Shang Yang is the master of law.
Sima Qian, the first person in history.
However, Sima Qian's evaluation of Shang Jun made me quite disagree.
Grandmaster Gong Yan said, "Shang Jun, his talent is despicable. It is not the essence to trace his desire to be filial by the emperor's skill and to hold the theory of floating. What's more, punishing the son of God, bullying Wei Jiangang, and ignoring Zhao Liang's words are enough to discover Shangjun's small kindness. I have read Shang Jun's books "Kai Sai" and "Tillage War", which are similar to others' behavior. The pawn is notorious in Qin, and he is married! "
Throughout all kinds of historical records, one of the important measures of Shang Yang's political reform is to severely punish the law. One person commits a crime and a hundred households are punished; When the emperor broke the law, he suffered the same crime.
Shang Jun is really mean.
Sima Qian accused Shang Jun of three major crimes: grandiose and unnatural words; Rely on the recommendation of eunuchs; Abuse of criminal law, fraud by means.
I don't think so.
Exaggeration is the true meaning of Shang Jun's test of Qin Xiaogong.
Shang Yang first told the king of Qin that he was dozing off. Only five people could use the word "emperor" at that time.
What is the way of the emperor? The benevolent education of the Five Emperors made the status of Heaven Emperor. This shows that the king of Qin doesn't believe him.
Once again, it is said that the king of Qin is king, and filial piety thinks it is good but not necessary. This is not the king's intention.
Once again, the king of Qin was overbearing, and he took pains to talk to him for days. This shows that the real meaning of the king of Qin is actually hegemony.
The king of Qin thought that Wang Zhidao was a long time ago and couldn't wait. "And saints, each with its own name in the world, Anneng City has become an emperor for hundreds of years?"
In a powerful country, Qin Wangzhi made himself a bully and left an immortal legacy like Qin Mugong.
Shang Yang is really good at spying on the king's wishes.
Sima Qian thought it disgraceful that Shang Jun was introduced by eunuchs. Our descendants can't think so.
Isn't Zheng He a eunuch? Isn't Sima Qian himself? These people are historical celebrities. What's wrong with them?
For the country, it is the responsibility of every man. Why should we be ashamed of the eunuch alone?
"Defender Shang Yang, impressed by the powerful macro reform theory, was appointed to preside over the reform of Qin.
Faced with suspicion, wait-and-see or opposition, Shang Yang was arrogant and made extraordinary moves.
The south gate moved wood and gave it to slaves, winning the trust of the people in one fell swoop; Kill Gan Long, blame the prince, laws, such as mountain, a kill will deter the full court of dignitaries.
After several years of rule of law, the country has been greatly governed and the folk customs have changed greatly. Everyone is brave in public and afraid in private.
Qin has full wings.
Shang Yang, on the other hand, offended the powerful and resented the prince, and also laid a crisis for his future. "
Eunuch Jing Ke once said, "Shang Jun is a selfless man. Selflessness, in the country, is infinite, and it is infinite for yourself. "
What is this?
If you don't tolerate others, you won't tolerate others.
Shang can't tolerate the powerful people in the Qing Dynasty, but can he tolerate the powerful people in the Qing Dynasty?
Sima Qian thought that Shang Yang's punishment was too heavy, and he was less kind and less righteous. After a few years, almost half of the people became disabled because of Shang Yang's law.
But I have something to say. Compared with the battle of Changping in Tian Lei, 400,000 prisoners were buried alive. What is this?
There was no righteous war in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. At that time, the word benevolence was more important than god; The benevolent education of the Three Emperors and Five Emperors was praised to the extreme. In fact, at that time, people's lives were not as good as dirt.
This is the curtain of a great era.
Sima Qian, a Confucian.
Confucius, a Confucian sage, said: "He is upright and does not command; He is not quite right, although he can't do it. "
Confucianism says, rule the country by virtue.
And I think that governing the country by virtue is nothing more than governing the country by law.
Morality, cultivation. Law, the bottom line is also. Virtue is also a saint. Law, civilians also.
How many saints have been to this island since ancient times?
Confucius lobbied the nations and never gave up. He was a saint. However, the world respects it and no country uses it. Why?
In troubled times, Yao Shun's morality is no longer suitable for the present world. Historically, people have always ruled, and rule of virtue has gradually transitioned to the rule of law.
