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過秦論

八百九十七個字,前面八百字全在寫秦國有多強。然後一個人揭竿而起,全部垮掉。結論只有一句話。

作者賈誼 Chia I(前 200–前 168)
年代漢文帝初年(約前 178 前後);本頁為上篇
出處《新書》;《史記·秦始皇本紀》附錄;《古文觀止》卷六(題「賈誼過秦論上」)
文體論(史論)
篇幅上篇全文(中、下二篇本站未收)

全文 · 中英對照

過秦論 Faulting Ch'in

點任一行的 🔊 可以聽英譯的發音。本頁主譯文為本站自譯,逐句白話直譯。〈過秦論〉沒有公版英譯,右欄改放翟理斯譯《史記》寫漢初接收秦朝殘局的一段作對照。原文有上中下三篇,本頁為最通行的上篇。

1第一段 · 六代人的累積目錄 ↑

從孝公寫到昭襄王,四代人一步步把秦國做大。中間插進六國的反撲——二十二個人名,然後全部失效。

秦孝公據崤函之固,擁雍州之地,君臣固守,以窺周室。Duke Hsiao of Ch'in held the strong points of Hsiao and Han and occupied the lands of Yung-chou; ruler and ministers held them fast, watching for their chance at the House of Chou.
有席卷天下,包舉宇內,囊括四海之意,并吞八荒之心。He had the intent to roll up the empire like a mat, to gather in the whole world, to bag the four seas, and the ambition to swallow the eight wastes.
當是時也,商君佐之;內立法度,務耕織,修守戰之具;外連衡而鬬諸侯。At that time Lord Shang assisted him: within, he set up laws and measures, put the people to farming and weaving, and made ready the tools of defense and war; without, he formed the east-west alliance and set the other lords fighting.
於是秦人拱手而取西河之外。So the men of Ch'in took the lands west of the Ho with folded hands.
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。When Duke Hsiao died, Kings Hui-wen, Wu and Chao-hsiang inherited the enterprise and followed the plans left them: in the south they took Han-chung, in the west they seized Pa and Shu, in the east they carved off the richest land, in the north they took the strategic commanderies.
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。The other lords took fright; they met and swore covenants and plotted to weaken Ch'in. They grudged neither rare vessels nor heavy treasures nor rich land in order to draw the able men of the world; they joined north and south, made their alliances, and became one.
當此之時,齊有孟嘗,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。At that time Ch'i had Lord Meng-ch'ang, Chao had Lord P'ing-yüan, Ch'u had Lord Ch'un-shen, Wei had Lord Hsin-ling — four lords all clear-sighted and wise, loyal and trustworthy, generous and kind, honoring the worthy and valuing men of ability.
約從離衡,兼韓、魏、燕、楚、齊、趙、宋、衞、中山之衆。They bound the north-south league and broke the east-west one, and gathered the hosts of Han, Wei, Yen, Ch'u, Ch'i, Chao, Sung, Wei and Chung-shan.
於是六國之士有寧越、徐尚、蘇秦、杜赫之屬為之謀,Then among the men of the six states there were such as Ning Yüeh, Hsü Shang, Su Ch'in and Tu Ho to plan for them;
齊明、周最、陳軫、召滑、樓緩、翟景、蘇厲、樂毅之徒通其意,such as Ch'i Ming, Chou Tsui, Ch'en Chen, Shao Hua, Lou Huan, Ti Ching, Su Li and Yüeh I to carry their purposes;
吳起、孫臏、帶佗、倪良、王廖、田忌、廉頗、趙奢之倫制其兵。and such as Wu Ch'i, Sun Pin, Tai T'o, Ni Liang, Wang Liao, T'ien Chi, Lien P'o and Chao She to command their armies.
嘗以十倍之地、百萬之眾叩關而攻秦。With ten times the land and a host of a million they once beat at the pass and attacked Ch'in.
秦人開關而延敵,九國之師逡巡而不敢進。The men of Ch'in opened the pass and invited the enemy in; the armies of the nine states hung back and dared not advance.
秦無亡矢遺鏃之費,而天下諸侯已困矣。Ch'in lost neither an arrow nor a spent arrowhead, and already the lords of the world were in difficulty.
於是從散約敗,爭割地而賂秦。Then the league scattered and the covenants failed, and they vied with one another in cutting off land to bribe Ch'in.
秦有餘力而制其弊,追亡逐北,伏尸百萬,流血漂櫓,Ch'in had strength to spare and worked upon their exhaustion: it pursued the fleeing and chased the beaten; corpses lay by the million and blood floated the great shields.
因利乘便,宰割天下,分裂山河,強國請服,弱國入朝。Taking every advantage, it carved up the world and split its hills and rivers; the strong states begged to submit and the weak came to court.

