贾谊《过秦论》（节选5）（Burton Watson英译）

且夫天下非小弱也。雍州之地，殽函之固，自若也。陈涉之位，非尊于齐、楚、燕、赵、宋、卫、中山之君；鉏櫌棘矜（54），非铣于句戟长铩也（55）；適戍之众（56），非抗于九国之师（57）；深谋远虑，行军用兵之道，非及乡时之士也（58）。然而成败异变，功业相反也。试使山东之国与陈涉度长絜大（59），比权量力，则不可同年而语矣。然秦以区区之地，千乘之权（60），招八州而朝同列（61），百有余年矣。然后以六合为家，殽、函为宫。一夫作难而七庙堕（62），身死人手，为天下笑者，何也？仁义不施，而攻守之势异也。

-- 选自百衲本《史记·秦始皇本纪》

The empire of Qin at this time was by no means small orfeeble. Its base in Yongzhou, its stronghold within Mt. Yao and the Pass, werethe same as before. The position of Chen She could not compare in dignity withthe lords of Qi, Chu, Yan, Zhao, Wei, Song, Wey, and Zhongshan. The weaponswhich he improvised from hoe handles and tree branches could not match thesharpness of spears and battle pikes; his little band of garrison conscriptswas nothing beside the armies of the Nine States. In deep plotting andfar-reaching stratagems, in methods of warfare, he was far inferior to the menof earlier times. And yet Chen She succeeded in his undertaking where they hadfailed, though in ability, size, power, and strength his forces could in no waycompare to those of the states east of the mountains that had formerly opposedQin. Qin, beginning with an insignificant amount of territory, reached thepower of a great kingdom and for 100 years made the ancient eight provinces payhomage at its court. Yet, after it had become master of the six directions andestablished its palaces within the passes, a single commoner opposed it and itsseven ancestral temples toppled, its ruler died by the hands of men, and itbecame the laughing stock of the world. Why? Because it failed to rule withhumanity and righteousness, and did not realize that the power to attack, and the power to retain what one has thereby won, are not the same.

【注释】

（54）鉏：同“锄”。櫌（ｙōｕ优）：古农具，形似榔头，平整土地用。棘矜棘木做的矛柄。

（55）铣（ｘｉāｎ先）：锋利。句戟：即鉤戟。铩（ｓｈā杀）长矛类兵器。

（56）適戍：被谪征发戍守边地。適，同“谪”。

（57）抗：同“亢”，高出，超过。

（58）乡：通“向”。

（59）度长絜（ｘｉé协）大：比量长短大小。絜，度量物体的粗细。

（60）千乘之权：拥有千辆战车的国家，即中等实力之国。

（61）八州：九州中除雍州以外的八州。

（62）七庙：古代天子设七庙供奉七代祖先。