吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 2
This is Part 2 in a translation of an extract from 吳城日記 (‘Diary of Inner City Suzhou’). It’s the official log of Suzhou (specifically the small, walled area in the centre) from the year 1645, a year after the Manchus took Beijing, marking the end of the Ming dynasty (明) and the beginning of the Qing (清).
[← Part 1](/china/classical/wucheng-riji-1/” rel="prev “吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 1”) · Part 2 · [Part 3 →](/china/classical/wucheng-riji-3” title="吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 3” rel="next)
郡守日夕惶惶，漸聞豫王差官取鎮江、常州冊籍，次第將及蘇郡，地方官長漫無主持，鄉紳但知潛避，無一倡義守御者，小民無以倚恃，咸思投順，以苟全性命。The crowds are panicked day and night; we have gradually heard reports that the Prince of Yu has dispatched officials to get the Zhenjiang and Changzhou files and household registers, and will eventually reach Su Prefecture; the local head official has completely lost control; the local gentry know only how to hide and flee; no-one has initiated a defence of justice; the people have nothing to rely on; all are considering surrender and submission, to protect their lives at any cost.
For an attacking army, claiming the enemy's household registers was a useful record of victory. 鄉紳, here translated as 'local gentry', are most likely retired officials who have residences in the countryside. [倡義](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/10/ZdicE5Zdic80ZdicA1292361.htm) means "to instigate a righteous cause". [投順](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/7/ZdicE6Zdic8AZdic95148506.htm) means "surrender and pledge allegiance to" and has a sense of throwing oneself at the feet of the attackers to beg for mercy. [苟全](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/8/ZdicE8Zdic8BZdic9F78476.htm) means "to protect one's life at all costs" and is derogatory, suggesting they are cowardly lacking honour.二十二日，向有吳江舉人潘爾彪 ，遷居郡中，荐一方術兼業醫者曰李滴春於官，謂能行兵，欲以為將。 22nd: Formerly in Wujiang was the Provincial Degree Holder Pan Erbiao, who has shifted his residence into the county; he has recommended a fortune-teller who simultaneously works as a doctor called Li Dichun to the officials; he [Pan Erbiao] claims he [Li Dichun] can command the army, and wishes him to be made a general.
潘爾彪 and 李滴春 are names. Note that other versions of the text have [才術](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/3/ZdicE6Zdic89Zdic8D6106.htm) ("talented and capable") rather than [方術](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/4/ZdicE6Zdic96ZdicB957567.htm). This makes more sense but you'd better go with the version used in class, so 'fortune-teller' it is. This 'fortune-teller' is more of a general bullshit vendor, dealing in divination, horoscopes, necromancy, magic healing, homeopathy etc.擬翌日登壇受鉞，群心大駭，慮李非有才略足恃，輕舉挑釁，難免揚州覆轍，遂率眾擊毀潘 、李二家，太尊陳師泰即朱示撤兵，以安眾心。 The plan is that the next day he will [Li Dichun] ascend the terrace and be made a general; everyone is astonished, and concerned that Li does not have enough ability or wits to be relied upon; recklessly choosing him is provocative, and it will be hard to avoid a repeat of the disaster of Yangzhou; because of this, the mob attacked and destroyed both the Pan and Li households; Prefect Chen Shitai immediately posted orders disbanding of the troops to quell the hearts of the people.
[登壇](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/12/ZdicE7Zdic99ZdicBB193153.htm) means to step on to the ceremonial platform during a ceremony. [受鉞](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/8/ZdicE5Zdic8FZdic9730699.htm), literally 'receive the battle-axe', means to formally be made a general in a ceremony. [太尊](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/4/ZdicE5ZdicA4ZdicAA87631.htm) is a Prefect. 朱示 means to post up official flyers on red paper giving important orders or notices.二十五日，南京差來安撫鴻臚寺卿黃家鼒 、通判周荃、參將吳某，先至虎邱，移文坐管游擊府、知會迎接，索取蘇州府冊籍。 Day 25: Nanjing sent as pacifiers Minister of Court and State Ceremonies Huang Jiazi, Assistant Prefect Zhou Quan, Senator General Wu Whatshisname; they went first to Tiger Hill and issued a circular to the incumbent officials to break open the government archive - the notification was received; they demanded the Suzhou government files and household registers.
黃家鼒, 周荃 and 吳 are names. 鴻臚寺卿 is 'Minister of Court and State Ceremonies'. [通判](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/10/ZdicE9Zdic80Zdic9A46791.htm) is an 'Assistant Prefect'. [參將](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/8/ZdicE5Zdic8FZdic8287101.htm) is a military rank. 某 is used in place of Zhou's name because it's unimportant or the writer has forgotten it. [移文](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/11/ZdicE7ZdicA7ZdicBB180847.htm) is an official letter between separate government departments. [知會](http://www.zdic.net/cd/ci/8/ZdicE7Zdic9FZdicA5190780.htm) here is a notification letter. Note that this last bit is my own guesswork and hasn't been confirmed in class so anything could happen yet![← Part 1](/china/classical/wucheng-riji-1/” rel="prev “吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 1”) · Part 2 · [Part 3 →](/china/classical/wucheng-riji-3” title="吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 3” rel="next)
Series: Diary of Inner City Suzhou
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 1
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 2 (this article)
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 3
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 4
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 5
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 6
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 7
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 8
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 9
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 10
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 11
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 12
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 13
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 14
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 15
- 吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 16
