客谓燕王
A Guest Had a Talk with the King of Yan
【原文】
客谓燕王曰齐南破楚，西屈秦，用韩、魏之兵，燕、赵之众*犹鞭莢 也。使齐北面伐燕，即虽五燕不能当。王何不阴出使，散游士，顿齐兵, 弊其众，使世世无患？”燕王曰：“假寡人五年，寡人得其志矣。”苏子曰： “请假王十年。”燕王说，奉苏子车五十乘，南使于齐。
【今译】
有个客人对燕王说齐国军队向南攻破了楚国，向西挫敗了秦国， 役使韩国和魏国的士卒、燕国和赵国的百姓，如同用鞭子驾驭马匹一 般。假设齐国向北进攻燕国，即便有五个燕国加起来也不能抵挡，大 王为什么不暗地里派出使者，向各地派遣说客，来使得齐国士卒困顿、 百姓疲惫，使自己的国家世世代代没有忧患呢？”燕王说广给我五年的 时间，我就能实现自己的愿望了。”苏秦说请給大王十年的时间。”燕 王很高兴，送给苏秦五十辆车子，让他向南出使齐国。
A guest had a talk with the king of the state of Yan and said T “The troops of the state of Qi have destroyed the troops of Chu in the south and defeated those of Qin in the west. Qi can manipulate officers and men of the states of Han and Wei and employ the people of the states of Yan and Zhao freely like driving a horse with a whip. The animal will go anywhere according to the driver’s will. If the troops of Qi attack our state northwards，even five Yans wouldn’t be able to resist them. Why not send emissaries and persuasive talkers secretly to other states to weaken QiJ s officers and men and make the people there exhausted? Then you will be free from trouble during all the years to come, ” The king of Yan said， “Well，give me five years，and I will realize this goal. ” Su Qin said, “Please take ten years. ” The king of Yan was very-pleased and therefore presented Su Qin with fifty carriages and sent him southwards on a diplomatic mission to the state of Qi.
【原文】
谓齐王曰齐南破楚，西屈秦，用韩、魏之兵，燕、赵之众，犹鞭荚 也。臣闻当世之举王，必诛暴正乱，举无道，攻不义。今宋王射天笞地，铸诸侯之象，使侍屏匱，展其臂，弹其鼻。此天下之无道不义，而王不 伐，王名终不成！且夫宋，中国膏腴之地，邻民之所处也，与其得百里 于燕，不如得十里于宋。伐之，名则义，实则利，王何为弗为？”齐王曰： “善。”遂兴兵伐宋，三覆宋，宋遂举。
【今译】
苏秦对齐王说齐国军队向南攻破了楚国，向西挫敗了秦国，役使 韩国和魏国的士卒、燕国和赵国的百姓，如同用鞭子驾驭马匹一般。我 听说当代的君主一定要诛杀暴君，拨乱反正，推翻无道的昏君，进攻不义的国君。如今宋王用箭射天，鞭打地，铸造了各国诸侯的塑像，让他 们在路边的茅厕里侍奉，伸开他们的胳膊，用弹弓射他们的鼻子，这是 天下无道而且不义的君主。如果大王不讨伐他，大王的威名就始终不 能确立。再说，宋国占据了中原地区非常肥沃的土地，跟我们的百姓相 邻共处，与其从燕国夺得一百里土地，不如从宋国夺得十里。讨伐它， 名义上推行了正义，又能得到实际的利益，大王为什么不这么做呢？”齐 王说很好。”于是就派兵攻打宋国，三次覆没宋国的军队，宋国很快被 攻破.
Su Qin told the king of Qi, “The troops of the state of Qi have destroyed the troops of Chu in the south, and defeated those of Qin in the west. Qi can manipulate officers and men of the states of Han and Wei and employ the people of the states of Yan and Zhao freely like driving a horse with a whip. The animal will go anywhere according to the driver’s will. In my opinion，contemporary sovereigns should behead tyrannical sovereigns and put their states in good order. They should overthrow the unworthy and attack the unrighteous. The king of the state of Song has shot Heaven and whipped the Earth, He also has statuettes of all the states’ sovereigns made and positioned in the washrooms by the roadside. He also stretches their arms and shoots at their noses with a catapult. He is an unworthy and unrighteous sovereign of the world. If Your Majesty don’t attack him, you won’t be able to gain a high and powerful reputation. The land of Song is located in the central part of China and is very fertile. We are neighbouring states. Obtaining one hundred square li of land from Yan is less advantageous than gaining ten from Song, If you attack Song，not only will you gain a good reputation for extending righteousness, but you can also benefit to a great extent. Why not take action?” The king of Qi said，“Good idea, ” So he dispatched troops to attack Song. The troops of Qi defeated those of Song very badly and destroyed their state.
【原文】
燕王闻之，绝交于齐，率天下之兵以伐齐，大战一，小战再，顿齐国， 成其名。故曰：“因其强而强之，乃可折也；因其广而广之，乃可缺也。”
【今译】
燕王听说了这件事，断绝了同齐国的邦交，率领天下各国的联军攻 打齐国，经过一次大规模的战役、两次小规模的战役，挫敗了齐国，成就 了威名。所以说，凭借它的强大，让它更加逞强，就可以摧折它；凭借它 国土的广大，让它继续扩张，就可以分割它。
When the king of Yan heard that, he cut diplomatic relations with Qi and led the allied troops of all the states of the world to attack Qi. After a fierce large-scale battle and two insignificant battles, they made Qi’s officers and men exhausted and gained a powerful reputation. So it is said， “Stimulating its ambition to make it long for more powers by dint of its mightiness? you can subdue it. Activating its wish for encroaching more land by virtue of its vast territory, you can carve up its land. ”