史記: 東方朔

I had a look at the biography of 東方朔 in the Shiji. Here are my notes:

It is unclear whether Sima Qian really wrote about his contemporary Dongfang Shuo. Some seem to say that the biographies of the “three persuaders of Wudi” were added later. Nonetheless, here it is, from the 滑稽列傳 chapter of the Shiji. (Modern Mandarin translation of the Story of Dongfang Shuo)

武帝時，齊人有東方生名朔，以好古傳書，愛經術，多所博觀外家之語。朔初入長安，至公車上書，凡用三千奏牘。公車令兩人共持舉其書，僅然能勝之。人主從上方讀之，止，輒乙其處，讀之二月乃盡。詔拜以為郎，常在側侍中。數召至前談語，人主未嘗不說也。時詔賜之食於前。飯已，盡懷其餘肉持去，衣盡汙。數賜縑帛，檐揭而去。徒用所賜錢帛，取少婦於長安中好女。率取婦一歲所者即棄去，更取婦。所賜錢財盡索之於女子。人主左右諸郎半呼之“狂人”。人主聞之，曰：“令朔在事無為是行者，若等安能及之哉！”朔任其子為郎，又為侍謁者，常持節出使。朔行殿中，郎謂之曰：“人皆以先生為狂。”朔曰：“如朔等，所謂避世於朝廷閒者也。古之人，乃避世於深山中。”時坐席中，酒酣，據地歌曰：“陸沈於俗，避世金馬門。宮殿中可以避世全身，何必深山之中，蒿廬之下。”金馬門者，宦［者］署門也，門傍有銅馬，故謂之曰“金馬門”。

時會聚宮下博士諸先生與論議，共難之曰：“蘇秦、張儀一當萬乘之主，而都卿相之位，澤及後世。今子大夫修先王之術，慕圣人之義，諷誦詩書百家之言，不可勝數。著於竹帛，自以為海內無雙，即可謂博聞辯智矣。然悉力盡忠以事圣帝，曠日持久，積數十年，官不過侍郎，位不過執戟，意者尚有遺行邪？其故何也？”東方生曰：“是固非子所能備也。彼一時也，此一時也，豈可同哉！夫張儀、蘇秦之時，周室大壞，諸侯不朝，力政爭權，相禽以兵，并為十二國，未有雌雄，得士者彊，失士者亡，故說聽行通，身處尊位，澤及後世，子孫長榮。今非然也。圣帝在上，德流天下，諸侯賓服，威振四夷，連四海之外以為席，安於覆盂，天下平均，合為一家，動發舉事，猶如運之掌中。賢與不肖，何以異哉？方今以天下之大，士民之眾，竭精馳說，并進輻湊者，不可勝數。悉力慕義，困於衣食，或失門戶。使張儀、蘇秦與仆并生於今之世，曾不能得掌故，安敢望常侍侍郎乎！傳曰：‘天下無害菑，雖有圣人，無所施其才；上下和同，雖有賢者，無所立功。’故曰時異則事異。雖然，安可以不務修身乎？《詩》曰：‘鼓鐘于宮，聲聞于外。鶴鳴九皋，聲聞于天。’。茍能修身，何患不榮！太公躬行仁義七十二年，逢文王，得行其說，封於齊，七百歲而不絕。此士之所以日夜孜孜，修學行道，不敢止也。今世之處士，時雖不用，崛然獨立，塊然獨處，上觀許由，下察接輿，策同范蠡，忠合子胥，天下和平，與義相扶，寡偶少徒，固其常也。子何疑於余哉！”於是諸先生默然無以應也。

建章宮后●重櫟中有物出焉，其狀似麋。以聞，武帝往臨視之。問左右群臣習事通經術者，莫能知。詔東方朔視之。朔曰：“臣知之，願賜美酒粱飯大飱臣，臣乃言。”詔曰：“可。”已又曰：“某所有公田魚池蒲葦數頃，陛下以賜臣，臣朔乃言。”詔曰：“可。”於是朔乃肯言，曰：“所謂騶牙者也。遠方當來歸義，而騶牙先見。其齒前后若一，齊等無牙，故謂之騶牙。”其后一歲所，匈奴混邪王果將十萬眾來降漢。乃復賜東方生錢財甚多。

