| Records of the Three Kingdoms | |
| Author: | Chen Shou |
| Title Orig: | zh-Hant|三國志 |
| Country: | China |
| Language: | Classical Chinese |
| Pub Date: | 280s or 290s |
| Records of the Three Kingdoms | |
| P: | Sānguó zhì |
| J: | Saam1 gwok3 zi3 |
| Y: | Sāam gwok ji |
| Poj: | Sam-kok-chì |
| Tl: | Sam-kok-tsì |
| Hanja: | 三國志 |
| Hangul: | 삼국지 |
| Rr: | Samgukji |
| Kyujitai: | 三國志 |
| Shinjitai: | 三国志 |
| Romaji: | Sangokushi |
| Vie: | Tam quốc chí |
| Hn: | 三國志 |
The Records of the Three Kingdoms is a Chinese official history written by Chen Shou in the late 3rd century CE, covering the end of the Han dynasty (220 CE) and the subsequent Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). It is regarded as to be the authoritative source text for these periods. Compiled following the reunification of China under the Jin dynasty (266–420), the work chronicles the political, social, and military events within rival states Cao Wei, Shu Han and Eastern Wu into a single text organized by individual biography.
The Records are the primary source of information for the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, considered to be one of the four classic novels emblematic of written vernacular Chinese.
While large subsections of the work have been selected and translated into English, the entire corpus has yet to receive an unabridged English translation.
The Book of Han and Records of the Three Kingdoms join the original Han-era universal history Records of the Grand Historian to constitute the first three entries in the Twenty-Four Histories canon, with each work cementing the new genre's literary and historiographical qualities as established by Sima Qian. The Records of the Three Kingdoms consist of 65 fascicles divided into three books—one per eponymous kingdom—totaling around 360,000 Chinese characters in length. The Book of Wei, Book of Shu, and Book of Wu receive 30 fascicles, 15 fascicles, and 20 fascicles respectively. Each fascicle is organised in the form of one or more biographies.
The author Chen Shou was born in present-day Nanchong, Sichuan, then in the state of Shu Han. After the Conquest of Shu by Wei in 263, he became an official historian under the government of the Jin dynasty, and created a history of the Three Kingdoms period. After the Conquest of Wu by Jin in 280, his work received the acclaim of senior minister Zhang Hua.
Prior to the Jin dynasty, both the states of Cao Wei and Wu has already composed their own official histories: the Book of Wei by Wang Chen, Xun Yi, and Ruan Ji; and the Book of Wu by Wei Zhao, Hua He, Xue Ying, Zhou Zhao (Chinese: 周昭), and Liang Guang (Chinese: 梁廣). Additionally, Yu Huan had completed his privately compiled history of Wei, the Weilüe. Chen Shou used these texts as the foundation of the Records of the Three Kingdoms. However, since the state of Shu lacked an official history bureau, the Book of Shu in the Records was composed by Chen Shou himself based on his earlier personal notes about events in Shu and other primary sources he collected, such as his previously compiled writings of Zhuge Liang.
The Records of the Three Kingdoms used the year 220 CE—when the last emperor of the Han dynasty was forced to abdicate to Cao Pi—as the year in which the Wei dynasty was established. The Records refer to the rulers of Wei as 'Emperors' and those of Shu and Wu as 'Lords' or by their personal names.
