Departmental Items High School Ancient Chinese Poems and Prose: Ancient Chinese Poems and Prose Recommended for Recitation by the Ministry of Education's Junior High School Chinese Language Teaching Syllabus

Author: Xin Zheng / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-07-01
Features: A Letter to Ren An (Excerpt)
From Sima Qian to You, You the Younger:
Once upon a time, you bestowed upon me a letter, instructing me to take "caution in dealing with others and promoting talented officials" as my duty. Your words were earnest and sincere, as if you were resenting me for not following your advice and instead listening to the talk of ordinary people. I assure you, I was not so foolish. Although I may be mediocre, I have once heard the noble traditions of the elders.
However, I regard myself as physically mutilated and placed in a disgraceful position, where every action invites blame. My efforts to do good only bring harm, so I remain in a state of melancholy with no one to confide in. As the saying goes, "Who will do it? Who will listen?"
When Zhong Ziqi passed away, Bo Ya never played the lute again for the rest of his life. Why? Because scholars serve those who appreciate them, and women adorn themselves for those who love them. If my body is flawed, even if I possess the talents of Su Hou and He, or act with the virtue of Xu You and Bo Yi, I will never find honor. Instead, I will only bring ridicule upon myself.
It is proper to reply to your letter, but I have been summoned eastward by the emperor and am occupied with trivial matters. Our meetings have been infrequent, leaving me no time to fully express my thoughts. Now, you are accused of an unpunished crime, with the days of the twelfth month approaching. I, too, am about to follow the emperor to Yong, and I fear that I may not survive. Thus, I will never be able to vent my frustrations and inform you. Then, the souls of the departed will suffer endlessly in their solitude.
Allow me to briefly express my unrefined views. If I do not reply, do not blame me.
My ancestors did not achieve the merit of divided seals or red inscribed certificates. They were involved in literature, astronomy, and divination, considered mere entertainers by the emperor, like courtesans and entertainers, despised by the common people.
If I were to be executed, it would be no different from the loss of a single hair from a thousand oxen. Yet the world does not compare me to those who die for their principles. Instead, they see me as one who has exhausted my wisdom and committed the ultimate crime, unable to escape death. Why? It is because of the path I have chosen for myself.
All men must die, but some die with greater weight than Mount Tai, while others die as lightly as feathers. The difference lies in their aspirations.
The highest honor is to avoid dishonoring one's ancestors. The next is to avoid dishonoring oneself. The next is to avoid dishonoring one's dignity. The next is to avoid dishonoring one's words. The next is to suffer physical humiliation while maintaining dignity. The next is to be bound and whipped. The next is to be imprisoned with metal shackles. The next is to be humiliated by having one's hair and nails torn out. The next is to be scarred and mutilated, even to the point of castration, which is the ultimate humiliation.
The saying goes, "Criminals should not be punished by officials." This is to emphasize that scholars must uphold their dignity.
A fierce tiger in the mountains causes all beasts to tremble. But when trapped in a cage, it shakes its tail in hunger, gradually subdued by force. Therefore, scholars may draw lines to represent prisons and declare that they cannot enter. They may carve wood into officials and say that they cannot debate with them. They make their decisions with foresight.
Now, my hands and feet are bound, I am whipped, my body is exposed to the cold, and I am imprisoned in a walled room. At such times, I bow my head in shame before the guards and hold my breath in fear before the prisoners. Why? Because of the oppressive power of authority.
When I have reached this point, to say that I have not been humiliated would be to lie. How can such a claim be valued?
Moreover, the Western King, a noble, was imprisoned in a small room. Li Si, a prime minister, was subjected to the five punishments. General He Yin was shackled in Chen. Kings Peng Yue and Zhang Ao were imprisoned and charged with crimes. General Jiangbo, who had defeated the Lius and wielded immense power, was confined to a private chamber. General Wei Ji, a great general, wore a red robe and was bound with three wooden devices. Ji Bu was enslaved by Zhu Jia. General Guan Fu suffered humiliation in the residence.
All these men had reached the ranks of kings, ministers, and generals, their names known to neighboring states. Yet when faced with unjust accusations, they could not end their lives with dignity, remaining trapped in the dust.
The past and the present are the same. How could they avoid humiliation?
Thus, courage and cowardice depend on circumstances; strength and weakness depend on form. It is clear. How can this be surprising?
If a person does not early on adhere to moral principles, their decline will be gradual, until they are whipped and beaten. Then to wish to uphold dignity is to be far too late.
