吴王夫差¹败越于夫椒²，报槜李³也。遂入越。越子⁴以甲楯⁵五千保于会稽⁶，使大夫种⁷因吴太宰⁸嚭⁹以行成。
King Fuchai of Wu defeated the army of Yue at Fuchiao, taking revenge for the battle at Zuili. Then he took the opportunity to invade Yue. King Goujian of Yue led five thousand soldiers armed with armor and shields and held fast to Mount Kuaiji. He sent Grand Minister Wen Zhong to seek peace with King Fuchai of Wu through Pi, the Grand Tutor.
吴王夫差在夫椒打败越军，报了槜李之仇，趁势攻进越国。越王勾践带领披甲持盾的五千人守住会稽山，并派大夫文种，通过吴国的太宰嚭向吴王求和。
¹夫差：吴国国君，吴王阖闾的儿子。²夫椒：在今江苏吴县太湖中，即包山。³槜李：吴、越边界地名。今浙江嘉兴县一带。定公十四年，越曾大败吴军于此地。⁴越子：越王勾践。⁵楯：盾牌。⁶会稽：山名。在今浙江绍兴市。⁷种：文种，越大夫。⁸太宰：官名。⁹嚭：吴国大臣名，善于逢迎，深得吴王夫差宠信。
吴子将许之。伍员¹曰：“不可。臣闻之：‘树德莫如滋²，去疾莫如尽³。’昔有过⁴浇⁵杀斟灌⁶以伐斟鄩⁷，灭夏后相⁸。后缗⁹方娠¹⁰，逃出自窦¹¹，归于有仍¹²，生少康¹³焉，为仍牧正¹⁴。惎¹⁵浇能戒¹⁶之。浇使椒¹⁷求之，逃奔有虞¹⁸，为之庖正¹⁹，以除其害。虞思²⁰于是妻之以二姚，而邑诸纶²¹，有田一成²²，有众一旅²³。能布其德，而兆其谋，以收夏众，抚其官职；使女艾²⁴谍²⁵浇，使季杼²⁶诱豷²⁷，遂灭过、戈²⁸，复禹之绩。祀夏配天，不失旧物。今吴不如过，而越大于少康，或将丰之，不亦难乎？勾践能亲而务施，施不失人，亲不弃劳，与我同壤而世为仇雠。于是乎克而弗取，将又存之，违天而长²⁹寇雠，后虽悔之，不可食³⁰已。姬³¹之衰也，日可俟也³²。介在蛮夷，而长寇雠，以是求伯，必不行矣。”
“Absolutely not! I have heard that ‘To establish virtue, one must water it with diligence; to eliminate disasters, one must uproot them completely.’ In the past, Jiao of the state of Guo killed Zhenguan and then attacked Zhenxun, destroying King Xiang of the Xia Dynasty. Xiang’s wife, Hou Min, was pregnant and escaped through a small hole in the city wall. She returned to Youren and gave birth to Shao Kang. Later, Shao Kang became the shepherd official of Youren. He hated Jiao extremely and could also be vigilant. Jiao sent Jiao to search everywhere for Shao Kang. Shao Kang fled to Youyu and became the cook official there, avoiding disasters. Yu Si gave his two daughters in marriage to him and enfeoffed him in Lunyi. There was one area of fields, but it was only ten li in size. There was one army, but it was only five hundred men. But he could bestow benevolent rule, begin to plan, gather the remnants of the Xia Dynasty and make them dedicated to their duties. He sent Nü Ai to spy on Jiao there and sent Ji Shu to entice Jiao’s younger brother Yi. Finally, he destroyed the states of Guo and Ge, restored the achievements of Yu the Great of the Xia Dynasty, offered sacrifices to the ancestors of the Xia Dynasty to accompany and enjoy the blessings of the Heavenly Emperor, and maintained the mandate of the Xia Dynasty. Now the state of Wu is not as powerful as the state of Guo, but the state of Yue is greater than Shao Kang. If the state of Yue becomes powerful, won’t it be difficult for the state of Wu? Goujian, this person, can be close to his subjects and pay attention to bestowing favors. If he is willing to bestow favors, he will not lose the hearts of the people; if he is close to his subjects, he will not neglect those who have made contributions. His land is adjacent to ours, and there has been enmity for generations. Now that we have defeated him, instead of destroying him, we plan to preserve him. This is really going against the mandate of heaven and strengthening the enemy. In the future, it will be too late to regret! The decline of the Ji surname is just around the corner. Our state is located among the barbarians and yet we are strengthening the enemy. In this way, seeking hegemony will not work!”
