The best way to keep your bad deeds from the knowledge of others is not to
commit them in the first place.
欲人勿聞，莫若勿為。
The caused has written mant bookas, which should benefit the propagation of
the teaching of sages rather than damaging it.
罪人著書甚多具在，於聖教有益無損。
The critics, he warned, were "searching for your faults and determined to
degrade and discredit you".
（張居正）警告戚繼光說，他們「多方羅致，務在挫辱之」。
The first grand-secretary was said "to have openly supported public opinion
in favor of the immediate insallation of imperial heir, yet privately to have
maneuvered to impede action so that he could court personal favor." The im-
peachment continued: "After using evasive words to betray his friends, he re-
stored to a confidentail note to misguide his master. If Your Majesty should
ever be so lenient as to spare his life, the spirit of our dynastic founder
would assuredly deliver him to his deserved destruction."
說他「遁其辭以賣友，祕其語以誤君。陽附群眾請立之議，陰緩其事以為內交之計」，
「陛下尚寬而不誅，高廟神靈必陰殛之」。
The numerous battles I have fought over the past several years give me the
impression that the pirates always manage to sit on the heights waiting us.
Usually they hold on until evening, when our soldiers become tired. Then they
dash out. Or else, when we start to withdraw, they will catch us out of step
to launch their counterattack. It seems that they always manage to send forth
their units when they are fresh and spirited. They adorn their helmets with
colored strings and animal horns of metallic colors and ghostly shapes to fri-
ghten our soldiers. Many of them carry mirrors. Their spears and swords are
polished to a shine and look dazzling under the sun. Our soldiers, therefore,
are awed by them during the hours of delay before contact.
余數年百戰，但見諸賊據高臨險，坐待我師，只至日暮，乘我惰氣衝出；或於收兵錯雜，
乘而追之。又能用乘銳氣，盛以初鋒。又其盔上飾以金銀牛角之狀，五色長絲，類如神鬼
，以駭士氣。多執明鏡，善磨刀槍，日中閃閃，以奪士目。故我兵持久，便為所怯。
The Soochow district had been law-abiding for quite some time. All of a su-
ddenyour lordship tried to cut and shear it. Not surprisingly, the district
could not bear it. When rumors wrer circulating, they caused a great deal of
fear and panic. Your humble servant, unworthily occupying a position wuthin
the central administration that permits him to make a few minor suggestions
only, must in this instance say that he is deeply ashamed that he is unable to
encourage on behalf of His Majesty's court a law-enforcing administrator, or
to check the abusice criticsms against him.
三尺之法不行於吳久矣。公驟而矯以繩墨，宜其不堪也。訛言沸騰，聽者惶惑。僕謬忝鈞
軸，得參與廟堂之末議，而不能為朝廷獎奉法之臣，摧浮淫之議，有深愧焉。
The twin swords, in particular, were wielded with such dexterity that on-
lookers "could see only the flash of the weapon, not the man."
這種雙刀的長度不過五尺，但在一個熟練的使用者手中揮舞，一片刀光，使「上下四方盡
白，不見其人」。
Their javelins "were thrown before they could be seen."
所擲的標槍「不露竿，突忽而擲，故不測」。
The way you conduct yourself does not make me believe that you differ from
others. We are all doing exactly the same thing. This applies to Your Ex-
cellency, myself, and everybody else. From dawn to dusk, since the day we
gained knowledge until today, we are occupied with how to work the land so
that we can eat, to buy real estate so that we can become gentlemen-farmers,
to build homes so that we can live in comfort, to study so that we can have
honor and prestige, to investigate geomancy so that we can pass our fortunes
on to our children. In doing all these things everyone is absorbed in his own
interests and those of his family; not the slightest thought is given to anyone
else's benefit.
Only when doctrinal polemics begin would you say: "Look, you only think
yourself, but don't you see that i am keeping others in mind? So you are just
as selfish as I am altruistic! Here am I, worried about the household to the
east which is starving and thinking about the family to the west which is
shivering with cold!"
When such-and-such a person consents to come and give lectures, you may say,
"Splendid, he is carrying on the work of Confucius and Mencius!" Another per-
son may decline to meet you. You will immediately jump on him and call him
selfish. You admit that one person does not behave himself too well yet he is
doing good things with others. Another person may absolutely discreet; but as
far as you are concerned he is ruining everyone with Buddhist doctrine.
Put in the proper perspective, you often preach what you do not practice. At
the same time you are doing things about you keep your mouth shut. Why must
there be such differences between your words and your deeds? Do you really be-
lieve that this is the teaching of Confucius?
