What does 曹操 mean here? I am (very slowly) reading 三国演义 。 曹操 has just killed all 8 people in a family， including his father's 结义兄弟， 吕伯奢. 陈宫说： 明知对方无辜也杀，实在是残忍啊！ 曹操说：宁教我负天下人，休教天下人负我。 (I) Prefer you tell

Jorge Rodriguez

What does 曹操 mean here? I am (very slowly) reading 三国演义。曹操 has just killed all 8 people in a family， including his father's 结义兄弟，吕伯奢. 陈宫说：明知对方无辜也杀，实在是残忍啊！曹操说：宁教我负天下人，休教天下人负我。 (I) Prefer you tell me to abandon the Chinese people, don't tell the Chinese people to abandon me. I think 负 is 'turn one's back on someone / something, so I wrote abandon. Maybe 负 is 负心 ungrateful, but then I get: 宁教我负天下人，休教天下人负我。 (I) Prefer you say I am ungrateful to the Chinese people, don't say the Chinese people are ungrateful to me. Is this 教 correct? Should it be 叫？ Is 负 here 负心？ How would you translate this?

Dec 9, 2016 12:11 AM

Answers · 16

负more close to 背叛，betray，这个句子这么理解比较好，even if I betray the whole world，better than anyone betray me.“教”就是“让”的一个被动的用法

December 9, 2016

“教” here means "let" or "allow"(samely in another sentence ：不教胡马度阴山）；“负”here is a short for "辜负" which in English is "betray". Besides, translation of "天下人" to "Chinese people" is not suitable.I would like to translate this into: I prefer to betray the whole people in the world rather than allow them to betray me.

December 9, 2016