《史记》中的商人模式及其书写

The merchant types and their writings in Shih Chi

司马迁的《史记》对于先秦西汉时期的商业活动有着丰富的书写,刻画了先秦西汉时期的众多商人形象。《史记》中的商人群体按其从商、从政经历可分为三种模式:一是由政而商的商人模式,以急流勇退、三致千金的范蠡和乐观时变、为后世治生之祖的白圭为代表;二是由商而政的商人模式,以从"奇货可居"到"饮鸩而死"的吕不韦及从"为国争利"到"被烹而亡"的桑弘羊为典型;三是学政商结合的商人模式,以将儒家思想为指导经商、以政治经验为手段经商、以商业积累为资本"助学"的孔门弟子子贡为典范。《史记》中的商人模式及其书写不仅对后世商人活动影响深远,并且对后世有关商人的文学创作有所启迪。

Sima Qian’s Shih Chi had a rich description of commercial activities, and depicted the images of many businessmen in the Pre-Qin and Western Han Dynasties. According to their experiences in business and politics, the merchant groups in Shih Chi can be divided into three types: one was the transformation from politics to business, represented by Fan Li, who retired at the height of his official career and great fortunes, and Bai Gui, who was insightful in politics and became the father of businessmen;the second was from business to politics, represented by Lv Buwei, who is from "selling rare commodities" to "drinking poison to die" and Sang Hongyang from "striving for profits for the country" to "dead for it";the third was the combination of the educator, government officer and businessman, which features Zigong, a disciple of Confucius who did business with the guide of Confucianism and political experience, and who used business accumulation as the capital to promote the education. The merchant types and their writings in Shih Chi not only have a profound influence on the later merchants’ activities, but also enlighten the later merchants’ literary creation.