处非道之位，被众口之谮，溺于当世之言，而欲当严天子而求安，几不亦难哉！此夫智士所以至死而不显于世者也。When one is in a position where the right way is not followed, is slandered by the mouths of many, is immersed in the words of the present age, and yet wants to face a strict sovereign and seek safety, isn't it extremely difficult? This is why wise scholars often die without achieving prominence in the world.
楚庄王之弟春申君，有爱妾曰余，春申君之正妻子曰甲。Lord Chunshen, the younger brother of King Zhuang of Chu, had a beloved concubine named Yu, and his legitimate wife had a son named Jia.
余欲君之弃其妻也，因自伤其身以视君而泣，曰：Yu wanted the lord to abandon his wife. So, she injured herself, showed it to the lord, and wept, saying:
"得为君之妾，甚幸。虽然，适夫人非所以事君也，适君非所以事夫人也。"I'm very fortunate to be your concubine. However, serving the wife properly is not the way to serve you, and serving you properly is not the way to serve the wife.
身故不肖，力不足以适二主，其势不俱适，与其死夫人所者，不若赐死君前。I'm unworthy, and my strength is not enough to serve two masters. Since the situation doesn't allow me to serve both, rather than dying at the hands of the wife, I'd prefer to be granted death in front of you.
妾以赐死，若复幸于左右，愿君必察之，无为人笑。"If I'm granted death, and if those around you still take pity on me, I hope you will surely see clearly and not be laughed at by others."
君因信妾余之诈，为弃正妻。余又欲杀甲而以其子为后，因自裂其呆衣之里，以示君而泣，曰：The lord, believing the falsehood of concubine Yu, thus abandoned his legitimate wife. Yu then wanted to kill Jia and make her own son the heir. So, she tore the lining of her own clothes, showed it to the lord, and wept, saying:
"余之得幸君之日久矣，甲非弗知也，今乃欲强戏余。"I've been favored by you for a long time, and Jia is not unaware of this. Now he actually tried to force himself on me.
余与争之，至裂余之衣，而此子之不孝，莫大于此矣！"I struggled with him, and he even tore my clothes. There can be no greater act of filial impiety from this child!"
君怒，而杀甲也。故妻以妾余之诈弃，而子以之死。The lord was enraged and killed Jia. Thus, the wife was abandoned because of the false accusations of concubine Yu, and the son died as a result.
从是观之，父子爱子也，犹可以毁而害也；From this, we can see that even the love between a father and a son can be destroyed and harmed by false accusations.
君臣之相与也，非有父子之亲也，而群臣之毁言，非特一妾之口也，何怪夫贤圣之戮死哉！The relationship between the sovereign and the ministers is not as close as that between a father and a son, and the slanderous words of the ministers are not just those of a single concubine. So, why should it be strange that sages are killed?
此商君之所以车裂于秦，而吴起之所以枝解于楚者也。This is why Lord Shang was torn apart by chariots in Qin, and Wu Qi was torn limb from limb in Chu.
凡人臣者，有罪固不欲诛，无功者皆欲尊显。Generally, when a minister is guilty, he surely doesn't want to be punished, and those without merit all want to be honored and prominent.
而圣人之治国也，赏不加于无功，而诛必行于有罪者也。When a sage governs a country, rewards are not given to those without merit, and punishment is surely imposed on those who are guilty.
然则有术数者之为人也，固左右奸臣之所害，非明主弗能听也。However, those who possess statecraft are surely harmed by the treacherous ministers around the sovereign. Only an enlightened sovereign can listen to them.
世之学者说人主，不曰："乘威严之势以困奸邪之臣"，而皆曰："仁义惠爱而已矣！"Scholars in the world, when advising the sovereign, do not say, "Use the power of dignity and authority to subdue the treacherous and evil ministers," but all say, "It's just about benevolence, righteousness, kindness, and love!"
世主美仁义之名而不察其实，是以大者国亡身死，小者地削主卑。The sovereigns of the world praise the names of benevolence and righteousness without examining their substance. As a result, in the worst - case scenario, the country perishes and the sovereign loses his life; in the less - severe case, the territory is reduced and the sovereign's status declines.
何以明之？夫施与贫困者，此世之所谓仁义；哀怜百姓，不忍诛罚者，此世之所谓惠爱也。How can this be proven? Giving to the poor is what the world calls benevolence and righteousness; pitying the common people and being reluctant to impose punishment is what the world calls kindness and love.
夫有施与贫困，则无功者得赏；不忍诛罚，则暴乱者不止。If there is giving to the poor, those without merit will receive rewards. If one is reluctant to impose punishment, the violent and rebellious will not stop.
国有无功得赏者，则民不外务当敌斩首，内不急力田疾作。If there are those who receive rewards without merit in a country, then the people will not focus on fighting the enemy and beheading them on the outside, nor will they be eager to work hard in the fields and toil on the inside.
