Sima Guang Smashed the Vat¹

司马光砸缸

Sima Guang was a Prime Minister and outstanding historian of the North-ern Song Dynasty. He devoted² his life to writing the classical chronicle “Historical Events Retold as a Mirror for Government"(Zi Zhi Tong Jian).As a young boy，Sima Guang was a diligent³ student，showing an outstanding intelli-gence. At the age of seven，he once played hide and seek with other children in the garden. One child wanted to hide in a big vat, which was unexpectedly full of water. Barely had he climbed on the edge of the vat, when he slipped into it. Right away he was submerged. The other children were frightened and broke up in a hubbub，whereas Sima Guang remained there. He found a rock and broke the vat. The water flushed out. Thus the child in the vat was saved. When this story became known extensively，people drew a picture for it，which was spread out in Kaifeng and Luoyang. Till today this story has been known to every household in China.

司马光是北宋的宰相，杰出的历史学家。他倾注大量精力编纂了编年体通史《资治通鉴》。司马光小时勤奋好学，智力超群。他7岁那年，有一次跟几个小孩在花园里玩捉迷藏的游戏。有个小孩想藏到一只大缸中，没想到缸中盛满了水。当这个小孩费力地爬上大缸的时候，却失足跌进了水缸。其他小孩吓得一哄而散，只有司马光没跑。他找来一块石头，用力砸破水缸。水缸里的水哗哗地流了出来，掉进水缸里的小孩得救了。这件事传开以后，人们将司马光砸缸救人的故事画成了一幅画，在开封、洛阳一带广为流传。