I would say that all these practices make a person inferior to the little
fellows in the field and market, who would not hesitate to discuss aspects of
their own experience. Hustlers talk about their business; farmhands talk about
field work. Really theirs are the voices of virtue, lively with interest, and
never tiring and boring to listeners.
試觀公之行事，殊無甚異於人者。人盡如此，我亦如此，公亦如此。自朝至暮，自有知識
以至今日，均以耕田而求食，賣地而求種，架屋而求安，讀書而求科第，居官而求尊顯，
博風水以求福蔭子孫。種種日用，皆為自己身家計慮，無一釐為人謀者。及乎開口談學，
便說爾為自己，我為他人；爾為自私，我欲利他；我憐東家之饑矣，又思西家之寒難可忍
也；某等肯上門教人矣，是孔孟之志也；某等不肯會人，是自私自利之徒也；某行雖不謹
，而肯與人為善；某等行雖端謹，而好以佛法害人。以此而觀，所講者未必公之所行，所
行者又公之所不講，其與言顧行、行顧言何異乎？以是謂孔聖之訓可乎？翻思此等，反不
如市井小夫身履是事，口便說是事，作生意者便說生意，力田者便說力田，鑿鑿有味，真
有德之言，令人聽之忘厭倦矣。
The year 1587 may seem to be insignificant; nevertheless, it is evident that
by that time the limit for the Ming dynasty had already been reached. It no
longer mattered whether the ruler was conscientious or irresponsible, whether
his chief counsellor was enterprising or conformist, whether the generals were
resourceful or incompetent, whether the civil officials were honest or co-
rrupt, or whether the leading thinkers were radical or conservative - in the
end they all failed to reach fulfillment. Thus our story has a sad conclusion.
The annals of the Year of the Pig must go down in history as a chronicle of
failure.
一五八七年，是為萬曆十五年，歲次丁亥，表面上似乎是四海昇平，無事可記，實際上我
們的大明帝國卻已經走到了它發展的盡頭。在這個時候，皇帝的勵精圖治或者宴安耽樂，
首輔的獨裁或者調和，高級將領的富於創造或者習於苟安，文盲的廉潔奉公或者貪污舞弊
，思想家的極端進步或者絕對保守，最後的結果，都是無分善惡，統統不能在事業上取得
有意義的發展，有的身敗，有的名裂，還有的人則身敗而兼名裂。
因此我們的故事只好在這裡作悲劇性的結束。萬曆丁亥年的年鑒，是為歷史上一部失
敗的總記錄。
commit them in the first place.
欲人勿聞，莫若勿為。
The caused has written mant bookas, which should benefit the propagation of
the teaching of sages rather than damaging it.
罪人著書甚多具在，於聖教有益無損。
The critics, he warned, were "searching for your faults and determined to
degrade and discredit you".
（張居正）警告戚繼光說，他們「多方羅致，務在挫辱之」。
The first grand-secretary was said "to have openly supported public opinion
in favor of the immediate insallation of imperial heir, yet privately to have
maneuvered to impede action so that he could court personal favor." The im-
peachment continued: "After using evasive words to betray his friends, he re-
stored to a confidentail note to misguide his master. If Your Majesty should
ever be so lenient as to spare his life, the spirit of our dynastic founder
would assuredly deliver him to his deserved destruction."
說他「遁其辭以賣友，祕其語以誤君。陽附群眾請立之議，陰緩其事以為內交之計」，
「陛下尚寬而不誅，高廟神靈必陰殛之」。
The numerous battles I have fought over the past several years give me the
impression that the pirates always manage to sit on the heights waiting us.
Usually they hold on until evening, when our soldiers become tired. Then they
dash out. Or else, when we start to withdraw, they will catch us out of step
to launch their counterattack. It seems that they always manage to send forth
their units when they are fresh and spirited. They adorn their helmets with
colored strings and animal horns of metallic colors and ghostly shapes to fri-
ghten our soldiers. Many of them carry mirrors. Their spears and swords are
polished to a shine and look dazzling under the sun. Our soldiers, therefore,
are awed by them during the hours of delay before contact.
余數年百戰，但見諸賊據高臨險，坐待我師，只至日暮，乘我惰氣衝出；或於收兵錯雜，
乘而追之。又能用乘銳氣，盛以初鋒。又其盔上飾以金銀牛角之狀，五色長絲，類如神鬼
，以駭士氣。多執明鏡，善磨刀槍，日中閃閃，以奪士目。故我兵持久，便為所怯。
The Soochow district had been law-abiding for quite some time. All of a su-
ddenyour lordship tried to cut and shear it. Not surprisingly, the district
could not bear it. When rumors wrer circulating, they caused a great deal of
fear and panic. Your humble servant, unworthily occupying a position wuthin
the central administration that permits him to make a few minor suggestions
only, must in this instance say that he is deeply ashamed that he is unable to
encourage on behalf of His Majesty's court a law-enforcing administrator, or
to check the abusice criticsms against him.
