司马迁和史记

两liǎng千qiān多年duō nián以前yǐ qián，陕shǎn西xī韩hán城chéng的de黄huáng河hé边biān上shàng，有yǒu一yī个gè男nán孩hái正在zhèng zài放fàng羊yáng。他tā一边yī biān放fàng羊yáng，一边yī biān读书dú shū。这zhè个gè男nán孩hái，就是jìu shì后来hòu lái写xiě出chū《史shǐ记jì》的de司sī马mǎ迁qiān。

Over two thousand years ago, on the banks of the Yellow River at Hancheng in Shaanxi, a boy read books while tending sheep. That boy was Sima Qian, who would write the Records of the Grand Historian.

司sī马mǎ迁qiān的de父亲fù qīn司sī马mǎ谈tán，是shì朝cháo廷tíng的de太tài史shǐ令lìng，负责fù zé记录jì lù国家guó jiā的de大事dà shì。父亲fù qīn最zuì大dà的de愿望yuàn wàng，是shì写xiě一yī部bù从cóng黄huáng帝dì到dào汉hàn武wǔ帝dì的de通tōng史shǐ，可是kě shì这zhè个gè愿望yuàn wàng还huán没有méi yǒu完成wán chéng，他tā就jìu病bìng倒dào了liǎo。

Sima Qian's father Sima Tan was the court's Grand Historian, keeper of the state's records. His dearest wish was a history from the Yellow Emperor to Emperor Wu, but he fell ill before finishing it.

临lín终zhōng前qián，父亲fù qīn拉lā着zhuó司sī马mǎ迁qiān的de手shǒu说shuō：我wǒ死sǐ了liǎo以后yǐ hòu，你nǐ一定yī dìng要yào接着jiē zhe把bǎ这zhè部bù书写shū xiě完wán。司sī马mǎ迁qiān流líu着眼zhuó yǎn泪lèi答应dā ying了liǎo。

On his deathbed his father took Sima Qian's hand: after I die you must finish this book. Weeping, Sima Qian promised.

父亲fù qīn死sǐ后hòu，司sī马mǎ迁qiān做zuò了liǎo太tài史shǐ令lìng。他tā读dú遍biàn了liǎo皇huáng家jiā图书馆tú shū guǎn里lǐ的de书shū，又yòu用yòng十shí几jǐ年nián时间shí jiān走zǒu遍biàn了liǎo全国quán guó，去qù孔kǒng子zi生活shēng huó过guo的de地方dì fāng，去qù项xiàng羽yǔ打dǎ过guo仗zhàng的de地方dì fāng，亲眼qīn yǎn看kān，亲qīn耳ěr听tīng。

After his father's death Sima Qian became Grand Historian. He read every book in the imperial library and spent more than a decade traveling the country, to the places Confucius lived and Xiang Yu fought, seeing with his own eyes.

四sì十shí七qī岁suì那nà年nián，一yī件jiàn大事dà shì改变gǎi biàn了liǎo他tā的de命运mìng yùn。将军jiāng jūn李lǐ陵líng战zhàn败bài投降tóu xiáng匈xiōng奴nú，朝cháo廷tíng里lǐ的de人rén都dōu在zài骂mà李lǐ陵líng，只有zhǐ yǒu司sī马mǎ迁qiān站zhàn出来chū lái说shuō了liǎo几jǐ句jù公道gōng dao话huà。

At forty-seven a great event changed his fate. General Li Ling lost a battle and surrendered to the Xiongnu; the whole court cursed him, and only Sima Qian spoke a few fair words for him.

汉hàn武wǔ帝dì听tīng了liǎo大dà怒nù，把bǎ司sī马mǎ迁qiān关guān进jìn监狱jiān yù，还huán给gěi了liǎo他tā最zuì耻辱chǐ rǔ的de刑xíng罚fá，宫gōng刑xíng。在zài那nà个gè时代shí dài，受过shòu guò这zhè种zhòng刑xíng罚fá的de人rén，很hěn多duō都dōu选择xuǎn zé了liǎo死sǐ。

Emperor Wu was furious. He threw Sima Qian into prison and gave him the most shameful punishment, castration. In that age many who suffered it chose death.

司sī马mǎ迁qiān也yě想xiǎng过guo死sǐ。可是kě shì他tā想到xiǎng dào了liǎo父亲fù qīn交给jiāo gěi他tā的de那nà部bù书shū，还huán没有méi yǒu写xiě完wán。他tā对duì自己zì jǐ说shuō：人rén固有gù yǒu一yī死sǐ，或huò重chóng于yú泰tài山shān，或huò轻qīng于yú鸿hóng毛máo。如果rú guǒ我wǒ就jìu这样zhè yàng死sǐ了liǎo，这zhè本běn书shū就jìu没有méi yǒu了liǎo。

Sima Qian thought of death too. But he thought of the unfinished book his father had given him. He told himself: everyone dies; a death can weigh like Mount Tai or light as a goose feather. If I die now, this book dies with me.

出chū狱yù以后yǐ hòu，他tā把bǎ所有suǒ yǒu的de痛苦tòng kǔ和hé耻辱chǐ rǔ都dōu埋mái在zài心里xīn li，一yī个gè字zì一yī个gè字zì地dì写xiě。十shí几jǐ年nián以后yǐ hòu，这zhè部bù书shū终于zhōng yú完成wán chéng了liǎo。

Out of prison he buried all his pain and shame inside and wrote character by character. More than a decade later the book was finished.