The reason the ancients were reluctant to impose punishments on officials was likely for this very reason.
No one is naturally fond of life and averse to death. Most people cherish their families and worry about their wives and children. But those who are moved by righteousness are different. They act out of necessity.
I have lost my parents at an early age and have no brothers or sisters. I stand alone, without support. What do you think of me compared to my family, You the Younger?
Moreover, the brave do not necessarily die for their principles, and the timid may admire righteousness. Where does one not strive to do good?
Although I am weak and wish to live on, I have some understanding of right and wrong. How could I sink so low as to endure the humiliation of prison?
Even a slave or a maid can choose death when faced with necessity. How much more so am I?
I endure and in the filth, unwilling to give up, because I regret that my private thoughts are not fully expressed, and that my literary talents will not be remembered after my death.
In the past, the rich and famous were forgotten, their names lost to history. Only the extraordinary were remembered.
When the Western King was imprisoned, he completed the Book of Changes. When Confucius was in dire straits, he wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals. When Qu Yuan was exiled, he composed the Li Sao. When Zuo Qiu lost his sight, he wrote the Book of the States. When Sun Zi lost his foot, he compiled the Art of War. When Li Si was exiled to Shu, the Lü Shu was passed down. When Han Fei was imprisoned in Qin, he wrote the and the . The Book of Songs consists of three hundred poems, most of which were composed by sages and scholars in their moments of frustration.
All these men had grievances that could not be expressed. Thus, they recounted the past and reflected on the future.
As for Zuo Qiu, who was blind, and Sun Zi, who had one foot amputated, they were no longer useful. They retired to write books, venting their frustrations and leaving behind enduring literary works to reveal themselves to the world.
[Annotations]
① This excerpt is from Sima Qian's biography in the Book of Han. It is included in the Selected Works of Zhaoming (Volume 41), titled A Letter to Ren An. The Book of Han and the Selected Works differ slightly in text, and the excerpt follows the better version. This is a letter from Sima Qian to Ren An. "" means to reply. Ren An, styled You the Younger, was from Xingyang (now Xingyang City, Henan Province). He served as the governor of Yi Province and the military envoy of the Northern Army. In the second year of the Zhenghe era (9 BC), during the Jiang case of witchcraft, the Crown Prince fought against Prime Minister Liu Qu in Chang'an. Ren An was ordered to mobilize his troops but instead held back. After the Crown Prince's defeat, Ren An was executed for "having two hearts" and "deceit." Ren An was a friend of Sima Qian. After Sima Qian was castrated and released from prison, Ren An wrote to him, urging him to "be cautious in dealing with others and promote talented officials." Sima Qian did not reply at the time. This letter was written in the eleventh month of the Zhenghe era, just before Ren An's execution.
② "" is a respectful term for a friend, often used in letters.
③ "" means "formerly" or "before." "" refers to your humbling yourself to write a letter to me. "" is a humble term, meaning to cause the other party to feel humbled. "" means to be cautious in dealing with others. "" refers to handling affairs. "" means to recommend talented officials. "" means affairs.
④ "" refers to the intention and tone. "" means earnest and sincere. "" means to resent or blame. "" is an adverb, indicating that an action is directed toward another. "" means to follow or imitate. "" means the common people.
⑤ "" is a conjunction, meaning "although" or "even though." "" means mediocre or weak. "" is the same as "," meaning exhausted. "" refers to a poor horse. "" means to hear from the side. "" refers to the elderly and virtuous. "" means the customs left by the elders.
⑥ "" is a conjunction, indicating a turn in the meaning of the text, meaning "only" or "merely." "" refers to castration. "" means to be in a disgraceful position. After being castrated, Sima Qian served as the Chief Secretary, working alongside eunuchs, which he considered a disgraceful position. "" means to be blamed or punished at every turn. "" is an auxiliary verb, used in passive constructions, meaning "to be," "to receive," or "to get." "" means to blame or accuse. "" means that doing good brings harm. "" means "therefore." "" means to be melancholy and frustrated.
⑦ "，" means "Who will do it? Who will listen?" The interrogative pronoun "" is the object of the preposition "," which must be placed before the preposition according to custom. The interrogative pronoun "" is the object of the verb "," which must be placed before the verb.