Due to the biographical rather than primarily annalistic arrangement of the work, assigning dates to the historical content is both imprecise and non-trivial. Certain fascicles contain background information about their subjects' forebears which date back centuries before the main record. For example, the biography of Liu Yan begins with discussing his ancestor Liu Yu's enfeoffment at Jingling (present-day Tianmen, Hubei) in around 85 CE.[1] The first event to receive detailed description throughout the work is the Yellow Turban Rebellion in 184. Many biographies make passing mention of the event, but more concrete information such as correspondence and troop movements during the uprising can be found in fragmentary form in at least four fascicles: the biographies of Cheng Yu,[2] Yu Jin,[3] Liu Bei,[4] and Sun Jian.[5]
The three books in the Records of the Three Kingdoms end at different dates, with the main section of the Book of Wei ending with the abdication of Cao Huan in 265, the Book of Shu ending with the death of Liu Shan in 271, and the Book of Wu ending with the death of Sun Hao in 284.[6]
One abstract regarding the chronology is translated as follows:
| Title | Translation | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷01|Fascicle 1]] | Chinese: 武帝紀 | Annals of Emperor Wu | Cao Cao | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷02|Fascicle 2]] | Chinese: 文帝紀 | Annals of Emperor Wen | Cao Pi | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷03|Fascicle 3]] | Chinese: 明帝紀 | Annals of Emperor Ming | Cao Rui | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷04|Fascicle 4]] | Chinese: 三少帝紀 | Annals of the three young emperors | Cao Fang, Cao Mao, Cao Huan | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷05|Fascicle 5]] | Chinese: 后妃傳 | Biographies of empresses and concubines | Lady Bian, Lady Zhen, Guo Nüwang, Empress Mao, Empress Guo | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷06|Fascicle 6]] | Chinese: 董二袁劉傳 | Biographies of Dong, the two Yuans, and Liu | Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Liu Biao | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷07|Fascicle 7]] | Chinese: 呂布臧洪傳 | Zhang Miao, Chen Deng | ||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷08|Fascicle 8]] | Chinese: 二公孫陶四張傳 | Biographies of the two Gongsuns, Tao, and the four Zhangs | Gongsun Zan, Tao Qian, Zhang Yang, Gongsun Du, Zhang Yan, Zhang Xiu, Zhang Lu | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷09|Fascicle 9]] | Chinese: 諸夏侯曹傳 | Biographies of the Xiahous and Caos | Xiahou Dun, Han Hao, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, Cao Chun, Cao Hong, Cao Xiu, Cao Zhen, Cao Shuang, Xiahou Shang, Xiahou Xuan | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷10|Fascicle 10]] | Chinese: 荀彧荀攸賈詡傳 | |||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷11|Fascicle 11]] | Chinese: 袁張涼國田王邴管傳 | Biographies of Yuan, Zhang, Liang, Guo, Tian, Wang, Bing, and Guan | Yuan Huan, Zhang Fan, Zhang Cheng, Liang Mao, Guo Yuan, Tian Chou, Wang Xiu, Bing Yuan, Guan Ning | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷12|Fascicle 12]] | Chinese: 崔毛徐何邢司馬傳 | Biographies of Cui, Mao, Xu, He, Xing, and Sima | Cui Yan, Mao Jie, Xu Yi, He Kui, Xing Yong, Bao Xun, Sima Zhi | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷13|Fascicle 13]] | Chinese: 鍾繇華歆王朗傳 | Zhong Yu, Wang Su | ||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷14|Fascicle 14]] | Chinese: 程郭董劉蔣劉傳 | Biographies of Cheng, Dong, Guo, Liu, Jiang, and Liu | Cheng Yu, Cheng Xiao, Guo Jia, Dong Zhao, Liu Ye, Jiang Ji, Liu Fang | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷15|Fascicle 15]] | Chinese: 劉司馬梁張溫賈傳 | Biographies of Liu, Sima, Liang, Zhang, Wen, and Jia | Liu Fu, Liu Jing, Sima Lang, Liang