吴王打算答应他。伍员说：“万万不可！臣听说：‘树立品德，必须灌溉辛勤；扫除祸害，必须连根拔尽’。从前过国的浇，杀了斟灌又攻打斟鄩，灭了夏王相。相的妻子后缗方怀孕，从城墙的小洞里逃走，回到有仍，生了少康。少康后来做了有仍的牧正，他对浇恨极了，又能警惕戒备。浇派椒四处搜寻少康，少康逃奔有虞，在那里做了庖正，躲避祸害。虞思两个女儿嫁给他，封他在纶邑，有田一成，不过十里，有众一旅，不过五百。但他能布施德政，开始谋划，收集夏朝的余部，使其专心供职。他派女艾去浇那里刺探消息，派季舒去引诱浇的弟弟豷，终于灭亡过国和戈国，恢复夏禹的功业，祭祀夏的祖先，以配享天帝，维护了夏朝的天命。现在吴国不如过国，越国却大于少康，如果让越国强盛起来，吴国岂不就难办了吗？勾践这个人能够亲近臣民，注重施布恩惠。肯施恩惠，就不失民心；亲近臣民，就不会忽略有功之人。他与我国土地相连，世代有仇，现在我们战胜了他，不但不加以消灭，反而打算保全他，这真是违背天命而助长仇敌，将来后悔也来不及了！姬姓的衰亡，指日可待呀。我国处在蛮夷之间，而又助长仇敌，这样谋霸业，行不通啊！”
¹伍员：即伍子胥，吴国大夫。²滋：滋长。³尽：断根。⁴过：夏朝国名，今山东掖县北。⁵浇：人名。寒浞的儿子。⁶斟灌：夏时国名，今山东寿光县东北。⁷斟鄩：夏朝国名，今山东潍县西南。⁸夏后相：夏朝第五代王，少康的父亲。⁹后缗：夏后相的妻子。¹⁰娠：怀孕。¹¹窦：孔穴。¹²有仍：国名，今山东济宁县。后缗是有仍国的女儿，所以逃归娘家。¹³少康：夏后相的遗腹子。¹⁴牧正：主管畜牧的官。¹⁵惎：憎恨。¹⁶戒：警戒。¹⁷椒：浇的大臣。¹⁸有虞：姚姓国，今山西永济县。¹⁹庖正：掌管膳食的官。²⁰虞思：虞国的国君。²¹纶：地名，今河南虞城县东南。²²成：方十里。²³旅：五百人。²⁴女艾：少康臣。²⁵谍：暗地察看。²⁶季杼：少康的儿子。²⁷豷：浇的弟弟。²⁸戈：豷的封国。²⁹长：助长。³⁰不可食：吃不消。³¹姬：吴与周王朝同姓，姬姓国之一。³²日可俟也：犹言指日可待。俟：等待。
弗听。退而告人曰：“越十年生聚，而十年教训，二十年之外，吴其为沼乎！”
The king of Wu did not listen. Wu Zixu stepped down and said to others, "If Yue gathers wealth in ten years and then spends another ten years educating and training its people, in twenty years, I'm afraid the palaces of Wu will turn into ponds!"
吴王不听。伍员退下来，对人说：“越国用十年时间聚集财富，再用十年时间教育和训练人民，二十年后，吴国的宫殿怕要变成池沼啊！”