《史shǐ记jì》一共yī gòng一yī百bǎi三sān十shí篇piān，五wǔ十shí二èr万wàn多duō字zì，写xiě了liǎo从cóng黄huáng帝dì到dào汉hàn武wǔ帝dì三sān千qiān年nián的de历史lì shǐ。帝dì王wáng将jiāng相xiāng、刺cì客kè商人shāng rén、游yóu侠xiá医生yī shēng，各种gè zhǒng各gè样yàng的de人rén，都dōu被bèi他tā写xiě进jìn了liǎo历史lì shǐ。

The Records has one hundred thirty chapters, over half a million characters, covering three thousand years from the Yellow Emperor to Emperor Wu. Emperors and generals, assassins and merchants, knights and doctors, every kind of person entered his history.

在zài这zhè部bù书shū里lǐ，司sī马mǎ迁qiān不bù只是zhǐ shì记录jì lù事情shì qing，还huán把bǎ自己zì jǐ对duì人生rén shēng的de看法kàn fǎ写xiě了liǎo进去jìn qù。他tā写xiě失败shī bài的de英雄yīng xióng项xiàng羽yǔ，写xiě得děi比bǐ很hěn多duō胜利shèng lì者zhě还要hái yào让ràng人rén敬佩jìng pèi。

In it he did more than record events; he wrote his own view of life. His Xiang Yu, a defeated hero, is more admirable than many victors.

写xiě完wán《史shǐ记jì》的de司sī马mǎ迁qiān，把bǎ一生yī shēng的de屈qū辱rǔ都dōu放fàng进jìn了liǎo书shū里lǐ。他tā后来hòu lái在zài信xìn里lǐ说shuō：人rén固有gù yǒu一yī死sǐ，或huò重chóng于yú泰tài山shān，或huò轻qīng于yú鸿hóng毛máo。这zhè句jù话huà，每měi个gè中国zhōng guó人rén都dōu记得jì de。

Having finished the Records, Sima Qian put a lifetime of humiliation into the book. He later wrote in a letter: everyone dies; some deaths weigh like Mount Tai, some like a feather. Every Chinese remembers that line.

《史shǐ记jì》之前zhī qián的de史shǐ书shū，大多dà duō按àn年代nián dài记jì事shì，像xiàng一yī本běn本běn流水líu shuǐ账zhàng。司sī马mǎ迁qiān换huàn了liǎo个gè写xiě法fǎ：以yǐ人为rén wéi中心zhōng xīn，一yī个人gè rén写xiě一yī篇piān传记zhuàn jì。这zhè个gè办法bàn fǎ叫jiào纪jì传zhuàn体tǐ，后来hòu lái的de史shǐ书shū都dōu学xué他tā。

Histories before the Records mostly recorded by year, like ledgers. Sima Qian changed the method: put people at the center, one biography each. Called the biographical form, every later history followed it.

他tā写xiě人物rén wù不bù写xiě完wán人rén。刘liú邦bāng是shì开kāi国guó皇帝huáng dì，可kě他tā写xiě刘liú邦bāng，也yě写xiě他tā小气xiǎo qì、好hào酒jǐu、说话shuō huà不算bù suàn数shǔ。汉hàn武wǔ帝dì是shì当dàng朝cháo的de皇帝huáng dì，他tā照样zhào yàng写xiě下xià皇帝huáng dì的de迷信mí xìn和hé暴躁bào zào。

He wrote no perfect people. Liu Bang founded the dynasty, yet he wrote of his stinginess, drinking, and broken promises. Emperor Wu sat on the throne, yet he recorded the emperor's superstition and temper.

写xiě这zhè本běn书shū要yào冒mào很hěn大dà的de风险fēng xiǎn。写xiě当代dāng dài的de事shì，一不小心yī bù xiǎo xīn就jìu会huì得罪dé zuì皇帝huáng dì。司sī马mǎ迁qiān还是hái shi写xiě了liǎo，他tā说shuō要yào实shí录lù，就是jìu shì照zhào实shí记录jì lù。

Writing it carried real risk. Writing of one's own time could offend an emperor with a single slip. He wrote anyway, demanding a truthful record.

《史shǐ记jì》写xiě完wán以后yǐ hòu，司sī马mǎ迁qiān没méi几jǐ年nián就jìu去世qù shì了liǎo。这zhè部bù书shū在家zài jiā里lǐ藏cáng了liǎo几jǐ十shí年nián，到dào了liǎo他tā的de外wài孙sūn手里shǒu lǐ，才cái公开gōng kāi出来chū lái让ràng天下tiān xià人rén读dú。

Only a few years after finishing the Records, Sima Qian died. The book stayed hidden at home for decades until his grandson made it public.

鲁lǔ迅xùn先生xiān sheng把bǎ《史shǐ记jì》叫作jiào zuò史shǐ家jiā之zhī绝jué唱chàng，无wú韵yùn之zhī离lí骚sāo。两liǎng千qiān年nián过去guò qù了liǎo，这zhè部bù书shū还huán在zài中国zhōng guó人rén的de书架shū jià上shàng，司sī马mǎ迁qiān的de名字míng zi，也yě随着suí zhe它tā一直yī zhí活huó到dào了liǎo今天jīn tiān。

Lu Xun called it the grand historian's swan song, an unrhymed Li Sao. Two thousand years later it still sits on Chinese shelves, and Sima Qian's name lives on with it.