01_史记_报任安书eng

PrimarySourceDocumentwithQuestions(DBQs)EXCERPTFROMSIMAQIAN’SLETTERTORENANIntroductionSimaQian(145?-86?BCE)wasthesonofSimaTan(d.110BCE),GrandHistoriantothecourtofEmperorWu(r.141-87BCE)oftheHandynasty.Atthattime,theGrandHistorian’stasksweremostlytotrackastronomicalphenomenaandtoofferinterpretationsofthemtothecourt.SimaTan,apparentlyofhisownaccord,hadtakenonaprojectontheside:towritethehistoryoftheknownworld(whichistosay,Chinaand,totheextentthattheyhadanythingtodowithChina,neighboringpeoplesandkingdoms).SimaTandidnotgetveryfarwithhisprojectbeforehedied,exhortinghisson,SimaQian,tocompletethetask.SoSimaQianfollowedinhisfather’sfootsteps,servingEmperorWuasGrandHistorianandpursuingthehistoricalprojectlefttohimbyhisfather.Lifeatcourtmusthavebeenfascinating.EmperorWuwasanactivistruler,pursuinginnovativeeconomicpoliciesandengaginginaggressivewarsofterritorialexpansion.Hisgovernmentmonopolizedtradeinsalt,iron,andalcoholicbeveragestogeneraterevenueformilitaryexpenses.HisarmiesconqueredterritoriesfromKoreatoCentralAsia.ForeignthingsinterestedEmperorWu:horsesandgrapesfromCentralAsia,forexample,andalfalfa(tofeedthehorses).MostofEmperorWu’smilitaryexpeditionswentwell.Somedidnot.Once,theemperorsentGeneralLiLingtothenorthtofighttheXiongnunomadswithonly5,000infantry.TheideawastoluretheXiongnucloser,thensendinreinforcementsandwipethemout.The“luring”partworked,butLiLingwassurrounded.Theemperordidnotsendreinforcements,LiLing’ssoldierswereslaughtered,andLiLingsurrendered.Later,reportsofquestionablereliabilityreachedtheemperorthatLiLingwastrainingtheXiongnuintheartsofwar.Naturally,EmperorWuorderedthatallLiLing’sfamilymembersbekilledandsentencedLihimselftodeathinabsentia.ThoughhewasnotaclosefriendofLiLing,SimaQianspokeoutindefenseofthecapturedgeneral.EmperorWuwasunhappy,andsentencedSimaQiantodeath.Asahigh-rankingofficial,Simahadachoice:acceptthedeathpenaltyorsubmittocastrationinstead.Castrationbeingbothpainfulandhumiliating,mostmenwouldhavesimplycommittedsuicide.SimaQian,however,feltanobligationtohisfatherandtothehistoricalprojectonwhichhehadembarked:hesimplyhadtofinishit.Therefore,theGrandHistorianchosetolivewiththehumiliationofbeingaeunuchinordertobeabletocompletehisbook.ThedocumentbelowisanexcerptfromaletterfromSimaQiantohisfriend,RenAn,inwhichheexplainshisdecision.DocumentExcerptswithQuestions(Longerselectionfollowsthissection)FromSourcesofChineseTradition,compiledbyWm.TheodoredeBaryandIreneBloom,2nded.,vol.1(NewYork:ColumbiaUniversityPress,1999),370-372.©1999ColumbiaUniversityPress.Reproducedwiththepermissionofthepublisher.Allrightsreserved.ExcerptfromSimaQian’sLettertoRenAnMyfatherhadnogreatdeedsthatentitledhimtoreceiveterritoriesorprivilegesfromtheemperor.Hedealtwithaffairsofastronomyandthecalendar,whichareclosetodivinationand PrimarySourceDocument,withQuestions(DBQ)onEXCERPTFROMSIMAQIAN’SLETTERTORENANtheworshipofthespirits.Hewaskeptforthesportandamusementoftheemperor,treatedthesameasthemusiciansandjesters,andmadelightofbythevulgarmenofhisday.IfIfellbeforethelawandwereexecuted,itwouldmakenomoredifferencetomostpeoplethanonehairoffnineoxen,forIwasnothingbutamereanttothem.Questions:1.HowdoesSimaQiandescribelifeasanofficial?2.Whatdoesthispassageindicateabouttheemperor?Amanhasonlyonedeath.ThatdeathmaybeasweightyasMountTai,oritmaybeaslightasagoosefeather.Italldependsuponthewayheusesit.