翻译《孔子与20世纪中国》过程中，需要用到《左传》有关“晋铸刑鼎”这一重要历史事件的记载。于是找到（西雅图）华盛顿大学2016年出版的由三位当代美国学者完成的《左传》英文全译，拟用之。实际上理雅各（James Legge）在十九世纪晚期已经翻译了《左传》的不少内容，相关译文亦可见。对比了新译和旧译后，选用旧译。（新译本：Trans. Stephen Durrant, Wai-yee Li, and David Schaberg, University of Washington Press, 2016: 1703；旧译：Trans. 理雅各 James Legge）
（《左传·昭公二十九年》）冬，晋赵鞅，荀寅，帅师城汝滨，遂赋晋国一鼓铁，以铸刑鼎，著范宣子所谓刑书焉。
（旧译）In winter, Zhao Yang and Xun Yin of Jin led a force, and walled Rubin, after which they laid upon the [districts of the] State a contribution of a gu (=480 catties) of iron, in order to cast penal tripods, on which they inscribed the penal laws prepared by Fan Xuanzi.
（新译）In winter, Zhao Yang and Zhonghang Yin of Jin led out an army and built walls on the banks of the Ru River. They then levied one drum-measure of iron from the domain of Jin and used it to cast the so-called penal cauldron, upon which the inscribed the penal code that Fan Gai had composed.
仲尼曰，晋其亡乎，失其度矣夫晋国将守唐叔之所受法度，以经纬其民，卿大夫以序守之，民是以能尊其贵，贵是以能守其业，贵贱不愆，所谓度也，文公是以作执秩之官，为被庐之法，以为盟主。
（旧译）Zhongni said, "Jin is going to ruin! It has lost its [proper] rules [of administration]. Jin ought to keep the laws and rules which Tangshu received for the regulation of his people. If the ministers and great officers would keep them in their several positions, the people would be able to honour their higher classes, and those higher classes would be able to preserve their inheritances. There would be nothing wrong with the noble or the mean. We should have what might be called the [proper] rules. For this purpose duke Wen made his officers of different degrees, and formed the laws of Beilu, thus becoming lord of covenants.
（新译）Confucius said, Jin will perish, for it has lost its standards. Jin should maintain the legal standards received by Tang Shu from the Zhou King so as to provide guidelines for the governance of its people, while ministers and high officers maintain these standards, each according to his rank. By this means the people are able to esteem the nobles, and the nobles are able to maintain their hereditary duties. When nobles and commoners do not deviate from the standards, that is what we call "standards." For this reason, when Lord Wen created the office of the keeper of ranks and made the code at Pilu, he became cocenant chief.
今弃是度也，而为刑鼎，民在鼎矣，何以尊贵，贵何业之守，贵贱无序，何以为国？
（旧译）When those rules are now abandoned, and tripods with the penal laws on them are formed instead, the people will study the tripods, and not care to honour their men of rank. But when there is no distinction of noble and mean, how can a State continue to exist?
（新译）Now that Jin has abondoned these standards and made a penal cauldron, the people attend only to the cauldron! How are they to respect the exalted, and how will the exalted maintain their hereditary duties? When there is no proper order for the exalted and the lowly, how will they manage the domain?
且夫宣子之刑，夷之蒐也，晋国之乱制也，若之何以为法？
（旧译）Moreover, the penal laws of Xuanzi are those adopted at the review in Yi,—the enactments which led to the disorder of Jin; how can they be made its laws?"
（新译）What is more, Fan Gai's penal code is derived from the muster at Yi, a period of disorder in Jin. How can it be used as a legal norm?
蔡史墨曰，范氏，中行氏，其亡乎？
（旧译）The historiographer Cai Mo said, "The families of Fan and Zhonghang are in danger of perishing.
（新译）The scribe Mo of Cai said: "The Fan and Zhonghang lineages will likely perish!
中行寅为下卿，而干上令，擅作刑器，以为国法，是法奸也，又加范氏，焉易之，亡也。
（旧译）Zhonghang Yin (I. q. Xun Yin) is an inferior minister, and yet he intrudes into the duties of a higher rank, presuming to make these articles with the penal statutes, to form the laws of the State. This is giving an example of lawlessness; and moreover he involves the Fan family, and will ruin it by the change he is making.
（新译）As low-rank minister, Zhonghang Yin has interfered in his superiors' issuing of commands and has taken it upon himself to create a vesssel for the penal code that is to be the legal norm for the domain. This is a pervesion of legal norms. And he has moreover implicated the Fans in his actions. Because he has now made these changes, they will perish.
其及赵氏，赵孟与焉，然不得已，若德可以免。
（旧译）Wherein the Zhao family is concerned, Zhaomeng indeed has been a party to this, but he could not help it. If he cultivate his virtue, he may escape [the fate of Yin].
（新译）Insofar as it affects the Zhaos, Zhao Yang will have a part in it. But he had no choice, and if he is virtuous, he will able to escape."
配图：郑国子产铸刑书（来源：网络）。