,
moving forward or backward as necessary.
This is the best way of life I've found so
far.
Simply moving with the changing world
without thinking is the only way I can avoid being consumed by the pain and
anger within me.
You are a good friend of mine and I
appreciate your concern. However, I feel that your suggestion to face work and
life positively and proactively is something I simply cannot do in my current
situation.
My situation is so difficult. Recently, I
tried to defend myself, hoping that others would understand my innocence, but I
found that my efforts were useless. No one believes me and no one understands
me.
Whether my speaking out for Li Ling was
right or wrong, and whether what I experienced was right or wrong, these
questions can only be evaluated objectively and fairly by posterity after my
death.
I am writing this letter to you. It cannot
fully express my current feelings. It can only convey some of my thoughts and
general ideas. I am truly grateful for your concern. Thank you again.
The idiom translates as "I can only
follow the tide of the masses, rising or falling".
It is used to describe someone who can
adapt their behaviour to changes in worldly affairs or times.
Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts
did you gain from this story?
Have you ever felt like you had no choice?
Have there ever been moments when you didn't know how to defend yourself?
I hope this story gives you some new
insights.
從俗沉浮(I can only follow the tide of the
masses, rising or falling)
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，開始整理中國從西元前2700年到西元前100年間的中國歷史。
西元前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的結語部分的大意如下。
我因為遭受這個刑罰，所以我現在處於一種很尷尬的狀態，我在我的家鄉中受到人們的譏笑，我也不可能遠離城市一個人隱居在山上的岩洞中，我現在最好的選擇就是繼續待在中央政府內工作。
我現在只能跟隨著大眾的潮流下沉或是浮起。
我只能夠順應的外界的情況前進或是後退。
我覺得這是我目前找到的唯一一種最好的生活方式。
現在這種大腦中什麼都不想地單純地隨著外界的變化行動的這種生活狀態才能夠讓我避免被自己我心中的痛苦和憤怒吞噬。
你是我的好朋友，我很感謝你的關心，但是我認為你現在要求我要用一種積極且進取的方式去面對工作與生活，在我現在這種情況之下，你的這些建議我真的沒有辦法做到。
我現在這種情況是如此的困難，我前陣子也想要替我自己辯解，我希望別人理解我是無辜的，但是我發現我付出的那些努力並沒有用，沒有人願意相信我也沒有人理解我。
算了，我為了李陵發聲的這件事情到底是對還是錯，我所遭遇到的到底是對還是錯，這些問題我想只有在我死了之後，才會得到後人們的客觀且公平的評價了。
我寫這封信給你，這封信無法完全表達我現在的感受，這封信只能表達我部份的心意與我的大概想法，我真的很感謝你對我的關心，再次感謝。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是我只能跟隨著大眾的潮流下沉或是浮起。
這句成語被用來形容一個人能夠順應世俗或時勢的變化去調整自身行為。
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。
你曾經有過那種覺得自己沒有辦法選擇的情況嗎?你曾經有過那種不知道該如何為自己辯解的時刻嗎?
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