王破原阳
The King of Zhao Occupied Yuanyang
【原文】
王破原阳以为骑邑。牛赞进谏曰广国有固籍，兵有常经，变籍则乱，失经则弱。今王破原阳以为骑邑，是变籍而弃经也。且习其兵者轻 其敌，便其用者易其难。今民便其用而王变之，是损君而弱国也。故利 不百者不变俗，功不什者不易器。今王破卒散兵以奉骑射，臣恐其攻获 之利不如所失之费也。”
【今译】
赵王攻破了原阳，把它作为专供骑马射箭的城邑。牛赞进谏道:“国家有既定的典章制度f用兵有固定的准则。改变典章制度就会出现 混乱，背离固定的准則就会削弱兵力。如今大王攻克原邑，把它作为专 供骑马射箭的城邑，这就是改变典幸制度并且抛弃固定准则啊。而且， 熟悉从前的兵制，就能轻而易举地战胜敌人，能熟练运用军械的，即使 是难用的器械，在他们面前也变得容易操作。如今人民熟悉了从前的 装备而大王却要改变它们，这样一来，就会损害您的利益而且导致国家 衰弱。所以除非能获得百倍的利益，否则就不能改变习俗；除非能获得 十倍的利益，否则就不能更换器械。如今大王要解散士卒来供养骑兵 射手，我担心这样一来，我们所获得的利益比不上我们所损失的费用多啊,
The king of the state of Zhao occupied the city of Yuanyang and turned it into an area for training cavalry and archers. Niu Zan remonstrated with the king and said， A state has perpetual regulations and the military forces should be commanded according to fixed rules. If you don’t adhere to these regulations, the state will become disorderly* If you overlook these rules，the military forces will be weakened. Now Your Majesty has occupied Yuanyang and turned it into an area for training cavalry and archers. This is simply acting against old regulations and overlooking fixed rules. Moreover，armies familiar with the deployment of enemy troops can defeat them easily. Officers and men used to complicated weapons can operate them effectively. Now our people have been used to the weapons we now have but you are going to change them. Thus you will damage yourself and weaken our state. So, one shouldn9 t change conventions unless the change can produce one hundred times more profit. One shouldn’t change utensils unless the changed ones can make ten times bigger contribution. Now you are going to disband our infantry in favour of cavalry and archers. I am afraid that the change might not be a remedy for the losses we will suffer. ”
【原文】
王曰古今异利，远近易用。阴阳不同道，四时不一宜。故贤人观 时而不观于时，制兵而不制于兵。子知官府之籍，不知器械之利；知兵甲之用，不知阴阳之宜。故兵不当于用，何兵之不可易？教不便于事， 何俗之不可变？昔者先君襄主与代交地，城境封之，名曰‘无穷之门’， 所以昭后而期远也。今重甲（循）[修]兵不可以逾险，仁义道德不可以 来朝。吾闻信不弃功，知不遗时，今子以官府之籍乱寡人之事，非子所 知。”
【今译】
赵王说广古代和当今有着不同的利益，远方和当地有不同的器用。 阴阳遵循不同的法则，四时并不整齐划一 d所以贤明的人观察时势而 不被时势所左右，控制兵力而不被兵力所控制。您只知道官府的典籍，却不知道器械的便利；只知道兵器铠甲的功用，却不知道阴阳的变化。 所以，假如兵器不适合使用，什么样的兵器不可以更换呢？教化不便于 事业，什么样的习俗不可以改变呢？从前先君襄子的领土跟代国接壤， 在边境上修筑了一座城邑，城门叫‘无穷之门，，用来昭示后世与远方的 人们。身穿笨重的铠甲、携带太长的兵器，不可以越过险阻；只是一味 推行仁义道德，不可以让胡人来朝拜。我听说诚信的人不会放弃建功 立业的机会，智慧的人不会白白错过有利时机。如今你用官府的典章 制度来扰乱我要做的事情，你不会知道这些事的
The king said, “The benefit of contemporary time is different from that of ancient times. Utensils of our state are different from those used by people living in remote regions. Yin and Yang comply with different rules. The four seasons are not the same. Hence, wise people make good use of the situation but they themselves won’t be manipulated by the situation. They take control of weapons but they themselves won’ t be controlled by weapons. You know the official regulations，but don’t know the advantages of other utensils. You know the use of weapons and armour, but don’t know the rules of Yin and Yang, Hence，if some weapons are unpractical， why shouldn’t they be replaced? If some conventions cannot facilitate our undertakings, why shouldn’t they be changed? Previously，the territory of our departed sovereign—Xiangzi was adjacent to the area of Dai. In order to manifest his achievements to later generations， Xiangzi had a city built on the border whose gate was called 6 Gate of Endlessness . When wearing heavy armour and carrying long weapons，it is not possible to traverse some dangerous places. We cannot make the Hu people submit to us simply by extending the virtues and principles of benevolence and righteousness. I heard that an honest person will not miss the chance to make great contributions to his state, and a .wise person will grasp every opportunity. Now you are about to disarrange my undertaking with those official regulations. You don’t know anything at all, ”
【原文】
牛赞再拜稽首曰：“臣敢不听令乎？”（至）[王]遂胡服，率骑人胡，出 于遗遗之门，逾九（限）[原]之固，绝五陉之险，至榆中，辟地千里。
【今译】
牛赞拜了两次，叩头说道我怎敢不听从命令呢！”于是就穿起胡 人的衣服，率领骑兵冲进胡人的地盘，奔出挺关，穿越险固的九原城，翻 越险要的井陉关，到达了榆中地区，开辟了一千里土地.
Niu Zan bowed twice to the king，knelt down in front of him and said, “I dare not refuse to take your orders!，，Then he dressed in the clothes of the Hu people and led the cavalry into the territory of the Hu people. After marching through the pass of Ting，the strong fortification of Jiuyuan, and marching through the strategic passe of Jingxing，they arrived in Yuzhong and seized about one thousand square li of land from the Hu people.