三國演義雙語故事(7):計取陳倉

Taking Chencang by Using a Clever Strategy

This is a story from the novel Three Kingdoms. Zhuge Liang led 300，000 Shu State troops in a march towards Chencang， the vital communication stronghold of the Wei State. It was his second expedition against the Wei State. Hao Zhao， the general guarding the city dug the trenches deep and built the fortress strong. He waited for the attack. Everyday， Zhuge Liang sent soldiers to challenge the Wei army in battle， but the Wei troops held fast to their position and refused to come out. One day， a scout came back to report that Hao Zhao was seriously ill. Zhuge Liang thought that the chance had come at last. He ordered Wei Yan and Jiang Wei to take 5，000troops and surround Chencang in three days. They were to attack the city when they saw a fire inside the city. After that， he gave Guan Xing and Zhang Bao secret instructions. As the health of the Wei State general Hao Zhao was deteriorating， suddenly it was reported to Hao Zhao that the troops from Shu State had arrived outside the city. Hao Zhao hurriedly ordered officers and soldiers to defend the city in their position. Unexpectedly， a fire broke out on each of the city's towers. There was chaos inside the city. Hao Zhaowas frightened to death. The troops of the Shu State smashed all enemy resistance and advanced into the city. Three days later when Wei Yan and Jiang Wei led their troops to the gate of the city， they heard somebody shouting from the top of the city wall， “You have come too late！” The two generals fixed their eyes upon the person. It was the Prime Minister of the Shu State， Zhuge Liang. The two generals got down from their horses hastily and saluted. Zhuge Liang said， “The reason that I asked you to attack the city in three days is to keep the doldiers calm. In fact， Ihad already sent Guan Xing and Zhang Bao to secretly leave the center area of Han the same night as I ordered you. By disguising myself， I hid among the soldiers and set out for Chencang by starlight. We gave the enemy a surprise attack. The fire was set on at my instruction and it threw the city into confusion. This is called “taking the enemy by surprise and striking when it is unprepared.”

計取陳倉

諸葛亮帶領三十萬大軍再度伐魏，直奔交通要塞陳倉而來。守將郝昭在這裏挖深溝築堡壘，以守待攻。諸葛亮每天派人叫陣，魏軍堅守不出。有一天，派出去的探子回來報告，說陳倉守將郝昭病重。諸葛亮覺得時機已到，馬上叫魏延、姜維三天之後帶五千人馬圍住陳倉，待見到城中起火，協同攻城。然後又喚關興、張苞附耳暗授機密。魏將郝照病勢嚴重，忽然接到報告，說蜀軍已到城下，急命將士上城把守。此時各城樓突然大火四起，城中頓時大亂。郝照當即嚇死。蜀兵勢如破竹，直入城中。三天後，魏延、姜維領兵來到陳倉城下，見城上有人大喊：“你二位來遲了！”二人定眼一看，不是別人，正是丞相諸葛亮。二人急忙下馬行禮。諸葛亮說：“我叫你二人三天後領兵攻城。是爲了穩住軍心，其實我已叫關興、張苞連夜暗出漢中，我化裝藏在軍中，星夜趕奔陳倉，讓敵人一點準備都沒有。那些城內放火的人是我早就安排好的。一着火，城內必然不戰自亂，這叫出其不意，攻其不備.”