2第二段 · 兩個過渡的君主目錄 ↑

一句話帶過兩代。節奏突然停一拍,為下一段蓄力。

延及孝文王、莊襄王,享國之日淺,國家無事。Coming down to Kings Hsiao-wen and Chuang-hsiang, their reigns were short and the state had no great affairs.

3第三段 · 始皇登場目錄 ↑

全篇氣勢最盛的一段。築長城、焚百家、收兵器、鑄金人——每一件都是為了「萬世之業」。

及至始皇,奮六世之餘烈,振長策而御宇內,吞二周而亡諸侯,履至尊而制六合,執敲扑而鞭笞天下,威振四海。When it came to the First Emperor, he raised up the accumulated might of six reigns: he shook the long whip and drove the world, swallowed the two Chou and destroyed the lords, trod the highest seat and ruled the six directions, took up the rod and flogged the empire, and his power shook the four seas.
南取百越之地,以為桂林、象郡,百越之君俯首係頸,委命下吏。In the south he took the lands of the Hundred Yüeh and made them the commanderies of Kuei-lin and Hsiang; their chiefs bowed their heads with ropes about their necks and gave their lives into the hands of petty officers.
乃使蒙恬北築長城而守藩籬,卻匈奴七百餘里,胡人不敢南下而牧馬,士不敢彎弓而報怨。Then he sent Meng T'ien north to build the Long Wall and hold the frontier fence, driving the Hsiung-nu back more than seven hundred li, so that the Hu dared not come south to pasture their horses and their soldiers dared not bend the bow to avenge a grievance.
於是廢先王之道,焚百家之言,以愚黔首。Then he abolished the way of the former kings and burned the words of the hundred schools, to make the common people stupid.
隳名城,殺豪傑,收天下之兵,聚之咸陽,銷鋒鏑,鑄以為金人十二,以弱天下之民。He threw down the famous city walls and killed the men of spirit; he gathered the weapons of the empire to Hsien-yang, melted down the points and arrowheads and cast them into twelve figures of metal, to weaken the people of the world.
然後踐華為城,因河為池,據億丈之城,臨不測之淵以為固。Then he made Mount Hua his wall and the Yellow River his moat, holding walls of a hundred million feet and looking down on a gulf beyond measure, and called it secure.
良將勁弩,守要害之處,信臣精卒,陳利兵而誰何。Good generals with strong crossbows held the vital points; trusted ministers and picked troops set out sharp weapons and challenged all who passed.
天下已定,始皇之心,自以為關中之固,金城千里,子孫帝王萬世之業也。The empire was settled, and in the First Emperor's own mind the passes were secure, a wall of metal a thousand li long, an imperial inheritance for his sons and grandsons through ten thousand generations.

4第四段 · 一個人站起來目錄 ↑

筆鋒一轉。陳涉什麼都沒有——沒有出身、沒有才能、沒有財富、沒有武器。然後秦就亡了。

始皇既沒,餘威震於殊俗。When the First Emperor died, his lingering awe still shook distant peoples.
然陳涉甕牖繩樞之子,氓隸之人,而遷徙之徒也。Yet Ch'en She was the son of a house with a jar for a window and a rope for a door-hinge, a hired hand, a man on the transport levy.
才能不及中人,非有仲尼、墨翟之賢,陶朱、猗頓之富也。His abilities did not reach the middling sort; he had neither the worth of Confucius and Mo Ti nor the wealth of T'ao Chu and I Tun.
躡足行伍之間,而倔起阡陌之中,率疲弊之卒,將數百之衆,轉而攻秦。He set foot among the ranks and rose up out of the field-paths; he led worn-out soldiers and commanded a few hundred men, and turned to attack Ch'in.
斬木為兵,揭竿為旗,天下雲集回響,贏糧而景從,They cut wood for weapons and raised poles for banners; the empire gathered like clouds and answered like echoes, carrying their own grain and following like shadows;
山東豪俊遂並起而亡秦族矣。and the bold men east of the mountains rose together and destroyed the house of Ch'in.