至老，朔且死時，諫曰：“《詩》云‘營營青蠅，止于蕃。愷悌君子，無信讒言。讒言罔極，交亂四國’。願陛下遠巧佞，退讒言。”帝曰：“今顧東方朔多善言？”怪之。居無幾何，朔果病死。傳曰：“鳥之將死，其鳴也哀；人之將死，其言也善。”此之謂也。

武帝時，齊人有東方生名朔，以好古傳書，愛經術，多所博觀外家之語。

多所博觀外家之語: this means „he widely read the words of unorthodox scholars“, but I’m wondering about the position of the 所 here (and perhaps the 多)?

朔初入長安，至公車上書，凡用三千奏牘。

公車: 漢代的官署名稱。掌管徵召，及受章奏，亦上書者所詣；清舉人入京會試叫上公車，就是依此而來。

上書: present a written proposal/text to the emperor

奏: document presented to the emperor; present document to the emperor

牘: wooden slip. One had about 30 characters, so what he presented to the Emperor was almost one million characters.

凡用三千奏牘: he used 3,000 wooden slips.奏牘 is a compound here.

公車令兩人共持舉其書，僅然能勝之。

勝: probably shēng in the sense of „fulfill their mission of carrying the documents“

人主從上方讀之，止，輒乙其處，讀之二月乃盡。

人主: the Emperor

從: I don’t get the use of從 here

上方: referring to the Imperial Palace

輒 zhé: 即﹑就

乙: to mark with a乙. In old times, people would draw a乙 to mark in a document how far they had read it (why with a乙??)

詔拜以為郎，常在側侍中。

詔: order or word from the Emperor

郎: 秦漢時郎中令的屬官，主更值執戟，宿衛殿門。東漢時尚書屬官滿一年稱尚書郎，三年稱侍郎。魏晉以來只稱郎。隋朝又稱侍郎，并置員外郎，煬帝時各部置侍郎一人，為尚書的副貳，而改各司侍郎為郎。唐改郎為郎中，以員外郎為之貳，歷代因之。沿至清末，又改各部侍郎為各部副大臣。

侍中: 職官名。秦置五人，往來殿內東廂奏事。漢以為加官，分掌乘輿服物，侍於君王左右，與聞朝政，為皇帝親信重臣。魏晉以後為門下省的長官，到元代時廢除。亦稱為「納言」。

常在側侍中: I think 侍中 is used as a verb here.

數召至前談語，人主未嘗不說也。

說: yuè

時詔賜之食於前。

時: often

於前: before the Emperor

飯已，盡懷其餘肉持去，衣盡汙。

盡懷其餘肉持去: what does 盡 refer to here? And 懷?

數賜縑帛，檐揭而去。

縑帛: jiānbó „fine silk“

檐dàn揭: to carry on shoulder.

徒用所賜錢帛，取少婦於長安中好女。

徒: here in the meaning of „only“

取: 娶

少: shào

率取婦一歲所者即棄去，更取婦。

所: here in the sense of „approximately“

更 gèng: again

所賜錢財盡索之於女子。

索: here „spend, use up“

之: resumptive pronoun

女子: is the 子 a suffix here or does it refer to children his wifes bore him?

人主左右諸郎半呼之“狂人”。

半: referring to the 諸郎

人主聞之，曰：“令朔在事無為是行者，若等安能及之哉！”

令 líng: if

在事: serve as a government official

無為是行者: this refers to his „crazy“ acts

若等: you guys

安: how

朔任其子為郎，又為侍謁者，常持節出使。

節: referring to the document enovys would receive from the court

謁者: 職官名。秦始置，替國君掌傳達事宜。漢沿之，掌賓讚受事。唐時改稱為通事舍人。

I suppose it is Dongfang Shuo who becomes 侍謁者, and not his son?

