或谓公仲
Someone Had a Talk with Gongzhong
【原文】
或谓公仲曰广今有一举而可以忠于主，便于国，利于身，愿公之行 之也。今天下散而事秦，则韩最轻矣；天下合而离秦，则韩最弱矣；合离 之相续，则韩最先危矣。此君国长民之大患也.公以韩先合于秦，天 下随之，是韩以天下事秦，秦之德韩也厚矣。韩与天下朝秦，而独厚取 德焉。公行之计，是其于主也至忠矣.天下不合秦，秦令而不听，秦必 起兵以诛不服。秦久与天下结怨构难而兵不决，韩息士民以待其 公行之计，是其于国也大便也。昔者，周佼以西周善于秦，而封于梗阳；周启以东周善于秦，而封于平原。今公以韩善秦，韩之重于两周也无 计，而秦之争机也万于周之时。今公以韩为天下先合于秦，秦必以公为 诸侯，以明示天下。公行之计，是其于身大利也。愿公之加务也。”
【今译】
有人对公仲说：“现在有一个谋略可以忠于君主、方便国家，而且对 自身有利，希望您能实行。现在如果天下各国解散了来侍奉秦国，韩国 的地位就最轻了；天下各国联合起来背叛秦国，韩国的实力就最弱了 ； 如果联合与分散互相交替，韩国就是最先遭受危险的了。这是治理国 家、统治百姓的最大忧患啊，如今您先让韩国跟秦国联合，天下各国都 跟随您这么做，这样一来，就是韩国率领天下各国侍奉秦国，秦国一定 会非常感教韩国的。韩国和天下各国一同朝拜秦国，而独自受到秦国 深深的感激。您推行这个办法，这样对于君主也极其忠诚。天下各国 不跟秦国联合，秦国下达命令它们不听从，秦国就会起兵讨伐不服从的 国家。秦国长时间跟天下各国结怨交战而不能决出胜负，韩国发动全 部士民百姓等待时机。您实行这个办法，对于国家非常方便啊，从前，周佼带领西周跟秦国亲善，被封在梗阳；周启率领东周跟秦国亲善，被 封在平原。如今您率领韩国跟秦国亲善，韩国比两个周国不知重要多 少倍，而秦国争取跟韩国联合的意愿也比当时跟周国联合迫切上万倍。 如今您带领韩囯率先倡导天下各国跟秦国结盟，秦国一定会封您为请 侯，来明确昭示天下人^您实行这个办法，对于自身也有很大的利益 啊。希望您加紧致力于此事。”
Someone had a talk with Gongzhong and said:‘Now, there is one measure that will exhibit your loyalty to His Majesty, benefit your state and bring about some advantage to yourself. I hope that you will take it. Now if all the states in the world disband their alliance to submit to the state of Qin, the state of Han will become of least importance. If all the states in the world build an alliance to act against the state of Qin，the state of Han will become the weakest state in the world. If all the states take turns to build an alliance and then disband it，the state of Han will be the first to find itself in danger. This is the severest problem facing the people governing a state and administering the people. Now if you take the lead in allying with the state of Qin, other states in the world will follow in your footsteps. If the state of Han leads other states in the world to serve the state of Qin, Qin will be very grateful to your state- If your state submits to the state of Qin together with other states in the world，Qin will be grateful to you exclusively. If you take this advice, you will serve your sovereign with perfect loyalty. If all the states in the world refuse to ally with the state of Qin and don’t carry out Qin’s orders, Qin will definitely dispatch its troops to attack the disobedient states. If Qin is embroiled with other states for a long time, the state of Han can mobilize all its soldiers and masses to await a chance to attack the troops of Qin. If you take this advice, it will be very advantageous to your state. Previously? Zhou Jiao led the state of West Zhou to submit to the state of Qin, and as a result? he was conferred the region of Gengyang. Zhou Qi led the state of East Zhou to submit to the state of Qin, and as a result, he was conferred the region of Pingyuan, Now if you lead the state of Han to submit to the state of Qin, Qin will seek to win over your state ten thousand times more eagerly than allying with the two Zhous, since your state is incomparable in terms of importance compared with the two Zhous. Now if you take the lead in advising other states in the world to submit to the state of Qin，Qin will definitely invite you to be lord and thus show other states in the world how generous it is. If you take this advice, it will bring about tremendous advantage to yourself. I hope that you will be committed to taking this advice. ”