楚王使景鲤如秦
Chu’s King Sent Jing Li on a Diplomatic Mission to Qin
【原文】
楚王使景鲤如秦。客谓秦王曰广景鲤，楚王（使景）所甚爱，王不如 留之以市地，楚王听，则不用兵而得地；楚王不听，则杀景鲤，更（不）与 不如景鲤（留）[者市]。是便计也。”秦王乃留景鲤。
【今译】
楚王派景鲤出使秦国。有个客人对秦王说：“景鲤是楚王非常钟爱 的人，大王不如将他扣留下来要挟楚国割让土地给我们。如果楚王肯 答应，不需用兵就能得到土地；如果楚王不答应，就杀了景鲤，再跟才能 不如景鯉的人打交道，这是一条妙计D”于是秦王就扣留了景鲤。
Chu's king sent Jing Li on a diplomatic mission to Qin. A guest told Qin’s king，“Jing Li is cherished by the king of Chu very much. YouM better detain him and trade him for land from Cliu，Your Majesty. If Chu’s king agrees with you，you can win land without launching any military action against it. If he doesn’t agree, we can kill Jing Li and then negotiate with those who are inferior to him. This is a good idea. ,，The king of Qin then detained Jing Li,
【原文】
景鲤使人说秦王曰臣见王之权轻天下，而地不可得也！臣之来 使也，闻齐、魏皆且割地以事秦。所以然者，以秦与楚为昆弟国。今大 王留臣，是示天下无楚也，齐、魏有何重于孤国也？楚知秦之孤，不与地 而外结交诸侯以图，则社稷必危，不如出臣。”秦王乃出之。
【今译】
景鲤派人对秦王说广我看大王这么做，会使自己在天下失势，而且 也不能得到土地。我来出使的时候，听说齐国和魏国都在割让土地奉 送给秦国。他们之所以这么做，是因为秦国和楚国如同兄弟。如今大 王把我扣留下来，是告诉天下人秦国断绝了跟楚国的交情^齐国和魏 国为什么还会重视一个孤立的国家呢？楚国得知秦国孤立了，就不会 给秦土地?而会结交其他国家以图谋秦国，那样您的国家就危险了。不 如放我走吧。”于是秦王便将他释放了。
Jing Li sent someone on his behalf to tell the king，“I can foresee that your power will be weakened and you will not gain any land. When I was on the way here, I heard that both Qi and Wei were going to cede some land to Qin to please you. They did so because they knew that Chu and Qin were brother states. Now Your Majesty has detained me，which simply tells people all over the world that Qin has cut off diplomatic relations with Chu. How can Qi and Wei attach importance to an isolated state tf this is the case? When Chu knows that Qin is isolated, it will definitely not give you any land. On the other hand, it will unite with other states to conspire against Qin. Thus your state will be in danger. You，d better set me free‘ ” The king of Qin then released him.