【Original text】
吴子欲因楚丧而伐之①，使公子掩余、公子烛庸帅师围潜②，使延州来季子聘于上国③，遂聘于晋，以观诸侯吴公子光曰：“此时也，弗可失也。”告 设诸曰：“上国有言曰；‘不索。何获？’ 我，王嗣也④，吾欲求之。事若克，季子虽至，不吾废也。”告 设诸曰：“王可弑也。母老、子弱⑤，是无著我何？”光曰：“我，尔 身也(6)。”
Wu Zi wanted to attack Chu due to the loss of Chu, ① so he sent the princes Baiyu and Zhu Yong to surround him ② and sent Ji Zi from Yanzhou to hire him in the state of Shang. ③ Then he hired him in Jin to see the princes. Wu Gongzi Guang said: "At this time, there is nothing to lose." He told Shezhu: "There is a saying in the state of Shang: 'If you don't ask for it, how can you get it?' I am the king's heir, and I want to do it. Even if my son comes, I will not let him go. "The king can kill me, and my son is weak." Guang said, "I am your body."
夏四月，光伏甲于堀室而享王(7)。王使甲坐于道，及其门。门、 阶、户、席，皆王亲也(8)，夹之以铍(9)。羞者献体改服于门外(10)，执 羞者坐行而入(11)。执铍者夹承之，及体(12)，以相授也。光伪足疾，人 于堀室。 设诸置剑于鱼中以进，抽剑刺王，铍交于胸(13)，遂弑王。 阖庐以其子为卿(14)。
In the fourth month of summer, Photovoltaic A went to the Hori room to enjoy the kingship (7). The king made A sit on the road and its gate. The doors, steps, doors, and seats are all made by the royal family (8), and are sandwiched with beryllium (9). Those who are ashamed offer their bodies and submit themselves outside the door (10), while those who are ashamed sit and walk in (11). Those who hold beryllium hold it between themselves and the body (12) to teach each other. He suffered from pseudo-foot disease and died in Horishi. He placed his sword in the fish to advance, drew his sword and stabbed the king, put the beryllium in his chest (13), and killed the king. Helu regards his son as his minister (14).
【注释】
【Note】
①吴子：吴王僚。因；乘机。楚丧：指楚平王之死。②公子掩余、公子烛庸：吴王僚的同母兄弟。潜；楚国地名，在今安徽霍山县东北。③ 延州来季子：即吴公子季札。上国：指中原各国。④王嗣；王位的继承 人。⑤弱：幼小。(6)身：自己。(7)崛(ku)室：地下室。享；宴 请。(8)王亲：国君的亲兵。(9)铍（pi）：用刀鞘装的剑。(10)羞者： 进献食品的人。献体：脱光衣服。(11)坐行：用双膝著地而行。(12)及 体。意思是剑尖挨著了身体。(13)铍交于胸：剑从两旁交叉刺进胸部。 (14)阖庐:即公子光。
①Wu Zi: King Liao of Wu. Because; take advantage of the opportunity. Chu mourning: refers to the death of King Ping of Chu. ② Gongzi Baiyu and Gongzi Zhuyong: half-brothers of King Liao of Wu. Qian; the place name of Chu State, located in the northeast of Huoshan County, Anhui Province today. ③ Jizha came to Yanzhou: that is, Jizha, Mr. Wu. Shangguo: refers to the countries in the Central Plains. ④King heir; heir to the throne. ⑤Weak: young. (6) Body: oneself. (7) ku room: basement. Enjoy; banquet. (8) Prince: The king’s personal soldiers. (9) Beryllium (pi): A sword in a scabbard. (10) The shameful person: the person who offers food. Sacrifice: Take off your clothes. (11) Sitting and walking: Walk with your knees on the ground. (12) and body. It means that the tip of the sword is close to the body. (13) Beryllium crosses the chest: The sword crosses and penetrates the chest from both sides. (14) Helu: That is Gongzi Guang.