朔行殿中，郎謂之曰：“人皆以先生為狂。”

朔曰：“如朔等，所謂避世於朝廷閒者也。古之人，乃避世於深山中。”

如朔等: the likes of Shuo („people like me“)

避世: to withdraw from society and live in seclusion

閒: not clear what this means exactly, „peaceful“, „free, idle“?

時坐席中，酒酣，據地歌曰：“陸沈於俗，避世金馬門。

酣: hān: drink without inhibitions

據地: “grabbing the ground, leaning on the ground” = “crawling on the ground”

陸沈: “the grounds sinks by itself”, a metaphor for withdrawal from society

宮殿中可以避世全身，何必深山之中，蒿廬之下。”

蒿廬: grass hut. This is reminiscent of 三顧茅廬, but of course that is from a later age.

金馬門者，宦［者］署門也，門傍有銅馬，故謂之曰“金馬門”。

宦［者］署門: gate to the office of the Eunuchs (?)

時會聚宮下博士諸先生與論議，共難之曰：“蘇秦、張儀一當萬乘之主，而都卿相之位，澤及後世。

時: here it means „back then“ (but why not „frequently“?)

難: nàn „put at a difficult spot, asking him hard questions“

蘇秦: 人名。（西元前？～前317)字季子，洛陽人，戰國時縱橫家。與張儀同學於鬼谷子。早年曾外出遊說，然窮困而歸，後佩六國相印，為縱約長，使秦不敢東出函谷關，達十五年之久。後客於齊，被殺。

張儀: 人名。（西元前？～309） 戰國時魏人。相秦惠王，以連橫之策遊說六國，使六國背叛縱約以事秦。惠王卒，六國復合縱以背秦，群臣讒之，乃去秦而為魏相，一年後卒。

一: probably meaning „all“

當: some annotations suggest „deal with“, but I'm not entirely sure if that's the meaning here. But it is rather unlikely that it was 蘇秦、張儀 who controlled the ten thousands chariots themselves instead of the rulers they served.

萬乘之主: reminiscent of Mencius‘ „ten thousand chariots“, as 蘇秦、張儀 were from that time

都: “occupy (position)“ The meaning “all” appears earliest after the demise of Han.

澤: “bounties bestowed by the Emperor” (Modern Mandarin 恩澤)

今子大夫修先王之術，慕圣人之義，諷誦詩書百家之言，不可勝數。

圣: I’m surprised about the use of this character, or it might be a mistake in the CTP...

諷誦: nothing to do with „satire“ here, it means „recite by heart“

不可勝數: chengyu in Modern Mandarin, „countless, innumerable“. 勝 in the first tone, here meaning „count“. (Also as Pulleyblank notes 可 has a passivising meaning here)

著於竹帛，自以為海內無雙，即可謂博聞辯智矣。

竹帛: bamboo and silk, the two materials characters were written on, before the invention of paper.

博聞辯智: is this is a coordination, or a V-O construction?

然悉力盡忠以事圣帝，曠日持久，積數十年，官不過侍郎，位不過執戟，意者尚有遺行邪？其故何也？”

曠日持久: chengyu in Modern Mandarin „delay for a long time, drag on, waste the day and stand by“

執戟 zhíjǐ: 職官名。秦漢時的侍郎官，掌管宿衛殿門。

意者: 或許, 恐怕

遺行 (some dictionaries suggest xìng): 行為有所缺失。

東方生曰：“是固非子所能備也。彼一時也，此一時也，豈可同哉！

固: here 本來

備: can mean „everything“, and annotations suggest this means „understand completely“, even though my dictionaries don’t have this...

夫張儀、蘇秦之時，周室大壞，諸侯不朝，力政爭權，相禽以兵，并為十二國，未有雌雄，得士者彊，失士者亡，故說聽行通，身處尊位，澤及後世，子孫長榮。今非然也。

夫 fú: Pulleyblank, p. 74-75.

朝: appear at court

力政: 力征

禽 (擒): conquer, subjugate

并: annex, merge (兼併)

十二國：refers to 秦、楚、齊、燕、韓、趙、魏、宋、鄭、鲁、衛、中山。

雌雄: up and down, in the sense of „supremacy, predominance“

彊 qiáng: 強

說聽行通: this has a parallel structure to Modern Mandarin 言聽計從

身處尊位，澤及後世，子孫長榮。: question: referring to whom?

