Chan Guo Ce
Jan. 27th, 2005 12:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tylikI've been thinking of posting some of the translations I've been doing for my classical chinese class. As it happens, I just typed these up for some of my classmates, so I figrued I'd post them. Be warned, these are biased towards being literal rather than elegant or decipherabe (which makes them of more use to my classmates, but less use to anyone else).
3
The state of Qi wanted to cut down ["smite" seems to be becoming the
standard translation in the class] the state of Wei. Wei dispatched
someone to tell Chen Yu Kun, saying "Qi wants to cut down Wei. As for
delivering us from this calamity, there is only you, Sir! Our unworthy
town has a pair of precious jade discs, and two teams of four patterned
horses. Please let us give them to you, Sir!"
CYK said "I agree."
And then he entered, telling the King of Qi, "The state of Qu is Qi's
hated opponent [or rival]. Wei is Qi's ally. It's always the case that
when one attacks one's allies this allows one's hated opponents to take
advantage of one's remaining weaknesses. One's name becomes despicable,
and one's actual situation is perilous. One who acts in a kingly manner
wouldn't do this."
The King of Qi said "Good". And, because of this, did not attack Wei.
[Sometime later...] A guest told the King of Qi "As for CYK telling you not to
attack Wei, he received Wei's jade discs and horses."
The King of Qi spoke to CYK, saying "I heard that you, sir, received the jade
discs and horses of Wei. Is that so?"
CYK said "It is so."
"If that is so, and you, sir, were serving me and [yet] planned this, what's
that like?"
CYK said "The matter of attacking Wei was not beneficial. So even if Wei
assasinated Kun [--instead of bribing him] what benefit would it be to you,
King? In truth it would not. And even if Wei enfeifed Kun, what harm would it
be to you, King?
"Moreover, in all these cases, the King avoids [lacks] the slander that would
result from attacking an ally. Wei avoids seeing the peril of perishing. The
people avoid suffering the calamity of [being in?] the military. And Kun gets
these nifty treasures of jade discs and horses. What injury is this to you?"
4
GCX served Wei as their General. But when put together with Wei's
minister, TX, they didn't get along. QZ spoke to King Liang on behalf of
GCX, saying "King, are you the only one that doesn't see that this is like
loading an oxen with a pair of horses and a thoroughbred? (In such a
case) they can't go one hundred steps! Now King, you took GCX because he
could be made to serve as a leader, so you used him. That being so, also
listening to the strategies of your minister is like loading down an oxen
with a pair of horses and a thoroughbred. When the ox and horses die
together, they won't be able to acchieve their goals, and your country,
King, will be harmed by it. I really hope you'll look into this!"
5
The state of Qin ordered Shu Li Ji to take 100 chariots and enter Zhou. The
lord of Zhou welcomed them with many retainers, and was extremely respectful.
The King of Qu was enraged, and reprimanded Zhou, for making such a big deal
about the guests from Qin. You Teng, on behalf of the lord of Zhou, spoke to
the King of Qu, saying "Once, in the past, Zhi Bo wanted to smite Qiu You. He
presented them with a great bell, carried upon a spacious chariot. Some time
after this he entered by means of his military. Qiu You soon perished, because
they were unprepared (for such an attack).
"Hua Gong attacked Cai [once -- this is the second historical example].
He proclaimed that he was atacking Qu, but in reality he raided Cai.
"This present state of Qin is a tigerish and wolfish sort of state. They have
the intention of swallowing up Zhou, and sent SLJ with his 100 chariots to
enter Zhou. The lord of Zhou is afraid of this. And is taking to heart
[overtranslating, here] the examples of Cai and Qiu You and guarding against
(such a fate).
"This is the reason he dispatched his wide swathe [translating loosely, but
Miss Park didn't have better ideas] of soldiers to the front, and his strong
crossbowmen behind them. The name they said was "escorting" Zhi, but in fact
they were imprisoning him."