【译文】
【Translation】
吴王僚想乘楚国有丧事的机会去攻打它，他派公子掩余和公子烛庸率 军队包围潜邑，”又派季札去访问中原各国，接著又去 晋国访问，以观察各诸侯的态度……吴国的公子光说：“这正是时 机，不要错过了。”他告诉 设诸说：“中原各国说过这样的话：‘不去索取，哪里能得到？’我是王位的继承人，我想得到王位。如 果事情成功了，季札即使来了，也不能废除我。” 设诸说：“君王是可以杀掉的。但我母亲老了，儿子还年幼，我该怎么办才好 呢？”公子光说。“我就是你自己啊。”
King Liao of Wu wanted to take advantage of the funeral in Chu to attack it, so he sent his sons Yiyu and Zhuyong to lead an army to surround Qianyi. He also sent Jizha to visit various countries in the Central Plains, and then to Jin to observe the attitude of the princes... Prince Guang of Wu said: "This is the right opportunity, don't miss it." " He told Shezhu: "The countries in the Central Plains have said this: 'If you don't ask for it, where can you get it? 'I am the heir to the throne and I want the throne. If things succeed, even if Jizha comes, he cannot depose me. "Shu Zhu said: "Kings can be killed. But my mother is old and my son is still young. What should I do? "Gongzi Guang said. "I am yourself. "
夏天四月份，公子光在地下室里埋伏下武士，同时宴请吴王僚，吴王僚派武士坐在道路两旁，。一直到大门口。门口、台阶、里门和坐席上全是吴王僚的亲兵，都拿著剑在吴王两旁护卫。进献 食物的人在门外脱光衣服，改穿别的服装，再跪著膝行进去。拿 剑的人在两边用剑夹著献食物的人，剑尖一直挨著献食者的身体， 然后把食物递给端的人送上去。公子光假装脚有病，进入地下室。 设诸把短剑放进鱼肚子里端了进来，他抽出剑来刺杀吴王僚， 两边吴王亲兵的剑同时交叉刺进了 设诸的胸中，就这样刺杀了 吴王僚。接替的吴王阖庐封 设诸的儿子做了卿。
In April of summer, Gongzi Guang ambushed the warriors in the basement, and at the same time entertained King Wu, who sent warriors to sit on both sides of the road. All the way to the gate. The door, steps, inner door and seats were all filled with King Wu's personal soldiers, all holding swords to guard King Wu on both sides. The person who brought the food took off his clothes outside the door, changed into other clothes, and then went in on his knees. The person holding the sword holds the person offering food with his sword on both sides, with the tip of the sword always close to the body of the person offering food, and then hands the food to the person offering it. Gongziguang pretended to have a foot problem and entered the basement. Shi Zhu put the dagger into the belly of the fish and brought it in. He drew out his sword and stabbed King Wu Liao. The swords of King Wu's soldiers on both sides crossed at the same time and stabbed into Shi Zhu's chest, thus killing King Wu Liao. The succeeding King Wu Helu granted the title of Shizhu's son to the position of minister.
【读解】
【Interpretation】
这是一个惊心动魄的故事。由产生弑君念头，到刺杀成功，一 切都发展得那么快，出人意料，干净利落，如同足球场上的单刀赴会。
This is a thrilling story. From the idea of regicide to the successful assassination, everything developed so quickly, unexpectedly, and neatly, just like attending a meeting alone on a football field.
在那个时代，弑君是目无王法的弥天大罪，后果自不必说。敢于产生这样的念头，可以说是胆大包天。不过，这在宫廷之中是家常便饭，政变随时都可能发生，什么王法不王法，规矩呀，礼丁呀等等，全是针对外人和百姓的，宫廷内部的皇亲国戚，全不 把它们放在眼里，为了争权夺利，什么都可以做出来。宫廷之外的平民百姓把宫廷内的一切都看得那么神圣和神秘，其实远不是 如此。
In that era, regicide was a heinous crime without kingly law, and the consequences were needless to say. It can be said to be audacious to dare to have such an idea. However, this is a common occurrence in the palace, and coups can happen at any time. The royal laws, rules, etiquette, etc. are all aimed at outsiders and the common people. The royal relatives within the palace do not take them seriously and will do anything to fight for power and gain. Common people outside the palace regard everything in the palace as sacred and mysterious, but in fact it is far from that.
设诸算是运气好，虽然自己也成了刀下鬼，到底还是让阴谋得逞了，成功了，成功后坐上了王位的人，又会像前任一样，做出 对祖先、神明恭敬的样子，板著面孔教训平民百姓，照样征收赋 税、派遣劳役。权力的更迭，多数时候对平民百姓没有什么意义，百姓的生存状况多半不会有多大改善，仅仅是宫廷内部一些人因 此发达了，一些人因此遭殃了。
Assuming that Zhu was lucky, even though he himself became a target, he still allowed the conspiracy to succeed. After the success, the person who sat on the throne would behave like his predecessor and show respect to his ancestors and gods, lecture the common people with a straight face, collect taxes and send laborers as before. Most of the time, the change of power has little meaning to the common people, and the living conditions of the common people will probably not improve much. It is just that some people in the palace become prosperous because of it, and some people suffer because of it.
不过，有时候宫廷权力的更迭，也可能对历史进程产生影响。比如，倘若荆柯刺秦成功了，历史就将改写。鸿门宴上，如果刘邦真被杀了，历史将是另一种样子。
However, sometimes changes in palace power may also have an impact on the historical process. For example, if Jing Ke succeeded in assassinating Qin, history would be rewritten. At the Hongmen Banquet, if Liu Bang was really killed, history would be different.
历史中充满了各种偶然因素，很多偶然因素都可能改变历史进程，甚至产生深远影响。可以找到的例证太多了，它们表明，历 史发展并非直线式的，也并非每个历史转折都是必然的，可以预 料的。
History is full of accidental factors, many of which may change the course of history and even have far-reaching impacts. There are too many examples that can be found, which show that historical development is not linear, and not every historical turning point is inevitable or predictable.
人生也是如此。暗杀政敌本身是一种冒险，一场赌博，其中也充满了偶然性，决定胜负往往在一刹那，在一些小小的细节之上。倘若 设诸动作慢一点，公子光将是另一种下场；但他胜了， 胜者为王，命运出现了转折，上天把天平倒向了他一边。
The same is true in life. Assassinating a political opponent is an adventure in itself, a gamble, and it is also full of chance. The outcome is often determined in an instant, based on some small details. If all actions had been slower, Gongzi Guang would have had a different fate; but he won, and the winner is the king. There was a turning point in fate, and God tipped the balance to his side.