圣帝在上，德流天下，諸侯賓服，威振四夷，連四海之外以為席，安於覆盂，天下平均，合為一家，動發舉事，猶如運之掌中。

賓服: pay allegiance (歸順)

振: here „rule“

四夷: the four barbaric tribes, 東夷、西戎、南蠻、北狄.

盂 yú: jar

安於覆盂: why 於? So it would be four syllables?

動發舉事: not entirely sure how to analyse this, a parallel V-O V-O structure?

猶如運之掌中: 運 „rotate“, what does 之 refer to?

賢與不肖，何以異哉？

不肖 is the opposite of 賢 here.

方今以天下之大，士民之眾，竭精馳說，并進輻湊者，不可勝數。

方: just at the time that

以: 因為?

馳說 chíshuì: 遊說

并: 同?, or modifying 進?

輻湊: fúcòu: metaphor for „people coming together“ (this bit is a little hard to understand)

悉力慕義，困於衣食，或失門戶。

門戶: „gateway“ (to a career etc.)

使張儀、蘇秦與仆并生於今之世，曾不能得掌故，安敢望常侍侍郎乎！

使: 假使

仆: should be僕? Humble pronoun for 1st p. sg.

掌故: 職官名。周代時負責防禦城池，漢時掌管禮樂制度，唐代則看守倉庫、陳設等。

常侍: 職官名。秦置，為皇帝侍從，出入宮廷，以宦者或士人為之。東漢時，則專用宦官，以傳達詔令和掌理文書。至漢末袁紹大誅宦者，乃復參用士人。簡稱為「常侍」。

傳曰：‘天下無害菑，雖有圣人，無所施其才；上下和同，雖有賢者，無所立功。’

what book is he quoting?

菑: 災

所: here in the meaning of „place“

和同: 和睦同心

故曰時異則事異。

雖然，安可以不務修身乎？

可以: makes this active

《詩》曰：‘鼓鐘于宮，聲聞于外。鶴鳴九皋，聲聞于天。’

This is a quote from two different places in the Shijing:

鼓鍾于宮、聲聞于外。

念子懆懆、視我邁邁。

Their drums and bells are beaten in the palace,

And their sound is heard without.

All-sorrowful I think of him; -

He thinks of me without any regard.

鶴鳴于九皋、聲聞于天。

魚在于渚、或潛在淵。

樂彼之園、爰有樹檀、其下維穀。

它山之石、可以攻玉

The crane cries in the ninth pool of the marsh,

And her voice is heard in the sky.

The fish is by the islet,

And now it lies hid in the deep.

Pleasant is that garden,

In which are the sandal trees;

But beneath them is the paper-mulberry tree,

The stones of those hills,

May be used to polish gems.

I also don’t find this a terribly apt metaphor in the context given.

皋: gāo „pool“

茍能修身，何患不榮！

茍: if

患: worry

榮: honour. Here as a verb, „attain honour“?

太公躬行仁義七十二年，逢文王，得行其說，封於齊，七百歲而不絕。

太公: 姜太公

文王: 周文王姬昌

躬: by oneself, personally

此士之所以日夜孜孜，修學行道，不敢止也。

孜孜: zīzī „diligent“

今世之處士，時雖不用，崛然獨立，塊然獨處，上觀許由，下察接輿，策同范蠡，忠合子胥，天下和平，與義相扶，寡偶少徒，固其常也。子何疑於余哉！”

處士: recluse, hermit

時: here in the sense of „for the moment“?

崛然: standing out, protruding (in the sense of „aloof“??)

