却说陈登献计于玄德曰：“曹操所惧者袁绍。
This was the plan Chen Deng proposed to Liu Bei, "Yuan Shao is Cao Cao's terror.
玄德曰：“绍向与我未通往来，今又新破其弟，安肯相助？”
Liu Bei replied, "But we have never had any dealings with each other, and he is unlikely to do such a thing for a person who has just destroyed his brother."
登曰：“此间有一人与袁绍三世通家，若得其一书致绍，绍必来相助。”
"There is someone here whose family have been on intimate terms with the Yuans for a hundred years.
Yuan Shao would surely come, if he wrote."
原来郑康成名玄，好学多才，尝受业于马融。
Now Zheng Xuan was a student and a man of great talent, who had long studied under the famed teacher Ma Rong, +whose knowledge of the Book of Odes was universally recognized.
融每当讲学，必设绛帐，前聚生徒，后陈声妓，侍女环列左右。
Whenever Ma Rong lectured, he let fall a curtain behind which were a circle of singing girls.
The students were assembled in front of this curtain.
玄听讲三年，目不邪视，融甚奇之。
Zheng Xuan attended these lectures for three years and never once let his eyes wander to the curtain.
Naturally the master admired his pupil.
二人施礼毕，绍曰：“郑尚书有书来，令我起兵助刘备，攻曹操。
The two made their obeisance, and Yuan Shao said, "A letter from Zheng Xuan the Chair has arrived, counseling me to support Liu Bei in an attack on Cao Cao.
二人齐声应曰：“明公以众克寡，以强攻弱，讨汉贼以扶王室：起兵是也。”
They both cried with one voice, "Send!
Your armies are numerous enough and strong enough.
You will destroy a traitor and help the dynasty."
便商议兴兵。
and thenceforward the discussion turned on the expedition.
先令孙乾回授郑玄，并约玄德准备接应；一面令审配、逢纪为统军，田丰、荀谌、许攸为谋士，颜良、文丑为将军，起马军十五万，步兵十五万，共精兵三十万，望黎阳进发。
First, Liu Bei's legate, Sun Qian, was sent back with Yuan Shao's consent and instructions for Liu Bei to make ready to cooperate.
Second, Yuan Shao assigned Shen Pei and Peng Ji as Commanding Generals; Tian Feng, Xun Shen, and Xu You as Military Advisers; Yan Liang and Wen Chou as Generals.
The army was to be composed of three hundred thousand, horse and foot in equal numbers.
They were to march on Liyang.
分拨已定，郭图进曰：“以明公大义伐操，必须数操之恶，驰檄各郡，声罪致讨，然后名正言顺。”
When the arrangements were complete, Guo Tu went to his chief, saying, "In order to manifest the righteousness of your attack on Cao Cao, it would be well to issue a manifesto with a summary of his various crimes."
琳字孔璋，素有才名；灵帝时为主簿，因谏何进不听，复遭董卓之乱，避难冀州，绍用为记室。
Chen Lin had been the Court Secretary in the reign of the late Emperor Ling.
When Dong Zhuo unseated Regent Marshal He Jin, Chen Lin sought safety in Jizhou.
其文曰：盖闻明主图危以制变，忠臣虑难以立权。
This is the manifesto:"A perspicacious ruler wisely provides against political vicissitudes; a loyal minister carefully foresees the difficulties in the assertion of authority.
是以有非常之人，然后有非常之事；有非常之事，然后立非常之 功。
Wherefore a person of unusual parts precedes an extraordinary situation, and of such a person the achievements will be extraordinary.
夫非常者，固非常人所拟也。
For indeed the ordinary person is quite unequal to an extraordinary situation. "
曩者，强秦弱主，赵 高执柄，专制朝权，威福由己；时人迫胁，莫敢正言；终有望夷之败，祖宗焚灭，污辱至今，永为世鉴。
In former days, after having gained ascendancy over a weakling emperor of the powerful Qin Dynasty, Prime Minister Zhao Gao wielded the whole authority of the Throne, overruling the government.
All dignity and fortune came through him, and his contemporaries were restrained so that none dared to speak openly.