5第五段 · 為什麼目錄 ↑

六組比較,全部是「陳涉不如六國」。問了兩次「何也」,最後一句才給答案。

且夫天下非小弱也;雍州之地,崤函之固自若也。And yet the empire had not grown small or weak: the lands of Yung-chou and the strong points of Hsiao and Han were what they had been.
陳涉之位,非尊於齊、楚、燕、趙、韓、魏、宋、衞、中山之君也;Ch'en She's position was no more honorable than that of the rulers of Ch'i, Ch'u, Yen, Chao, Han, Wei, Sung, Wei and Chung-shan;
鋤耰棘矜,非銛於鉤戟長鎩也;hoes and rakes and thorn-wood handles were no sharper than hooked halberds and long lances;
謫戍之衆,非抗於九國之師也;a band of banished garrison men was no match for the armies of the nine states;
深謀遠慮,行軍用兵之道,非及向時之士也。and in deep planning and long foresight, in the arts of marching and handling troops, they did not come up to the men of former days.
然而成敗異變,功業相反,何也。Yet success and failure were reversed and the achievements were the opposite. Why?
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。If one were to set the states east of the mountains beside Ch'en She and measure their length and breadth, weigh their power and strength, they could not be spoken of in the same breath.
然而秦以區區之地,致萬乘之勢,序八州而朝同列,百有餘年矣。Yet Ch'in, from a small territory, reached the power of ten thousand chariots, ordered the eight provinces and made its former equals come to court — for more than a hundred years.
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?After that it made the six directions its house and Hsiao and Han its palace. Then one man raised trouble and the seven ancestral temples fell; the ruler died at others' hands and became the laughingstock of the world. Why?
仁義不施,而攻守之勢異也。Because humaneness and right were not practiced, and the positions of attack and defense had changed.

English Vocabulary

英譯裡值得帶走的字 12 words

這一欄的字全部取自上面的英譯,不是古文字義。 每個字都附它在本篇出現的那一句——單字和例句各有一個 🔊,點了都唸英文。

strong point(phr.)險要之地

Duke Hsiao of Ch'in held the strong points of Hsiao and Han.

秦孝公據崤函之固。

roll up like a mat(phr.)席捲

He had the intent to roll up the empire like a mat, to bag the four seas.

有席捲天下、囊括四海之意。

take fright(phr.)驚恐

The other lords took fright; they met and swore covenants and plotted to weaken Ch'in.

諸侯恐懼,會盟而謀弱秦。

hang back(phr. v.)退縮不前

The armies of the nine states hung back and dared not advance.

九國之師,逡巡而不敢進。

arrowhead(n.)箭鏃

Ch'in lost neither an arrow nor a spent arrowhead.

秦無亡矢遺鏃之費。

bribe(v.)賄賂、收買

They vied with one another in cutting off land to bribe Ch'in.

爭割地而賂秦。

flog(v.)鞭笞

He took up the rod and flogged the empire, and his power shook the four seas.

執敲扑而鞭笞天下,威振四海。

crossbow(n.)弩

Good generals with strong crossbows held the vital points.

良將勁弩守要害之處。

gulf(n.)深淵

Holding walls of a hundred million feet and looking down on a gulf beyond measure.

據億丈之城,臨不測之淵以為固。

hinge(n.)門樞

Ch'en She was the son of a house with a jar for a window and a rope for a door-hinge.

陳涉甕牖繩樞之子。

halberd(n.)戟

Hoes and rakes and thorn-wood handles were no sharper than hooked halberds and long lances.

鋤耰棘矜,非銛於鉤戟長鎩也。

in the same breath(phr.)相提並論

They could not be spoken of in the same breath.

