It felt like my intestines were being
twisted nine times in a row(回腸九回)
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 king 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 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.
The following is a partial summary of the
final paragraph of a letter that Sima Qian wrote to a close friend:
'Because of this punishment, I am now
forced to bear a bad reputation. Even living at home is extremely difficult for
me. Many people constantly slander me with false words, gossiping about me both
privately and publicly.
I have suffered this calamity because of a
single sentence, and I am now ridiculed by the people of my hometown.
The reputation of my ancestors has also
been dishonoured because of me. I am in great pain and feel unworthy to visit
my parents' graves.
I fear that this stain on my name will be
etched in history and that my descendants will be forever implicated because of
me.
Recently, I have been experiencing frequent
abdominal cramps, as if my intestines have been twisted nine times over. My
mental state is poor; when I am at home, I often feel disorientated and as if I
have lost something.
Sometimes I want to go out, but I don't
know where I can go. I feel like I can't escape my shame anywhere. Whenever I
think about all that I have suffered, I break out in a cold sweat and sweat so
much that my clothes are soaked.
The idiom literally translates as 'it felt
like my intestines were being twisted nine times in a row'.
This idiom describes someone who is
extremely anxious and worried, and who experiences severe abdominal cramps as a
result.
Dear friend, what inspiration or thoughts
did you gain from this story?
Have you ever had stomach aches from worry?
Have you ever felt ostracised by others?
I hope this story gives you some new
insights.
回腸九回(It felt like my intestines were being
twisted nine times in a row)
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的最後一段話的部分大意如下。
我因為遭受這個刑罰，所以我現在被迫背負著不好的名聲，我現在連住在家裡都感到非常的不容易，有很多人常常用不實的言詞中傷我，他們在私底下或公開場合議論我。
我因為一句話所以遭遇了這個災禍，我被我的故鄉的人們所嘲笑。
我的祖先的名譽也因為我而遭到羞辱，我非常的痛苦，我覺得我沒有資格到我的父母的墳墓前去祭拜他們。
我害怕我的這個汙點會在歷史上流傳下去，我的子孫們永遠都會被我所牽連。
最近，我的腹部常常感到絞痛，我的腸子好像被連續扭轉了九次一樣，我的精神狀態非常的不好，我待在家裡時常常感到精神很恍惚，我的心中常常感到一種像是丟了東西一樣的失落感。
我有時候想出門，但我不知道我可以到那裡去，我覺得我到任何地方都無法逃避我的恥辱，我每次想到我所遭遇的這一切，我的身上就會開始流冷汗，我流的汗流地那麼的多，連我的衣服都被浸濕了。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是我的腸子好像被連續扭轉了九次一樣。
這句成語被用來形容一個人非常的憂愁與焦慮，這個人因為過度憂愁與焦慮而感到肚子絞痛。
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。
你曾經有過因為感到憂慮而肚子痛的經驗嗎?你是否曾經感受到被眾人排擠的經驗嗎?
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