Abstract:
There are two significant progresses of the story “The Orphan of Zhao”——Sima Qian’s version in Shi Ji.King Zhao and Ji Junxiang’s in Yuan Zaju drama The Great Revenge of the Orphan of Zhao Family. One of the differences in the two versions is who is the innocent child who died for zhao’s orphan. In Shi Ji, Chen Ying stole a child from somewhere, while in Yuan Zaju drama, Cheng Ying sacrificed his own son. That detail is subtle and crucial in that it shows the different ethics of Sima Qian and Ji Junxiang.In the view of western humanism, Sima Qian’s version is more reasonable. Also, Cheng Ying’s loyalty in Shi Ji, with reasonable human feelings, conformed to Confucianism well. Therefore, Sima Qian’s “The Orphan of Zhao” is the perfect incorporation of sense and sensibility.
