The Faults of Qin (舊帖）
While possessing the Yong state lands,
Xiao of Qin held two passes in hands:
Xiaoshan and Hangu, and at the same time,
on the Zhou's regime he cast a covetous eye.
Unifying the country was his ambitions,
At the moment, Shang Yang gave him suggestions:
Inside, they should establish legislatures,
and the state should focus on agriculture.
put heart into the production of textile,
build weapons to defend those who acted hostile.
Externally, they should create strategies,
to make others fight and become enemies.
Thus, Qin could seize the lands in the west of
the Yellow River without making an effort.
After the Xiao of Qin's death,
The King Hui Wen, Wu and Zhao Xiang.
took over the foundations of their
previous generations, and from there.
they followed the footsteps of their deceased,
Hanzhong in the south, they seized,
then grabbed the Ba and Shu in the west.
Cut the fertile region in the east and the rest,
and occupied the significant areas in the north,
those who feared Qin were all the lords.
Thus, they started to assemble an alliance
and discussed how to deal with Qin's menace.
In order to use the best talents of the state
to fight against Qin, they did not hesitate
to trade their precious artifacts and rich lands
and now all lords joined together, hands in hands.
(to be continued... Oct 21, 2015)
Translator: 小貝殼
A brief introduction: This is a prose written by Jia Yi (200 – 168 BC), Han Dynasty. The prose criticizes the Qin dynasty (lasting from 221 to 206 BC) and explains the reasons why Qin collapsed. The prose was beautifully written in a parallel prose style which I think can be translated into the epic style in English.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jia_Yi
上篇 賈誼
秦孝公據崤函之固，擁雍州之地，君臣固守以窺周室，有席卷天下，包舉宇內，囊括四海之意，並吞八荒之心。當是時也，商君佐之，內立法度，務耕織，修守戰之具；外連衡而鬥諸侯。於是秦人拱手而取西河之外。
孝公既沒，惠文、武、昭襄蒙故業，因遺策，南取漢中，西舉巴、蜀，東割膏腴之地，北收要害之郡。諸侯恐懼，會盟而謀弱秦，不愛珍器重寶肥饒之地，以致天下之士，合從締交，相與為一。當此之時，齊有孟嚐，趙有平原，楚有春申，魏有信陵。此四君者，皆明智而忠信，寬厚而愛人，尊賢而重士，約從離衡，兼韓、魏、燕、楚、齊、趙、宋、衛、中山之眾。於是六國之士，有寧越、徐尚、蘇秦、杜赫之屬為之謀，齊明、周最、陳軫、召滑、樓緩、翟景、蘇厲、樂毅之徒通其意，吳起、孫臏、帶佗、倪良、王廖、田忌、廉頗、趙奢之倫製其兵。嚐以十倍之地，百萬之眾，叩關而攻秦。秦人開關延敵，九國之師，逡巡而不敢進。秦無亡矢遺鏃之費，而天下諸侯已困矣。於是從散約敗，爭割地而賂秦。秦有餘力而製其弊，追亡逐北，伏屍百萬，流血漂櫓。因利乘便，宰割天下，分裂山河。強國請服，弱國入朝。延及孝文王、莊襄王，享國之日淺，國家無事。
及至始皇，奮六世之餘烈，振長策而禦宇內，吞二周而亡諸侯，履至尊而製六合，執敲撲而鞭笞天下，威振四海。南取百越之地，以為桂林、象郡；百越之君，俯首係頸，委命下吏。乃使蒙恬北築長城而守藩籬，卻匈奴七百餘裏。胡人不敢南下而牧馬，士不敢彎弓而報怨。於是廢先王之道，焚百家之言，以愚黔首；隳名城，殺豪傑，收天下之兵，聚之鹹陽，銷鋒鏑，鑄以為金人十二，以弱天下之民。然後踐華為城，因河為池，據億丈之城，臨不測之淵，以為固。良將勁弩守要害之處，信臣精卒陳利兵而誰何。天下已定，始皇之心，自以為關中之固，金城千裏，子孫帝王萬世之業也。
始皇既沒，餘威震於殊俗。然陳涉甕牖繩樞之子，氓隸之人，而遷徙之徒也；才能不及中人，非有仲尼、墨翟之賢，陶朱、猗頓之富；躡足行伍之間，而倔起阡陌之中，率疲弊之卒，將數百之眾，轉而攻秦，斬木為兵，揭竿為旗，天下雲集響應，贏糧而景從。山東豪俊遂並起而亡秦族矣。
且夫天下非小弱也，雍州之地，崤函之固，自若也。陳涉之位，非尊於齊、楚、燕、趙、韓、魏、宋、衛、中山之君也；鋤耰棘矜，非銛於鉤戟長铩也；謫戍之眾，非抗於九國之師也；深謀遠慮，行軍用兵之道，非及向時之士也。然而成敗異變，功業相反，何也?試使山東之國與陳涉度長絜大，比權量力，則不可同年而語矣。然秦以區區之地，致萬乘之勢，序八州而朝同列，百有餘年矣；然後以六合為家，崤函為宮；一夫作難而七廟隳，身死人手，為天下笑者，何也？仁義不施而攻守之勢異也。
朗讀（粵語）
國語：緣分惹的禍
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