When Zhu Yuanzhang died, he said to his grandson: "I must be strict in dealing with troubled times; When you rule the world, law should be slow. "
Isn't the heavy punishment and heavy law set by Ming Dynasty worse than Shang Yang's? There is chaos in the world, and people are in trouble, so it is inevitable to be severely punished by law.
Later, when Han Fei, a master of legalism, preached to Qin Shihuang, he also made it particularly clear that his subjects were unreliable and his wife and children were unreliable. My subjects, even if the king gives him a hundred benefits, he will still resent you as long as you give him a loss. His wife and children are counting on the king to die quickly. When they become the queen mother and the queen of the new country, they no longer worry.
In troubled times, only laws and strict laws are truly reliable.
Only the law is really beneficial to the monarch and the people.
Times are different. How can we imagine that human life is lighter than dirt today? How can you think about the competition between countries in the war?
Fortunately, however, facts speak louder than words and history speaks for itself.
For example, Guan Zhong and Le Yi were respected by all previous dynasties. However, considering their interests and the future generations of the country, Guan Zhong only made Qi rich and strong for less than a hundred years, but only took a few years.
For example, Shang Yang, who was degraded in the previous dynasty, refused to be pushed by Sima Qian and dismissed by Sima Guang, but it was beneficial. The Qin Dynasty was immortal and even thousands of years later.
Shang Jun is a stingy widow benefactor. However, it is this Shang Yang that makes me fear and expect.
Shang Yang, Legalist first!
Comment on Shang Yang s political reform in The Warring States Policy;
"Husband, business, maharaja balance filial piety, positive quantity, heavy, broken buildings, teach people to plow. It is a vast land with soldiers, and the people are rich, so Qin is invincible in the world. "
Talk about your views on Sima Qian's Writing under Shame.
As a great historian and writer, Sima Qian's important achievement in literary theory is his comments on Qu Yuan and his works, and on this basis, he felt the same way and summed up the theory of "writing books with anger". The preface of Historical Records Taishi Gong said: "Those who have empty poems and books want to fulfill their ambitions. Yesterday Xibo was detained and played Zhouyi; Confucius, Chen and Cai wrote Spring and Autumn Annals. Qu Yuan was exiled and wrote Li Sao. Zuo Qiu is blind and has "Mandarin"; Sun Tzu's feet are not the art of war; It's not Shu, but Lu Lan. Han Fei imprisoned Qin, expressing embarrassment, loneliness and anger; There are 300 poems, which are generally attributed to the angry actions of sages. This person has a sense of stagnation and can't understand his way, so he tells the past and thinks about newcomers. " There are only a few words different from this narrative, which can also be seen in Sima Qian's Letter to Ren An. Sima Qian revealed a truth by analyzing the deeds and works of many great figures in history: a writer has little chance to make contributions, so he turned to his ambition. People are often inspired to accomplish great things and create great works in the environment of rebellion and poverty.
Sima Qian attributed it to "resentment" by analyzing the works of Qu Yuan and others in detail and combining his own experience of being brutally persecuted by the ruling class because of the Li Ling case. In Historical Records Biography of Qu Yuan, Sima Qian thought: "Qu Yuan's work Li Sao is self-inflicted." In Sima Qian's view, this kind of "resentment" is not the writer's personal trouble, but the "right way" is suppressed and has to be called "miserable" "Qu Ping's right path, exhausting his wisdom, serving his monarch, asking for advice from the people, can be described as poor, trusting and seeing cleverness, loyal and being slandered?" Sima Qian's creative process from "poverty" to "resentment" not only summarizes his own process of writing books angrily, but also is the common feature of progressive writers in feudal society.
Sima Qian's so-called "anger" refers to the writer's "depressed" mental state, which is a state of psychological repression and inability to stretch. His resentment and resentment are suppressed, so he can use books to express his views, channel and restore his psychological balance. "Anger" contains personal resentment, but it also shows poor and strong will. His works often have high taste and quality. People who can "get angry" often have a strong spiritual life. In adversity, they have noble personality and firm will. Collision with evil forces often makes that kind of "anger" not selfish, but contains positive social content and strong spirit of justice. Such works can often become a portrayal of a writer's life and have artistic charm to arouse his will.
