When we open the heavy pages of history, the words that record human suffering are like heavy pictures unfolding in front of our eyes.
Among them, the idiom "the Tao and the dead look at each other" can not help but be moved by its profound connotation and tragic scene. So, what kind of story is hidden in the word "殣" in this idiom?
"Shuo Wen Jie Zi" explains: "Martyrdom, the dead in the road, the people are also covered." "In short, the dead on the road, the mound of graves that are covered with grass.
In ancient societies, wars and famines occurred frequently, hundreds of people were displaced, and starvation was everywhere.
Those who were unable to escape eventually fell on the way to escape and became "martyred".
殣, pronounced jìn, is a Chinese character full of historical vicissitudes.
The idiom "the Tao and the dead look at each other" is a vivid depiction of this tragic scene.
It means that the graves of the dead are piled up one after the other on the road, so that they can see each other.
This scene is undoubtedly an extreme portrayal of the social situation at that time. It tells us how fragile and vulnerable people's lives were during those tumultuous years.
When it comes to "martyrdom", we have to think of Du Fu's famous poem "Five Hundred Words from Beijing to Fengxian Yonghuai", "There are frozen bones on the road".
This poem has the same effect as "The Tao and the Dead Look at Each Other", both of which reveal the suffering of society and the tragic fate of the people.
However, Du Fu's poems are even more tragic, and those who fell on the road have turned into white bones, still naked and uncared for.
In order to more intuitively feel the historical heaviness behind the word "殣", we can give a few specific examples.
In ancient wars, such as the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, a large number of people died and were displaced. In those turbulent years, it was not uncommon to see "the Tao and the dead looking at each other".
Another example is that in the great famine at the end of the Ming Dynasty, hundreds of people fell on the way to flee due to hunger, and their bodies were hastily buried or simply exposed to the wild, becoming "martyrdom".
These historical tragedies tell us that the word "martyrdom" reminds us to cherish peace, to cherish life, and to cherish those who have created a better life for us.
At the same time, the word "martyrdom" also warns us that we must always pay attention to the vulnerable groups in society to prevent similar tragedies from happening again.
In today's society, the scene of "Tao and Death looking at each other" is rare.
However, the historical heaviness and human tragedy contained in the word "martyrdom" are always worth remembering. We must have empathy, a sense of social responsibility, and a sense of reverence for life.