Slowly but surely evolved the tragedy of the Wangyi Palace, when the Emperor was slain and the Imperial Tablets perished in the flames.
Zhao Gao, the author of these crimes, has ever since been held up to obloquy as the arch example of an evil doer.
及臻吕后季年，产禄专政，内兼二军，外统赵梁；擅断万机，决事省禁；下陵上替，海内寒心。
"In the later days of Empress Lu of the Hans, after the death of the Supreme Ancestor, the world saw Lu Chan and Lu Lu, brothers of the Empress and fellows in wickedness, monopolizing the powers of government.
Within the capital, they commanded two armies, and without they ruled the feudal states of Liang and Zhao.
They arbitrarily controlled all state affairs and decided all questions in the council chamber and the court.
This dominance of the base and declension of the noble continued till the hearts of the people grew cold within them.
于是绛侯朱虚兴兵奋怒，诛夷逆暴，尊立太宗，故能王道兴隆，光明显融：此则大臣立权之明表也。
Thereupon Zhou Bo, Lord of Jiang, and Liu Zhan, Lord of Zhuxu, asserted their dignity and let loose their wrath.
They destroyed the contumacious ministers and restored their ruler to his royal state.
Thus they enabled the kingly way to be reestablished and the glory to be manifested.
Here are two instances where ministers asserted their authority.
司空曹操：祖父中常侍腾，与左棺、徐璜并作妖孽，饕餮放横，伤化虐民；父嵩，乞匄携养，因赃假位，舆金辇璧，输货权门，窃盗鼎司，倾覆重器。
"This Cao Cao, now Minister of Works, forsooth, had for ancestor a certain eunuch named Cao Teng, fitting companion of Xu Huan and Zuo Guan.
All three were prodigies of wickedness and insatiably avaricious and, let loose on the world, they hindered ethical progress and preyed upon the populace.
This Cao Teng begged for and adopted Cao Cao's father who, by wholesale bribery, wagons of gold and cartloads of jewels presented at the gates of the influential, contrived to sneak his way into considerable office where he could subvert authority.
操赘阉遗丑，本无懿德，[犭票]狡锋协，好乱乐祸。
Thus Cao Cao is the depraved bantling of a monstrous excrescence, devoid of all virtue in himself, ferocious and cunning, delighting in disorder and reveling in public calamity. "Now I, Yuan Shao, a man of war, have mustered my armies and displayed my might that I may sweep away and destroy the evil opponents of government.
幕府董统鹰扬，扫除凶逆；续遇董卓，侵官暴国。
I have already had to deal with Dong Zhuo, the ruffian who invaded the official circle and wrested the government.
于是提剑挥鼓，发命东夏，收罗英雄，弃瑕取用；故遂与操同谘合谋，授以裨师，谓其鹰犬之才，爪牙可任。
At that time I grasped my sword and beat the drums to restore order in the east.
I assembled warriors, selected the best, and took them into my service.
In this matter I came into relations with this Cao Cao and conferred with him to further my scheme.
I gave him command of a subordinate force and looked to him to render such petty service as he was equal to.
至乃愚佻短略，轻进易退，伤夷折衄，数丧师徒；幕府辄复分兵命锐，修完补辑，表行东郡，领兖州刺史，被以虎文，奖蹙威柄，冀获秦师一克之报。
I suffered his stupidities and condoned his shortcomings, his rash attacks and facile retreats, his losses and shameful defeats, his repeated destruction of whole armies.
Again and again I sent him more troops and filled the gaps in his depleted ranks.
I even addressed a memorial to the Throne for him to be appointed Imperial Protector of Yanzhou.
I made him feel as he were a tiger.
I added to his honors and increased his authority, hoping that eventually he would justify himself by a victory against Dong Zhuo such as Qin used Meng Ming against Jin.
而操遂承资跋扈，恣行凶忒，割剥元元，残贤害善。
"But Cao Cao availed himself of the opportunity to overstep all bounds, to give free rein to violence and evil.
He stripped the common people, outraged the good, and injured the virtuous.