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<pre>For my first article on this site, I thought it would be interesting to give a translation of an illustrative passage from the Zuozhuan. Reading the Zuozhuan poses an interesting problem for the translator because parts of the text assume so much familiarity with events which are left unelaborated. The below text presents an interesting example which I have elaborated on in a footnote, but it seems as though by the time of the first commentaries this context was already unclear. I have relied primarily on two of the earliest such commentaries, dating from the Jin（晉） and Tang（唐）dynasties. The translation process was difficult as the text contains many ambiguities with respect to who exactly is being referred to in many of the spoken sections, and as such there is a possibility of some inaccuracy in who exactly is being referred to.
This section was chosen because somebody wondered to me about what exactly the single location in the present province of Sichuan was doing, a sole point so far away from the rest of the points depicted in this map. As it turns out, the location in question (魚) gets hardly a mention. All that is revealed is that some men from there fight against the armies of Chu and that they are unusually diligent in pursuing their defeated foes. Why these people should be fighting as part of the rag-tag anti-Chu coalition, who they are and what their customs were is left a mystery, like much else in the Zuozhuan.
十六年，春，王正月，及齊平，公有疾，使季文子會齊侯于陽穀，請盟，齊侯不肯，曰，請俟君間。
In the spring of the 16th year of lord Wen, up to the month of the royal establishment Qi had been at peace, the lord was sick, and sent Ji Wenzi to meet with the Marquis of Qi in Yinduo and ask for an accord between our states. The Marquis of Qi was not willing to do so, and asked for the emissary to wait a while until our lord was healed.
夏，五月，公四不視朔，疾也，公使襄仲納賂于齊侯，故盟于郪丘。
In the summer, in the 5th month, our lord did not hold the monthly court for the fourth month in a row because of his illness. Our lord sent Nang Zhong to accept gifts from the Marquis of Qi (齊) and so an accord was reached at Qi Hill.
有蛇自泉宮出，入于國，如先君之數，秋，八月，辛未，聲姜薨，毀泉臺。
Seventeen snakes emerged from the palace and entered the capital, it was noted that seventeen was the number of previous rulers in Qi. In the autumn, during the eighth month, it was Xinwei, Sheng Jiang died and the spring alter was burned.*
*This passage is highly ambiguous and commentaries seem to disagree on its meaning. The Tang dynasty commentary 春秋左轉正义 lists the previous rulers but does not explain what the significance is. The 春秋經傳集解 states 'the duke believed that a snake spirit had come out at the death of Sheng Jiang, and so he destroyed it (the Spring alter (an alter in the spring palace) in order to banish the the Snake.'
楚大饑，戎伐其西南，至于阜山，師于大林，又伐其東南，至于陽丘，以侵訾枝，庸人帥群蠻以叛楚，麇人率百濮聚於選，將伐楚，於是申息之北門不啟，楚人謀徙於阪高，蒍賈曰，不可，我能往，寇亦能往，不如伐庸，夫麇與百濮，謂我饑不能師，故伐我也，若我出師，必懼而歸，百濮離居，將各走其邑，誰暇謀人，乃出師，旬有五日，百濮乃罷，自廬以往，振廩同食，次于句澨，使廬戢黎侵庸，及庸方城，庸人逐之，囚子揚窗，三宿而逸。
There was a great famine in Chu, and the Rong attacked in the Southwest, reaching as far as Fushan. An army division was in the great forest, and again attacked in the south-west reaching up to Yin hill, by overcoming chaizhi. The Yong men lead a rabble of Man (barbarians) in rebelling against Chu, the Lu men lead the hundred Pu (a name for various tribes from what is now Hunan) to gather in Yi, whenceforth they struck into Chu. The north gate of Jiaxi was therefore not opened. The men of Chu planned to go up to a high hill, but Weimai said "No, where we can go, the enemy can also go, but it is not as good as attacking into Yong. Those Lu men leading the Hundred Pu, say we are in the grip of famine and cannot muster a single brigade, and for this reason they attack us. If I take out a brigade to confront them, they will surely shrink in awe and scatter, abandoning their positions each will go back to his own town. Those who wished to follow this strategy then took out a brigade of soldiers, and by the fifth day of the week the Hundred Pu were be done for. The victorious soldiers threw open their granaries and fed themselves from the stores therein. After this they went to Goushi, whence Lu Jili was dispatched to invade the territory of Yong, after which he proceeded (to attack) their walled towns. `When the Lu men pursue after him, they took Zi Yangchuang prisoner*, although he escaped after a stay of 3 nights.
*The commentary states that this was a title akin to quartermaster, an official in charge of apportioning weapons.