Although Historical Records is better than Spring and Autumn Annals, it does not use written calligraphy. There are also comments in the book, but the author's complaints have nothing to do with the overall situation. Si came out of the disaster of Li Ling and worked harder to write a book. He feels ruined, and there is only one way to express his feelings. He is a cynical writer himself. He lamented the impermanence of heaven and the impermanence of the world; He sympathized with others and complained. This adds to the charm of his book. This is also one of the reasons why people who write papers later respect historical records.
Sima Qian's theory of "filled with indignation" inherited the tradition of "complaining about poetry" in the pre-Qin period, and had a great influence on Han Yu's theory of "complaining about injustice" and Ouyang Xiu's theory of "poor poetry" in later generations, forming an important feature of China's ancient realistic literature and literary theory.
Lin He's Biography of the Spring and Autumn Ram? "Fifteen Years of Gong Xuan's Interpretation" wrote: "Men and women complain and sing together. Hungry people sing about their food, and old people sing about their things. " Resentment is the cause of songs, and songs can alleviate or at least alleviate the resentment in people's chests. In the lively scene of "singing with each other", it seems that the grievances and resentment in the singer's heart can be felt as the song dissipates. Bai Juyi once said: "Looking at ancient and modern poems and songs, I am rich and coquettish ... My feelings are in the middle and my writing is outside, so the works of anger, sadness and injury are counted from ancient times to the present." "Love is born from the heart", so "the shape is outside". Most poets are unlucky people, so there are so many works spread around the world. Lu You said: "To cover people's feelings, sadness and anger accumulate in the middle without saying anything, which is only poetry, otherwise there is no poetry." The theory of "writing books with anger" is also clearly reflected in reading the plaintive poems and scripts of the Tang Dynasty. There are two such poems: "naturally clear your worries and get a poem of Kubinashi's sorrow?" In other words, there is no poetry without worry, so worry is good material and a melting pot of poetry. In the preface to the collection of Biwuxuan, the king of the Ming Dynasty wrote: "If you don't aspire to the world, you should send it in poetry to declare your thoughts of injustice, among which there are many people." In the Preface to Ye Jiulai's Yuefu in Qing Dynasty, You Dong wrote: "When people in ancient times were frustrated, they often wrote poems to express their feelings." And so on, the traumatic experience of expressing depression and anger in poetry, perhaps they have been sentenced to death because of pleasant feelings, either bright or dark, or consciously or unconsciously. The theory of "writing books with anger" is Han Yu's theory of "speaking out when there is injustice". He wrote in "Preface to Send Meng Dongye": "When everything is not normal, it will sing, the vegetation is silent, and the wind will sing around ... so will people. Those who talk only when they want to talk, their songs are thoughtful, and their crying is pregnant. Everything that comes out of his mouth has the level of Buddha! " Here, Han Yu regards the uneven inner experience as the same as the sound of grass, trees and rivers. The sound of stones and stones should be inspired by wind and percussion, and poetry should also be inspired by pain and unevenness.
The theory of "filled with indignation" is widely circulated in the history of China's literary theory. Why can the traumatic experience of depression become more creative material for literati than emotions such as joy and smoothness? The reason is that ancient literati expressed their inner emotional world from the perspective of sociology and from the rise and fall of their personal career. I don't think Sima Qian will be divorced from this reason.
Sima Qian wrote historical records with a rigorous and serious attitude, and the spirit of record-keeping is his greatest feature. Every historical figure or event he wrote has undergone a lot of investigation and study, and the historical facts have been checked repeatedly. At the age of 20, Sima Qian left Chang 'an, the capital, to travel to famous mountains and rivers, to visit places of interest on the spot, to learn about the legacy of many historical figures and the customs and economic life of many places, and to broaden his horizons and mind. Ban Gu, a historian of the Han Dynasty, said that Sima Qian "is a true record because his writing is straightforward, his core is not empty and beautiful, and he does not hide evil". In other words, his article is fair, historical facts are reliable, and he doesn't say good things or hide bad things. This spoke highly of Sima Qian's scientific attitude and detailed historical records.
