From the Song Dynasty writer Ouyang Xiu's historical theory "Biography of the Five Dynasties Historians", the original text is:
"Book" said: "Full loss, modest profit." It is natural that fatigue can rejuvenate the country and leisure can die. Therefore, Fang Qisheng is also the first hero in the world who can't compete with him. And its decline, dozens of actors trapped, the country died and died, laughing at the world. Husband's misfortune often makes a mickle, but wisdom and courage are trapped in drowning, so he is a lonely person! Make the biography of Lingguan.
Translation:
"Shangshu" said: "Complacency is detrimental, while modesty is beneficial." Worry and hard work can make the country rich and strong, and it is natural to lose your life in pursuit of ease and enjoyment. Therefore, when Zhuang Zong is in full swing, no one in the world can stand up to him. When he was in decline, dozens of actors could kill him, ruin his country and be laughed at by the whole world.
It can be seen that disasters are often accumulated by small things, while smart and brave people are often troubled by people or things they love. Is it just the actors? So I wrote "Biography of Lingguan".
Extended data
Through a detailed analysis of the rise and fall of the Five Dynasties and the late Tang Dynasty, this paper draws the conclusions that "worry and fatigue can rejuvenate the country, and ease can ruin it" and "disasters often accumulate in a tiny fraction, and wisdom and courage are trapped in drowning", which shows that the rise and fall of a country depends on "personnel" rather than fate, in order to warn the rulers of the Northern Song Dynasty at that time to take history as a mirror, be prepared for danger in times of peace, and guard against delay.
This article combines narration, discussion and lyricism, with vivid narration, in-depth argumentation and deep feelings. It is really a rare masterpiece. Writers of all ages regarded this article as a model essay and greatly appreciated it. For example, Mao Kun in the Ming Dynasty called this article "an eternal tune", and Shen Deqian in the Qing Dynasty praised this article as "cadence, the essence of historical records, and the first article in the history of the Five Dynasties".
From this article, we can see Ouyang Gong's writing style, political views and personality.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Biography of Lingguan in the Five Dynasties History