則不可同年而語矣。

Reading Check

讀懂了嗎 6 questions

全部根據上面的英譯出題,不考古文字義。 點一下選項就揭曉答案,不必送出,也不會記錄任何資料。

1. What was Duke Hsiao's stated ambition?

2. What happened when the armies of the nine states beat at the pass?

3. What did the First Emperor do to weaken the people of the empire?

4. Who was Ch'en She?

5. What does the writer point out had NOT changed when Ch'in fell?

6. What is his answer to the closing “Why?”

逐段導讀

這篇文章在做什麼

八百字蓄勢,一句話收束

全篇八百九十七字。前四段(約八百字)全在寫秦國怎麼變強、怎麼統一、怎麼以為可以萬世。 結論只有最後十二個字。

這是「蓄勢」的極致寫法。 秦寫得越強,陳涉寫得越弱,最後那個問句「何也?」就越刺耳。賈誼不是在講道理,他是在把讀者逼到一個非問不可的位置。

「攻守之勢異」是什麼意思

不是「攻擊和防守的形勢不同」這種軍事常識。它說的是:打天下和守天下,需要的是兩套不同的東西。

秦靠法度、靠軍隊、靠嚴刑取得天下——這一套在「攻」的階段有效。 但天下拿到手以後,它繼續用同一套(焚書、隳城、收兵器、愚黔首),而「守」的階段需要的是仁義。

所以「仁義不施」不是道德指責,是技術診斷:你用錯了工具。

這篇文章是寫給漢朝看的

賈誼是漢文帝時的人,秦亡才三十幾年。「過秦」的「過」是動詞——指出秦的過失。 但目的不在罵秦,在提醒漢朝別走同一條路。

這是中國史論的標準格式:講前朝的事,說當朝的話。後來歐陽修〈五代史伶官傳序〉、蘇洵〈六國論〉、杜牧〈阿房宮賦〉都是這個路數。

二十二個人名是故意的

第一段一口氣列了六國的二十二位謀士、說客、將領——寧越、徐尚、蘇秦、杜赫……吳起、孫臏、廉頗、趙奢。 每一個都是當時第一流的人物。

列這麼多,是為了讓「九國之師逡巡而不敢進」那一句更荒謬。 二十二個名將謀臣,加起來打不過一個關口。

而第四段的陳涉,連一個名字都不需要陪襯——他自己就夠了。

⚠️ 你可能讀反的地方

課本選過的文章最容易讀反——因為你背的是課本的解釋,不是文章本身。以下放的是原文明明寫了、但多數人沒注意到的字句。

「過秦」的「過」是動詞

指出過失、責備。「過秦」=指責秦的過錯。不是「經過秦國」,也不是「秦的過錯」這個名詞片語。

本頁英譯作 Faulting Ch'in,就是要把動詞譯出來。

「山東」不是山東省

指崤山以東,也就是關中以外的六國地區。戰國秦漢的「山東」都是這個意思,跟今天的山東省無關。

「中人」是中等的人

「才能不及中人」=才能還比不上中等的人。不是「中間人」,也不是「中國人」。

「景從」的「景」通「影」

「贏糧而景從」=帶著自己的糧食,像影子一樣跟著。 讀 ㄧㄥˇ。不是風景。

「七廟」代指政權

天子祭祀七代祖先的宗廟。「七廟隳」=宗廟毀了,也就是王朝亡了。 這是以宗廟代政權的常見說法。

「甕牖繩樞」是兩個名詞當形容詞

以破甕作窗、以繩子繫門軸——形容窮到極點。 「牖」讀 ㄧㄡˇ(窗),「樞」讀 ㄕㄨ(門軸)。

「鋤耰棘矜」四樣都是農具或木棍

鋤(鋤頭)、耰(碎土的농具)、棘(酸棗木)、矜(矛柄,讀 ㄑㄧㄣˊ)。四個字說明陳涉的人拿的是什麼在打仗——跟下一句的「鉤戟長鎩」(正規武器)形成對比。

這只是上篇