If Sima Qian insists on the spirit of "recording", he must face the reality and record it, which will inevitably lead to the problem of "taboo". However, when he wrote biographies for characters, he did not stick to the conventions of traditional historical books, but recorded his own thoughts and feelings about historical facts. From the supreme emperor to the nobility, to the ministers, to the local governors, etc., Sima Qian will certainly not obliterate their magical brilliance, but what is outstanding is to expose their decadent ugliness and exploitation and oppression of the people. In particular, it exposed the evils of the ruling class in the Han Dynasty. Although he was a courtier of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Sima Qian did not hide his fault at all. He profoundly exposed and criticized the falsehood of the activities of worshipping ancestors and visiting immortals that prevailed at that time. In the book Enchanting Zen, he vividly described the absurd and boring behavior of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty who was superstitious about immortals and tried his best to pray for elixir.
Sima Qian wanted to provide historical reference for feudal rulers, which reflected the real history and was very valuable. In the spirit of record, Sima Qian chose characters not according to his official position or social status, but according to his actual behavior. For example, he wrote many biographies of low-level people such as forest rangers, businessmen, doctors and advocates for Excellence. In Sima Qian's mind, these people all have merits. Sima Qian initiated a writing method that always tells a person's life story. It is Sima Qian's brushwork to focus on his "being a man" and pay attention to its complexity. In his biography, he put his point of view in an objective factual narrative and expressed his love-hate attitude towards the characters. Take Xiang Yu as an example. Sima Qian sympathized with him and wrote this failed hero with great enthusiasm. He not only praised Xiang Yu's bravery, but also criticized his lack of ambition and cruelty. However, in Biography of Xiang Yu, Sima Qian did not comment on it, but his love and hate for Xiang Yu were fully revealed in the narrative. This is the greatest feature of Sima Qian's biography, that is, the unity of authenticity and tendency.
The historian's swan song. Li Sao has no rhyme. This is Mr. Lu Xun's comment and an affirmation of Sima Qian.
Ban Gu's evaluation of Sima Qian is not very high. See 1 Han. "There have been historians since ancient times. They are rich in sources. From the hole □ to. From Qin Miao to Tang Yu. Although there is a legacy. His words are of no use. Therefore, the matter of the Yellow Emperor and Zhuan Xu is not clear. " But after all, they admit that their books are in good order.
Liu Zhiji's "The Story of the Stone" is not as good as Li's evaluation.
Scholars before the Tang Dynasty were basically "respecting classes (Ban Gu) and restraining horses (Sima Qian's)". Since the Song Dynasty, the thought of "knowing everything" has gradually prevailed in the field of history. Many historians try to write a general history. Scholars began to "respect horses and restrain classes" again.
But anyway, I think Sima Qian is the greatest historian in the history of China.
Sima Qian began reading, sorting out historical materials and preparing for writing after the third year of Yuanfeng (BC 108). By the fourth year of Taishi (93 BC), he had basically completed all his writing plans. * * * Sixteen years later, this is a masterpiece that he completed with his whole life's energy, painstaking efforts and great physical and mental pain.
The book includes 12 biographies, 30 aristocratic families, 70 biographies, 10 tables and 8 books, accounting for about 526,000 yuan.
1. Fight for the truth
Sima Qian wrote historical records with a serious attitude. The spirit of recording is its greatest feature. Every historical figure or event he wrote has undergone a lot of investigation and research, and historical facts have been checked repeatedly. As early as the age of twenty, Sima Qian left Chang 'an, the capital, to visit famous mountains and rivers on the spot, and learned about the legacy of many historical figures, local customs and economic life in many places, broadening his horizons and mind. The history of the Han dynasty. It is said that Sima Qian's writing style, honest and frank, is true in essence, beautiful but not false, and does not hide evil, so it is called a record. In other words, his article is fair, historical facts are reliable, and he does not hide good things. It is highly praised Sima Qian's scientific attitude and detailed records in Historical Records.
In order to adhere to the spirit of "recording", Sima Qian must face the reality and record it, which will inevitably lead to the problem of "taboo". However, when he wrote biographies for characters, he was not bound by the conventions of traditional historical books, but recorded his thoughts and feelings about historical facts, from the supreme emperor to princes and nobles, to ministers and princes. Sima Qian certainly won't erase their magical and glorious side. Ugliness, exploitation and oppression of the people, especially exposed the evil of the ruling class in the Han Dynasty. Although he was a courtier of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Sima Qian did not hide his faults at all. He profoundly exposed and criticized the fallacy of worshipping ancestors and seeking immortality at that time. In his book, he vividly described the absurd and boring behavior of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty who was superstitious about immortals and tried his best to pray for elixir.