皆欲行货财，事富贵，为私善，立名誉，以取尊官厚俸。All will want to offer bribes, serve the wealthy and powerful, do private good deeds, build their reputations, and obtain high - ranking positions and generous salaries.
故奸私之臣愈众，而暴乱之徒愈胜，不亡何时！So, the more treacherous and self - serving ministers there are, and the more the violent and rebellious people prevail, how can the country not perish?
夫严刑者，民之所畏也；重罚者，民之所恶也。Severe punishments are what the people fear; heavy fines are what the people dislike.
故圣人陈其所畏以禁其邪，设其所恶以防其奸，是以国安而暴乱不起。So, the sage presents what they fear to prohibit their evil deeds, and sets up what they dislike to prevent their treachery. Thus, the country is peaceful and riots do not occur.
吾以是明仁义爱惠之不足用，而严刑重罚之可以治国也。From this, I can show that benevolence, righteousness, kindness, and love are not sufficient for governance, while severe punishments and heavy fines can be used to govern the country.
无棰策之威，衔橛之备，虽造父不能以服马；Without the power of the whip and the bit, and the preparation of the reins, even Zaofu could not control horses.
无规矩之法，绳墨之端，虽王尔不能以成方圆；Without the laws of the compass and the square, and the straightness of the ink - line, even Wang'er could not make squares and circles.
无威严之势，赏罚之法，虽舜不能以为治。Without the power of dignity and authority, and the laws of rewards and punishments, even Shun could not achieve good governance.
今世主皆轻释重罚严诛，行爱惠，而欲霸王之功，亦不可几也。Nowadays, sovereigns all easily abandon heavy punishments and strict executions, practice kindness and love, and yet hope to achieve the feats of hegemony. This is also impossible.
故善为主者，明赏设利以劝之，使民以功赏而不以仁义赐；So, a good sovereign clearly sets rewards and benefits to encourage the people, making them obtain rewards through their achievements rather than through benevolent and righteous gifts.
严刑重罚以禁之，使民以罪诛而不以爱惠免。He enforces severe punishments to prohibit evil, making the people be punished for their crimes rather than being pardoned out of kindness and love.
是以无功者不望，而有罪者不幸矣。As a result, those without merit do not have hopes, and those who are guilty do not get away with it.
讬于犀车良马之上，则可以陆犯阪阻之患；Relying on a strong carriage and good horses, one can overcome the difficulties of traveling on land with slopes and obstacles.
乘舟之安，持楫之利，则可以水绝江河之难；Taking advantage of the safety of a boat and the convenience of an oar, one can cross the rivers and seas on water.
操法术之数，行重罚严诛，则可以致霸王之功。Mastering the techniques of statecraft and implementing heavy punishments and strict executions, one can achieve the feats of hegemony.
治国之有法术赏罚，犹若陆行之有犀车良马也，水行之有轻舟便楫也，乘之者遂得其成。Having the techniques of statecraft, rewards, and punishments in governing a country is like having a strong carriage and good horses for traveling on land, or a light boat and convenient oars for traveling on water. Those who use them can achieve success.
伊尹得之，汤以王；管仲得之，齐以霸；商君得之，秦以强。Yi Yin obtained this, and King Tang became the Son of Heaven. Guan Zhong obtained this, and Qi became a hegemon. Lord Shang obtained this, and Qin became strong.
此三人者，皆明于霸王之术，察于治强之数，而不以牵于世俗之言；These three people were all clear about the techniques of hegemony, understood the methods of governance and strengthening the country, and were not influenced by the common words of the world.
适当世明主之意，则有直任布衣之士，立为卿相之处；When they met the intentions of the wise sovereigns of their times, they, as commoners, were directly appointed as ministers and prime ministers.
处位治国，则有尊主广地之实：此之谓足贵之臣。When they were in positions to govern the country, they achieved the reality of exalting the sovereign and expanding the territory. These are the so - called highly - valued ministers.
汤得伊尹，以百里之地立为天子；King Tang obtained Yi Yin and established himself as the Son of Heaven with a territory of a hundred li.
桓公得管仲，立为五霸主，九合诸候，一匡天下；Duke Huan obtained Guan Zhong, became one of the five hegemons, united the feudal lords nine times, and rectified the world.
孝公得商君，地以广，兵以强。Duke Xiao obtained Lord Shang, expanded the territory, and strengthened the army.
故有忠臣者，外无敌国之患，内无乱臣之忧，长安于天下，而名垂后世，所谓忠臣也。So, when there are loyal ministers, there are no external threats from enemy states and no internal worries about rebellious ministers. The country enjoys long - term peace in the world, and their names are passed down through generations. These are the so - called loyal ministers.
若夫豫让为智伯臣也，上不能说人主使之明法术度数之理以避祸难之患，下不能领御其众以安其国；As for Yu Rang, who was a minister of Zhi Bo, he could not persuade the sovereign above to understand the principles of statecraft, laws, and regulations to avoid disasters and troubles, nor could he lead and manage his people to secure the country below.
