It is better to die than to be free(bù zì yóu，wù nìng sǐ)

It is better to die than to be free

In Chinese, the pronunciation is B ú Z ì y ó u, w ú n ì ngs ǐ. It means that if you lose your freedom, you'd better die. This is the last sentence of Patrick Henry (1736-1799) in his speech to the parliament of colonial Virginia on March 23, 1775: give me liberty or give me death.

Examples

Brother, don't you smell the words on the lips of the European and American people and say, "yes",... " (the third chapter of Liang Qichao's the future of new China in Qing Dynasty)

original text

Address to the Virginia legislature (United States) Henry March 23, 1775 Mr. Speaker: no one has more admiration for the patriotism and talents of these gentlemen who speak in the legislature than I do. However, everyone will have different views on a problem. Therefore, if I hold the opposite view and express it without hesitation and reservation, I hope I will not be regarded as disrespectful to them. There is no time for us to be polite now. The problem for parliament is that our country is in danger. In my opinion, the most serious problem is whether we are independent or enslaved. People should be allowed to speak freely. Only in this way can we hope to clarify the facts and fulfill the tasks entrusted by God and the state. At this moment, if I keep silent for fear of offending others, I will think I am treason, the infidelity of God, who is more awe inspiring than all the kings in the world. Mr. speaker, human beings are naturally inclined to indulge in the illusion of hope. When the painful reality comes, we often close our eyes and dare not face it; we would rather listen to the voice of the siren until we are turned into beasts. Is this what a wise man should do in the arduous struggle for freedom? Are we willing to be the people who turn a blind eye to, or listen to, such an important matter as whether we can be saved? As far as I'm concerned, no matter how much mental torture it will bring me, I'm willing to know all the facts and the worst results, and prepare for them. Experience is the only light that guides me forward; the past is the only basis for judging the future. Therefore, I would like to know what the British government has done in the past decade to give you reasons to be confident and willing to comfort yourself and the parliament? Is it because of the sly smile they showed when they accepted our petition recently? Don't believe these smiles, gentlemen. It will prove to be a trap. Don't be betrayed by a kiss! Let's think about it: how incongruous it is for them to accept our petition so mercifully and prepare for war on a large scale in our waters and our land at the same time! Does love and reconciliation require the deployment of their warships and troops? Does our love need to be restored by force? Gentlemen, stop deceiving yourself! These are only the means of war and conquest. They are the king's last excuses. Excuse me, if these military equipment are not used to force us to surrender, what are they used for? Can any gentleman tell me what other intentions there are? Is there any other enemy in the kingdom of Great Britain that needs to be dealt with by these vast armies of land and sea? No, gentlemen, there are no more enemies! These are the ones that are used against us! They are the chains that the British government has long built to hold us captive. What can we fight against? Are you arguing? Gentlemen, we've been arguing with them for 10 years! Is there anything else to say? We've done everything we can, but it's all in vain. Do we have to grovel and beg for mercy? We've tried everything. So, gentlemen, I urge you to stop deceiving yourself! We have tried our best to avoid this coming storm. We have petitioned, we have protested, we have begged; we have knelt down before the king and begged him to stop the tyranny of the government and Parliament. Our petitions were despised, our protests brought more violence and insults, our beggars were scorned, we were scorned at the feet of the emperor! So far, can we still indulge in the beautiful illusion of peace and friendship? There is no more hope! If we long for freedom - if we really want to protect the sacred right that we have been fighting for for a long time from being violated - if we are not so mean as to give up the great struggle that we have been fighting for a long time and vow that we will never give up until we reach our goal, then we must fight! I repeat, gentlemen, we have to fight! We have no choice but to resort to force and the God of war! Gentlemen, they say that we are too weak to resist such a strong opponent. But when can we become stronger? next week? Or next year? Do we have to wait until we are completely disarmed and every house is occupied by the British? Can indecision and inaction gather strength for us? Can we lie on our pillows and wait until we are ready to find a good way to retreat from the enemy? Gentlemen, as long as we know how to use the power of our Creator, we will never be weak. We have three million people armed for the sacred freedom. We have such a territory, which is the invincible force of the enemy by any force! Besides, gentlemen, we are not alone. The God of justice is with us and dominates the destiny of all nations, and will arouse our friends to fight for us. Gentlemen, fighting requires not only strength, but also alertness, positivity and bravery. Besides, we have no choice. Even if we are cowardly and want to get out, it is too late. We have no way back. Looking back, we are just submissive and enslaved! The chains of our captivity have long been cast, and the jingle of them reverberates over the plains of Boston! War is inevitable - let it come! Gentlemen, I repeat, let it come! Gentlemen, no more futile attempts to defuse the situation. You can shout peace - but peace does not exist. In fact, the war has begun! Soon, the storm from the north will bring the rumble of guns! Our brothers have gone to war! Why are we still standing by? What do you want? What can we get? Is it not that life is so precious and peace so beautiful that we should obtain it at the cost of shackles and slavery? LORD Almighty, stop them! I don't know what other people will choose, but for me, I would rather die than be free! Give me liberty or give me death, Patrick Henry, March 231775 Mr.President :NomanthinksmorehighlythanIdoofthepatriotism,aswellasabilities,oftheveryworthygentlemenwhohavej ustaddressedtheHouse.Butdifferentmenoftenseethesamesubjectindifferentlights ;and,therefore,Ihopeitwillnotbethoughtdisrespectfultothosegentlemenif, entertainingasIdoopinionsofacharacterveryoppositetotheirs,Ishallspeakforthmysentimentsfre elyandwithoutreserve.Thisisnotimeforceremony .ThequestionbeforetheHouseisoneofawfu lmomenttothiscountry.Formyownpart ,Iconsideritasnothinglessthanaquestionoffreedomorslavery; andinproportiontothemagnitudeofthesubjectoughttobet hefreedomofthedebate.Itisonlyinthiswaythatwecanhopetoarriveattruth ,andfulfillthegreatresponsibilitywhichweho ldtoGodandourcountry.ShouldIkeepbackmyopinionsatsuchatime ,throughfearofgivingoffense,Ishouldconsidermyselfasguiltyoftreasontowardsmycountry,andofanactofdislo

Chinese PinYin : bù zì yóu，wù nìng sǐ