Sima Qian wanted to provide a historical reference for feudal rulers. It reflects the real history and is very valuable. In the spirit of record, Sima Qian chose people not on the basis of official position or social status, but on the basis of actual behavior. For example, he wrote many biographies of rangers, businessmen and doctors, and also wrote many biographies of people who advocated advantages and disadvantages. In Sima Qian's mind, these people all have some advantages. Sima Qian initiated the people-oriented thought. The writing of Ping's deeds focuses on his "being a man" and pays attention to its complexity. It is Sima Qian's brushwork. When he was doing a biography, he put his views in an objective factual narrative and expressed his love-hate attitude towards characters, such as Xiang Yu. Sima Qian sympathized with him and wrote a failed hero with great enthusiasm. He praised Xiang Yu for his bravery and lack of ambition. Sima Qian didn't talk about "Biography of Xiang Yu", but his love-hate attitude towards Xiang Yu was obvious in the narrative. This is the greatest feature of Sima Qian's biography, that is, the unity of authenticity and tendency.
2. Love and hate are clear
Sima Qian's clear love and hate are fully expressed in Historical Records. He spoke highly of the peasant uprising in the late Qin Dynasty. Chen She is a poor peasant and the leader of peasant uprising. But Sima Qian juxtaposed him with the princes and described him as a "noble family". It is not easy for a feudal historian to do this. He compared Chen She to the famous emperors in ancient times-Shang Tang and Zhou Wuwang. At the same time, it is clearly pointed out that as long as the feudal emperor is autocratic and ruthless, the people have the right to overthrow him. Although this peasant army led by Chen She didn't succeed, it set off a magnificent peasant war at the end of Qin Dynasty. Finally overthrew the ruthless rule of the Qin Dynasty. The historical contribution of Chen She Uprising to overthrow the Qin Dynasty is completely affirmed.
Sima Qian also praised many heroes who were loyal to the motherland and loved the people in history. During his trip, he visited the Miluo River in the north of Changsha, Hunan Province, and paid tribute to the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan by the river. This tribute had a great influence on Sima Qian. Qu Yuan's poems and life experiences are deeply imprinted in his mind. When he preached Qu Yuan, he thought that Qu Yuan could compete with the sun and the moon, and angrily condemned the aristocratic rulers of Chu. At that time, Sima Qian also visited Lingling County, Hunan Province, where Shun was buried, and made a field trip to Shun's deeds. Later, when he was writing Historical Records, he wrote about Shun in Five Emperors, and Li Zan promoted his noble quality of caring for the country and the people. Sima Qian also highly praised Lin Xiangru and Lian Po, the protagonists in the stories of "Returning to Zhao intact" and "making peace with the Prime Minister", and greatly praised their patriotic behavior.
In historical records, Sima Qian also praised assassins who risked their lives to resist violence and rangers who dared to save lives. For example, Jing Ke, who is "rare in water cooling, and a strong man is gone forever", stabbed the king of Qin alone in order to repay the kindness of Yan Taizi Dan. Finally, Qin Ting was spattered with blood. Sima Qian boldly praised these figures. In fact, he sympathized with the working people and understood their desire to resist violence. People who are beneficial to the people have recorded their vivid deeds and medical theories for a long time. These people had no social status at that time, but in Sima Qian's mind, they were far more noble than some princes.
Sima Qian also had a deep understanding of the ugly faces of feudal rulers, and mercilessly exposed the evils of the ruling class. For example, he wrote biographies for nine courtiers of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and ten ruthless officials. At that time, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty reused Zhang Tang. However, "Don is a liar. He is good at dancing. He started as a small official. He established a personal relationship with Fu Jia Tian family in Chang 'an. Uncle Yu Weng. " The so-called "inaction" means getting it empty-handed. What is described here is how Zhang Tang used tricks to subdue the people when he was a small official. Zhang Tang gained power. Whether guilty or not, as long as you are accused of being dissatisfied with the court, you can be punished accordingly. Zhang Tang was not only good at making laws, but also catered to the wishes of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to deal with "prisoners". Under his auspices, a case often involves countless families and even kills people like grass. Sima Qian recorded the criminal activities of these people. It was through these that he exposed and accused the cruelty and darkness of the autocratic rule of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty.
