89．瓦部 tile
宁would rather 为to be 玉jade 碎broken, 不not 为to be 瓦tile 全unbroken
In the year 550, Gao Yang, the General of the Eastern Wei in the Northern Dynasties, forced Emperor Xiaojing to resign and made himself the Emperor.
The next year, fearful of losing his rule, he killed Xiaojing's three sons. But eliminating these heirs was not enough to allay his fears. He was afraid other member of the former emperor's family would seek revenge. Soon, he slaughtered twenty-five entire families who were related to Xiaojing and shared the same surname. In a total, he killed more than 700 innocent people.
When news of these massacres had spread, everyone who shared Xiaojing's surname was scared. Several decided to change their surname. One man, however, was very brave. He decided he would not to yield to Gao Yang. He said. "I would rather be a shattered jade than an unbroken piece of tile. I will never change my surname."
Today, 宁为玉碎不为瓦全 means "It is better to die in glory than live with dishonor". A similar English expression is: Better to die on one's feet than live on one's knees.
【拼音】nìngwéiyùsuì,bùwéiwǎquán
【解释】宁做玉器被打碎，不做瓦器而保全。比喻宁愿为正义事业牺牲，不愿丧失气节，苟且偷生。
【出处】唐·李百药《北齐书·元景安传》：岂得弃本宗，逐他姓，大丈夫宁可玉碎，不为瓦全。
