【Original text】
四年春，齐侯以诸侯之师侵蔡（1），蔡溃，遂伐楚。
In the spring of the fourth year, the Marquis of Qi invaded Cai (1) with the troops of the princes. Cai was defeated and then attacked Chu.
楚子使与师言日（2）：“君处北海，寡人处南海（3），唯是风马牛不 相及也（4）。不虞君之涉吾地也（5），何故？”管仲对曰：“昔召康公命 我先君大公曰（6）：‘五候九伯（7），女实征之（8），以夹辅周室。’赐我先 君履（9）：东至于海，西至于河，南至于穆陵，北至于无隶。尔贡 包茅不入（11），王祭不共（12），无以缩酒（13），寡人是征（14）；昭王南征而不 复，寡人是问（15）。”对曰：“贡之不入，寡君之罪也，敢不共给？昭 王不复，君其问诸水滨。”师进，次于陉（16）。
The envoy of Chuzi spoke to his teacher (2): "You are in the North Sea, and I am in the South Sea (3), but the wind, horse, and oxen are incompatible with each other (4). I don't want you to interfere with my land (5), why?" Guan Zhong said to him: "In the past, I summoned Duke Kang to order my ancestor, the Grand Duke, to say (6): 'Five ministers and nine uncles (7), women are actually recruited (8) to assist the Zhou Dynasty.' Give me the first Junlu (9): To the east is the sea, to the west is the river, to the south is Wuli. Ergong Baomao cannot enter (11), the king's sacrifice is not shared (12), there is no way to reduce the wine (13), the widow is marching (14); the king of Zhao does not return, the widow is asking (15). "The answer is: "If you don't pay tribute, it's a crime for the king, dare not share it?" When the king is gone, he will ask all the watersides. "The master advanced, followed by Xing (16).
夏，楚子使屈完如师（17）。师退，次于召陵（18）。
In the summer, Chuzi made Qu Wanru his master (17). The division retreated and was second to Zhaoling (18).
齐侯陈诸侯之师，与屈完乘而观之。齐侯曰：“岂不谷是为？ 先君之好是继（19）。与不谷同好，如何？”对曰：“君惠徼福于敝邑之 社稷（20），辱收寡君（21），寡君之愿也。”齐侯曰：“以此众战（22），谁能御 之！以此攻城，何城不克！”对曰“：“君若以德绥诸候（23），准敢不服？ 君若以力，楚国方城以为城（24），汉水以为池，虽众，无所用之！”
The princes of Qi and the masters of the princes of Chen came to watch with Qu Wan. The Marquis of Qi said: "Isn't it good to not have a good harvest? The good thing of the previous king is to inherit (19). How about sharing the good with Bu Gu?" He said to him: "The king's benefit is good for the country (20) of our city, and it is the wish of the lowly king to humiliate him (21)." The Marquis of Qi said: "Who can control this battle (22)? "What city can't be conquered with this?" He said, "If you use virtue to appease the princes (23), how dare you disobey?" If you use your strength, the square city of Chu can be regarded as a city (24), and the Han River can be regarded as a pond. Although there are many people, it is useless! "
屈完及诸侯盟（25）。
Qu Wan and the alliance of princes (25).
