周公东征史实诠说

An Explanation of the History of the Duke of Zhou's Eastward Conquest

作为周初杰出的政治家，周公的历史功绩主要是在成工即位之初稳定周初局势和巩固周朝统治两个方面，而周公东征则是前者的重要内容。《尚书大传》称周公摄政时“一年救乱，二年克殷，三年践奄”，这是一个笼统的说法。人们习惯上说周公东征三年，一般认为包括救乱、克殷、践奄的整个过程，其实，这个过程比较复杂，而且历时亦非三年。“周公东征三年”很可能仅指伐奄的三年而言。

As a brilliant politician, the Duke of Zhou's Contributions are stablizing the social situation of early Zhou and consilodating the Zhou reqime in the early reign of King Cheng , and the Duke of Zhou's East-ward Conquest is just an important part of his former contribution. The Book of History indicates that when he acted as regent the Duke of Zhou spent one year on defeating the rebels, two years conquering the Yin people and three years extinquishing the Yan Kingdom. This is not a detailed record. Traditionaly it is said the Duke of Zhou spent three years on his Eastward Conquest, which including the whole process of conquering the rebels, the Yin people and the Yan Kingdom. Yet , in fact this process was more complex and more long than three years. Probably 'the Duke of Zhou's Three Years Eastward Conquest' only refers to the three years spent on conquering the Yan Kingdom.