Sima Qian: His Father's Last Wish (Part 1)

HSK 4 · 326 characters · Sima Qian

A historian's son roams the empire collecting old stories — then makes a deathbed promise that will cost him everything.

两liǎng千qiān多年duō nián前qián，中国zhōng guó是shì汉朝hàn cháo的de天下tiān xià。More than two thousand years ago, China was ruled by the Han dynasty.在zài皇帝huáng dì的de朝廷cháo tíng里lǐ，有yǒu一位yī wèi专门zhuān mén记录jì lù历史lì shǐ的de史官shǐ guān，他的tā de儿子ér zi叫jiào司马迁sī mǎ qiān。At the emperor's court there was an official whose job was to record history, and his son was named Sima Qian.

司马迁sī mǎ qiān小时候xiǎo shí hou在zài黄huáng河边hé biān长大zhǎng dà，一边yī biān放羊fàng yáng，一边yī biān读书dú shū。Sima Qian grew up by the Yellow River, tending sheep and studying at the same time.父亲fù qīn常常cháng cháng对duì他说tā shuō：“历史lì shǐ不能bù néng忘wàng，一定要yī dìng yào有人yǒu rén把bǎ它tā记jì下来xià lai。”His father often told him: "History must not be forgotten — someone has to write it down."

二十èr shí岁suì那年nà nián，司马迁sī mǎ qiān离开lí kāi家jiā，开始kāi shǐ了le一次yī cì很hěn长cháng的de旅行lǚ xíng。The year he turned twenty, Sima Qian left home and set out on a very long journey.他tā去了qù le很多hěn duō地方dì fāng，收集shōu jí古时候gǔ shí hou的de故事gù shì，听tīng老人lǎo rén们men讲jiǎng过去guò qù的de英雄yīng xióng。He went to many places, collecting stories from ancient times and listening to old people tell of the heroes of the past.他tā到dào过guò孔子kǒng zǐ的de家乡jiā xiāng，也yě去qù过guò屈原qū yuán跳tiào江jiāng的de地方dì fāng。He visited the hometown of Confucius, and the place where Qu Yuan leapt into the river.

几年jǐ nián后hòu，他tā回到huí dào朝廷cháo tíng，成了chéng le一yī名míng官员guān yuán。A few years later, he returned to the court and became an official.可是kě shì有一天yǒu yī tiān，坏huài消息xiāo xi传来chuán lái了le：父亲fù qīn病bìng得很de hěn重zhòng。But one day, bad news arrived: his father was gravely ill.

司马迁sī mǎ qiān赶到gǎn dào父亲fù qīn床chuáng前qián，父亲fù qīn拉lā着zhe他的tā de手shǒu，哭着kū zhe说shuō：“我们wǒ men家jiā世世代代shì shì dài dài都是dōu shì史官shǐ guān。”Sima Qian rushed to his father's bedside. His father took his hand and said, weeping: "For generation after generation, our family have been historians."“我wǒ一直yī zhí想xiǎng写xiě一部yī bù完整wán zhěng的de中国zhōng guó历史lì shǐ，可是kě shì我wǒ写xiě不bù完了wán le。”"I have always wanted to write a complete history of China, but I will never finish it now."“孩子hái zi，答应dā ying我wǒ，把bǎ这部zhè bù史书shǐ shū写完xiě wán。”"My child, promise me — finish this history."

司马迁sī mǎ qiān低下dī xià头tóu，流liú着zhe眼泪yǎn lèi说shuō：“父亲fù qīn，我wǒ一定yī dìng完成wán chéng您的nín de心愿xīn yuàn。”Sima Qian bowed his head and said through his tears: "Father, I will fulfill your wish."

三sān年nián后hòu，司马迁sī mǎ qiān成了chéng le汉武帝hàn wǔ dì的de史官shǐ guān，开始kāi shǐ写xiě那nà部bù伟大wěi dà的de书shū——《史记shǐ jì》。Three years later, Sima Qian became Emperor Wu of Han's historian and began writing that great book — the Records of the Grand Historian.他tā白天bái tiān在zài朝廷cháo tíng工作gōng zuò，晚上wǎn shang就jiù在zài灯dēng下xià，一个yī ge字zì一个yī ge字zì地de写xiě。By day he worked at court; by night, under the lamp, he wrote character by character.他tā不知道bù zhī dào，一yī场chǎng可怕kě pà的de灾难zāi nàn正在zhèng zài向xiàng他tā走zǒu来lái。He did not know that a terrible disaster was coming toward him.