塊然獨處: 像土塊般的孤單存在而無動於衷。

許由: 人名。字武仲，生卒年不詳。上古之高士，陽城槐里人。據傳帝堯以天下讓之，不受，隱于箕山；堯又欲官之，由謂其言汙耳，乃洗耳於潁水之濱。死後，葬於箕山頂，堯號為「箕山公神」，以配食五岳。

接輿: 春秋時楚國隱士陸通的字。

范蠡: 人名。字少伯，生卒年不詳，春秋楚人。與文種同事越王句踐二十餘年，苦身戮力，卒以滅吳，尊為上將軍。蠡以大名之下，難以久居，且句踐為人，可與共患難，難與同安樂，遂浮海適齊，變姓名為鴟夷子皮。至陶，操計然之術以治產，因成巨富，自號陶朱公。

子胥: 人名。（？～西元前664)字子胥，春秋楚人。與父兄俱仕楚，後楚王聽讒言殺其父兄，員逃亡吳國佐吳伐楚報仇，並輔吳稱霸。吳王夫差滅越後，欲釋越王句踐回國，不聽員諫，因信讒殺之。子胥死前預言越必滅吳，後九年越果滅吳.

與義相扶: 義 stands here for „cultivating oneself“, and 相扶 for „self-control“, though I’m still trying to work out the exact semantics of this.

偶: here „partner, companion“

徒: here “kind”

余: 1. p.sg.

於是諸先生默然無以應也。

建章宮后●重櫟中有物出焉，其狀似麋。

建章: 漢武帝於長安城外所建的宮殿名稱。因南朝宋廢帝亦在京城建康建立一建章宮，故後世以此泛指宮闕。

重: chóng

櫟 lì: handrail, balustrade

麋 mí: elk

以聞，武帝往臨視之。

問左右群臣習事通經術者，莫能知。詔東方朔視之。

習: familiar

朔曰：“臣知之，願賜美酒粱飯大飱臣，臣乃言。”詔曰：“可。”

if 飱 is not used as a verb, we would have a 賜-DO-IO construction ...

粱 liáng: „good food“

飱: sūn “dinner”(probably used as a verb here)

已又曰：“某所有公田魚池蒲葦數頃，陛下以賜臣，臣朔乃言。”詔曰：“可。”

蒲 pú: cattail

葦 wěi: reed

蒲葦: reed pond??

頃: kind

於是朔乃肯言，曰：“所謂騶牙者也。

騶牙: 傳說中的瑞獸名。白虎黑紋，尾比軀長，不食生物。見詩經˙召南˙騶虞。或稱為「騶牙」、「騶吾」。 (The name of the mythical beast is untranslatable, Legge has “Zouyu” for 騶虞 in the Book of Odes)

遠方當來歸義，而騶牙先見。其齒前后若一，齊等無牙，故謂之騶牙。”

當: not sure what this means here, and which tone.

歸義: submit to justice (the rightful rule)?

見: xiàn

齊等: equal?

其后一歲所，匈奴混邪王果將十萬眾來降漢。

why 所?

混邪: Hùnyī, a king of the Xiongnu (not the Leader, who was called 單於 Chányú)

乃復賜東方生錢財甚多

the subject here is the Emperor

至老，朔且死時，諫曰：

且: about to

諫: advise the ruler

“《詩》云‘營營青蠅，止于蕃。愷悌君子，無信讒言。讒言罔極，交亂四國’。

Legge’s translation:

營營青蠅、止于樊。

豈弟君子、無信讒言。

They buzz about, the blue flies,

Lighting on the fences.

O happy and courteous sovereign,

Do not believe slanderous speeches.

營營青蠅、止于棘。

讒人罔機、交亂四國。

They buzz about, the blue flies,

Lighting on the jujube trees.

The slanderers observe no limits,

And throw the whole kingdom into confusion

and it continues:

營營青蠅、止于榛。

讒人罔機、構我二人。

They buzz about, the blue flies,

Lighting on the hazel trees.

The slanderers observe no limits,

And set us two at variance.

This reminds me of the story of 三人成虎

願陛下遠巧佞，退讒言。”

遠: causative use (yuàn)

巧佞: eloquent and fawning

帝曰：“今顧東方朔多善言？”怪之。

How does the Emperor mean this? Looking back at Donfang Shuo, he thinks that way, or that Dongfang Shuo in looking back at his life, thinks so?

多: only just

居無幾何，朔果病死。

幾何: not much

傳曰：“鳥之將死，其鳴也哀；人之將死，其言也善。”此之謂也。

is there a source for this saying?

