| | 五帝本纪: |
于是帝尧老，命舜摄行天子之政，以观天命。舜乃在璇玑玉衡，以齐七政。遂类于上帝，禋于六宗，望于山川，辩于群神。揖五瑞，择吉月日，见四岳诸牧，班瑞。岁二月，东巡狩，至于岱宗，祡，望秩于山川。遂见东方君长，合时月正日，同律度量衡，修五礼五玉三帛二生一死为挚，如五器，卒乃复。五月，南巡狩；八月，西巡狩；十一月，北巡狩：皆如初。归，至于祖祢庙，用特牛礼。五岁一巡狩，群后四朝。遍告以言，明试以功，车服以庸。肇十有二州，决川。象以典刑，流宥五刑，鞭作官刑，扑作教刑，金作赎刑。眚灾过，赦；怙终贼，刑。钦哉，钦哉，惟刑之静哉！ |
| Annals of the Five...: |
The Emperor Yao being old ordered that Shun should be associated with him in the government of the Empire in order to observe Heaven's decrees. Shun thereupon examined the gem-adorned armillary sphere, and the jade transverse, so as to adjust the position of the 'Seven Directors.' He then offered a special sacrifice to the Supreme Ruler, sacrificed purely to the six honoured ones, looked with devotion to the hills and rivers, and worshipped with distinctive rites the hosts of spirits. He called in the five tokens, chose a lucky month and day, gave audience to the president of the four mountains, and all the governors, returning the tokens in due course. In the second month of every year he went eastward on a tour of inspection, and on reaching Daizong he presented a burnt-offering, and sacrificed in order to the hills and rivers. He then gave audience to the chieftains of the East, putting in accord their seasons and months, and rectifying the days. He rendered uniform the standard tubes, the measures of length and capacity, and the scales; and regulated the five kinds of ceremonies. The five gems, the three kinds of silks, the two living animals, and one dead one were brought as presents to the audience, but the five implements were returned at the conclusion. In the fifth month he went to the south, in the eighth month to the west, and in the eleventh month northward on his tours of inspection; in each case observing the same ceremonies as before, and on his return he went to the temple of the ancestral tablets, and offered up a single ox. Every five years there was one tour of inspection, and four audiences of the princes at court, when they presented a full verbal report, which was intelligently tested by their works, and chariots and robes given according to their deserts. Shun instituted the division of the Empire into twelve provinces, and deepened the rivers. He gave delineations of the statutory punishments, enacting banishment as a mitigation of the five chief punishments, the whip being employed for public officers, the stick in schools, and a money penalty being inflicted for redeemable crimes. Inadvertent offences, and those caused by misfortune were to be pardoned, and those who offended presumptuously or repeatedly were to be punished with death. 'Be reverent, be reverent' (said he), 'and in the administration of the law be tranquil.' |
| | 五帝本纪: |
欢兜进言共工，尧曰不可而试之工师，共工果淫辟。四岳举鲧治鸿水，尧以为不可，岳强请试之，试之而无功，故百姓不便。三苗在江淮、荆州数为乱。于是舜归而言于帝，请流共工于幽陵，以变北狄；放欢兜于崇山，以变南蛮；迁三苗于三危，以变西戎；殛鲧于羽山，以变东夷：四罪而天下咸服。 |
| Annals of the Five...: |
Huandou approached, and spoke about the minister of works. 'I cannot even give him a trial as a workman,' said Yao, 'for he is really profligate.' The president of the four mountains recommended Gun as the proper person to look after the deluge. Yao regarded it as impracticable, but the president vehemently requested that he might be tried, so the trial was made, but without good results. Of old the people had felt that it was undesirable that the three Miao tribes in the districts of Jiang Huai, and Jing should so often rise in rebellion; so Shun on his return spoke to the emperor requesting that the minister of works might be banished to the ridge of Yu to reform the Northern Ti tribes, that Huandou might be detained on mount Chong, to reform the Southern barbarians, that the chief of the three Miao tribes might be removed to Sanwei (three cliffs) to reform the Western Rong people, and that Gun might be imprisoned for life on Mount Yu to reform the Eastern barbarians. These four criminals being thus dealt with, universal submission prevailed throughout the empire. |
| | 五帝本纪: |
舜，冀州之人也。舜耕历山，渔雷泽，陶河滨，作什器于寿丘，就时于负夏。舜父瞽叟顽，母嚚，弟象傲，皆欲杀舜。舜顺适不失子道，兄弟孝慈。欲杀，不可得；即求，尝在侧。 |
| Annals of the Five...: |