【注释】
【Note】
（1）诸候之师：指参与侵蔡的鲁、宋、陈、卫、郑、许、曹等诸侯国的军 队。蔡：诸侯国名，姬姓，在今河南上蔡、新蔡一带。（2）楚子：指楚成 王。（3）北海、南海：泛指北方、南方边远的地方，不实指大海。 （4）唯是：因此。风：公畜和母畜在发情期相互追逐引诱。这句话的意思是说由于相距遥远，虽有引诱，也互不相干。（5）不虞：不料，没有想到。涉：淌 水而过，这里的意思是进入，委婉地指入侵。（6）召（shao）康公：召公 爽（shi），周成王时的太保，“康”是溢号。先君：已故的君主，大公：太公， 指姜尚，他是齐国的开国君主。 （7）五侯：公、侯，伯、子、男五等爵位 的诸侯。九伯：九州的长官。五侯九伯泛指各国诸侯。（8）实征之：可以 征伐他们。（9）履：践踏。这里指齐国可以征伐的范围。（10）海：指渤 海和黄海。河：黄河。穆陵：地名，在今湖北麻城北的穆陵山。大隶：地名， 在今河北隆卢。（11）贡：贡物。包：裹束。茅：菁茅。入：进贡。（12） 共：同“供”，供给。 （13）缩酒：渗滤酒渣。（14）寡人：古代君主自称 是征：征取这种贡物。 （15）昭王：周成王的孙子周昭王。问：责问。 （16）次：军队临时驻扎。陉（xing）：楚国地名。(17)屈完：楚国大夫。如： 到，去。师：军队。 （18）召（shao）陵：楚国地名，在今河南偃城东。 （19）不谷：不善，诸侯自己的谦称。（20）惠：恩惠，这里作表示敬意的词。 徼（jiao）：求。敝邑：对自己国家的谦称。（21）辱：屈辱，这里作表示敬 意的词。 （22）众：指诸侯的军队，（23）绥：安抚。 （24）方城：指楚国 北境的大别山、桐柏山一带山。 （25）盟：订立盟约。
(1) The armies of the vassals: refers to the armies of the vassal states of Lu, Song, Chen, Wei, Zheng, Xu, Cao and others who participated in the invasion of Cai. Cai: The name of the vassal state, with the surname Ji, in the area of Shangcai and Xincai in present-day Henan. (2) Chu Zi: refers to King Cheng of Chu. (3) North Sea and South China Sea: generally refer to remote places in the north and south, and do not actually refer to the sea. (4) Weiyi: Therefore. Wind: Male and female animals chase and seduce each other during estrus. This sentence means that due to the distance, although there are temptations, they are not related to each other. (5) Unexpectedly: Unexpectedly, unexpectedly. She: flowing through the water, here it means to enter, which euphemistically refers to invasion. (6) Zhao (shao) Kanggong: Zhaogong Shuang (shi), the Taibao of King Zhou Cheng, "Kang" is an overflow name. Xianjun: the deceased monarch, Grand Duke: Taigong, referring to Jiang Shang, who was the founding monarch of Qi. (7) Five princes: princes with five titles such as duke, marquis, uncle, son and male. Jiu Bo: The chief of Jiuzhou. The five princes and nine uncles generally refer to the princes of various countries. (8) Actual conquest: You can conquer them. (9) Lu: trample. This refers to the range that Qi State can conquer. (10) Sea: refers to the Bo Sea and the Yellow Sea. River: Yellow River. Muling: Place name, located in Muling Mountain in the north of Macheng, Hubei Province today. Dali: place name, in present-day Longlu, Hebei Province. (11) Tribute: Tribute. Package: wrapped bundle. Mao: Jing Mao. Enter: tribute. (12) Together: Same as "supply", supply. (13) Wine reduction: percolation of wine dregs. (14) Ignorant: The ancient monarch claimed to be Zheng: to collect this kind of tribute. (15) King Zhao: King Zhao of Zhou, the grandson of King Zhou Cheng. Question: Blame. (16) times: The army is temporarily stationed. Xing (xing): place name of Chu State. (17) Qu Wan: Doctor of Chu State. Such as: to, go. Division: Army. (18) Zhao (shao) Ling: The place name of Chu State, located in the east of Yancheng, Henan Province. (19) Bu Gu: Not good, the humble title of the princes themselves. (20) Hui: Favor, here is a word of respect. 徼(jiao): seek. Weiyi: A humble name for one's own country. (21) Humiliation: humiliation, here is a word of respect. (22) Public: refers to the army of the princes, (23) Sui: appeasement. (24) Fangcheng: refers to the Dabie Mountains and Tongbai Mountains in the northern border of Chu State. (25) Alliance: Make a covenant.
【译文】
【Translation】
鲁僖公四年的春天，齐桓公率领诸侯国的军队攻打蔡国。蔡国溃败，接着又去攻打楚国。
In the spring of the fourth year of Duke Xi of Lu, Duke Huan of Qi led the troops of the vassal states to attack Cai. The state of Cai was defeated and then went to attack the state of Chu.