Xi, Zhang Ji (Derong), Zhang Ji (Jingzhong), Wen Hui, Jia Kui | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷16|Fascicle 16]] | Chinese: 任蘇杜鄭倉傳 | Biographies of Ren, Su, Du, Zheng, and Cang | Ren Jun, Su Ze, Du Ji, Zheng Hun, Cang Ci | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷17|Fascicle 17]] | Chinese: 張樂于張徐傳 | Biographies of Zhang, Yue, Yu, Zhang, and Xu | Zhang Liao, Yue Jin, Yu Jin, Zhang He, Xu Huang | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷18|Fascicle 18]] | Chinese: 二李臧文呂許典二龐閻傳 | Biographies of the two Lis, Zang, Wen, Lü, Xu, Dian, the two Pangs, and Yan | Li Dian, Li Tong, Zang Ba, Wen Ping, Lü Qian, Xu Chu, Dian Wei, Pang De, Pang Yu, Yan Wen | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷19|Fascicle 19]] | Chinese: 任城陳蕭王傳 | Biographies of the princes of Rencheng, Chen, and Xiao | Cao Zhang, Cao Zhi, Cao Xiong | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷20|Fascicle 20]] | Chinese: 武文世王公傳 | Biographies of nobles in Emperors Wu and Wen's time | Cao Ang, Cao Shuo, Cao Chong, Cao Ju (Prince of Pengcheng), Cao Yu, Cao Lin (Prince of Pei), Cao Gun, Cao Xuan, Cao Jun (Prince of Chenliu), Cao Ju (Prince of Fanyang), Cao Gan, Cao Zishang, Cao Biao, Cao Ziqin, Cao Zicheng, Cao Zizheng, Cao Zijing, Cao Jun (Duke of Fan), Cao Ziji, Cao Hui, Cao Mao (Prince of Laoling), Cao Xie, Cao Rui (Prince of Beihai), Cao Jian, Cao Lin (Prince of Donghai), Cao Li, Cao Yong, Cao Gong, Cao Yan | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷21|Fascicle 21]] | Chinese: 王衛二劉傳 | Biographies of Wang, Wei, and the two Lius | Wang Can, Wei Ji, Liu Yi, Liu Shao, Fu Gu | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷22|Fascicle 22]] | Chinese: 桓二陳徐衛盧傳 | Biographies of Huan, the two Chens, Xu, Wei, and Lu | Huan Jie, Chen Qun, Chen Tai, Chen Jiao, Xu Xuan, Wei Zhen, Lu Yu | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷23|Fascicle 23]] | Chinese: 和常楊杜趙裴傳 | Biographies of He, Chang, Yang, Du, Zhao, and Pei | He Qia, Chang Lin, Yang Jun, Du Xi, Zhao Yan, Pei Qian | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷24|Fascicle 24]] | Chinese: 韓崔高孫王傳 | Biographies of Han, Cui, Gao, Sun, and Wang | Han Ji, Cui Lin, Gao Rou, Sun Li, Wang Guan | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷25|Fascicle 25]] | Chinese: 辛毗楊阜高堂隆傳 | |||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷26|Fascicle 26]] | Chinese: 滿田牽郭傳 | Biographies of Man, Tian, Qian, and Guo | Man Chong, Tian Yu, Qian Zhao, Guo Huai | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷27|Fascicle 27]] | Chinese: 徐胡二王傳 | Biographies of Xu, Hu, and the two Wangs | Xu Miao, Hu Zhi, Wang Chang, Wang Ji | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷28|Fascicle 28]] | Chinese: 王毌丘諸葛鄧鍾傳 | Biographies of Wang, Guanqiu, Zhuge, Deng and Zhong | Wang Ling, Guanqiu Jian, Zhuge Dan, Deng Ai, Zhong Hui | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷29|Fascicle 29]] | Chinese: 方技傳 | Biographies of fangshi and artisans | Hua Tuo, Du Kui, Zhu Jianping, Zhou Xuan, Guan Lu | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷30|Fascicle 30]] | Chinese: 烏丸鮮卑東夷傳 | Wuhuan, Xianbei, Buyeo, Goguryeo, Okjeo, Yilou, Yemaek, Samhan, Wa (Wajinden); and a long footnote at the end containing the chapter on the Xirong, or ‘Peoples of the West’ from the Weilüe, or “Brief Account of the Wei Dynasty,” composed by Yu Huan in the second third of the 3rd century CE. |
