知伯索地于魏桓子
Marquis Zhi Asked for Some Territory from Wei Huanzi
【原文】
知伯索地于魏桓子，魏桓子弗予。任章曰广‘何故弗予？”桓子曰： “无故索地，故弗予。”任章曰：“无故索地，邻国必恐；重欲无厌，天下必 惧。君予之地，知伯必侨。饼而轻敌，邻国惧而相亲。以相亲之兵待轻 敌之国，知氏之命不长矣。《周书》曰：‘将欲败之，必姑辅之；将欲取之, 必姑与之。’君不如与之，以骄知伯。君何释以天下图知氏，而独以吾国 为知氏质乎？ ”君曰广善。”乃与之万家之邑一。知伯大说，因索（蔡）[蔺]、皋（梁）[狼]于赵，赵弗与，因围晋阳.韩、魏反于外，赵氏应之于 内，知氏遂亡。
【今译】
知伯向魏担子索要土地，魏桓子不给他。任章问道因为什么原 因不给他？”桓子说：“无缘无故索要土地，所以不给/’任章说无缘无 故索要土地，邻近的国家一定会感到惊恐；贪得无反，天下各国必定会 感到害怕，您给了知伯土地，他必定会很骄傲。骄傲就会轻敌，邻近的 国家害怕了，就会互相亲善。用互相亲善的国家的兵力来抵御轻敌的 国家，知伯的命就长不了,《周书》中说：‘想要敗坏他，务必暂且辅助 他；想要剥夺他，务必暂且给予他。您不如给知伯，来让他骄傲.您为 什么放弃利用天下各国来图谋知伯的机会，而唯独使我们的国家成为 他的要挟对象呢？ ”魏桓子说好。”于是给知伯一座拥有一万户人家的 城邑。知伯非常高兴，于是向赵国索要蔺和皋狼。赵国不给，于是知伯围困晋阳。韩国和魏国从城外反叛，赵国军队在城内与韩国、魏国的军队呼应，知伯很快就灭亡了 。
Marquis Zhi asked Wei Huanzi for some territory, but Wei Huanzi wouldn’t agree, Ren Zhang said，“Why not give him some land?" Huanzi said，“He demanded land from me without reason, so I won’t give him any. ” Ren Zhang said, “By demanding land without reason, one will make the neighbouring states frightened. By seeking to fulfill endless cupidity, all states of the world will feel under severe threat* If you give him the land, Marquis Zhi will become arrogant. If he is arrogant，he won’t pay attention to enemy states. If the neighbouring states are frightened, they will ally with each other. If a state not paying attention to its enemies is confronted by allied forces drawn from those states which are close to each other，Marquis Zhi will soon lose his life. It is said in Zhoushuf .If you want to defeat a person t make sure to assist him first. If you want to deprive him of something, make sure to bestow upon him something first.，You’d better agree to give him the land to make him arrogant. Why give up the opportunity for scheming against Marquis Zhi with all other states of the world but make our own state his target?” Wei Huanzi said, “Good idea. ” So he ceded Marquis Zhi a county with ten thousand families. Marquis Zhi was very happy. As a result, he demanded the regions of Lin and Gaolang from the state of Zhao, Zhao rejected him. Then Marquis Zhi besieged Jinyang. The troops of the state of Han and those of the state of Wei attacked from outside and those of Zhao launched a converging attack on Marquis Zhi from within. So the Zhis were exterminated.