〈過秦論〉有上、中、下三篇,總計兩千六百多字。上篇講秦始皇,中篇講秦二世,下篇講子嬰。流傳最廣、課本選的都是上篇。 本頁亦為上篇。

🔍 英文譯不出來的地方

翻譯是最嚴格的閱讀。中文可以含糊帶過的地方,英文非得做決定。以下是譯這篇文章時被迫做的取捨,也是中文最值得停下來看的地方。

四個同義詞疊用

席卷天下/包舉宇內/囊括四海/并吞八荒——四個短語講的是同一件事:吞併天下。

中文可以這樣堆,而且堆出來是氣勢;英文一旦連寫四個同義片語(roll up/gather in/bag/swallow),讀者會覺得作者在湊字數。 這是賦體鋪陳最難譯的地方——中文的重複是力量,英文的重複是冗贅。

二十二個人名

中文三個字一個名字,二十二個名字一口氣念下去像鼓點。英文每個名字都是音譯,長度不一(Ning Yüeh/Su Ch'in/Chao She),而且英語讀者一個都不認識。

結果是:中文讀者感受到的是「人才如雲」,英文讀者感受到的是「一串陌生的音節」。 這也是翟理斯譯〈諫逐客書〉時整段跳過人名的原因。

六個「非……也」

非尊於……也/非銛於……也/非抗於……也/非及……也——第五段連用否定比較句,一句比一句短。

英文的 no more... than/no sharper than/no match for 形態各異,排不出中文那種「同一個模子扣四次」的節奏。

「何也?」問了兩次

第五段中間問一次(然而成敗異變,功業相反,何也),結尾再問一次(為天下笑者,何也?)。兩次都不立刻回答,中間隔了三句比較。

英文的 Why? 也能重複,但中文的「何也」帶著「也」這個判斷語氣詞,讀起來像是在等你自己說出答案;英文的 Why? 比較像作者在自問自答。

關鍵字詞

這個字為什麼選這個英文

字詞這裡的意思英譯與選擇
過指出過失(動詞)fault、censure。不是「經過」。
據/擁佔據/擁有hold/occupy。
席卷/包舉/囊括/并吞四個同義詞:吞併roll up/gather in/bag/swallow。
連衡連橫,秦拉攏個別國家的策略the east-west alliance。
合從合縱,六國南北聯合抗秦the north-south league。從讀 ㄗㄨㄥˋ。
拱手雙手交握,形容毫不費力with folded hands。
逡巡徘徊不前(讀 ㄑㄩㄣ ㄒㄩㄣˊ)hang back。
鏃箭頭(讀 ㄗㄨˊ)arrowhead。
漂櫓把大盾浮起來,形容血多float the great shields。櫓=大盾。
餘烈前人留下的功業accumulated might。
敲扑刑杖the rod。
黔首百姓(秦代用語)the common people。同〈諫逐客書〉。
隳毀壞(讀 ㄏㄨㄟ)throw down。
鋒鏑兵器的尖端與箭頭,代指兵器points and arrowheads。
甕牖繩樞破甕作窗、繩子繫門軸,形容極窮a jar for a window and a rope for a door-hinge。
氓隸受雇的下層人a hired hand。
中人中等的人the middling sort。
躡足置身(讀 ㄋㄧㄝˋ)set foot among。
景從像影子一樣跟隨(景通影)follow like shadows。
山東崤山以東,即關中以外east of the mountains。不是山東省。
鋤耰棘矜鋤頭、碎土農具、酸棗木、矛柄hoes, rakes, thorn-wood handles。
銛銳利(讀 ㄒㄧㄢ)sharp。
七廟天子七代宗廟,代指政權the seven ancestral temples。
一夫作難一個人起事one man raised trouble。