...
[There are a couple of more lines to this one, but I haven't finished them
yet, and a few of the characters aren't in my pocket dictionary, so it
will have to wait until I am home.]
3
The state of Qi wanted to cut down ["smite" seems to be becoming the
standard translation in the class] the state of Wei. Wei dispatched
someone to tell Chen Yu Kun, saying "Qi wants to cut down Wei. As for
delivering us from this calamity, there is only you, Sir! Our unworthy
town has a pair of precious jade discs, and two teams of four patterned
horses. Please let us give them to you, Sir!"
CYK said "I agree."
And then he entered, telling the King of Qi, "The state of Qu is Qi's
hated opponent [or rival]. Wei is Qi's ally. It's always the case that
when one attacks one's allies this allows one's hated opponents to take
advantage of one's remaining weaknesses. One's name becomes despicable,
and one's actual situation is perilous. One who acts in a kingly manner
wouldn't do this."
The King of Qi said "Good". And, because of this, did not attack Wei.
[Sometime later...] A guest told the King of Qi "As for CYK telling you not to
attack Wei, he received Wei's jade discs and horses."
The King of Qi spoke to CYK, saying "I heard that you, sir, received the jade
discs and horses of Wei. Is that so?"
CYK said "It is so."
"If that is so, and you, sir, were serving me and [yet] planned this, what's
that like?"
CYK said "The matter of attacking Wei was not beneficial. So even if Wei
assasinated Kun [--instead of bribing him] what benefit would it be to you,
King? In truth it would not. And even if Wei enfeifed Kun, what harm would it
be to you, King?
"Moreover, in all these cases, the King avoids [lacks] the slander that would
result from attacking an ally. Wei avoids seeing the peril of perishing. The
people avoid suffering the calamity of [being in?] the military. And Kun gets
these nifty treasures of jade discs and horses. What injury is this to you?"
4
GCX served Wei as their General. But when put together with Wei's
minister, TX, they didn't get along. QZ spoke to King Liang on behalf of
GCX, saying "King, are you the only one that doesn't see that this is like
loading an oxen with a pair of horses and a thoroughbred? (In such a
case) they can't go one hundred steps! Now King, you took GCX because he
could be made to serve as a leader, so you used him. That being so, also
listening to the strategies of your minister is like loading down an oxen
with a pair of horses and a thoroughbred. When the ox and horses die
together, they won't be able to acchieve their goals, and your country,
King, will be harmed by it. I really hope you'll look into this!"
5
The state of Qin ordered Shu Li Ji to take 100 chariots and enter Zhou. The
lord of Zhou welcomed them with many retainers, and was extremely respectful.
The King of Qu was enraged, and reprimanded Zhou, for making such a big deal
about the guests from Qin. You Teng, on behalf of the lord of Zhou, spoke to
the King of Qu, saying "Once, in the past, Zhi Bo wanted to smite Qiu You. He
presented them with a great bell, carried upon a spacious chariot. Some time
after this he entered by means of his military. Qiu You soon perished, because
they were unprepared (for such an attack).
"Hua Gong attacked Cai [once -- this is the second historical example].
He proclaimed that he was atacking Qu, but in reality he raided Cai.
"This present state of Qin is a tigerish and wolfish sort of state. They have
the intention of swallowing up Zhou, and sent SLJ with his 100 chariots to
enter Zhou. The lord of Zhou is afraid of this. And is taking to heart
[overtranslating, here] the examples of Cai and Qiu You and guarding against
(such a fate).
"This is the reason he dispatched his wide swathe [translating loosely, but
Miss Park didn't have better ideas] of soldiers to the front, and his strong
crossbowmen behind them. The name they said was "escorting" Zhi, but in fact
they were imprisoning him."
...
[There are a couple of more lines to this one, but I haven't finished them
yet, and a few of the characters aren't in my pocket dictionary, so it
will have to wait until I am home.]
