以下の英文を和訳お願い致します。
In the history of China the time from 476 to 221 BCE is called the Warring States Period. The area of what is now eastern China was not one country, but was divided into many states, some large and some small. The states were controlled by powerful rulers who called themselves kings. The kings frequently attacked neighboring kindoms, trying to make their own kingdoms bigger and richer.
In that time there lived a teacher and engineer known as Mozi. Mozi believed in peace, but he knew that there was always a danger of war. He decided that the best way to prevent war was to make it too difficult for an attacking king to conquer a country. Since he was an engineer, he worked together with his students to invent machines and fortifications for the defense of cities. He also devised strategies and techniques for defending armies. Mozi and his followers traveled from kingdom to kingdom, teaching their people how to defend their land and people in case they were attacked.
One day Mozi heard that the king of Chu was planning to attack the small state of Song. He traveled south for ten days and finally reached the king of Chu’s palace. There he met the king’s engineer, Gongshu Ban. The engineer had made ladders for the Chu army to use when attacking high city walls, and he called these new attack machines “cloud- ladders.”
Mozi introduced himself to Gongshu. Gongshu asked, “Why have you come so far to see me?”
Mozi replied, “Someone in the north has humiliated me. I would like you to kill him.” Gongshu Ban was displeased, but Mozi offered to pay him ten gold coins.
Finally Gongshu said: "Murder is wrong.”
Mozi stood up, bowed twice, and spoke. “Now, let me explain myself. I heard you were building machines to attack Song. Why do you want to attack Song? The state of Chu has plenty of land but not many people. To destroy what is scarce in order to get what is already plentiful is nonsense. Song has committed no crimes against Chu; attacking it would be mean. You refuse to murder one person, but you plan to murder many people. That doesn’t make sense.”
Gongshu saw that Mozi was right, and admitted, “You are right, attacking Song is wrong. But I can’t cancel the attack because I have already promised the king.”
Mozi said, “Please take me to the king.”
Mozi said to the King, “Imagine a man who discards his own elegant carriage and wants to steal his neighbor's broken cart. Imagine a man who discards his own fine robes and wants to steal his neighbor's rough jacket. Imagine a man who leaves his meat and grain and wants to steal his neighbor's husks. What kind of a man would this be?”
The king said, “He must be a crazy man.”
Mozi continued, “The land of Chu is five thousand li square while that of Song is only five hundred. It is the same as the contrast between the elegant carriage and the broken cart. Chu has forests full of rhinoceroses and deer. The Yangtze and the Han Rivers are the richest in the world with fish, tortoises and crocodiles. Yet Song does not even have pheasants, rabbits, or foxes. It is the same as the contrast between fine robes and a rough jacket. If your ministers and generals set out to attack Song they are just as crazy as that man.
The king said: "That may be true. But Gongshu Ban has already constructed the cloud-ladders for me, and I must capture Song."
Mozi took off his belt, and placed it on a table to represent fortress walls. He gathered some sticks to use as model cloud ladders. Then he said to Gongshu, “Show me how your army will conquer this city.”
Using the sticks, Gongshu proudly explained how the Chu army would attack Song. “Yes,” said Mozi, “but the Song army can defend against your attack in this way,” and he showed Gongshu a system of defense against cloud ladders.
“Ah, in that case, my army will attack using these engines I have ready,” said the king’s engineer, and he showed Mozi another attack machine.
お礼
今度は、実際に例文も引用して頂き、NO.1様に引き続きありがとうございました。とてもわかり易い用例ですね。