| Title | Translation | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷31|Fascicle 31]] | Chinese: 劉二牧傳 | Biographies of the two Governor Lius | Liu Yan, Liu Zhang | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷32|Fascicle 32]] | Chinese: 先主傳 | Biography of the Former Lord | Liu Bei | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷33|Fascicle 33]] | Chinese: 後主傳 | Biography of the Later Lord | Liu Shan | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷34|Fascicle 34]] | Chinese: 二主妃子傳 | Biographies of concubines and sons of the two Lords | Lady Gan, Empress Wu, Empress Zhang (former), Empress Zhang (later), Liu Yong, Liu Li, Liu Xuan | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷35|Fascicle 35]] | Chinese: 諸葛亮傳 | Zhuge Qiao, Zhuge Zhan, Dong Jue | ||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷36|Fascicle 36]] | Chinese: 關張馬黃趙傳 | Biographies of Guan, Zhang, Ma, Huang, and Zhao | Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷37|Fascicle 37]] | Chinese: 龐統法正傳 | |||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷38|Fascicle 38]] | Chinese: 許麋孫簡伊秦傳 | Biographies of Xu, Mi, Sun, Jian, Yi, and Qin | Xu Jing, Mi Zhu, Mi Fang, Sun Qian, Jian Yong, Yi Ji, Qin Mi | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷39|Fascicle 39]] | Chinese: 董劉馬陳董呂傳 | Biographies of Dong, Liu, Ma, Chen, Dong, and Lü | Dong He, Liu Ba, Ma Liang, Ma Su, Chen Zhen, Dong Yun, Chen Zhi, Huang Hao, Lü Yi | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷40|Fascicle 40]] | Chinese: 劉彭廖李劉魏楊傳 | Biographies of Liu, Peng, Liao, Li, Liu, Wei, and Yang | Liu Feng, Peng Yang, Liao Li, Li Yan, Liu Yan, Wei Yan, Yang Yi | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷41|Fascicle 41]] | Chinese: 霍王向張楊費傳 | Biographies of Huo, Wang, Xiang, Zhang, Yang, and Fei | Huo Jun, Huo Yi, Wang Lian, Xiang Lang, Xiang Chong, Zhang Yi, Yang Hong, Fei Shi | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷42|Fascicle 42]] | Chinese: 杜周杜許孟來尹李譙郤傳 | Biographies of Du, Zhou, Du, Xu, Meng, Lai, Yin, Li, Qiao, and Xi | Du Wei, Zhou Qun, Zhang Yu, Du Qiong, Xu Ci, Hu Qian, Meng Guang, Lai Min, Yin Mo, Li Zhuan, Qiao Zhou, Xi Zheng | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷43|Fascicle 43]] | Chinese: 黃李呂馬王張傳 | Biographies of Huang, Li, Lü, Ma, Wang, and Zhang | Huang Quan, Li Hui, Lü Kai, Ma Zhong, Wang Ping, Zhang Ni | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷44|Fascicle 44]] | Chinese: 蔣琬費禕姜維傳 | |||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷45|Fascicle 45]] | Chinese: 鄧張宗楊傳 | Biographies of Deng, Zhang, Zong, and Yang | Deng Zhi, Zhang Yi, Zong Yu, Liao Hua, Yang Xi |
| Title | Translation | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷46|Fascicle 46]] | Chinese: 孫破虜討逆傳 | Biographies of Sun Who Destroys Barbarians, and Sun Who Attacks Rebels | Sun Jian, Sun Ce | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷47|Fascicle 47]] | Chinese: 吳主傳 | Biography of the Lord of Wu | Sun Quan | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷48|Fascicle 48]] | Chinese: 三嗣主傳 | Biographies of the three heirs | Sun Liang, Sun Xiu, Sun Hao | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷49|Fascicle 49]] | Chinese: 劉繇太史慈士燮傳 | Ze Rong, Liu Ji | ||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷50|Fascicle 50]] | Chinese: 妃嬪傳 | Biographies of concubines and ladies | Lady Wu, Wu Jing, Lady Xie, Lady Xu, Bu Lianshi, Empress Dayi, Empress Jinghuai, Empress Pan, Quan Huijie, Empress Zhu, Empress Dowager He, Teng Fanglan | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷51|Fascicle 51]] | Chinese: 宗室傳 | Biographies of nobles | Sun Jing, Sun Yu, Sun Jiao, Sun Huan, Sun Ben, Sun Fu, Sun Yi, Sun Kuang, Sun Shao, Sun Huan | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷52|Fascicle 52]] | Chinese: 張顧諸葛步傳 | Biographies of Zhang, Gu, Zhuge, and Bu | Zhang Zhao, Zhang Cheng, Zhang Xiu, Gu Yong, Gu Shao, Gu Tan, Gu Cheng, Zhuge Jin, Bu Zhi | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷53|Fascicle 53]] | Chinese: 張嚴程闞薛傳 | Biographies of Zhang, Yan, Cheng, Kan, and Xue | Zhang Hong, Yan Jun, Cheng Bing, Kan Ze, Xue Zong | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷54|Fascicle 54]] | Chinese: 周瑜魯肅呂蒙傳 | |||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷55|Fascicle 55]] | Chinese: 程黃韓蔣周陳董甘淩徐潘丁傳 | Biographies of Cheng, Huang, Han, Jiang, Zhou, Chen, Dong, Gan, Ling, Xu, Pan, and Ding | Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, Jiang Qin, Zhou Tai, Chen Wu, Dong Xi, Gan Ning, Ling Tong, Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang, Ding Feng | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷56|Fascicle 56]] | Chinese: 朱治朱然呂範朱桓傳 | Shi Ji, Zhu Yi | ||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷57|Fascicle 57]] | Chinese: 虞陸張駱陸吾朱傳 | Biographies of Yu, Lu, Zhang, Luo, Lu, Wu, and Zhu | Yu Fan, Lu Ji, Zhang Wen, Luo Tong, Lu Mao, Wu Can, Zhu Ju | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷58|Fascicle 58]] | Chinese: 陸遜傳 | Lu Kang | ||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷59|Fascicle 59]] | Chinese: 吳主五子傳 | Biographies of the five sons of the Lord of Wu | Sun Deng, Sun Lü, Sun He, Sun Ba, Sun Fen | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷60|Fascicle 60]] | Chinese: 賀全呂周鍾離傳 | Biographies of He, Quan, Lü, Zhou, and Zhongli | He Qi, Quan Cong, Lü Dai, Zhou Fang, Zhongli Mu | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷61|Fascicle 61]] | Chinese: 潘濬陸凱傳 | |||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷62|Fascicle 62]] | Chinese: 是儀胡綜傳 | |||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷63|Fascicle 63]] | Chinese: 吳範劉惇趙達傳 | |||
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷64|Fascicle 64]] | Chinese: 諸葛滕二孫濮陽傳 | Biographies of Zhuge, Teng, the two Suns, and Puyang | Zhuge Ke, Teng Yin, Sun Jun, Sun Chen, Puyang Xing | |
| Chinese: [[:s:zh:三國志/卷65|Fascicle 65]] | Chinese: 王樓賀韋華傳 | Biographies of Wang, Lou, He, Wei, and Hua | Wang Fan, Lou Xuan, He Shao, Wei Zhao, Hua He |
See main article: Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms.
During the fifth century, the Liu Song dynasty historian Pei Songzhi (372–451) extensively annotated Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms using a variety of other sources, augmenting the text to twice the length of the original. This work, completed in 429, became one of the official histories of the Three Kingdoms period, under the title Sanguozhi zhu (三国志注 zhu meaning "notes"). Bibliographical records indicate that up until Pei's own Liu Song dynasty, Chen Shou's three books had circulated individually rather than as a single work.
Pei collected other records to add information he felt should be added. He provided detailed explanations to some of the geography and other elements mentioned in the original. He also included multiple accounts of the same events. Sometimes, the accounts he added contradicted each other, but he included them anyway since he could not decide which version was the correct one. If Pei added something that sounded wrong, he would make a note or even offer a correction. In regard to historical events and figures, as well as Chen Shou's original text, he added his own commentary.[7] Crucially, he cited his sources in almost every case.
The Records of the Three Kingdoms was the main source of inspiration for the 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of the four great Classic Chinese Novels. As such the records is considered one of the most influential historical and cultural texts in Chinese history. In addition, the records provide one of the earliest accounts of Korea and Japan. Chen's Records set the standard for how Korea and Japan would write their official histories as well.[8]
Chen's Records is the chronologically final text of the "Four Histories" (Chinese: 四史), which together influenced and served as a model for Korean and Japanese official histories.