⑧ "" is an adverb, meaning "approximately" or "probably." Used at the beginning of a sentence to express a speculative or indirect judgment. Zhong Ziqi and Bo Ya were both Chu people in the Spring and Autumn period. According to the Basic Tastes in the Lüshi Chunqiu, the two traveled and studied together, becoming good friends. Bo Ya was skilled at playing the lute, and Zhong Ziqi could appreciate the music. When Bo Ya played the lute with the intention of Mount Tai, Zhong Ziqi said, "Lofty and majestic, like Mount Tai." After a while, Bo Ya played with the intention of flowing water, and Zhong Ziqi said, "Flowing and vast, like flowing water." Bo Ya considered Zhong Ziqi his only true friend. When Zhong Ziqi died, Bo Ya broke his lute and stopped playing for the rest of his life.
⑨ "" means that women adorn themselves for those who love them. "" is the ancient character for "," meaning to like. "" is used as a verb, meaning to dress up.
⑩ "" refers to the body. "" means the essence or foundation. The body is the foundation of a person, so it is called "." "" means to be flawed. "" is a conjunction, meaning "even if" or "." "" means to possess the precious talents of Su Hou and He. "" refers to the Su Hou Pearl, a night pearl that glowed like the moon at night. According to the Lüshi Chunqiu, Su Hou once saved an injured snake, which, a year later, brought him a large pearl from the river, shining like the moon at night. It was called the Su Hou Pearl or the Ling Snake Pearl. "" refers to the He Shi Bi. According to legend, Bian He found a piece of jade in the mountains and presented it to the King of Chu. The jade master said it was stone, and the king had his left foot cut off. Later, the King of Wu ascended the throne and Bian He had his right foot cut off. When the King of Chu ascended the throne, Bian He cried over the jade on the mountainside because no one could identify it as jade. The king had the jade treated and found it to be a precious stone, which was then called the He Shi Bi. "" means to have the virtue of Xu You and Bo Yi. "" refers to Xu You, a hermit who despised wealth and fame. "" refers to Bo Yi, a nobleman of high integrity in the late Shang and early Zhou dynasties. "" is an adverb, meaning "finally" or "at the end." "" is an adverb, meaning "exactly" or "just." "" means to be laughed at. "" is an auxiliary verb, meaning "to be" or "to receive." "" means to take disgrace upon oneself. "" is the same as "," meaning to stain or disgrace. "" is an adverb, meaning "just then" or "at that moment." "" means "coming from the east." It refers to following the emperor from the Ganshu Palace back to Chang'an. The emperor visited Ganshu in the summer of the second year of the Zhenghe era. "" refers to the emperor. "" means urgent or busy. "" refers to the trivial matters I am responsible for. "" means that we have met infrequently. "" means few. "" means rushed and hurried. "" is the same as "." "" means a moment. "" means free time. "" means to fully express my thoughts. "" is an auxiliary verb, meaning "to be able to" or "to can." "" means to exhaust. "" means intention or thoughts. "" is the same as "." "" means an unpunished crime. Here, it refers to Ren An's execution. "" means unexpected or unpredictable. "，" means after a month, approaching the twelfth month. According to the laws of the Han dynasty, prisoners were executed in December. "" means to cross or pass. "" means a full month. "" means close to. "" refers to December. "" means that the days of following the emperor to Yong are approaching. "" means close to. "" refers to the emperor. "" refers to the verb "to go" or "to go to Yong." "" was the former capital of Qin, a county-level city in southern Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province, where the emperor offered sacrifices to the five emperors. The emperor often visited there. According to the Book of Han·Biographies of the Emperors, "[In the third year of the Zhenghe era] the emperor visited Yong in January." "" means suddenly. "" means an unavoidable event, referring to Ren An's execution. This is an euphemistic expression. "" is a demonstrative pronoun, meaning "this" or "such." "" is an adverb, meaning "finally." "" means to vent one's frustrations and grievances. "" means to inform you clearly. "" refers to Ren An, not directly addressing him but referring to his attendants as a respectful way of speaking. "" means the deceased, referring to Ren An. "" means to express unrefined opinions, a humble term. "" means that after a long time, there was no reply. "" means after a long interval. "" is the same as "," meaning to be missing. "" means to blame or accuse. "" refers to divided seals. They were inscribed with the emperor's oath, with one half held by the emperor and the other by the subject as a token of trust. "" refers to red inscribed certificates, documents given by the emperor to meritocratic families to preserve their privileges for generations. They were made of iron and inscribed with the emperor's oath in red ink. The descendants of those who possessed could use them to be pardoned of crimes.