Death of the State
By QU Yuan
Tr. ZHAO Yanchun
Rhino armor I wear, a spear I wave;
Hub to hub, the foe’s knives and swords I brave.
The enemies like clouds, the flags shade the sun;
Arrows fall down and soldiers vie to run.
Our front invaded, our weapons clashed,
The leftist three steeds killed, the rightist slashed.
The two wheels trapped, the four steeds fall flat;
Drumsticks clasped fast, o the drum is thumped at.
It’s all dark o, the ghost’s with anger filled;
Deserted afield are those cruelly killed.
They’ve been off for long, o not back they are;
The plain is vast, o the road rolls afar.
Carrying a sword long and a bow strong,
Head and trunk apart, o unchanged the heart.
O so brave and vigorous with might,
This great power o no enemy dare slight.
Though you’ve died, your spirit is never gone;
Of souls and ghosts, you are the bravest one.
译者简介：
赵彦春，博士生导师，上海大学中国文化翻译研究中心主任，国际学术期刊Translating China 主编，国际汉学与教育研究会会长、传统文化翻译与国际传播专业委员会会长、中国先秦史学会国学双语研究会执行会长，中国语言教育研究会副会长，其翻译作品，被誉为“有史以来最美汉英翻译”“神翻译”“神还原”。
Biosketch of the Translator:
ZHAO Yanchun: Professor of English at Shanghai University, Director of Center for Translation of Chinese Culture, Editor of Translating China, President of International Sinology and Education Society, President of Chinese Culture Translation and International Promotion Committee, Executive President of Chinese Classics Bilinguals’ Association, Vice President of China Language Education Association, a proponent of the principle of translating poesie into poesie and classic into classic. His translations have been widely reported and acclaimed as the unprecedented Chinese-English translation, the best, the choice, the cream.
栏目策划：金石开
栏目主编：赵彦春、莫真宝
组稿编辑：黄金珠
本期作者： 屈 原
本期译者：赵彦春
中英朗诵：朱盛杰
英文书法：凌光艺
本期排版：曼 曼
Translating China。
