Currently translating a novel with a tax embezzlement case involving salt syndicates. This is just an excerpt of the dialogue. I seem to have a hard time comprehending the statement I underlined. “....工于心计，擅诡谋，可两淮盐政干系重大，以我爹的性格，他不会轻易涉足，更不会出谋划策帮周大人贪墨税银。” For context, here are passages I've translated from earlier chapters: ...但他如今乃是两淮盐运使周广瑞的师爷。 ...he became an advisor to Zhou Guang Rui, a transport envoy of Lianghuai Salt. ...两淮盐政侵吞税银案轰动整个大周 ...the tax and silver embezzlement case by the Lianghuai Salt Administration had caused a sensation throughout the whole province Also, if there are any errors in my previous translations, kindly let me know. Thanks! Edit: I put emphasis on Lianghuai salt as it's the common subject.
According to the dictionary, 干係 = responsibility, so... "Lianghuai Salt's Administration [was the more] responsible party (bore the heavier responsibility)" in contrast to the speaker's dad who's being claimed as innocent?
amateur reader here. not 100% sure of my translation. However I used a few translating sites and definitions to come up with the result below. Hope this helps! baidu has a great break down of individual terms, meanwhile DeepL and Bing translate seem much better than google translate. Translations: DeepL He's good at scheming and trickery, but the salt trade is very important. My father won't get involved easily, nor will he help us. Lord Zhou is greedy for ink and tax silver." Baidu "... he is skillful in scheming and scheming, but the salt administration in the two Huaihe rivers is of great importance. As my father's character, he will not set foot in it easily, nor will he come up with any plan to help Lord Zhou's corruption in ink, tax and silver." (interesting translation) Personal ...cunning, however the Lianghuai Salt administration has heavy responsibilities / an important task or duty. And with my father-in-laws personality, he wouldn't get involved with such an affair, much less assist Mr. Zhou with 贪墨税银(evading taxes?/corruption). Breakdown / Definitions: quick disclaimer not sure if the term is 两淮盐 or 两淮盐政. 两淮盐 - Lianghuai Salt (inc. / corp?) 两淮盐政 - Lianghuai Salt administration / government or provincial office and overseer 工于心计 - adept at scheming or something equivalent [工] - work [心] - pertaining to the heart or human feelings? [计] - calculations (used in calculator) 擅诡谋 - scheme / plan 擅诡 - not quite sure what these character means google translate says it means a plan 谋 - generally has a bad connotation 可两淮盐政干系重大 - salt and tax administration is of great importance or they have good relations with the government (of whichever authority municipal or other wise) 可 - but 两淮盐 - name of company 政 - pertaining to government or political affairs (see 政府) 干系 - not quite sure google translate says related or relations, baidu says responsibility; implication 重大 - important 以我爹的性格，- with my father-in-law's status / personality 以 - however (related to 可) 我爹 - my father-in-law/father? (family-relationship term) 性格 - MO or status, nature; disposition; temperament; character (baidu is great for individual terms) 他不会轻易涉足，- he won't get involved with such affairs 他不会 - he won't 轻易 - easily (take it lightly) 涉足 - get involved / set foot 更不会出谋划策帮周大人贪墨税银。” - he's even more unlikely to have come up with such a plan to help Mr. Zhou ??? (evade taxes?) 更不会 - even moreso 出谋划策 - give advice and suggestions(baidu) [谋] - plot or scheme [划策] - give advice帮 - to help 周大人 - Zhou daren aka Mr. Zhou 贪墨税银。 - ??? [贪] - greedy? [墨] - ink? [税] - tax [银] - silver or bank (I thought it was hide or shadow, but it's a different character)
Ah yeah, I've tried breaking it down this way but I still had a hard time trying to figure out what the speaker was trying to convey. Though someone in the thread has cleared it up for me. Though they were also unsure, but they made a lot of sense. Thanks for this really detailed breakdown though!
两淮盐政 It's a bit hard to break down exactly what this is without know if "两淮" is a territory or company or some other kind of special name. However, this is talking about the salt trade. Traditionally, salt was heavily controlled by the government, and they would offer limited monopoly power to certain families or other groups. But because it was regulated and highly profitable, they would impose taxes on the salt trade and there were serious consequences for either corruption or to people trading in salt outside of this monopoly. So "盐政" in this case refers to the government control, administration, monopoly and regulation of salt. Alternatively this can refer to taxation on the salt trade. 干系重大 This means that the matter of is of utmost importance. Usually it either refers to how there are harsh penalties for any corruption and anyone challenging this particular government rule, or that any disruption in the salt trade imposes some sort of danger. You'll have to look at the larger context of the text to figure out what makes the most sense.
干系 is also a quasi-legal term, according to how some of the zhidao.baidu questions are framed. You should be able to translate it to "accountable" as in "the company would be held accountable if anything happened".