申胥谏许越成 Shen Xu's Remonstrance Against Allowing Yue to Reach a Peace Agreement吴王夫差乃告诸大夫曰：“孤将有大志于齐，吾将许越成，而无拂吾虑。若越既改，吾又何求？若其不改，反行，吾振旅焉。”King Fuchai of Wu then announced to all the ministers, "I have great ambitions regarding Qi. I will allow Yue to reach a peace agreement and nothing should go against my consideration. If Yue has already reformed, what more could I ask for? If it hasn't reformed, upon my return, I will lead my troops back to attack it."申胥谏曰：“不可许也。夫越非实忠心好吴也，又非慑畏吾甲兵之强也。Shen Xu remonstrated, "It is not advisable to allow it. Yue is neither truly loyal and friendly towards Wu, nor is it in awe of the might of our military forces.大夫种勇而善谋，将还玩吴国于股掌之上，以得其志。Minister Wen Zhong of Yue is brave and resourceful. He will toy with the state of Wu in the palm of his hand to achieve his aims.夫固知君王之盖威以好胜也，故婉约其辞，以从逸王志，使淫乐于诸夏之国，以自伤也。He surely knows that Your Majesty is overbearing and fond of winning, so he uses mild and euphemistic words to indulge Your Majesty's ambitions, making you indulge in pleasures among the states of the Central Plains and thus harm yourself.使吾甲兵钝弊，民人离落，而日以憔悴，然后安受吾烬。He will cause our military forces to become dull and worn out, the people to scatter and become estranged, and day by day grow haggard, and then he will calmly take over the remnants of our state.夫越王好信以爱民，四方归之，年谷时熟，日长炎炎，及吾犹可以战也。为虺弗摧，为蛇将若何？”The King of Yue values trustworthiness and loves his people, and people from all directions flock to him. His crops are harvested in due season every year, and his power is growing steadily. While we still can fight. If you don't crush a viper when it's small, what will you do when it becomes a big snake?"吴王曰：“大夫奚隆于越？越曾足以为大虞乎？若无越，则吾何以春秋曜吾军士？”乃许之成。King Fuchai said, "Why do you, Minister, overestimate Yue so much? Could Yue ever be a major threat? Without Yue, how could I show off the might of my soldiers during spring and autumn military parades?" And so he allowed Yue to reach a peace agreement.将盟，越王又使诸稽郢辞曰：“以盟为有益乎？前盟口血未乾，足以结信矣。When they were about to form an alliance, the King of Yue sent Zhuji Ying again to decline, saying, Is forming an alliance beneficial? The blood from the previous alliance on our lips has not yet dried, which should be enough to establish trust. 以盟为无益乎？君王舍甲兵之威以临使之，而胡重于鬼神而自轻也。”Is forming an alliance useless? Your Majesty, you abandon the might of your military forces to command and treat them, yet why do you attach so much importance to the ghosts and gods and belittle yourself?"吴王乃许之，荒成不盟。King Fuchai then agreed, and the peace was reached without forming an alliance.
