报任安书

報任安書

Bào Rén Ān shū

proper noun

Meanings

1 Letter to Ren An, Sima Qian's letter defending his choice of castration over death so that he could finish the Records of the Grand Historian

Characters

An (given name)

Examples

HSK 7-9

《报任安书》是司马迁写给朋友任安的信。

《 Bào Rén Ān shū 》 shì Sīmǎ Qiān xiě gěi péngyou Rén Ān de xìn.

The "Letter to Ren An" is a letter Sima Qian wrote to his friend Ren An.

HSK 7-9

“人固有一死，或重于泰山，或轻于鸿毛”这句话出自《报任安书》。

" Rén gù yǒu yì sǐ, huò zhòng yú Tài Shān, huò qīng yú hóngmáo " zhè jù huà chūzì 《 Bào Rén Ān shū 》.

The saying "every man must die, but some deaths weigh more than Mount Tai and some less than a goose feather" comes from the "Letter to Ren An".

Tips

history

Written around 91 BC to 任安, who was in prison awaiting execution and had once urged 司马迁 to recommend able men to the emperor. Sima Qian explains that he was castrated for defending the general 李陵, and chose that disgrace over suicide so that he could finish the 史记 and 成一家之言 'found a school of his own'.

usage

Also titled 报任少卿书, after Ren An's courtesy name 少卿. In the title 报 means 'to reply to' and 书 means 'letter', and the surname 任 is read Rén, not rèn.

Stroke Order

报 bào

任 rèn

安 ān

书 shū