The Records are important to the research of early Korean (Korean: 삼국지 Samguk ji) and Japanese history (三国志 Sangokushi). It provides, among other things, the first detailed account of Korean and Japanese societies such as Goguryeo, Yemaek and Wa. The passages in Fascicle 30 about the Wa, where the Yamatai-koku and its ruler Queen Himiko are recorded, are referred to as the Wajinden in Japanese studies. The Japanese did not have their own records until more than three centuries later, with the earliest extant native record being the Kojiki of 712.
The text forms the foundation on which the 14th-century novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong is based. In addition, Chen Shou's literary style and vivid portrayal of characters have been a source of influence for the novel.
The Records include biographies of historical figures such as Cao Cao and Guan Yu who feature prominently in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, though the Romance also includes a number of characters and stories that are fictional. However, most of the historical facts were drawn from Chen's Records.
The Records of the Three Kingdoms has not been fully translated into English. William Gordon Crowell alludes to a project to translate Chen Shou's work with Pei Songzhi's commentary in full, but it was apparently discontinued. Parts of that project are published by Robert Joe Cutter and William Gordon Crowell under the title Empresses and Consorts: Selections from Chen Shou's Records of the Three States With Pei Songzhi's Commentary (University of Hawaii Press, 1999), which includes the translations for fascicles 5, 34, and 50.[9]
Other translations include Kenneth J. Dewoskin's Doctors Diviners and Magicians of Ancient China: Biographies of Fang-Shih (Columbia University Press, 1983), which includes a full translation of fascicle 29. Rafe de Crespigny, in addition to his translation of Sun Jian's biography (Fascicle 46), also translated excerpts of the Records of the Three Kingdoms in his translation of the Zizhi Tongjian that deals with the last years of the Han dynasty, as does Achilles Fang, who translated the Zizhi Tongjian fascicles that deal with the Three Kingdoms period proper. The Zizhi Tongjian fascicles in question draw heavily from Records of the Three Kingdoms. Further excerpts of the Records can be found in various sourcebooks dealing with East Asian history.
Below is a table containing the known English translations of the Records of the Three Kingdoms that have been published in academia:[10]
| Fascicle | Title of translation | Translator(s) | Publish year | URL/page numbers | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (Wei 5) | Empresses and Consorts: Selections from Chen Shou's Records of the Three States With Pei Songzhi's Commentary | Robert Joe Cutter and William Gordon Crowell | 1999 | pp. 89–114 | Lady Bian, Lady Zhen, Guo Nüwang, Empress Mao, Empress Guo | |
| 8 (Wei 8) | Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook, 2nd Ed | Patricia Buckley Ebrey | 2009 | pp.84–5 | The section titled "Heterodox Bandits" is an unannotated translation of the Dianlüe footnote of the Zhang Lu chapter, about Zhang Xiu (Chinese: 張脩) | |
| 9 (Wei 9) | Early Medieval China: A Sourcebook | Timothy M. Davis | 2013 | pp. 135–46 | Translation of the correspondence between Xiahou Xuan and Sima Yi from the biography of Xiahou Xuan | |
| 29 (Wei 29) | Doctors Diviners and Magicians of Ancient China: Biographies of Fang-Shih | Kenneth J. Dewoskin | 1983 | Hua Tuo, Du Kui, Zhu Jianping, Zhou Xuan, Guan Lu | ||
| "The Biography of Hua-t'o from the History of the Three Kingdoms" in The Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature | Victor H. Mair | 1994 | pp. 688–696 | Hua Tuo | ||
