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did their bidding outside = ruled outside?

 
 
Reply Tue 26 Apr, 2011 05:55 am

Context:
while the lords of Liang and Zhao did their bidding outside.

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contrex
 
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Reply Tue 26 Apr, 2011 10:56 am
@oristarA,
oristarA wrote:


Context:
while the lords of Liang and Zhao did their bidding outside.




This is from Chapter 22 of Three Kingdoms (you should have said so, this what we mean by context!)

Better context:

http://books.google.com/books?id=RtwAMoUzDJcC&pg=PA172&lpg=PA172&dq=while+the+lords+of+Liang+and+Zhao+did+their+bidding+outside&source=bl&ots=p5D95QHNVU&sig=K3Y-h6z9vl8cd0b5qYt7N-6lJww&hl=en&ei=gPS2TfWIBImq8AOD5fhC&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=while%20the%20lords%20of%20Liang%20and%20Zhao%20did%20their%20bidding%20outside&f=false

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p29/badoit/Bidding.jpg

Bidding in this context means orders or instructions. To do the bidding of one or more persons means to carry out their instructions. So while the empress Lu's nephews, Lu Chan and Lu Lu ruled within the capital, outside the city their instructions were carried out by the lords of Liang and Zhao. Thus effectively the nephews ruled both inside the city (directly) and outside (by proxy).

Alternative translation, which calls them "brothers" of the empress:

http://www.eze33.com/war/sanguo/sg022.htm

Quote:
"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. "Thereupon Zhou Bo, Lord of Jiang, and Liu Zhang, 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.

oristarA
 
  1  
Reply Tue 26 Apr, 2011 08:40 pm
@contrex,
Excellent!

I wonder if both are written in good English:

Chapter 1
Three Bold Spirits Plight Mutual Faith in the Peach Garden;
Heroes and Champions Win First Honors Fighting the Yellow Scarves

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER 1
Three Heroes Swear Brotherhood In The Peach Garden;
One Victory Shatters The Rebels In Battlegrounds.


-----------------------------------
The first, by Moss Roberts, has been taken as excellent translation by me. But I am not sure about the second.

Comment it guys. Your opinions will be appreciated.
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