魏王与龙阳君共船而钓
Wei's King Took a Boat to Go Fishing Along with Lord Longyang
【原文】
魏王与龙阳君共船而钓，龙阳君得十余鱼而涕下。王曰广有所不 安乎？如是，何不相告也?”对曰；“臣无敢不安也。”王曰然则何为涕 出？”曰广臣为（王）[臣]之所得鱼也。”王曰：“何谓也？”对曰臣之始得 鱼也，臣甚喜，后得又益大，今臣直欲弃臣前之所得矣。今以臣凶恶，而 得为王拂枕席。今臣爵至人君，走人于庭，辟人于途。四海之内美人亦 甚多矣，闻臣之得幸于王也，必褰裳而趋王。臣亦犹曩臣之前所得鱼 也，臣亦将弃矣，臣安能无涕出乎？”魏王曰；“（误）[诶]。有是心也，何 不相告也？"于是布令于四境之内，曰有敢言美人者族。”
【今译】
魏王跟龙阳君一起乘船钓鱼，龙阳君钓得十多条鱼，却流下了泪 水?魏王说：“有什么不颀心的事吗？如果是这样，为什么不告诉我 呢？”龙阳君回答说：“我不敢有什么不顺心的事魏王说：“既然如此， 为什么哭了？”龙阳君说我因为我所钓得的鱼而哭泣。”魏王说这是 怎么回事呢？ ”龙阳君回答说我开始得到一条鱼，我非常高兴，后来又 钓得更大的鱼，现在我一直想抛弃我刚才钓到的鱼。如今我这么难看， 却得以侍奉大王。现在我的爵位升到了君主，人们在朝廷里见到我就 快步走开，在路上见到我就立即避让。四海之内，美丽的女子也太多 了。她们听说我受大王的宠幸，一定会提起衣裳奔向大王。我也会跟 我先前钓到的鱼一样，我也即将被抛弃了，我怎么能不流泪呢？”魏王 说：“唉。你有这样的心思，为什么不告诉我呢？”于是在四境之内颁布 命令道：w有敢对我提到别的美人的，诛杀全族。”
Wei’s king took a boat to go fishing along with Lord Longyang, Lord Longyang caught more than ten fish. Then she cried and tears rolled down her face. The king asked， “What’s the matter? If there is something wrong with you, why not tell me about it?” Lord Longyang replied, “I dare not feel that something is wrong with me. ” The king asked, “Why are you crying then?” Lord Longyang said, “I am crying for the fish I have caught. ” The king asked, “Why?” She replied，“When I caught the first fish, I was very happy. Then I caught bigger ones. Now I want to discard those I have caught before. And as ugly as I am, I am very lucky to obtain the chance to serve you in your everyday life. Now my position is as high as a lord. People will walk away quickly when they see me at court* And they will circumvent when they meet me on the road. Within the Four Seas，there are numerous pretty women. When they hear that I am cherished by Your Majesty? they will uplift their clothes to come over to you. As a result,I will find myself in the same situation as the fish I have caught before. I will be discarded too. How can I hold back my tears?” Wei’s king said, “You are wrong. If you had this on your mind，why didn’t you tell me about it?” He then issued an order to people all over the state as follows： “Whoever dares to recommend beautiful women to
me will have his clan exterminated."
【原文】
由是观之，近习之人，其挚谄也固矣，其自篡繁也完矣.今由千里 之外欲进美人，所效者庸必得幸乎？假之得幸，庸必为我用乎？而近习 之人相与怨我，见有祸，未见有福；见有怨，未见有德，非用知之术也。
【今译】
由此看来，受君王宠幸的人本来就会向君王进谄言，他（她）们巴结 逢迎的手段也是非常完备的口如今从千里之外进献美人给君主，所进 献的美人就一定能受到宠幸吗？即便她能够受到宠幸，她就一定能为 我所用吗？然而君主身边受宠的人互相怨恨，我只看出他（她）们会有 祸患，而看不出会有什么福分；只看出他（她）们互相的仇恨，而看不出 他（她）们之间有什么恩德。向君王进献美女实在不是明智的做法。
Judging from that，it is natural that the beloved ones of a sovereign would flatter him and their ways of flattering are almost perfect. If one wants to recommend a beautiful woman living one thousand li away to his sovereign, would the woman definitely be appreciated and loved by the sovereign? Although she might be appreciated and loved, would the recommender definitely be able to take advantage of her by manipulating her according to his own will? Those beloved ones of sovereigns always hate each other and vie with each other for favour. Instead of witnessing their happiness，I can foresee the disasters they might suffer in the future. Instead of benefiting each other, they are full of enmity towards each other. Presenting pretty women to a sovereign is never the right way to exhibit one’s wisdom,