The original text and translation of "Move to Xuzhou" are as follows:
Original text:
(Su Shi) moved to Xuzhou. The river cuts through Cao Village, overflows into the Liangshan Po, overflows into the Nanqing River, and merges under the city. It rises and releases from time to time. The city will be defeated, and the wealthy people fight to escape from the water. Shi said: When the rich people come out, the people are shaken. Who can I guard? As I am, water will never defeat the city. Drive reentry. Shi Yi went to the Wuwei camp and called the commander of the soldiers, saying: "The river will harm the city. The matter is urgent. Although the army is banned, you can do your best for me." Then the southeast long embankment was built. Shi's house was built on top of it, and he could not enter his house. He ordered the officials to block it and guard it, and the entire city was guarded.
Translation:
Su Shi, also known as Zizhan and Dongpo Jushi, is also known as Su Dongpo. Su Shi served as the general magistrate of Hangzhou in the fourth year of Xining, Shen Zong's reign. After taking office, he deeply felt the hardship of the people's lives during the famine, so he went to the imperial court to request exemption from the autumn tax. The court agreed to his request.
In the second year of Yuanfeng, he was transferred to the post of magistrate of Huzhou. When he left Hangzhou, the people in Hangzhou were reluctant to let him go and cried to see him off. Soon after Su Shi arrived in Huzhou, he wrote a letter of thanks to the emperor from Huzhou. In the form, he described that he had no political achievements to speak of in the past and had done nothing since arriving in Huzhou. He also defended his past opposition to the new law and expressed his disapproval of certain decisions of the imperial court. expressed dissatisfaction with these policies. It was this letter that became the trigger for Su Shi's tragedy.
The imperial censors Li Ding, Shu Dan, He Zhengchen and others took Su Shi's words and previous poems as evidence, saying that he ridiculed the government and was disloyal to the emperor, and charged him with treason. He petitioned the imperial court to arrest Su Shi. After being rescued by Prime Minister Wu Chong and others, Su Shi was not arrested and imprisoned.
After more than four months of torture, Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou and served as deputy envoy of regiment training. In the first month of the third year of Yuanfeng's reign, Su Shi arrived in Huangzhou. Su Shi stayed there for five years. He found it difficult to make a living here. With the help of his friends, he opened dozens of acres of wasteland, dug wells, built houses, and cultivated the land, earning the name Dongpo Jushi.
Su Shi's thoughts in Huangzhou were contradictory: on the one hand, he felt resentful and painful at receiving such a cruel blow; on the other hand, he always wanted to seek relief from Lao-Zhuang Buddhism.
He was not completely immersed in Buddhism and Taoism. Confucianism remained the main aspect of his worldview. He wanted to return to the court to realize his ambition. In April of the seventh year of Yuanfeng, Su Shi left Huangzhou for Ruzhou. While passing through Jinling on the way, he visited retired prime minister Wang Anshi. Soon, he was appointed deputy envoy of Ruzhou regiment training.
The original mentality of "Moving to Xuzhou":
Shi showed a positive, optimistic and open-minded mentality in "Moving to Xuzhou". Although he suffered a political blow and was demoted to Huangzhou, he did not feel depressed. Instead, he maintained an optimistic attitude. Through his own efforts and the help of his friends, he reclaimed wasteland, built houses, and cultivated the land himself, becoming a self-reliant farmer. He also called himself Dongpo Jushi, expressing his love for life and yearning for nature.
Although Su Shi lived a hard life in Huangzhou, he did not complain about the injustice of his fate. Instead, he sought the joy of life through his own efforts. In his poems, he expressed his thoughts and perceptions about nature and life, showing a positive, optimistic and open-minded mentality. This mentality not only affected his creations, but also his life and outlook on life.