Shun was a native of Jizhou, ploughed on Li mountain, fished in Thunder lake, made pots on the bank of the river, fashioned various articles at Shouqiu, and went now and then to Fuxia. Shun's father, Gusou, was unprincipled, his mother insincere, and his brother, Xiang, arrogant. They all tried to kill Shun, who was obedient, and never by chance failed in his duty as a son, or his fraternal love. Though they tried to kill him they did not succeed, and when they sought him he got out of the way. |
| | 五帝本纪: |
此二十二人咸成厥功：皋陶为大理，平，民各伏得其实；伯夷主礼，上下咸让；垂主工师，百工致功；益主虞，山泽辟；弃主稷，百谷时茂；契主司徒，百姓亲和；龙主宾客，远人至；十二牧行而九州莫敢辟违；唯禹之功为大，披九山，通九泽，决九河，定九州，各以其职来贡，不失厥宜。方五千里，至于荒服。南抚交址、北发，西戎、析枝、渠廋、氐、羌，北山戎、发、息慎，东长、鸟夷，四海之内咸戴帝舜之功。于是禹乃兴九招之乐，致异物，凤皇来翔。天下明德皆自虞帝始。 |
| Annals of the Five...: |
These twenty-two all completed their labours. Gaoyao was chief minister of crime, and the people were all subservient and obtained his genuine services. Boyi was director of ceremonies, and both upper and lower classes were retiring. Chui was head workman, and the various kinds of work were successfully accomplished. Yi was head forester, and hills and swamps were brought under cultivation. Qi was director of agriculture, and the various crops ripened in their seasons. Xie was minister of instruction, and the people were friendly together. Long superintended the foreign department, and men from afar arrived. The twelve governors did their duty, and the people of the nine provinces did not dare to rebel. But Yu's labours consisted in making great cuttings through the nine hills, making thoroughfares through the nine swamps, deepening the nine rivers, and regulating the nine provinces, each of which by their officials sent tribute, and did not lose their rightful dues. In a square of 5000 li he reached the wild domain. To the south he governed Annam; on the north he reduced the western Rong tribes, Xizhi, Chusou, and the Qiang of Di; on the north the hill Rong tribes and the Xishen; and on the east the tall island barbarians. All within the four seas were grateful for Emperor Shun's labours; and Yu then performed the nine tunes, and the result was that strange creatures and phœnixes flew to and fro. Men of illustrious virtue in the empire began from the days of Emperor Shun of Yu. |
| | 夏本纪: |
禹乃遂与益、后稷奉帝命，命诸侯百姓兴人徒以傅土，行山表木，定高山大川。禹伤先人父鲧功之不成受诛，乃劳身焦思，居外十三年，过家门不敢入。薄衣食，致孝于鬼神。卑宫室，致费于沟淢。陆行乘车，水行乘船，泥行乘橇，山行乘檋。左准绳，右规矩，载四时，以开九州，通九道，陂九泽，度九山。令益予众庶稻，可种卑湿。命后稷予众庶难得之食。食少，调有馀相给，以均诸侯。禹乃行相地宜所有以贡，及山川之便利。 |
| Annals of the Xia: |
Yu, then in company with Yi and Prince Millet, having received the Emperor's orders, bade the princes and people raise a gang of men to make a division of the land, and following the line of the hills hew down the trees, and determine the characteristics of the high hills and great rivers. Yu was grieved in that his progenitor Gun had been punished on account of his work being incomplete, so, wearied in body and distressed in mind, he lived away from his home for 13 years, passing the door of his house without daring to enter. With ragged clothes and poor diet he paid his devotions to the spirits until his wretched hovel fell in ruins in the ditch. When travelling along the dry land he used a carriage, on the water he used a boat, in miry places a sledge, while in going over the hills he used spikes. On the one hand he used the marking-line, and on the other the compass and square. Working as the seasons permitted, and with a view to open up the nine provinces, he made the roads communicable, banked up the marshes, surveyed the hills, told Yi and his band that paddy should be planted in low damp places, and directed Lord Millet and his band, when it was difficult to obtain food, or when food was scarce, to barter their surplus stock in exchange for what they had not, so as to put all the princes on an equal footing. Yu in this way worked for the mutual convenience of the respective districts as regards the distribution of the wealth and resources of the country. |
| | 夏本纪: |
禹行自冀州始。冀州：既载壶口，治梁及岐。既修太原，至于岳阳。覃怀致功，至于衡漳。其土白壤。赋上上错，田中中，常、卫既从，大陆既为。鸟夷皮服。夹右碣石，入于海。 |
| Annals of the Xia: |