楚成王派使节到齐军对齐桓公说：“您住在北方，我住在南方， 因此牛马发情相逐也到不了双方的疆土。没想到您进入了我们的 国土这是什么缘故？”管仲回答说：“从前召康公命令我们先君 大公说：‘五等诸侯和九州长官，你都有权征讨他们，从而共同辅 佐周王室。’召康公还给了我们先君征讨的范围：东到海边，西到 黄河，南到穆陵，北到无隶。你们应当进贡的包茅没有交纳，周 工室的祭祀供不上，没有用来渗滤酒渣的东西，我特来征收贡物； 周昭王南巡没有返回，我特来查问这件事。”楚国使臣回答说： “贡品没有交纳，是我们国君的过错，我们怎么敢不供给呢？周昭 工南巡没有返回，还是请您到水边去问一间吧！”于是齐军继续前 进，临时驻扎在陉。
King Cheng of Chu sent an envoy to the Qi army to say to Duke Huan: "You live in the north and I live in the south. Therefore, the cattle and horses are in estrus and cannot reach the territory of both sides." I didn't expect you to enter our country. What's the reason? Guan Zhong replied: "In the past, Duke Kang ordered our ancestor Grand Duke to say: 'You have the right to conquer the five princes and the governors of Jiuzhou, so as to jointly assist the Zhou royal family. ’ Duke Zhaokang also gave us the scope of our ancestor’s expedition: to the sea in the east, to the Yellow River in the west, to Muling in the south, and to Wuli in the north. The Baomao you are supposed to pay tribute has not been paid, the sacrifices in Zhou Gong's room cannot be paid, and there is no thing to filter the wine residue. I have come to collect the tribute. King Zhao of Zhou has not returned from his southern tour, so I have come to inquire about this matter. The Chu envoy replied: "It is our monarch's fault that the tribute was not paid. How dare we not provide it?" Zhou Zhao's work has not returned from his southern tour, so please go to the waterside and ask for a room! "So the Qi army continued to advance and temporarily stationed at Xing.
这年夏天，楚成王派使臣屈完到齐军中去交涉，齐军后撤，临 时驻扎在召陵。
In the summer of this year, King Chu Cheng sent his envoy Qu Wan to negotiate with the Qi army. The Qi army retreated and temporarily stationed in Zhaoling.
齐桓公让诸侯国的军队摆开阵势，与屈完同乘一辆战车观看 军容。齐桓公说：“诸侯们难道是为我而来吗？他们不过是为了继 承我们先君的友好关系罢了。你们也同我们建立友好关系，怎么 样？屈完回答说：“承蒙您惠临敝国并为我们的国家求福，忍辱接 纳我们国君，这正是我们国君的心愿。”齐桓公说：“我率领这些 诸侯军队作战，谁能够抵挡他们？我让这些军队攻打城池，什么 样的城攻不下？”屈完回答说：‘如果您用仁德来安抚诸侯，哪个 敢不顺服？如果您用武力的话，那么楚国就把方城山当作城墙，把 汉水当作护城河，您的兵马虽然众多，恐怕也没有用处！”
Duke Huan of Qi asked the armies of the vassal states to set up their battle formations, and rode in a chariot with Qu Wan to watch the troops. Duke Huan of Qi said: "Are the princes here just for me? They are just here to inherit the friendly relations between our ancestors. How about you also establishing friendly relations with us?" Qu Wan replied: "Thank you for coming to our country and praying for our country's blessings, and accepting our king with humiliation. This is our king's wish." Duke Huan of Qi said: "I lead the armies of these princes to fight. Who can resist them?" If I ask these armies to attack a city, what kind of city cannot be conquered? Qu Wan replied: "If you use kindness to appease the princes, who would dare to disobey? If you use force, then the Chu State will use Fangcheng Mountain as a city wall and the Han River as a moat. Although your troops and horses are numerous, they may be useless!"
后来，屈完代表楚国与诸侯国订立了盟约。
Later, Qu Wan signed an alliance with the vassal states on behalf of the Chu state.
【读解】
【Interpretation】
据说，“春秋无义战”。这意思是说，春秋是一个诸侯（军阀？） 混战的时代，大家都是为了实际的利益（攻城掠地、抢夺财富之 类）而打仗，大国凭借实力抢夺、吞并小国，弱肉强食，没有谁 是为了真理、正义而战。
It is said that "there are no just wars in the Spring and Autumn Period." This means that the Spring and Autumn Period was an era of melee warfare between princes (warlords?). Everyone fought for actual interests (siege cities, land, wealth, etc.). Big countries relied on their strength to rob and annex small countries, preying on the weak and the strong. No one fought for truth and justice.
