主父欲伐中山
King Willing of Zhao Wanted to Attack Zhongshan
【原文】
主父欲伐中山，使李疵观之。李疵曰可伐也.君弗攻，恐后天 下。”主父曰何以？ ”对曰中山之君所倾盖与车，而朝穷闾溢巷之士 者，七十家。”主父曰是贤君也，安可伐？”李疵臼不然。举士，则民务名不存本;朝贤，则耕者惰而战士懦。若此不亡者，未之有也。”
【今译】
赵武灵王想攻打中山国，派李疵去那里观察情况。李疵说可以 攻打。大王如果不进攻，恐怕要落在别的国家后面了。”赵武灵王说: “为什么？”李疵回答说：“中山国的君主亲自乘车拜访的住在穷困偏僻的街巷的士人有七十家。”赵武灵王说：“这是个贤明的君主，怎么可以攻打呢？”李疵说不是这样的。举荐士人，百姓就会追求虚名而不致 力于耕作；朝拜贤人，农夫就会懒惰，并且士卒也会怯懦。到了这种程 度还不灭亡的，从来没有过
King Wuling of the state of Zhao was going to attack the state of Zhongshan，so he sent Li Ci to observe the situation there. Li Ci said, “We should launch the attack now. Otherwise ? I am afraid that other states will take action first. King Wuling askedt “Why?” Li Ci replied, “The sovereign of Zhongshan has taken a carriage and visited seventy scholars living in narrow and poor alleys in person.” King Wuling said，“Therefore, he is a wise and capable sovereign. How can we attack him?” Li Ci said, You are wrong. If a sovereign is engaged in recommending scholars, the people will follow trivial pursuits and not pay attention to farm work. If a sovereign is engaged in visiting wise and capable people，the farmers will become lazy and officers and men will be cowardly. If this is the case，no state can survive.”