多所博觀外家之語: this means „he widely read the words of unorthodox scholars“, but I’m wondering about the position of the 所 here (and perhaps the 多)?

多所博观 is equal to 多有所博观 in the contexts.

常在側侍中: I think 侍中 is used as a verb here.

Right.

盡懷其餘肉持去: what does 盡 refer to here? And 懷?

尽：all

怀：carry / put in

After the royal meal, Dongfang buddy went away, carrying all the remaining meat in his clothes, which smeared his clothes.

朔曰：“如朔等，所謂避世於朝廷閒者也。古之人，乃避世於深山中。”

閒: not clear what this means exactly, „peaceful“, „free, idle“?

Idle.

金馬門者，宦［者］署門也，門傍有銅馬，故謂之曰“金馬門”。

宦［者］署門: gate to the office of the Eunuchs (?)

宦 here means high rank official.

署 is the place where 宦 works.

時會聚宮下博士諸先生與論議，共難之曰：“蘇秦、張儀一當萬乘之主，而都卿相之位，澤及後世。

時: here it means „back then“ (but why not „frequently“?)

时 here means “at that time”.

夫張儀、蘇秦之時，周室大壞，諸侯不朝，力政爭權，相禽以兵，并為十二國，未有雌雄，得士者彊，失士者亡，故說聽行通，身處尊位，澤及後世，子孫長榮。今非然也。

身處尊位，澤及後世，子孫長榮。: question: referring to whom?

To 士 .

圣帝在上，德流天下，諸侯賓服，威振四夷，連四海之外以為席，安於覆盂，天下平均，合為一家，動發舉事，猶如運之掌中。

動發舉事: not entirely sure how to analyse this, a parallel V-O V-O structure?

猶如運之掌中: 運 „rotate“, what does 之 refer to?

举事 here is a noun. 动发举事 means “to do something”.

运之掌中：the rotation of a palm.

今世之處士，時雖不用，崛然獨立，塊然獨處，上觀許由，下察接輿，策同范蠡，忠合子胥，天下和平，與義相扶，寡偶少徒，固其常也。子何疑於余哉！”

崛然: standing out, protruding (in the sense of „aloof“??)

崛然：an air of detachment

方今以天下之大，士民之眾，竭精馳說，并進輻湊者，不可勝數。

以: 因為?

并: 同?, or modifying 進?

以：for, since

并：同

傳曰：‘天下無害菑，雖有圣人，無所施其才；上下和同，雖有賢者，無所立功。’

what book is he quoting?

The quoting is not from some specific book, but those ancient books.

遠方當來歸義，而騶牙先見。其齒前后若一，齊等無牙，故謂之騶牙。”

歸義: submit to justice (the rightful rule)?

齊等: equal?

归义 here means “submit to the emperor Liu Che, i.e. 汉武帝”

齐等：equal

其后一歲所，匈奴混邪王果將十萬眾來降漢。

why 所?

所here mean “about”

其后一岁所：about a year later

帝曰：“今顧東方朔多善言？”怪之。

How does the Emperor mean this? Looking back at Donfang Shuo, he thinks that way, or that Dongfang Shuo in looking back at his life, thinks so?

The Emperor means, “why does Dongfang Suo say such formal words this time?” In normal day, Dongfang likes to say in a light tone.

傳曰：“鳥之將死，其鳴也哀；人之將死，其言也善。”此之謂也。

is there a source for this saying?

出处：春秋•鲁•孔丘《论语•泰伯》：“曾子言曰：‘鸟之将死，其鸣也哀；人之将死，其言也善。’”

http://baike.baidu.com/view/337396.htm

所 can be meaningless, or a 虚词, like （我）所见所闻, meaning is 我见 and 我闻. take away 所 is ok.

in 《史记》, if not specified, 传 refers to the confucian 《论语》.

外家 refers to non-confucian theories, rather than 'un-orthodox'. han wudi put confucian teachings as the ruling ideology, but others are not branded as heresies, since confucian teachings wasnt a religion to start with. this is typically different from other parts of the world.