…Itisthenatureofeverymantolovelifeandhatedeath,tothinkofhisrelativesandlookafterhiswifeandchildren.Onlywhenamanismovedbyhigherprinciplesisthisnotso.Thentherearethingsthathemustdo.…Thebravemandoesnotalwaysdieforhonor,whileeventhecowardmayfulfillhisduty.Eachtakesadifferentwaytoexerthimself.ThoughImightbeweakandcowardlyandseekshamefullytoprolongmylife,yetIknowfullwellthedifferencebetweenwhatoughttobefollowedandwhatrejected.HowcouldIbringmyselftosinkintotheshameofropesandbonds?Ifeventhelowestslaveandscullerymaidcanbeartocommitsuicide,whyshouldnotonelikemyselfbeabletodowhathastobedone?ButthereasonIhavenotrefusedtobeartheseillsandhavecontinuedtolive,dwellingamongthisfilth,isthatIgrievethatIhavethingsinmyheartthatIhavenotbeenabletoexpressfully,andIamshamedtothinkthatafterIamgonemywritingswillnotbeknowntoposterity.Questions:3.Whatreasondoestheauthorgiveforsubmittingtocastration,ratherthancommittingsuicide?4.Whatdoesthisindicateabouttheauthor?Toonumeroustorecordarethemenofancienttimeswhowererichandnobleandwhosenameshaveyetvanishedaway.Itisonlythosewhoweremasterfulandsure,thetrulyextraordinarymen,whoarestillremembered.WhentheEarloftheWestwasimprisonedatYouli,heexpandedtheChanges;ConfuciuswasindistressandhemadetheSpringandAutumnAnnals;QuYuanwasbanishedandhecomposedhispoem“EncounteringSorrow”;afterZuoQiulosthissighthecomposedtheNarrativesoftheStates;whenSunzihadhadhisfeetamputatedhesetforththeArtofWar;LüBuweiwasbanishedtoShubuthisLülan(Lüshichunqiu)hasbeenhandeddownthroughtheages;whileHanFeiziwasheldprisonerinQinhewrote“TheDifficultiesofDisputation”and“TheSorrowofStandingAlone”;mostofthethreehundredpoemsoftheBookofOdeswerewrittenwhenthesagespouredforththeirangeranddissatisfaction.Allthesemenhadaranklingintheirhearts,fortheywerenotabletoAsiaforEducators|ColumbiaUniversity|http://afe.easia.columbia.eduPage2of4 PrimarySourceDocument,withQuestions(DBQ)onEXCERPTFROMSIMAQIAN’SLETTERTORENANaccomplishwhattheywished.Thereforetheywroteofpastaffairsinordertopassontheirthoughtstofuturegenerations.…Questions:5.Accordingtotheauthor,whatseemstobethemajorimpetusforgreatwriting?6.Doestheauthor’spointofviewonthecircumstancesunderwhichgreatwritingisproducedholdtrueforothererasandotherplaces?Fortoday?LongerSelectionFromSourcesofChineseTradition,compiledbyWm.TheodoredeBaryandIreneBloom,2nded.,vol.1(NewYork:ColumbiaUniversityPress,1999),370-372.©1999ColumbiaUniversityPress.Reproducedwiththepermissionofthepublisher.Allrightsreserved.ExcerptfromSimaQian’sLettertoRenAnMyfatherhadnogreatdeedsthatentitledhimtoreceiveterritoriesorprivilegesfromtheemperor.Hedealtwithaffairsofastronomyandthecalendar,whichareclosetodivinationandtheworshipofthespirits.Hewaskeptforthesportandamusementoftheemperor,treatedthesameasthemusiciansandjesters,andmadelightofbythevulgarmenofhisday.IfIfellbeforethelawandwereexecuted,itwouldmakenomoredifferencetomostpeoplethanonehairoffnineoxen,forIwasnothingbutamereanttothem.Theworldwouldnotrankmeamongthosemenwhowereabletodiefortheirideals,butwouldbelievesimplythatmywisdomwasexhaustedandmycrimegreat,thatIhadbeenunabletoescapepenaltyandintheendhadgonetomydeath.Why?Becauseallmypastactionshadbroughtthisonme,theywouldsay.Amanhasonlyonedeath.ThatdeathmaybeasweightyasMountTai,oritmaybeaslightasagoosefeather.Italldependsuponthewayheusesit.