诸葛亮·《后出师表》英译
潘正英 译
先帝虑汉、贼不两立，王业不偏安，故托臣以讨贼也。以先帝之明，量臣之才，故知臣伐贼，才弱敌强也。然不伐贼，王业亦亡。惟坐而待亡，孰与伐之？是故托臣而弗疑也。 臣受命之日，寝不安席，食不甘味。思惟北征，宜先入南。故五月渡泸，深入不毛，并日而食；臣非不自惜也，顾王业不可偏安于蜀都，故冒危难，以奉先帝之遗意，而议者谓为非计。今贼适疲于西，又务于东，兵法乘劳，此进趋之时也。谨陈其事如左：
高帝明并日月，谋臣渊深，然涉险被创，危然后安。今陛下未及高帝，谋臣不如良、平，而欲以长策取胜，坐定天下，此臣之未解一也。
刘繇、王朗，各据州郡，论安言计，动引圣人，群疑满腹，众难塞胸；今岁不战，明年不征，使孙策坐大，遂并江东，此臣之未解二也。
曹操智计，殊绝于人，其用兵也，仿怫孙、吴，然困于南阳，险于乌巢，危于祁连，逼于黎阳，几败北山，殆死潼关，然后伪定一时耳。况臣才弱，而欲以不危而定之，此臣之未解三也。
曹操五攻昌霸不下，四越巢湖不成，任用李服而李服图之，委任夏侯而夏侯败亡，先帝每称操为能，犹有此失；况臣弩下，何能必胜？此臣之未解四也。
自臣到汉中，中间期年耳，然丧赵云、阳群、马玉、阎芝、丁立、白寿、刘合、邓铜等，及驱长屯将七十余人，突将、无前、丛叟、青羌、散骑、武骑一千余人。此皆数十年之内，所纠合四方之精锐，非一州之所有；若复数年，则损三分之二也，当何以图敌？此臣之未解五也。
今民穷兵疲，而事不可息；事不可息，则住与行劳费正等；而不及今图之，欲以一州之地，与贼持久，此臣之未解六也。
夫难平者，事也。昔先帝败军于楚，当此时，曹操拊手，谓天下已定。然后先帝东连吴、越，西取巴蜀，举兵北征，夏侯授首：此操之失计，而汉事将成也。然后吴更违盟，关羽毁败，秭归蹉跌，曹丕称帝。凡事如是，难可逆见。
臣鞠躬尽瘁，死而后已；至于成败利钝，非臣之明所能逆睹也
Chu-Ko Kung-ming‘s Second Memorial to the Throne on his Expedition
Having considered the fact that the House of Han could not allow the insurgents to live under the same heaven and that its imperial activity ought not be contented with the enjoying of one-sided peace and tranquility, the late emperor instructed your servant to have the insurgents suppressed. His Majesty, though fully aware of your servant‘s inability to carry out this instruction, trusted him without hesitation; for the trend of events is that should the rebels not be quelled the imperial destiny would be bound to go to rack, so it would seem far much better to fight against them than succumb to them without
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resistance.
Upon receiving His Majesty‘s order, your servant was quite lost in thinking, enjoying no sound sleep and having no good appetite. He was of the opinion that in order to be able to dispatch an expeditionary force to the north, it was essential that matters should first be settled in the south, and he therefore ventured to cross the Lu River in the fifth moon, entering right into the barren region and setting a dietary limit to himself. It is not that he did not know how to care about himself, but that the imperial dignity should not tolerate the maintenance of one-sided peace in Szechuen; this is where he has endeavored to act upon the late emperor‘s instructions, though at his own risk. Such a course of action there are, however, many who are now disposed to criticize or deprecate.
Now the rebels are being engaged in the east and getting exhausted in the west; this is certainly a most propitious time to start a campaign, for taking advantage of the adversary‘s misfortunes is a good policy in military tactics. Your servant begs to submit his views as follows:
With the acumen of Kao Ti — which can be likened to the brilliancy of the sun and moon — and with the counsels of his wise advisers, peace and order was not maintained until many difficulties had been surmounted and untold sufferings sustained. Seeing that Your majesty is not such as Kao Ti and Your Majesty‘s advisers are not such as Chang Liang and Chen Ping, how is it possible to expect to win, while sitting tight and making no attempt to move? This the first point not understood by your servant.
While holding their respective counties, Liu Yu and Wang Lang always quoted from the sages in discussing the situation and in laying their plans, but they were so prone to suspicion and so easily overwhelmed with fear that they failed to make up their mind to fight year after year, until Sun Tse began to rise and annex the entire territory of Kiangtung. This is the second point not understood by your servant.
