中英雙語話歷史 第52期:淝水之戰
Although resting content with retaining sovereign in the south, rulers of the Eastern Jin did plan to recover the Central Plains in the north.
Led by the four ranking families of Wang, Xie, Huan and Yu in succession, these southern nobles carried out several expenditures towards the north.
其中以王、謝、桓、庾四大家族爲主的北伐，在東晉時曾進行過多次。In 311 Zu Ti, a southern gentry-official, once led an expeditionary force to the north and regained the Yellow River valley for a short time. However, Zu Ti died from too much upsetting for being not trusted by the court and left the cause of recovering the north unfinished.
公元311年，大將祖逖出兵收復河北，但後因受到朝廷的排斥憂鬱而死，最終未能完成統一大業。
Afterwards ,most of the gentry-officials in power advocated northern expeditions so as to gain their family prestige. Among them, three northern expeditions led by Huan Wen are the best known.
在此之後，當權的士族多標榜北伐以增加門戶威望，其中以桓溫的三次北伐最爲著名。His armies took Luoyang, entered Guanzhong and reached Hebei. But he did not consolidate these victories.
他曾經收復洛陽，進入關中，進兵河北，但都未能夠鞏固北伐成果。In 386, the Former Qin forces marched southward and threatened the Eastern Jin impressively.
公元386年，前秦南下,東晉面臨空前威脅。In January 382, The King of Former Qin called together his ministers to discuss the expenditure plan to reunify the imperial China.
382年(太元七年）一月，前秦苻堅召集羣臣商議南伐，準備統一中國。In discussion, Fu Jian insisted the march despite most of his ministers opposed the risking operation.
當時，絕大多數人認爲不可輕舉妄動，但苻堅卻堅持己見。In July of the following year, Fu Jian ordered a decisive campaign and started to draft recruits the nationwide.
次年七月，苻堅下詔大舉伐晉，在全國徵兵。In August, Fu Jian set out from Chang an with his infantry force of 600 000 and cavalry force of 270000, in such an impressive strength that it was depicted as uthe initial banners and beats can nearly link to that of the end, and the troops in marching occupy thousands of roads ” All the troops headed for the south.
八月，苻堅從長安啓程，秦軍步兵60萬，騎兵27萬，“旗鼓相望， 前後千里”，從各地一齊向南進發。In sheer swell, Fu Jian even boasted his men to carry with him the stuffs such as the titles and ranks for the will-be captured Emperor and ministers of the Eastern Jin.
這時苻堅非常驕傲，出發前連東晉皇帝、宰相俘虜後的官號、公館都準備好了。Scared by this threatening pose, the Eastern Jin fell into the state of turmoil.
東晉聞苻堅率大軍南下，惶恐不安。Nevertheless, Chancellor Xie An devised strategies in great composure by or-dered his one brother Xie Shi to assume the position of chief general to marshal in headquarters and his nephew, Xie Xuan as the vanguard in the battle field. The 80 000 opposing army and 5 000 navies were meeting their enemy in the south.
宰相謝安沉着冷靜，派弟謝石爲大都督，侄子謝玄爲前鋒，率八萬北府兵、水軍五千迎戰。In October, the vanguard Fu Rong took over Shouchun and entered Luojian (west of Dingyuan, Anhui) and closed off Huai River to block Jin army and the latter had to station in the place 25 miles away from Luojian.
十月，前秦先鋒苻融攻佔壽春，進駐洛澗（安徽定遠西），封鎖淮水，阻擋晉軍前進。晉軍被阻，在距洛澗25裏的地方駐紮。Informed the facts that the Jin army had merely insufficient supplies , Fu Jian hurried to Shouchun with 8 000 strong crack horsemen and sent the surrendered general of Jin, Zhu Xu to intimidate Xie Shi to give in.
當苻豎得知晉軍先鋒缺乏糧草的情況後，便親率精騎八千,兼程趕往壽春，並派俘虜的晉將朱序到晉營威脅謝石投降。Devoted to Jin, Zhu Xu told Xie Shi all the confidentials and actual strength of the Former Qin, furthermore, he suggested deboosting the morale of Qin before the main force approaching.
朱序不忘故國,見到謝石告訴了秦軍的虛實，並勸謝石乘前秦大軍未到，挫其銳氣，爭取全勝。Following Zhu Xu’s advice, a subordinate general Liu Laozhi, led 5000 crack forces to attack the Qin vanguard unit at Luojian at night. The Qin unit suffered 15 000 casualties.
謝石採納朱序的建議，派名將劉牢之率精兵五千渡河夜襲洛澗，殲滅前秦軍一萬五千。Meanwhile the main force of Xie Shi proceeded along the Huai River, reached at the east bank of Feishui (now Feihe south of Shouxian county, Aihui), facing Qin army.
謝石等又率大軍沿淮水前進,到淝水（安徽壽縣淝河南）東岸與秦軍隔河對峙。Seeing from the wall of Shouchun City, Fu Jian and Fu Rong observed that Jin army was well-organized, mistaking the trees on the Bagong Mountain as the armed soldiers, Fu Jian was by all means lost the hold.
苻堅聽說晉軍攻到，便與苻融登上壽春城觀看形勢，見晉軍部伍嚴整，又望見八公山（安徽壽春北)上的草木，以爲皆是晉兵，不免有些驚恐。When asked to move back a little for a decisive battle so that Jin troops could cross the river, Fu Jian agreed, hoping to strike his blow home while the Jin troops were half-way across.
謝玄派人要求苻融 把陣地後移，以便晉軍渡河決戰，苻堅企圖在晉軍半渡時發動突然襲擊，便揮軍後撤。Unexpectedly, when the order of withdrawal was given, the Qin troop panicked and ran in confuse with Zhu Xu spreading the news that Fu Jian was beaten ing at the opportunity, the Jin soldiers launched a full-scale offensive attack, and scattered their enemy.
不料隊伍因此大亂，朱序又在陣後連呼苻堅敗了，晉軍乘勝追擊，驅散敵軍。Fu Jian fled, by the time reached Luoyang, his army was down to only a little more than 100000 men.
苻堅逃走,到洛陽，檢點餘衆，不過十餘萬人。The battle of Feishui was Former Qin ’s attempt to reunify the imperial China.
淝水之戰是前秦企圖統一全國的一次戰爭。Due to the preparation and situation then, the endeavor was premature. Xie Shi and Xie Xuan leading the Beifu troops utterly defeated the Former Qin forces and won a decisive victory at the Battle of Feishui.
當時，綜合各個方面的情況看，時機和條件顯然還不成熟，謝石、謝玄領導的北府軍擊敗了前秦，取得了決定性的勝利。The southern China was shunned from the chaos and wreck so its development continued. But this relief from external threat was followed by a series of internal disturbances.
淝水之戰後，南方由於戰爭的勝利,避免了一場大的混亂和破壞，經濟文化得以繼續發展，同時確定了南北長期對峙的局面。First, Sun En and Lu Xun launched rebellions. Then Huan Xuan won the civil war and usurped the throne.
此後,南方由於外亂威脅解除而爆發內戰，孫恩、盧循起兵。桓玄在內戰中獲勝，一度篡晉。Later, General Liu Yu of the Beifu troops suppressed the peasant uprisings and gained prestige through a number of northern expeditions. At last, he established his own state to replace the Eastern Jin.
北府兵將領劉裕起兵鎮壓了農民軍，並通過北伐樹立威望，最終取代東晉。