Yu started from Jizhou. He commenced his work in Jizhou at Pot's mouth, and regulated the country about the Liang and Qi mountains. Having repaired the works at Taiyuan he went to the south of Mount Yue. He was successful with his labours at Tanhuai, and went to the cross-flowing stream of Zhang. The soil of the province was white clay. Its contribution of revenue was the first of the highest class with some admixture of the second, while its fields were the average of the middle class. The Chang and Wei rivers flowed in their proper channels, and the Dalu plain was formed. The bird barbarians, wearing skin dresses, kept close on the right to the granite rocks until they came to the sea. |
| | 夏本纪: |
济、河维沇州：九河既道，雷夏既泽，雍、沮会同，桑土既蚕，于是民得下丘居土。其土黑坟，草繇木条。田中下，赋贞，作十有三年乃同。其贡漆丝，其篚织文。浮于济、漯，通于河。 |
| Annals of the Xia: |
The Qi and Yellow rivers formed the boundaries of Yanzhou. The nine branches of the Yellow river followed their courses, and Lei Xia was a marsh, in which the Yong and Ju streams were united. The mulberry region was supplied with silkworms, and then the people came down from the heights and occupied it. The soil of the province was black loam, its herbage luxuriant, and trees tall. Its fields were the lowest of the middle class. Its contribution of revenue was fixed at what would just be deemed the correct amount, and after it had been worked for 13 years it was assimilated to the other provinces. Its tribute consisted of varnish and silk, and woven ornamental fabrics in baskets. You float along the Qi and Ta and so reach the Yellow river. |
| | 夏本纪: |
海岱维青州：堣夷既略，潍、淄其道。其土白坟，海滨广舄，厥田斥卤。田上下，赋中上。厥贡盐絺，海物维错，岱畎丝、枲、铅、松、怪石，莱夷为牧，其篚酓丝。浮于汶，通于济。 |
| Annals of the Xia: |
The sea and the Tai mountain formed the boundaries of Qingzhou. The territory of Yuyi was defined, and the Wei and Zi rivers flowed in their proper channels. The soil of the province was white loam, and on the sea-coast were wide tracts of salt land. Its fields, which were impregnated with salt, were the lowest of the first class, and its contribution of revenue the highest of the second. Its tribute consisted of salt, fine cloth of dolichos fibre, and productions of the sea of various kinds, with silk, hemp, lead, pine-trees, and strange stones from the valleys of the Tai. The wild tribes of Lai were shepherds, and brought in their baskets silk from the mountain mulberry. You float down the Wen, and so reach the Qi. |
| | 夏本纪: |
海岱及淮维徐州：淮、沂其治，蒙、羽其艺。大野既都，东原底平。其土赤埴坟，草木渐包。其田上中，赋中中。贡维土五色，羽畎夏狄，峄阳孤桐，泗滨浮磬，淮夷蠙珠臮鱼，其篚玄纤缟。浮于淮、泗，通于河。 |
| Annals of the Xia: |
The sea, the Tai mountain, and the river Huai formed the boundaries of Xuzhou. The Huai and Yi rivers were regulated. The Meng and Yu mountains were made fit for cultivation. The waters of Daye formed a marsh, and the eastern plain became level. The soil of this province was red, clayey, and rich. The grass and trees grew more and more bushy. Its fields were the second of the highest class, and its contribution of revenue was the average of the second. Its tribute consisted of earth of different colours, the variegated pheasants from the valleys of mount Yu, the solitary dryandra from the south of mount Yi, and the floating musical stones from the banks of the Si. The wild tribes of the Huai brought oyster-pearls and fish, and their baskets were full of dark embroideries and pure white silken fabrics. You float along the Huai and Si and so reach the Yellow river. |
| | 夏本纪: |
淮海维扬州：彭蠡既都，阳鸟所居。三江既入，震泽致定。竹箭既布。其草惟夭，其木惟乔，其土涂泥。田下下，赋下上上杂。贡金三品，瑶、琨、竹箭，齿、革、羽、旄，岛夷卉服，其篚织贝，其包橘、柚锡贡。均江海，通淮、泗。 |
| Annals of the Xia: |
The Huai river and the sea formed the boundaries of Yangzhou. The Pengli lake formed a reservoir of water, where the sun birds (i.e. the wild geese) settled. The three large rivers entered the sea, and the shaking marsh became quite still. Bamboos of different kinds were spread about, the grass grew luxuriantly, and the trees tall, but the soil was miry. The fields of this province were the lowest of the lowest class; its contribution of revenue was the highest of the lowest class, with a proportion of the class above. Its tribute consisted of gold, silver, and copper, jasper, pearls, bamboos of various kinds, ivory, hides, feathers, and hair. The wild people of the isles brought garments of grass; their baskets were filled with woven silks and cowries, and their bundles contained small oranges and pummeloes, which were rendered when required. You follow the course of the Great river and the sea, and so reach the Huai and Si rivers. |
