《三国志》所载马超“督临沮”应为“督临洮”之误

Ma Chao,“the Governor of Linju”in The History of Three Kingdoms Should be Mistaken for“the Governor of Lintao”

《三国志·马超传》记载刘备拜马超为“平西将军,督临沮”,其中“督临沮”应为“督临洮”的笔误。马超一生主要活动于凉州、益州之地(今陕西、甘肃、四川一带),而在荆州临沮县不见任何行踪。跨有荆、益二州进而控制凉州以北伐中原,是诸葛亮《隆中对策》为蜀汉集团制定的基本国策,马超在西北羌、胡部族中享有很高威望,刘备重用马超志在夺取西北凉州,不可能南辕北辙派遣马超东督荆州临沮。凉州临洮县(今甘肃岷县)军事价值极高,是魏、蜀双方必争的战略要地之一,也是马超先祖马援、马防父子功成名就之地,刘备令马超“督临洮”明显有激励马超以先祖为榜样、努力建功立业再创辉煌的用意。

It is recorded in The History of Three Kingdoms Biography of Ma Chao that Liu Bei conferred the title of“General of Pingxi and Governor Linju”on Ma Chao,in which“Governor Linju”should be a clerical error of“Governor Lintao”.Ma Chao spent his life mainly in Liangzhou and Yizhou(today’s Shaanxi,Gansu,and Sichuan areas),but did not leave any whereabouts in Linju county,Jingzhou.It was the basic national policy formulated by Zhuge Liang in The Longzhong Strategy for the Shuhan group to cross the Jing and Yi prefectures and control Liangzhou for the northern expedition of the central plains.Ma Chao enjoyed high prestige among the Qiang and Hu tribes in the northwest,and Liu Bei put him in an important position to aim for capturing Liangzhou.So it was impossible for Liu Bei to send Ma Chao to be the governor of Linju in Jingzhou in the opposite direction.Lintao county in Liangzhou(now Minxian county,Gansu province)was of high military value.It was one of the strategic places for the Wei and Shu kingdoms to fight for.It was also the place where Ma Yuan and Ma Fang,Ma Chao’s ancestors,were successful and famous.Liu Bei appointed Ma Chao for“the governor of Lintao”,which obviously had the intention of encouraging Ma Chao to take his ancestors as an example and make great efforts to make a distinguished career and create greater glories.