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?