Sima Qian's progressive view of history and heroic style of daring to expose the faults of emperors are worthy of recognition. His thoughts on historical evolution are relatively complete. After giving a correct evaluation of history, he fully affirmed the conclusion that history is constantly evolving.
3. Historian's swan song
Mr. Lu Xun once said: "Historical Records" is "the swan song of historians". Li Sao, that is to say, as a large-scale and complete history book of China, is also an excellent literary work.
In Sima Qian's works, a historical event or a historical figure can be vividly portrayed in a few words, such as the description of the Jimo city defended by Nakata Dan in Tian Dan Zhuan. Tanaka used six tricks to win the state of Yan and restore the state of Qi. "Tornado" is one of the most important tricks. In the evening, Tanaka covered more than 1000 cows with purple cloth with dragon patterns, tied sharp swords to their horns, soaked their tails in oil, and set them on fire. As a result, 1000 bulls fell into flames. Like some people beating gongs and drums and shouting loudly. Yan Bing, at a loss, was frightened by this powerful impulse and ran away. As a result, Yan Bing's body was everywhere on the battlefield. Qi won a great victory. Although Sima Qian didn't write much, the "Fire Bull Array" appeared in the reader's mind like a painting.
Sima Qian also vividly portrayed different types of historical figures. His description of Xiang Yu, the overlord of the western Chu Dynasty, is wonderful. In the Battle of Julu, Xiang Yu led an army to cross the river, then sank all the ships and ordered only three rations. This vividly and concretely depicts the determination and spirit of Xiang Yu and Qin Jun to fight to the death. Xiang Yu's army is worth ten. He destroyed Qin Jun, which was far more than himself. In the war to overthrow Qiang Qin's rule, after the battle, Xiang Yu summoned all the generals. When they entered Xiang Yu's Yuanmen, no one dared to walk with their heads up. This is a description of Xiang Yu's prestige. Sima Qian described Xiang Yu's besieged scene more touching. Xiang Yu was magnanimous and sang, "Pushing mountains will make you angry. When it is unfavorable, it will not die. " Sima Qian described the hero completely through this song. Then Sima Qian described Xiang Yu's bravery in the decisive battle in Dongcheng after his breakthrough. At that time, there were only 28 cavalry left in Xiang Yu. When thousands of pursuers approached, Xiang Yu opened his eyes wide and roared angrily, scaring the Han army away for several miles. Seeing this description, people can't help but feel that the failed hero seems to be just around the corner.
Another example is Sima Qian's three chapters describing how Emperor Gaozu made an agreement with the people when he entered the customs, which fully showed the demeanor of a politician. Emperor gaozu also had the habit of cursing hooligans and improvising. On one occasion, Han Xin wrote to Emperor Gaozu asking him to be a fake king of Qi. Emperor gaozu was very angry. He just wants to have a seizure. Sean hinted that he wouldn't have an attack. He immediately turned around and said, "A gentleman should pacify a vassal. Do it. " There are not many words here, but it vividly depicts the character of Emperor Gaozu who is good at improvising and playing politics.
The narrative language in Sima Qian's book is very vivid, and the characters are lifelike. He widely used oral proverbs, idioms and ballads, and did not shy away from dialects. His language is a dialect close to spoken language. Usually, the dialogue between narrative and characters is harmonious. Although it is clear but implicit, there is a sound behind the words. It is worth pondering, complex and concise. Don't stick to one pattern, take your positions. Generally, it serves the description of characters. He described. Biography of Emperor Gaozu: "In the first month (five years), the governors and their generals * * * asked Zun Hanwang to write the deeds of Yao and Shun for Emperor ...........................................................................................................................................'s Five Emperors. Based on this article in the book, "the people lost their parents, and the four seas were silent for three years" and "the people were willing to make great efforts and achieved good results" were translated into "the people lost their parents and the four sides enjoyed three years." Faith hurts hundreds of officials, and achievements are prosperous. " Compared with the original, the translation will be easier to read. The reason why the biographies of Historical Records are so excellent is because
After an innocent person is persecuted, there are usually two choices: pessimism and depression, or anger for strength. Sima Qian chose the latter way. With the aim of "studying the relationship between heaven and man and reconciling the changes of ancient and modern times", he devoted all his anger to the creation of Historical Records. Sima Qian created the biographical style of China's historical works and a new style of historical methods.