甘茂亡秦
Gan Mao Fled from Qin
【原文】
甘茂亡秦，且之齐。出关，遇苏子，“君闻夫江上之处女乎？”苏子曰:"不闻。”曰:"夫江上之处女，有家贫而无烛者，处女相与语，欲去 之。家贫无烛者将去矣，谓处女曰：‘妾以无烛故，常先至扫室布席。何 爱余明之照四壁者？幸以赐妾，何妨于处女？妾自以有益于处女，何为 去我？’处女相语以为然，而留之。今臣不肖，弃逐于秦而出关，愿为足 下‘扫室布席’，幸无我逐也苏子曰善。请重公于齐."
【今译】
甘茂从秦国出逃，将要到齐国去。出了函谷关，他遇到了苏秦。甘 茂问他您听说过长江沿岸的姑娘们的故事吗？”苏秦说：“没听说过。”甘茂说长江沿岸的姑娘中，有一个家里很穷，买不起蜡烛，姑娘们互 相商量着要把她打发走，家里贫穷而买不起蜡烛的姑娘即将离去时对 其他姑娘说：‘我因为自己没有蜡烛的缘故，经常首先到来，打扫屋子， 摆好座席，你们为什么要吝啬自己的余光呢？赐一点余光给我，对你 们又有什么妨碍呢？我自以为对你们是有用的，为什么要打发我走？， 姑娘们互相讨论了一下》以为她说的话有道理，于是就让她留下来了。 如今我无才干，被秦国遗弃，逃出了函谷关，愿意为您打扫屋子、摆放座 席，希望不要把我赶走啊！”苏秦说：“好。请让我安排您在齐国受到重 用。"
Gan Mao fled from the state of Qin and was thinking of going to the state of Qi. After he passed through the Hangu Valley，he met Su Qin‘ He asked Su Qin, “Have you heard of the story of the girls living on the bank of the Yangzi
River?” Su Qin said，“I haven’t heard of it. ” Gan Mao said， “One of the girhs living on the bank of the Yangzi River was too poor to buy a candle. The other girls had a talk and -decided to eject the girl having no candle. When the girl having no candle was about to leave，she told the other girls,
4Because I cannot afford a candle, I am always the first one to arrive here to clean the room and place the seats for all of us. Why are you so mean that you refuse to let me use your superfluous light? It won?t cause any inconvenience to you, I personally think that I am useful to you. Why do you want to eject me? The other girls discussed it together and found this girl’s words reasonable，so they allowed her to stay with them. Now I am very unworthy and therefore was exiled by the state of Qin. So I have passed through the Hangu Valley. I want to be at your service, Sire. Please don’t eject mo. ” Su Qin promised him，“Good, I will ask the state of Qi to appoint you to a powerful position."
【原文】
乃酉说秦王曰甘茂，贤人，非恒士也。其居秦，累世重矣，內殽 塞、谿谷，地形险易，尽知之。彼若以齐约韩、魏，反以谋秦，是非秦之利 也。”秦王曰然则奈何？”苏代曰：“不如重其贽、厚其禄以迎之。彼来，则置之槐谷，终身勿出。天下何从图秦？”秦王曰广善。”与之上卿，以相 迎之齐。
【今译】
于是苏秦向西去游说秦王，说：“甘茂是一个贤能的人，不是一般的 士人啊。他在秦国期间，是侍奉了几个君主的重臣，从崤山到谿谷，地 形的险易，他都非常熟悉6假如他替齐国结交韩国和魏国，反过来图谋 秦国，这对秦国是十分不利的。”秦王说既然如此，该怎么办呢？”苏秦说不如用责重的礼物和丰厚的俸禄迎接他回来。他回来以后，就把 他安置在槐谷，终生不让他离开秦国.天下各国又怎能图谋秦国呢？” 秦王说说得好于是给甘茂准备了上卿的职位，到齐国去迎接他。
Hence，Su Qin went to the west to persuade the king of the state of Qin and said, “Gan Mao is a wise and capable person. He is an extremely outstanding scholar. While he was staying in Qin, he served several sovereigns of Qin and held powerful positions. Moreover, from Mount Xiao to the Xigu Valley? he knows all the details of the natural conditions of the state of Qin. Therefore, if he could unite the states of Han and Wei on behalf of the state of Qi to conspire against the state of Qin, it will pose a severe threat to Qin. ” The king of Qin said, “If this is the case, what shall I do?” Su Qin said, “You’d better offer him some generous gifts，a high salary and invite him back from the state of Qi, When he comes back，you can ask him to stay in Huaigu and make sure that you won’t let him leave the state of Qin for other states for the rest of his life. In that case，how could other states in the world conspire against Qin?” The king said, " Good idea. ” He then promised to appoint Gan Mao as Shang Qing (the title of one of the highest-ranking court officials) and sent people lo Qi to escort him back.
【原文】
甘茂辞不往。苏秦（伪）[为]谓[齐]王曰广甘茂，贤人也。今秦与 之h卿，以相迎之。茂德王之赐，故不往，愿为王臣。今王何以礼之? 王若不留，必不德王。彼以甘茂之贤，得擅用强秦之众，则难图也！”齐 王曰：“善.’赐之上卿，命而处之。
【今译】
甘茂推辞，不肯前往秦国。苏秦替他对齐王说甘茂是个贤能的 人。如今秦国賜给他上卿的职位，来迎接他^甘茂感激大王的恩惠，所 以不肯前往秦国，愿意做大王的臣子。如今大王怎样礼遇他呢？大王 如果不将他留下，他一定不会感激大王的恩德。（如果让他回了秦国，） 凭借他的才能，独自执掌强大的秦国军队，就很难对付了 ！”齐王说广说 得好。”于是賜给甘茂上卿一职，下令让他留在齐国。
However, Gan Mao refused to go back to Qin. Su Qin had a talk with the king of the state of Qi on his behalf and said, “Gan Mao is a wise and capable person. Now the king of the state of Qin has promised to appoint him as Shang Qing and sent people here to collect him. Nevertheless, Gan Mao is so grateful to Your Majesty that he refuses to go back to Qin and wishes to serve in Your Majesty’s government. How then would Your Majesty treat him? If you don，t let him stay in our state, he won’t be grateful to you. On the contrary, (given that Gan Mao returns to Qin,) with his capability,Gan Mao may order the military forces of the powerful Qin to act against u.s> thus causing a severe threat to our state.” The king of Qi said, “I see." He then appointed Gan Mao to be Shang Qing and ordered him to stay in his state.