Winged Tiger Hits Bai Xiuying with a Cangue; the Handsome Whiskers Misses the Son of an Official
51. Li Kui Kills Yin Tianxi; Chai Jin Captured at Gaotang Prefecture
52. Dai Zong Fetches Gongsun Sheng; Li Kui Splits Open Taoist Luo the Immortal
54. Gao Qiu Assembles Three Troop Columns; Huyan Zhuo Uses His Cavalry
55. Shi Qian Steals Armor; Tang Long Inveigles Xu Ning
56. Xu Ning Drills the Brigands; Song Jiang Gains a Victory
58. Wu Yong’s Deception in the Golden Bell Affair; Song Jiang Makes a Row at Mount Hua
59. Gongsun Sheng Captures a Wizard; Chao Gai Is Wounded by an Arrow
60. Wu Yong Schemes to Get Hold of the Jeweled Qilin; Zhang Shun Upsets a Boat at Jinsha Bank
62. Song Jiang’s Men Attack Daming Prefecture; Guan Sheng Discusses the Capture of Liangshan Marsh
63. Huyan Zhuo Lures Guan Sheng in the Moonlight; Song Jiang Arrests Suo Chao in a Snowstorm
64. Chao Gai Appears in a Dream; White Fish Has His Revenge
65. Shi Qian Sets Fire to the Blue Cloud Tower; Wu Yong Takes Daming with a Subtle Plan
66. Song Jiang Rewards His Men; Guan Sheng Makes Two Generals Surrender
67. Song Jiang Conducts a Night Attack on Zengtou; Lu Junyi Takes Shi Wengong as Prisoner
68. Shi Jin Is Imprisoned at Dongping Prefecture; Song Jiang Releases Dong Ping
69. The Featherless Arrow Throws Stones at the Heroes; Song Jiang Abandons Grains to Capture a Brave Man
70. A Stone Tablet Is Found with Heaven’s Commands in the Loyalty and Justice Hall
Preface
About the Book, its Translation, Revision, and Romanization
The Water Margin (Shuihu Zhuan) is a classic Chinese novel dating from the beginning of the Ming Dynasty in 1368 CE. Notionally written by Shi Naian (ca.1296–1372 CE), in the Chinese tradition of vernacular literature, it evolved under the editorship of many editors and commentators until it was published as a 120 chapter version in 1592 under the editorship of Li Zhi. In 1641, Shuihu Zhuan was published as a 70 chapter version under the extensive editorship and commentary of Jin Shengtan. Despite being banned by Imperial Edict at the end of the Ming Dynasty and again during the Qing Dynasty, the novel became one of the most influential of the “Four Great Classic Novels” of vernacular Chinese literature.
Shuihu Zhuan was first translated into English by Pearl S. Buck in 1933 as All Men Are Brothers.1 Using Jin Shengtan’s 70 Chapter version, Buck based the title of her work on the famous quote from Confucius; “Within the Four Seas, all men are brothers,” which was quoted by several characters in the Shuihu Zhuan, since she believed that this quotation captured the true spirit of the novel. Buck believed that the literal translation of Shuihu Zhuan, the “Chronicles of the Water Margin,” to be meaningless for the English language reader acquainting themselves with the “Shuihu” story for the first time.2
This edition of Shuihu Zhuan was originally published by the Commercial Press Ltd in Shanghai and translated by J.H. Jackson in 1937. It was this translation that gave the English language the title The Water Margin.3 J.H. Jackson’s translation of the 70 Chapter version improved several shortcomings of Pearl Buck’s initial translation. Unlike Buck’s version which impeded the narrative by her “artificial style” and “pedestrian progress,” Jackson managed to maintain the rapid pace of action in the story.4 However, there are shortcomings in Jackson’s translation, which have been attributed to his desire for literal exactness and his prosaic style which often compounded descriptive lines and passages into terse and abrupt statements.5 It is not known how long Jackson took to translate his version of Water Margin nor under what conditions did he work. Jackson’s original translation shows some degree of inconsistency in the translation of recurring titles or terms. It is possible that this is indicative of a hurried translation and publication process, though it is rather more likely given the enormity of the task, that that the process of translation was slow, perhaps taking years. It is rather more plausible that the task was secondary to whatever Jackson’s vocation was (Water Margin appears to be J.H. Jackson’s only known work), taking a long period of time and set aside from time to time, which may explain any minor inconsistencies. History may have also caught up with J.H. Jackson, since by 1937, China had already been wracked by ten years of civil war between the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang government. Adding to the social chaos, after many years of Japanese incursions and skirmishes, tensions were beginning to reach boiling point. In 1932 the building of Jackson’s publisher, the Commercial Press Ltd in Shanghai was bombed during a Japanese air raid on the city. In July 1937 the Sino-Japanese War, ie China’s Second World War, broke out in earnest with a full scale Japanese invasion.
Little is known about J.H. Jackson today, with which might otherwise provide an insight into his translation of Water Margin and his treatment of the contents. Jackson’s use of the English language does not present any particular flavor of idiom to suggest his nationality, though I do believe that he was American. Water Margin does use American spelling of the text (though this may simply be indicative of the origins of the Commercial Press Ltd as the American Presbyterian Mission Press) and in one instance, Jackson uses the phrase “Go tell that to the marines!”