| 30 (Wei 30) | Sourcebook of Korean Civilization: Volume One: From Early Times to the 16th Century | Michael C. Rogers | 1993 | pp.13–24 | Buyeo, Goguryeo, Okjeo, Yemaek, Samhan (abridged, Yilou omitted) | |
| "Chinese Accounts of Koguryŏ and its Neighbours" in The Review of Korean Studies, Volume 15 Number 2 | Kenneth H. J. Gardiner | 2012 | pp. 91–113 | Buyeo, Goguryeo, Okjeo | ||
| "The Account of the Han in the Sanguozhi—An Annotated Translation" in Early Korea Vol. 2 (The Samhan Period in Korean History) | Mark E. Byington | 2009 | pp. 125–52 | |||
| Japan in the Chinese dynastic histories: Later Han through Ming dynasties | Ryūsaku Tsunoda and Luther Carrington Goodrich | 1951 | pp. 8–16 | Wa (Japan) only | ||
| Himiko and Japan's Elusive Chiefdom of Yamatai: Archaeology, History, and Mythology | J. Edward Kidder | 2007 | pp. 12–18 | |||
| Treatise on the People of Wa in the Chronicle of the Kingdom of Wei: The World's Earliest Written Text on Japan | Arikiyo Saeki and Joshua A. Fogel | 2018 | ||||
| The Peoples of the West from the Weilüe 魏略 by Yu Huan 魚豢: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE. | John E. Hill | 2004 | http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/weilue/weilue.html | Translation of the long Xirong footnote from the Weilüe, includes descriptions of the Western Regions including Rome | ||
| 31 (Shu 1) | Record of The Three Kingdoms: The History of Shu – Fascicle One: “The Two Shepherds Liu” | William Gordon Crowell | 2005 | https://www.academia.edu/5318543/Sanguo_zhi_31_Shu_1_Biographies_of_Liu_Yan_and_Liu_Zhang | Liu Yan, Liu Zhang | |
| 32 (Shu 2) | Record of The Three Kingdoms: The History of Shu – Fascicle Two: “The Former Lord” | William Gordon Crowell | 2006 | https://www.academia.edu/5318625/Sanguo_zhi_32_Shu_2_Biography_of_Liu_Bei | Liu Bei | |
| 34 (Shu 4) | Empresses and Consorts: Selections from Chen Shou's Records of the Three States With Pei Songzhi's Commentary | Robert Joe Cutter and William Gordon Crowell | 1999 | pp. 115–21 | Lady Gan, Empress Wu, Empress Zhang (former), Empress Zhang (later), Liu Yong, Liu Li, Liu Xuan | |
| 35 (Shu 5) | Zhuge Liang: Strategy, Achievements, and Writings | Ralph D. Sawyer | 2014 | Zhuge Liang (partial translation) | ||
| 39 (Shu 9) | Record of The Three Kingdoms: The History of Shu – Fascicle Nine: Biographies of Dong He, Liu Ba, Ma Liang, Chen Zhen, Dong Yun, and Lü Yi | William Gordon Crowell | 2006 | https://www.academia.edu/5318635/Sanguo_zhi_39_Shu_9_Biographies_of_Dong_He_Liu_Ba_Ma_Liang_Chen_Zhen_Dong_Yun_and_L%C3%BC_Yi | Dong He, Liu Ba, Ma Liang, Ma Su, Chen Zhen, Dong Yun, Chen Zhi, Lü Yi | |
| 42 (Shu 12) | Sanguo Zhi Fascicle 42: The Biography of Qiao Zhou | J. Michael Farmer | 2017 | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15299104.2017.1379725 | Qiao Zhou only | |
| 46 (Wu 1) | The Biography of Sun Chien: Being an Annotated Translation of Pages 1 to 8a of Chüan 46 of the San-kuo Chih of Ch'en Shou in the Po-na Edition | Rafe de Crespigny | 1966 | Sun Jian only | ||
| 49 (Wu 4) | Men of Hu, Men of Han, Men of the hundred man: the biography of Sī Nhiêp and the conceptualization of early Vietnamese society | Stephen O'Harrow | 1986 | pp. 259–65 | Shi Xie only | |
| 50 (Wu 5) | Empresses and Consorts: Selections from Chen Shou's Records of the Three States With Pei Songzhi's Commentary | Robert Joe Cutter and William Gordon Crowell | 1999 | pp. 122–36 | Lady Wu, Wu Jing, Lady Xie, Lady Xu, Bu Lianshi, Empress Dayi, Empress Jinghuai, Empress Pan, Quan Huijie, Empress Zhu, Empress Dowager He, Teng Fanglan |