中英雙語話中國歷史名人 第44期:司馬遷

Sima Qian (145 or 135 B. C~90 B. C.), whose courtesy name was Zichang, was a native of Xiayang (now Hancheng, Shaanxi Province).

司馬遷(公元前145或135年~約公元前90年)，字子長，夏陽(今陝西韓城)人。

His father Sima Tan served as Taishiling, an official managing the imperial library and calendar. Sima Qian later succeeded his father's work and started compiling Shiji(Or Records of the Historian).

父親司馬談曾任太史令，司馬遷繼任太史令後，開始了《史記》的寫作。

Unfortunately, Sima Qian was involved in the Li Ling Affair which offended the emperor, who sentenced him to castration.

後因李陵事件蒙冤，被處以宮刑。

Released from the prison, he was appointed Zhongshuling, the imperial secretary-general and was determined to complete his great work.

出獄後被任命爲中書令，發憤著書。

Shiji is an overview of Chinese history covering events from Huang Di to Emperor Wudi in the Han Dynasty, consisting of 130 chapters with more than 520,000 Chinese characters. These 130 chapters are further divided into five parts: eight Basic Annals, ten Chronological Tables, 12 Treatises, 30 Hereditary Houses, and 70 Biographies.

《史記》上起黃帝，下迄太初，全書共52萬多字，分爲八書、十表、十二本紀、三十世家、七十列傳5部分，共130篇。

For Sima Qian, to compile such a book was to “investigate the interrelationship between the human and the universe, to generalize the rules of historical evolution and to formulate a unique historical view".

司馬遷寫《史記》，目的是爲了“究天人之際，通古今之變，成一家之言”，即通過對古今歷史全面系統的整理，總結探討天道和人事之間的關係、歷史演變的規律，表達自己的世界觀、歷史觀、社會觀和人生觀。

He believed the mandate of Heaven and admitted that it is God's will that contributes to major historical changes.

他接受天命論，承認天有意志，並用來解釋一些重大的歷史變局。

He held a progressive, evolutionary historical view and was against separation of a country. He upheld the principle of running a country with moral standards and objected to tyranny. He also argued that the monarch should govern through non-action and follow the practice of the common people.

他持發展、進化的歷史觀，反對分裂，頌揚大一統; 崇尚德治，反對暴政;主張順民之俗，頌揚無爲政治。

In Shiji, Sima Qian attempted to develop a candid style to record historical events without flamboyant ornaments. In recounting historical events, he often added his own comments by using a unique style introduced by “The Taishigong says that. . .”

本着文直事核、不虛美、不隱惡的實錄精神寫作《史記》，創造了書、表、本紀、世家和列傳五體，創造了“太史公曰”的史論形式，在敘事方法上創造了互見法。

Historical figures and events were systematically depicted in different places so that they could be evaluated from different angles. For the first time in Chinese historical writings, Sima Qian focused on the portrayal of historical characters.

在史傳作品中第一次確定了以人物爲本位的寫法，以實錄爲基礎對人物進行形象化的塑造，寫出了人物的個性和靈魂。

His skillful writing techniques made these characters more vibrant and realistic. In presenting historical facts, the author infused emotional descriptions, expressing his intense love and hate.

客觀史事的敘述中傾注了濃厚的抒情因素，在人物身上熔鑄了鮮明的愛憎感情。藝術風格雄渾悲壯，語言純熟老練。

Shiji is not only a masterpiece about history; it is also a great literary work. Lu Xun, regarded this book as “the first and last great work ever written by a historian; it is Qu Yuan's Li Sao without rhyme.” Sima Qian was a cultural giant in the Chinese history of historical studies, literature and philosophy.

《史記》是一部偉大的歷史著作，又是一部偉大的文學著作，被魯迅稱讚爲“史家之絕唱，無韻之離騷”。司馬遷是集史學家、文學家、思想家於一身的文化巨人。