From the beginning of the Christian era, onwards, we have a number of very clearly specified descriptions of Chinese systems of astronomical calculation prepared for calendrical purposes. These typically take the form of lists of named constants, a specification of a set of initial conditions, and sequential instructions for calculations which will yield data for solar, lunar and planetary positions at any instant thereafter. A number of authors have published discussions of such systems, accompanied by full or partial translations. In this paper I shall discuss the use of Excel spreadsheets to construct a new form of translation, in which the original text and its English translation are inserted into Excel spreadsheets embodying simple formulae that perform each step of the calculation specified. Construction of such spreadsheets can be a useful research tool in analysing the system translated , but can also add a helpful dimension to the reader's understanding of the text, since the translation not only specifies what should be done but also shows what is done as the complete set of calculations is carried out for any date specified by the user.