Sima Guang Breaking the Vat｜司马光砸缸
4分钟
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原著出处｜《宋史·司马光传》
- In the Northern Song Dynasty seven year old Sima Guang was playing in the courtyard
- The sun was shining several children were chasing and laughing around the rockery
- A butterfly flew by the children ran after it smiling
- In a corner of the courtyard there stood a large water vat
- It was filled with water the surface reflecting the blue sky
- One child climbed onto the edge of the vat
- He wanted to see farther but his foot slipped
- He fell right into the water
- Water splashed everywhere the child was struggling
- His small hands beat desperately at the surface
- His head rose then sank again
- The other children turned pale with fright
- They screamed and ran in all directions to find adults for help
- Only Sima Guang did not run
- He stood there his mind racing
- The vat was too tall he couldn't reach
- The water was too deep jumping in wouldn't help
- He saw a stone on the ground
- A large blue stone beside the rockery
- He rushed over and lifted it with both hands
- The stone was heavy his face turned red
- He moved step by step to the vat
- Raised the stone and used all his strength
- He smashed it down
- With a loud crash the vat broke
- Water gushed out
- The child rolled out with the current onto the ground
- He lay there gasping for air
- Soaked through but alive
- When the adults arrived they saw the broken vat
- And Sima Guang standing nearby catching his breath
- This child would later become
- one of the greatest historians in Chinese history
- He led the compilation of the Zizhi Tongjian
- But on that sunny afternoon he was just a seven year old boy
- Who used a stone to save a life