曰，庸師眾，群蠻聚焉，不如復大師，且起王卒，合而後進，師叔曰，不可，姑又與之, 遇以驕之，彼驕我怒，而後可克，先君蚡冒所以服陘隰也，又與之遇，七遇皆北，唯裨，鯈，魚，人實逐之，庸人曰，楚不足與戰矣，遂不設備，楚子乘馹，會師于臨品，分為二隊，子越自石溪，子貝自仞，以伐庸，秦人巴人從楚師，群蠻從楚子盟，遂滅庸。
He said, "The Yong troops have concentrated and so have the Man, together (we) are not enough to fight against their armies, first gather the King's troops, then once concentrated, we can attack." The Shishu* said "No, we must again to the attack, attack again and you will overawe the enemy, through this you will inspire the heroic contempt necessary in your men. It was by these means that the previous lord Fen Mao was able to capture 陘隰. Again they attacked, but this time in seven engagements they met defeat. (However) only the Bi, Chou and Yu people pursued them. The Yong people said "Chu is clearly not up to fighting this war", and so the armies of Yong gave chase without making preparation. The prince of Chu mounted his command chariot and mustered his troops in Linpin. He divided them into two divisions. The division of Zi Yue set out from Shi Xi and the division of Zi Jian set out from Ren, in order to attack Yong. Qin and Ba followed the armies of Chu, and the Man tribes honoured their alliance with Chu, setting out to annihilate Yong.
*A military rank in the Chu kingdom
(旬 - I have translated as week, the ancient Chinese week had 10 days)
宋公子鮑禮於國人，宋饑，竭其粟而貸之，年自七十以上，無不饋詒也，時加羞珍異，無日不數於六卿之門，國之材人，無不事也，親自桓以下，無不恤也，公子鮑美而豔，襄夫人欲通之，而不可，夫人助之施，昭公無道，國人奉公子鮑以因夫人，於是華元為右師，公孫友為左師，華耦為司馬，鱗鱹為司徒，蕩意諸為司城，公子朝為司寇，初，司城蕩卒，公孫壽辭司城，請使意諸為之，既而告人曰，君無道，吾官近，懼及焉，棄官則族無所庇，子，身之貳也，姑紓死焉，雖亡子，猶不亡族，既，夫人將使公田孟諸而殺之，公知之，盡以寶行，蕩意諸曰，盍適諸侯，公曰，不能其大夫，至于君祖母，以及國人，諸侯誰納我，且既為人君，而又為人臣，不如死，盡以其寶賜左右，以使行，夫人使謂司城去公，對曰，臣之而逃其難，若後君何。
Gongzibao of Song performed the rites with his countrymen, for that year there was a famine in the land. Households had exhausted their grain and so grain was distributed by the nobility. For those aged seventy and up, there was nothing that was not distributed, and no courtesy was spared. As the time passed, people began to turn to ever stranger things to satisfy their hunger. The six ministers counted the days anxiously as did the villagers of the nation. All the relatives of the ducal family from Duke Huan on down gave charity.
Gongzi Bao was beautiful and vigorous, the duke's wife desired an audience with him, but this proved to be impossible. The duke's wife nonetheless assisted him. Duke Zhao did not possess the way, and as such, the men of Song set Gongzi Bao up as duke, on account of his relationship with the duke's wife. Because of this, Hua Yuan was set up as commander of the right brigade, Gongsun You as commander of the left brigade, Huaou as Sima (attendant of the horses), 鱗鱹 as Situ (attendant of footmen) 蕩意諸 as Sicheng (attendant of fortifications) Gongzichao as Siwo (attendant for suppression of banditry). Previously 蕩, the attendant of fortification had died. His son - Gongsun Shou - had refused the position of attendant of fortifications, so Shiyizhu was given the position instead. At this he proclaimed to all "The ruler does not possess the way, I am too close to the palace and as such I am overcome with fear". He fled from the palace, but his clan offered no shelter, he and his children were then hanged. Although the children were killed, the extermination did not extend to the rest of the clan. Not long after the duke's wife sent Gong Tianmeng to kill him. Knowing this, the duke gathered all of his treasure and fled. 蕩意 said to him "How is this the fitting (behaviour) of a feudal lord?". The duke said, "(my) ability is not up to that of my wife, to the point that among the royal mother and the people of the realm, none accept me. Therefore to continue as the ruler, or to be a minister, would not be as good as to die. Therefore I give out my treasure left and right in order to escape, my wife sent the one called the master of fortifications to dispose of me." Tianmeng replied, "If your servant evades his responsibility, what kind of ruler will he be afterwards?"
冬，十一月，甲寅，宋昭公將田孟諸，未至，夫人王姬使帥甸攻而殺之，蕩意諸死之，書曰，宋人弒其君杵臼，君無道也，文公即位，使母弟須為司城，華耦卒，而使蕩虺為司馬。
In the eleventh month of winter, the Jiayuan day, Song Zhaogong assigned Tianmeng to it. When he had not yet arrived, the wife of the lord sent Shidian to attack and kill him, 蕩意諸 killed him. It is recorded that "The men of Song killed their lord Chujiu, their lord did not possess the way". When Duke Wen was enthroned he sent is mother's younger brother to attend on the attendant of fortifications. When Huaou died, he sent 蕩虺 to act as attendant of horses.</pre>
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