精忠报国 第1期

This idiom comes from The Whole Biography of Talking about Yue Fei・Chapter 22. It is recorded that in the beginning of the Southern Song Dynasty, soon after Yue Fei was born, his hometown was hit by a big flood and his father was drowned. His mother had to take him living away from home.

It was just the time of the State of Jin making the incursion, and the State of Song was in chaos by the war. Young Yue Fei took part in labour and was taught studying and writing by his mother at the same time.

One day his mother gave him an earnest advice:"Your father has died already, you are his only son, so you must study assiduously both in talent and basic physical training, so as to have the ability of defending our country when you grow up." Yue Fei was deeply moved by his mother's words and said: "I will neverforget mother's words."In order to remember hismother's words forever, he asked her to have the words tattooed on his back'.

At Yue Fei's request, his mother prayed to heaven and ancestors: "I will tattoo 'Jing Zhong Bao Guo' (--serve his country with unreserved loyalty)on my son's back." Although sweat dripping from his head and blood streamingdown on his back while the four characters were beingtattooed, he still gritted his teeth and endured it.

After hismotherdied,hewasloyaltoher unfulfilled wish.He led troops to attack Jin troops bravely and made Jin suffer a crushing defeat.But because Emperor Gaozong and the treacherous prime minister Qin Hui stood for peace negotiation with Jin,

Yue Fei was killed in the name of an unwarranted charge. Since then Yue Fei was passed on from generation to generation as a national hero.

Now we use it to encourage those who have noble aspiration to serve their country with unreserved loyalty.

此语出自《说岳全传》二十二回。南宋初年,岳飞生下不久,家乡遭遇特大洪水。他父亲就在这场洪水中被淹死,他母亲只得带他寄居在别人家里。

当时正是金兵入侵时期,国家处于战乱。年少时的岳飞一边参加劳动,一边由母亲教他读书写字。

一天,母亲对岳飞语重心长地说:“你父亲已过世,家里就你一根独苗,你一定要勤奋读书,刻苦练好武艺,长大为保卫国家江山出力。”岳飞听后对母亲说:“母亲的话,孩儿一定牢记。”为了永志不忘母亲的教诲,他请母亲在自己背上刺字。

在岳飞的要求下,他母亲对着天地说:“我今日祝告天地祖宗,要在我儿背上刺下‘精忠报国’四字。”豆大的汗珠从岳飞脸上流下,鲜血顺着脊背往下流,他却咬紧牙关,一声不吭。就这样,“精忠报国”四个大字刺在了岳飞的背上。

岳母逝世以后,岳飞忠于母亲的遗愿,奋勇率领岳家军抗击金兵,使金兵遭受惨败。但由于宋高宗赵构和奸相秦桧主张议和,最后岳飞被秦桧以莫须有的罪名杀害在狱中。岳飞成了历史上世代相传的民族英雄。

后用此典激励有志之士一定要竭尽忠诚,报效国家。