| | 班超: |
班超，字仲升，扶風平陵人，徐令彪之子也。為人大志，不脩細節。然內孝謹，居家常執勤苦，不恥勞辱。有口辯，而涉獵書傳。 |
| | Ban Chao, courtesy name Zhongsheng, was a native of Puliping, Fufeng, and the son of Xu Lingbiao. He was a man with great ambitions and did not concern himself with minor details. Yet he was filially pious and careful within, often performing hard work at home without being ashamed of labor or humiliation. He had eloquence in speech and had a broad knowledge of books and historical records.
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| | 班超: |
超持公羊春秋，多所窺覽。 |
| | Ban Chao held the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, and he extensively studied its contents.
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| | 班超: |
班超，字仲升，家貧，恒為官傭寫書，嘗輟書投筆歎曰：「大丈夫當效傅介子、張騫立功異域，以取封侯，安能久事筆硯乎！」 |
| | Ban Chao, courtesy name Zhongseng, came from a poor family and often worked as an official scribe copying books. Once, while setting down his brush, he sighed and said: "A great man should emulate Fu Jiezi and Zhang Qian in establishing merit abroad to attain the title of marquis; how could one remain content with pen and ink for long!"
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| | 班超: |
班超行詣相者，相者曰：「祭酒，布衣諸生耳，而當封侯萬里之外。」超問其狀。相者指曰：「生鷰頜虎頸，飛而食肉，此萬里侯相也。」 |
| | When Ban Chao went to consult a fortune-teller, the latter said: "Jisou is merely an ordinary scholar in civilian dress, yet he will be enfeoffed as marquis beyond ten thousand li away." Chao asked about his appearance. The fortune-teller pointed and said: "You have a swallow's jaw and a tiger's neck, fly to eat meat; this is the appearance of a marquis ten thousand li away."
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| | 班超: |
永平中，竇固擊匈奴，班超為假司馬，將兵別擊伊吾，戰於蒲類海，多斬首虜。固又遣與從事郭恂俱使西域，鄯善王廣禮敬甚備，後更疏懈。超謂其官屬曰：「寧覺廣志意薄乎？此必有北虜使來也。」召侍胡，詐之曰：「匈奴使來數日？安在？」侍胡具服。超悉會其吏士三十六人，酒酣，激怒曰：「不探虎穴，不得虎子。當今之計，獨有因夜以火攻虜，使彼不知我多少，必大震怖，可殄盡。鄯善破膽，功成事立也。」眾曰：「善。」遂將吏士往奔虜營。超手格殺三人，斬得匈奴節使屋賴帶、副使比離支首及節。明日乃還告郭恂，恂大驚，既而色動。超知其意，舉手曰：「掾雖不行，班超何心獨擅之乎？」恂乃悅。鄯善一國震怖。竇固具上超功，並求更選使使西域。帝壯超，詔固曰：「吏如班超，何故不遣而選乎？今以超為軍司馬，令遂前功。」固欲益其兵，超曰：「願得本所從三十餘人，足以備有虞，多益為重煩。」 |
| | In the middle of Yongping, when Dou Gu attacked the Xiongnu, Ban Chao served as a provisional Sima (military officer), leading troops separately to attack Yiwu and fought at Pulei Hai, killing many enemies. Dou Gu then sent him together with his subordinate Guo Xun on a mission to the Western Regions. Shanshan Wang Guang initially treated them with great courtesy and respect, but later became more distant and careless. Chao said to his subordinates: "Have you noticed that Wang Guang's intentions have become shallow?" "This is certainly because envoys from the northern Xiongnu have arrived." łożył They summoned a servant of the Shanshan people and deceived him, saying: "How many days has the envoy from the Xiongu been here?" "Where are they?" The servant of the Shanshan confessed in detail. Ban Chao gathered all thirty-six of his officials and soldiers, and when the wine was flowing freely, he incited them angrily: "Without entering a tiger's den, one cannot obtain a tiger cub. The plan now is to attack the enemy by fire at night, so that they do not know how many of us there are; this will surely greatly alarm them and we can annihilate them completely. "Shanshan's courage will be shattered, and our success is certain." The men said: "Good." So they led the officials and soldiers to rush toward the enemy camp. Ban Chao personally killed three men, beheading the Xiongnu envoy Wulai Dai and his deputy Bi Lizhi, as well as seizing their official seals. The next day he returned to inform Guo Xun, who was greatly surprised; after a while, his expression changed. Ban Chao sensed his thoughts and raised his hand to say: "Although you did not go along, how could Ban Chao have the heart to take credit for this alone?" Guo Xun was then pleased. The entire state of Shanshan was greatly frightened. Dou Gu fully reported Ban Chao's achievements and also requested to appoint a new envoy for the mission to the Western Regions. The emperor praised Ban Chao highly, and issued an edict to Dou Gu saying: "An official like Ban Chao—why not send him instead of selecting someone else?" "Now appoint Ban Chao as Jun Sima, and let him continue his previous achievements." Dou Gu wanted to increase the number of troops assigned to him, but Ban Chao said: "I only need my original thirty or so men; this will be sufficient for any contingency. More would only add unnecessary complications."