…Itisthenatureofeverymantolovelifeandhatedeath,tothinkofhisrelativesandlookafterhiswifeandchildren.Onlywhenamanismovedbyhigherprinciplesisthisnotso.Thentherearethingsthathemustdo.…Thebravemandoesnotalwaysdieforhonor,whileeventhecowardmayfulfillhisduty.Eachtakesadifferentwaytoexerthimself.ThoughImightbeweakandcowardlyandseekshamefullytoprolongmylife,yetIknowfullwellthedifferencebetweenwhatoughttobefollowedandwhatrejected.HowcouldIbringmyselftosinkintotheshameofropesandbonds?Ifeventhelowestslaveandscullerymaidcanbeartocommitsuicide,whyshouldnotonelikemyselfbeabletodowhathastobedone?ButthereasonIhavenotrefusedtobeartheseillsandhavecontinuedtolive,dwellingamongthisfilth,isthatIgrievethatIhavethingsinmyheartthatIhavenotbeenabletoexpressfully,andIamshamedtothinkthatafterIamgonemywritingswillnotbeknowntoposterity.AsiaforEducators|ColumbiaUniversity|http://afe.easia.columbia.eduPage3of4 PrimarySourceDocument,withQuestions(DBQ)onEXCERPTFROMSIMAQIAN’SLETTERTORENANToonumeroustorecordarethemenofancienttimeswhowererichandnobleandwhosenameshaveyetvanishedaway.Itisonlythosewhoweremasterfulandsure,thetrulyextraordinarymen,whoarestillremembered.WhentheEarloftheWestwasimprisonedatYouli,heexpandedtheChanges;ConfuciuswasindistressandhemadetheSpringandAutumnAnnals;QuYuanwasbanishedandhecomposedhispoem“EncounteringSorrow”;afterZuoQiulosthissighthecomposedtheNarrativesoftheStates;whenSunzihadhadhisfeetamputatedhesetforththeArtofWar;LüBuweiwasbanishedtoShubuthisLülan(Lüshichunqiu)hasbeenhandeddownthroughtheages;whileHanFeiziwasheldprisonerinQinhewrote“TheDifficultiesofDisputation”and“TheSorrowofStandingAlone”;mostofthethreehundredpoemsoftheBookofOdeswerewrittenwhenthesagespouredforththeirangeranddissatisfaction.Allthesemenhadaranklingintheirhearts,fortheywerenotabletoaccomplishwhattheywished.Thereforetheywroteofpastaffairsinordertopassontheirthoughtstofuturegenerations.…Itoohaveventurednottobemodestbuthaveentrustedmyselftomyuselesswritings.Ihavegatheredupandbroughttogethertheoldtraditionsoftheworldthatwerescatteredandlost.Ihaveexaminedthedeedsandeventsofthepastandinvestigatedtheprinciplesbehindtheirsuccessandfailure,theirriseanddecay,in130chapters.IwishedtoexamineintoallthatconcernsHeavenandthehuman,topenetratethechangesofthepastandpresent,completingallastheworkofonefamily.ButbeforeIhadfinishedmyroughmanuscript,Imetwiththiscalamity.ItisbecauseIregrettedthatithadnotbeencompletedthatIsubmittedtotheextremepenaltywithoutrancor.WhenIhavetrulycompletedthiswork,Ishalldeposititinsomesafeplace.Ifitmaybehandeddowntomenwhowillappreciateitandpenetratetothevillagesandgreatcities,then,thoughIshouldsufferathousandmutilations,whatregretwouldIhave?AsiaforEducators|ColumbiaUniversity|http://afe.easia.columbia.eduPage4of4