时当九月尽，天气暴冷，彤云密布，连日不开。
It was the ninth month of the sixteenth year of Rebuilt Tranquillity (AD 211), and the fierce cold of winter was just coming on.
Ominous clouds covered the sky day after day with never a break.
子伯曰：“丞相欲跨渭安营久矣，今何不乘时筑之？”
and presently the venerable one began, saying, "O Prime Minister, you have long been striving to make a camp on the river.
Now is your opportunity.
Why not begin?”
操曰：“沙土之地，筑垒不成。
"The soil is too sandy to stand," said Cao Cao.
隐士有何良策赐教？”
"But if you have some other plan to propose, pray tell me what it is, O Hermit."
子伯曰：“丞相用兵如神，岂不知天时乎？
"You are more than human, O Prime Minister, in the art of war, and you surely know the times and seasons.
连日阴云布合，朔风一起，必大冻矣。
It has been overcast for many days, and these clouds foretell a north wind and intense cold.
风起之后，驱兵士运土泼水，比及天明，土城已就。”
When the wind begins to blow, you should hurry your army to carry up the earth and sprinkle it with water.
By dawn your wall will be complete."
操大悟，厚赏子伯。
Cao Cao seized upon the suggestion.
He offered his aged visitor a reward,
子伯不受而去。
but the venerable one would receive nothing.
是夜北风大作。
That night the wind came down in full force.
操尽驱兵士担土泼水；为无盛水之具，作缣囊盛水浇之，随筑随冻。
Every man possible was set to earth-carrying and wetting.
As they had no other means of carrying water, they made stuff bags which they filled with water and let out the water over the earth.
比及天明，沙水冻紧，土城已筑完。
And so as they piled the earth, they froze it solid with water, and by dawn the wall was finished and stood firm.
细作报知马超。
When his scouts told Ma Chao that the enemy had built a wall, he rode out and saw it.
超领兵观之，大惊，疑有神助。
Ma Chao was greatly perplexed and began to suspect help from the gods.
次日，集大军呜鼓而进。
However, very soon after, he got his whole army together and sounded an attack.
操自乘马出营，止有许褚一人随后。
Cao Cao himself rode out of the camp, with only the redoubtable Xu Chu in attendance, and advanced toward the enemy.
超乘马挺枪而出。
Thereupon Ma Chao rode out, his spear set ready to thrust.
马超大怒，意欲突前擒之，见操背后一人，睁圆怪眼，手提钢刀，勒马而立。
Ma Chao was so enraged that he almost rushed at Cao Cao, but he was not too angry to notice the henchman behind him, glaring in angry fashion, who held a gleaming sword in his grip.
却说当夜两兵混战，直到天明，各自收兵。
The fight narrated in the last chapter lasted till morn when each side drew off,
马超屯兵渭口，日夜分兵，前后攻击。
Ma Chao camping on the River Wei, whence he kept up harassing attacks both day and night.
曹操在渭河内将船筏锁链作浮桥三条，接连南岸。
Cao Cao, also camped in the bed of the same river, began to construct three floating bridges out of his rafts and boats so as to facilitate communication with the south bank.
曹仁引军夹河立寨，将粮草车辆穿连，以为屏障。
Cao Ren established a stockade near the camp, which he barricaded with his carts and wagons.
马超闻之，教军士各挟草一束，带着火种，与韩遂引军并力杀到寨前，堆积草把，放起烈火。
Ma Chao determined to destroy this stockade, so his troops collected straw and each man marched with a bundle and took fire with him.
Han Sui's forces were to fight.
While one party attacked, the other party piled up the straw, which they lit, and soon there was a fierce fire all around.
操兵抵敌不住，弃寨而走。
The defenders could do nothing against it, so they abandoned the stockade and ran away.