三尺之法不行於吳久矣。公驟而矯以繩墨，宜其不堪也。訛言沸騰，聽者惶惑。僕謬忝鈞
軸，得參與廟堂之末議，而不能為朝廷獎奉法之臣，摧浮淫之議，有深愧焉。
The twin swords, in particular, were wielded with such dexterity that on-
lookers "could see only the flash of the weapon, not the man."
這種雙刀的長度不過五尺，但在一個熟練的使用者手中揮舞，一片刀光，使「上下四方盡
白，不見其人」。
Their javelins "were thrown before they could be seen."
所擲的標槍「不露竿，突忽而擲，故不測」。
The way you conduct yourself does not make me believe that you differ from
others. We are all doing exactly the same thing. This applies to Your Ex-
cellency, myself, and everybody else. From dawn to dusk, since the day we
gained knowledge until today, we are occupied with how to work the land so
that we can eat, to buy real estate so that we can become gentlemen-farmers,
to build homes so that we can live in comfort, to study so that we can have
honor and prestige, to investigate geomancy so that we can pass our fortunes
on to our children. In doing all these things everyone is absorbed in his own
interests and those of his family; not the slightest thought is given to anyone
else's benefit.
Only when doctrinal polemics begin would you say: "Look, you only think
yourself, but don't you see that i am keeping others in mind? So you are just
as selfish as I am altruistic! Here am I, worried about the household to the
east which is starving and thinking about the family to the west which is
shivering with cold!"
When such-and-such a person consents to come and give lectures, you may say,
"Splendid, he is carrying on the work of Confucius and Mencius!" Another per-
son may decline to meet you. You will immediately jump on him and call him
selfish. You admit that one person does not behave himself too well yet he is
doing good things with others. Another person may absolutely discreet; but as
far as you are concerned he is ruining everyone with Buddhist doctrine.
Put in the proper perspective, you often preach what you do not practice. At
the same time you are doing things about you keep your mouth shut. Why must
there be such differences between your words and your deeds? Do you really be-
lieve that this is the teaching of Confucius?
I would say that all these practices make a person inferior to the little
fellows in the field and market, who would not hesitate to discuss aspects of
their own experience. Hustlers talk about their business; farmhands talk about
field work. Really theirs are the voices of virtue, lively with interest, and
never tiring and boring to listeners.
試觀公之行事，殊無甚異於人者。人盡如此，我亦如此，公亦如此。自朝至暮，自有知識
以至今日，均以耕田而求食，賣地而求種，架屋而求安，讀書而求科第，居官而求尊顯，
博風水以求福蔭子孫。種種日用，皆為自己身家計慮，無一釐為人謀者。及乎開口談學，
便說爾為自己，我為他人；爾為自私，我欲利他；我憐東家之饑矣，又思西家之寒難可忍
也；某等肯上門教人矣，是孔孟之志也；某等不肯會人，是自私自利之徒也；某行雖不謹
，而肯與人為善；某等行雖端謹，而好以佛法害人。以此而觀，所講者未必公之所行，所
行者又公之所不講，其與言顧行、行顧言何異乎？以是謂孔聖之訓可乎？翻思此等，反不
如市井小夫身履是事，口便說是事，作生意者便說生意，力田者便說力田，鑿鑿有味，真
有德之言，令人聽之忘厭倦矣。
The year 1587 may seem to be insignificant; nevertheless, it is evident that
by that time the limit for the Ming dynasty had already been reached. It no
longer mattered whether the ruler was conscientious or irresponsible, whether
his chief counsellor was enterprising or conformist, whether the generals were
resourceful or incompetent, whether the civil officials were honest or co-
rrupt, or whether the leading thinkers were radical or conservative - in the
end they all failed to reach fulfillment. Thus our story has a sad conclusion.
The annals of the Year of the Pig must go down in history as a chronicle of
failure.
一五八七年，是為萬曆十五年，歲次丁亥，表面上似乎是四海昇平，無事可記，實際上我
們的大明帝國卻已經走到了它發展的盡頭。在這個時候，皇帝的勵精圖治或者宴安耽樂，
首輔的獨裁或者調和，高級將領的富於創造或者習於苟安，文盲的廉潔奉公或者貪污舞弊
，思想家的極端進步或者絕對保守，最後的結果，都是無分善惡，統統不能在事業上取得
有意義的發展，有的身敗，有的名裂，還有的人則身敗而兼名裂。
因此我們的故事只好在這裡作悲劇性的結束。萬曆丁亥年的年鑒，是為歷史上一部失
敗的總記錄。
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