Notwithstanding the fact that his resourcefulness was almost superhuman and his proficiency in strategies could favorably be compared with that of Sun Ping and Wu Chi, Ts‘ao Ts‘ao was once besieged at Nanyang, then escaped narrowly from Wuchao, then suffered seriously at Chilien, and was finally vehemently pursued at Liyang. At PeisLan he was nearly put to rout; at Tungkwan his escape from death was by a hair-breadth. After all this, he was only able to find himself settling down to enjoy temporary peace. Now in the case of one of much weaker caliber such as your servant, how could settlement be expected without having to go through dangers? This is the third point not understood by your servant?
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In his attacks on Changpa on five different occasions Ts‘ao Ts‘ao was repulsed; in his attempt to cross Lake Chao for four times he met with no success. He employed Li Fu and Li Fu betrayed him; he trusted Hsia How and Hisa How was killed. He was admired by the late emperor for his ability, yet he could not avoid such failures. Then how could one of your servant‘s inability be sure of success? This is the fourth point not understood by your servant.
It is only a year since your servant came to Hanchung. During this time, however, generals such as Chao Yun, Yang Chun, Ma Yu, Yen Chih, Ting Li, Pai Show, Liu Ho, Teng Tung, etc., and seventy odd majors and garrison commanders have been dead, together with over a thousand brave generals of foreign birth and well-disciplined cavaliers. They were among the best of the elements, not belonging to one district only, but gathered together from various sources in all directions during the last tens of years. If it happens that another few years are allowed to pass without any action being taken, the result will be that two thirds of these elements will have been lost. Then with what will the enemy be attacked? This is the fifth point not understood by your servant.
The people are now impoverished and the military strength is on the wane, yet we cannot afford to rest satisfied with the present condition of affairs. Under the circumstance, it would seem to involve the same amount of energy whether we stand still in the rear or take the offensive at the front. It is, therefore, inexplicable that while few appear to be prepared to take time by the forelock, there are many who are content with the keeping of one district to stand face to face with the rebels. This is the sixth point not understood by your servant.
It may be stated that it is exceedingly difficult to bring the current of events to a standstill. At the time when the late emperor was signally defeated in Hupeh, Ts‘ao Ts‘ao chuckled with glee at the impression that the situation began to be settled in his favor. But later, when His Majesty threw in his lot with Wu and Yueh in the east acquired Szechuen in the west, and launched a campaign in the north resulting in the killing of Hsia How, it appeared likely that Ts‘ao Ts‘ao‘s plan was doomed to failure, while that of Han was going to be crowned with success. Shortly afterwards, however, Wu broke off its agreement; Kuan Yu lost the day; the late emperor got the worst of it at Tzukuei and Ts‘ao Pei assumed the title of emperor. All this goes to show how this course of things is often too uncertain to admit of forecast.
Your servant, therefore, desires to do all he can, even to the last drop of his blood, but without being able to foretell the consequences.
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Adopted from the Battle of Red Cliff by Z. Q. Parker.
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郦道元·《三峡》英译
谢百魁 译
自三峡七百里中，两岸连山，略无阙处。重岩叠嶂，隐天蔽日，自非亭午夜分，不见曦月。 至于夏水襄陵，沿沂、阻绝。或王命急宣，有时朝发白帝，暮到江陵。其间千二百里，虽乘奔御风不以疾也。
春冬之时，则素湍绿潭，回清倒影。绝巘多生怪柏，悬泉瀑布，飞漱其间。清荣峻茂，良多趣味。
每至晴初霜旦，林寒涧肃，常有高猿长啸，属引凄异。空谷传响，哀转久绝。故渔者歌曰：―巴东三峡巫峡长，猿鸣三声泪沾裳！‖ The Three Gorges Li Daoyuan
On the banks of the Three Gorges which wind about seven hundred li, there are mountains upon mountains extending in an unbroken chain, with the overlapping cliffs and peaks eclipsing the sunlight. The sun and the moon are invisible except at noon or midnight. At the time when summer floods submerge hillocks, the waterway is blocked to boats going upstream or downstream. But in case when an emperor's edict must be dispatched without delay, a shallop may be sailed from Baidi Town in the morn and arrive at Jiangling at eve, covering a distance of one thousand and two hundred li at a speed exceeding that of a galloping horse or harnessed wind.
Spring and winter are given a particular and delightful charm by the white rapids and green pools with their eddying ripples and their reflections of mountains, or by the fantastically shaped cypresses growing on the summits of peaks or by the hanging cascades flinging sprays between the cliffs, imparting a sense of everything being so limpid and lucid, so lofty and forbidding, yet so lush and thriving.
On the first sunny days and frosty mornings when the woods look chilly and the dells seem sombre and grave, apes are heard to be whining on high, causing a prolonged feeling of disconsolation, and the sound, vibrating in the hollow ravines, only vanishes after a long melancholy echoing. That accounts for the fishermen's song: \is the longest of the three in the Ba region's eastern part, three cries of the monkeys bring forth your tears, wetting your sleeves and distressing your heart.\
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