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| | 班超: |
班超使西域，于闐王廣德，超至，禮意甚疏。其俗信巫，巫言：「神怒何故向漢？漢使有驪馬，急求取以祠我。」廣德就超請馬，超許之，而令巫自來取馬。有頃，巫至，超即斬其首送廣德，因辭讓之。 |
| | When Ban Chao was sent to the Western Regions, Yuetai Wang Guangde received him with very cold and distant courtesy. The local people believed in shamans, who said: "Why is the god angry at facing Han?" lodash They claimed that the Han envoy had a black horse and urgently demanded it to be taken for sacrifice to them. Wang Guangde approached Ban Chao to request the horse, which Ban Chao agreed to, but instructed that the shaman himself should come and take it. After a while, the shaman arrived, and Ban Chao immediately beheaded him and sent his head to Wang Guangde, then used this as an opportunity to reprimand him.
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| | 班超: |
班超上疏曰：「臣乘聖漢威神，出萬死之志，冀效鉛刀一割之用。」 |
| | Ban Chao submitted a memorial saying: "I ride on the might and divine power of Your Majesty's Han dynasty, with the resolve to risk ten thousand deaths, hoping only to prove my worth like a lead knife making one cut."
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| | 班超: |
建初八年，拜班超為將兵長史，假鼓吹幢麾。 |
| | In the eighth year of Jianchu, Ban Chao was appointed as Jiangbing Zhangshi (military commander), and was granted ceremonial drums, bugles, banners, and standards.
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| | 班超: |
疏勒王忠說康居王借兵，還據頓中。 |
| | Shule Wang Zhong persuaded the King of Kangju to lend troops and returned to occupy Dunzhong.
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| | 班超: |
班超討焉耆王廣，廣遣其左將北讹支奉迎超，賜而遣。焉耆國有葦橋之險，廣乃絕橋，不欲令漢軍入國。超更從他道渡。 |
| | Ban Chao campaigned against Yanqi Wang Guang, who sent his left general Beie Zhī to meet Ban Chao in person. Ban Chao rewarded him and then sent him away. The state of Yanqi had the dangerous Wei Bridge; Wang Guang therefore destroyed it, not wanting to allow Han troops into his country. Ban Chao instead crossed by another route.
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| | 班超: |
班超定西域五十餘國，其以漢中郡南鄭之西鄉戶千封超為定遠侯。 |
| | Ban Chao pacified more than fifty states in the Western Regions, and thus a thousand households from Xixiang, to the west of Nanzheng in Hanzhong Commandery were granted to him as fief, enfeoffing Ban Chao as Dingyuan Hou (Marquis of Distant Peace).
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| | 班超: |
班超自以久在絕域，年老思土，上疏曰：「臣常恐年衰，奄忽僵仆。不敢望到酒泉郡，但願生入玉門關。」 |
| | Ban Chao, considering that he had been away for a long time in the distant frontier and was now old with homesickness, submitted a memorial saying: "I have always feared that as I grow older, I may suddenly collapse." "I dare not hope to reach the commandery of Jiuquan, but only wish to enter Yumen Pass while still alive."
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| | 班超: |
時安息遣使獻大爵、師子，超遣子勇隨入塞。 |
| | At that time, Anxi sent envoys offering a large bird and a lion. Ban Chao sent his son Ban Yong to accompany them into the frontier.
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| | 班超: |
班超在西域三十一歲。還洛陽，拜為射聲校尉。 |
| | Ban Chao spent thirty-one years in the Western Regions. After returning to Luoyang, he was appointed as She Sheng Jiao Wei (Commander of the Archery Corps).
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| | 班超: |
班超為都護，以任尚代超。尚謂超曰：「君在外國三十餘年，而小人猥承君後，宜有以誨之。」超曰：「塞外吏士，本非孝子順孫，皆以過罪徙補邊。而蠻夷懷鳥獸之心，難禁易敗。今君性嚴急，水清無大魚，察政不得下和。宜陽為簡易，寬小過，摠大綱而已。」 |
| | Ban Chao served as Du Hu (Protector General), and Ren Shang succeeded him in his position. Ren Shang said to Ban Chao: "You have been abroad for more than thirty years, and I, a humble man, now unworthily succeed you. You should give me some instruction." Ban Chao said: "The officials and soldiers beyond the frontier are originally not filial sons or obedient grandsons; they have all been exiled to the border for their crimes. And the barbarians and Yis have fickle hearts like birds and beasts, difficult to restrain but easy to corrupt." "Now your nature is strict and hasty. Clear water holds no big fish; too much scrutiny in governance will not allow harmony with the subordinates." "You should appear simple and easygoing, overlook minor faults, and merely grasp the major outlines."
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