章法

這篇文章是怎麼蓋起來的

興—盛—亡—論,五段八百九十七字。比例極不平均:前三段寫秦的崛起與極盛用了約七百字,第四段寫它滅亡只用了一百多字,第五段的結論只有十二個字。

第一段是「累積」:四代君主、四個方向的擴張、六國二十二位人才的反撲,全部失敗。寫得越滿,越顯得無可撼動。

第二段只有一句,寫兩個短命的君主。節奏在這裡停一拍——這是全篇唯一的空白,用來墊高下一段。

第三段是最高點:始皇的每一個動作都是在加固(築城、收兵、鑄金人、據險)。而讀者知道他馬上就要垮了,所以每一個加固的動作都像在自我諷刺。

第四段是斷崖:陳涉出場,四句話寫完他有多不夠格,然後「山東豪俊遂並起而亡秦族矣」。從最高點到地面,只用了一百多字。

第五段回頭算帳:六組「非……也」證明陳涉樣樣不如六國,然後問「何也」。答案十二個字。

文體上這是史論,但用的是賦的筆法——鋪陳、排比、同義疊用。賈誼本來就是辭賦家(〈弔屈原賦〉〈鵩鳥賦〉),他把賦的氣勢搬進了議論文。

英語世界怎麼讀他

A Century Before Christ

〈過秦論〉沒有公版英譯,翟理斯兩本書都沒有收賈誼的文章。

所以右欄放的是他譯的《史記·平準書》開頭——寫漢朝剛建立時接收到的殘局:丈夫還在打仗,老小在運糧,生產停擺,錢幣稀缺,連天子都湊不出四匹同色的馬拉車,三公九卿只能坐牛車。

這是〈過秦論〉的續集。 賈誼解釋秦為什麼亡,這一段記錄它亡了之後留下什麼。兩篇並讀,才知道賈誼寫那八百字的鋪陳時,眼前看到的是什麼樣的國家。

而且兩人幾乎同時——賈誼卒於前一六八年,司馬遷生於前一四五年。一個在現場,一個在稍後回頭記錄。

W HEN the House of Han arose, the evils of their predecessors had not passed away. Husbands still went off to the wars. The old and the young were employed in transporting food. Production was almost at a standstill, and money became scarce. So much so, that even the Son of Heaven had not carriage horses of the same colour; the highest civil and military authorities rode in bullock-carts; and the people at large knew not where to lay their heads.— Herbert A. Giles 翟理斯譯,Gems of Chinese Literature(1922 年版)· 司馬遷《史記·平準書》開頭

活在現代中文裡

這篇文章留下來的話

句子現在怎麼用英文可對應
席卷天下形容迅速佔領一切;使用率極高sweep across everything
揭竿而起形容起義;由「揭竿為旗」而來raise a pole as a banner; rise in revolt
雲集響應形容響應的人很多gather like clouds and answer like echoes
同年而語相提並論;多用於否定句「不可同年而語」be spoken of in the same breath
追亡逐北乘勝追擊pursue the fleeing and chase the beaten
流血漂櫓形容死傷極多blood floating the great shields
一夫作難一個人帶頭起事one man raises trouble
仁義不施,而攻守之勢異也談政權轉型時的常備引文humaneness was not practiced, and the positions of attack and defense had changed

🍎 給雙語課老師的教學提示

  • 適合程度:進階。八百九十七字,專名極多,建議分兩節課,或先給第四、五段再回頭讀前面。
  • 課堂設計(倒著讀):先給第四段(陳涉)與第五段(六組比較),問:這個人憑什麼? 再回頭讀前三段,看秦國有多強。倒著讀,落差感最強。
  • 核心提問:「攻守之勢異」是什麼意思?請學生用自己的話說一次。 如果答「攻擊和防守不一樣」,就再問:那秦始皇做錯了什麼具體的事?
  • 比例練習:請學生算出各段字數(約 500/20/250/120/210)。問:結論只佔十二個字,那前面八百字是幹什麼的?
  • 雙語分工:中師處理「過」的動詞用法、「山東」「中人」「景從」的古義、賦體的鋪陳手法;外師討論為什麼英文不能連用四個同義片語,以及二十二個人名在英譯中會變成什麼。
  • 與本站他頁連讀:〈諫逐客書〉是同一個帝國的另一端——李斯幫秦國崛起,賈誼解釋它為何滅亡,而李斯本人最後被腰斬。兩篇並讀,秦的興亡就完整了。
  • 時事連結:「打天下」與「守天下」需要不同的能力——這個命題可以連到企業、政黨、社團的世代交替。
  • 寫作延伸:用「然而……何也?」的句式寫一段——先鋪陳一件事有多順利,再寫它怎麼垮的,最後問為什麼。中英文各一段。