杀身成仁 sacrifice oneself for righteousness
Explanation
指为了正义而牺牲生命。
Refers to sacrificing one's life for justice.
Origin Story
春秋时期，卫国有个叫孔子的圣人，他的弟子们都很尊敬他，经常向他请教问题。一天，一个弟子问孔子："老师，如果仁义和生命发生冲突，我们应该怎么办？"孔子想了想，说："真正的志士仁人，是不会因为贪生怕死而损害仁义的，为了维护仁义，即使牺牲生命也在所不惜。"另一个弟子又问："那我们怎样才能培养这种高尚的品德呢？"孔子回答说："要从自身做起，以身作则，让老百姓都跟着学习效仿。"从此，弟子们更加努力地学习和实践孔子的教诲，将仁义的精神发扬光大。在后来的历史中，许多仁人志士都为了保卫国家，为了人民的利益，不惜牺牲自己的生命，他们用自己的行动诠释了"杀身成仁"的崇高含义。
During the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a sage named Confucius in the state of Wei. His disciples respected him very much and often asked him questions. One day, a disciple asked Confucius: "Teacher, what should we do if benevolence and righteousness conflict with life?" Confucius pondered and said: "A true gentleman would never sacrifice benevolence and righteousness for life, in order to uphold benevolence and righteousness, even if sacrificing life is also willing to do so." Another disciple asked again: "Then how can we cultivate this noble character?" Confucius replied: "We must start with ourselves and set a good example, so that the common people can follow suit." From that day on, the disciples worked even harder to learn and practice the teachings of Confucius and carried forward the spirit of benevolence and righteousness. In later history, many virtuous and righteous people sacrificed their lives for the defense of their country and for the benefit of the people; they explained the lofty meaning of "sacrifice oneself to fulfill morality" with their actions.
Usage
多用于书面语，形容舍生取义的行为。
Mostly used in written language to describe the act of sacrificing oneself for righteousness.
Examples
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为了民族大义，他甘愿杀身成仁。
wèi le mínzú dà yì, tā gānyuàn shā shēn chéng rén
He willingly sacrificed himself for the sake of national justice.
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面对强敌，战士们个个杀身成仁，视死如归。
miànduì qiángdí, zhànshìmen gègè shā shēn chéng rén, shì sǐ rú guī
In the face of a strong enemy, the soldiers all sacrificed themselves and regarded death as home.