及襄子之杀智伯也，豫让乃自黔劓，败其形容，以为智伯报襄子之仇。When Zhao Xiangzi killed Zhi Bo, Yu Rang disfigured himself by blackening his face and cutting off his nose, wanting to avenge Zhi Bo against Zhao Xiangzi.
是虽有残刑杀身以为人主之名，而实无益于智伯若秋毫之末。Although he had the reputation of inflicting self - harm and sacrificing his life for the sovereign, in fact, it was of no real benefit to Zhi Bo, not even as much as the tip of an autumn hair.
此吾之所下也，而世主以为忠而高之。This is the kind of person I look down upon, yet the sovereigns of the world consider him loyal and hold him in high regard.
古有伯夷叔齐者，武王让以天下而弗受，二人饿死首阳之陵。In ancient times, there were Bo Yi and Shu Qi. King Wu offered them the world, but they refused to accept it, and the two starved to death on Shouyang Mountain.
若此臣，不畏重诛，不利重赏，不可以罚禁也，不可以赏使也，此之谓无益之臣也。Such ministers are not afraid of severe punishment, and are not attracted by high rewards. They cannot be prohibited by punishment, nor can they be made to act by rewards. These are the so - called useless ministers.
吾所少而去也，而世主之所多而求也。These are the kind of people I despise and would get rid of, yet the sovereigns of the world value them and seek them out.
谚曰："厉怜王。"此不恭之言也。虽然，古无虚谚，不可不察也。此谓劫杀死亡之主言也。There is a proverb that says, "A leper pities the king." This is an irreverent saying. However, since there are no empty proverbs in ancient times, it cannot be ignored. This is said in relation to sovereigns who are killed or meet with disasters.
人主无法术以御其臣，虽长年而美材，大臣犹将得势，擅事主断，而各为其私急。If the sovereign does not have the techniques of statecraft to control his ministers, even if he is long - lived and of great talent, the ministers will still gain power, monopolize affairs, make decisions on their own, and each pursue their own private and urgent matters.
而恐父兄毫杰之士，借人主之力，以禁诛于己也，故杀贤长而立幼弱，废正的而立不义。They are afraid that the talented people among the sovereign's relatives and heroes will use the sovereign's power to suppress and punish them. So, they kill the virtuous and the elder, and establish the young and the weak, and abolish the legitimate heir and establish the unrighteous one.
故《春秋》记之曰：So, the Spring and Autumn Annals records:
"楚王子围将聘于郑，未出境，闻王病而反。因入问病，以其冠缨绞王而杀之，遂自立也。"Prince Wei of Chu was about to go on a diplomatic mission to Zheng. Before leaving the border, he heard that the king was ill and returned. He then entered to inquire about the illness and strangled the king to death with his hat - string, and then established himself as the king.
齐崔杼，其妻美，而庄公通之，数如崔氏之室。及公往，崔子之徒贾举率崔子之徒而攻公。In Qi, Cui Zhu's wife was beautiful, and Duke Zhuang had an affair with her, often going to Cui's house. When the duke went there one time, Cui Zhu's subordinate Jia Ju led Cui Zhu's men to attack the duke.
公入室，请与之分国，崔子不许；公请自刃于庙，崔子又不听；公乃走，逾于北墙。The duke entered the room and asked to divide the country with them, but Cui Zhu refused. The duke asked to commit suicide in the ancestral temple, but Cui Zhu did not listen. The duke then fled and climbed over the north wall.
贾举射公，中其股，公坠，崔子之徒以戈斫公而死之，而立其弟景公。"Jia Ju shot the duke, hitting his thigh, and the duke fell. Cui Zhu's men killed him with a halberd and established his younger brother, Duke Jing.
近之所见：李兑之用赵也，饿主父百日而死，卓齿之用齐也，擢湣王之筋，悬之庙梁，宿昔而死。Recently, what we've seen is that when Li Dui was in power in Zhao, he starved Lord Fuyi to death in a hundred days. When Zhuo Chi was in power in Qi, he pulled out King Min's tendons, hung him on the beam of the ancestral temple, and he died overnight.
故厉虽癕肿疕疡，上比于《春秋》，未至于绞颈射股也；下比于近世，未至饿死擢筋也。So, although a leper suffers from boils and sores, compared with the events in the Spring and Autumn Annals, it is not as bad as being strangled or having one's thigh shot. Compared with recent events, it is not as bad as being starved to death or having one's tendons pulled out.
故劫杀死亡之君，此其心之忧惧，形之苦痛也，必甚于厉矣。由此观之，虽"厉怜王"可也。So, for sovereigns who are killed or meet with disasters, their mental distress and physical pain must be greater than that of a leper. From this perspective, it is reasonable to say, "A leper pities the king."