这种说法也许过于夸张，但齐桓公伐楚，似乎证明了战争的 不合道义。齐桓公寻找的借口一望而知是站不住脚的，无法掩盖 住恃强凌弱的本来面目，继而赤裸裸地以武力相威胁。这一典型 事例足以让人相信那时大多数战争的非正义性质，相信强者为王 的竞争逻辑。
This statement may be too exaggerated, but Duke Huan of Qi's attack on Chu seemed to prove that the war was unjust. The excuses Duke Huan of Qi was looking for were untenable at a glance. He could not hide his true nature of bullying, and then openly threatened with force. This typical example is enough to make people believe in the unjust nature of most wars at that time and the logic of competition in which the strong is king.
不过，这场战争之所以载入史册，引起人们的兴趣，并不是 谁是谁非、谁代表正义和非正义的问题，而是在一个“无法无 天”、凭强力攫取利益的时代之中，弱者如何凭借智慧保护自己的 技巧，以及在强大的武力面前不甘称臣的精神。
However, the reason why this war has been recorded in history and aroused people's interest is not about who is right and who is right and who represents justice and injustice, but in an era of "lawlessness" and grabbing profits by force, how the weak protect themselves with wisdom and their spirit of unwillingness to surrender in the face of powerful force.
内在的智慧，通过巧妙的外交辞令表达出来，不费一兵一卒，以智慧的力量使敌手心理上先行崩溃，从而达到保存自己的目的。即使是撇开利益之争一类背景，单是那些外交辞令本身，也足以 让人赞赏和惊叹不已：一来一往，针锋相对，表面显得谦恭、温 和、礼让，言辞又让人听起来不刺耳，而内在的凛然正气，却透 过温和的表面使放手胆战心惊。
Inner wisdom, expressed through clever diplomatic rhetoric, uses the power of wisdom to cause the opponent's psychological collapse first, without spending a single soldier, so as to achieve the purpose of preserving oneself. Even if the background of the conflict of interests is put aside, the diplomatic rhetoric itself is enough to make people admire and marvel at it: back and forth, tit for tat, the surface appears to be courteous, gentle, and courteous, and the words do not sound harsh, but the inner awe-inspiring righteousness, through the gentle surface, makes people tremble when they let go.
可以说，咱们的祖先在这方面发展出了一整套曾在世界上无 人可比拟的智谋，使他们在战争艺术和战争谋咯方面处于世界上 的领先地位，至今仍让我们向往不己。
It can be said that our ancestors developed a set of ingenuity in this regard that was unparalleled in the world, making them a leader in the world in the art of war and war strategy, which still makes us yearn for it.
智谋本身是中性的，是一种手段和技巧，可以用于各种目的 和各种场合。弱者可以凭借它来保护自己，强者可以凭借它来巧 取豪夺，阴谋家也可以凭借它来达到自己不可告人的目的。实际 上，我们也看到了不少把智谋用于各种目的和场合的实例，从宫 廷政变，到坑蒙拐骗，从高层次，到低层次，应有尽有。
Resourcefulness itself is neutral. It is a means and technique that can be used for various purposes and in various situations. The weak can use it to protect themselves, the strong can use it to rob, and conspirators can also use it to achieve their ulterior purposes. In fact, we have also seen many examples of resourcefulness being used for various purposes and occasions, from palace coups to deception, from high levels to low levels.
由此让我们想到，咱们国人热心并擅长于人与人之间的争斗， 凡是有人群的地方就有争斗。我们把自己的聪明才智过多地用在 了人与人之间的争斗之上，而不是用在征服自然、改造自然、为 更多的人造福之上。这是否同我们的谋略自古以来就特别发达有 关系呢？
This reminds us that our countrymen are enthusiastic and good at fighting between people. Wherever there are people, there will be fights. We have spent too much of our ingenuity on fighting between people, rather than on conquering nature, transforming nature, and benefiting more people. Is this related to the fact that our strategies have been particularly developed since ancient times?
