1
曹沫者，魯人也，以勇力事魯莊公。 莊公好力。 曹沫為魯將，與齊戰，三敗北。 魯莊公懼，乃獻遂邑之地以和。 猶復以為將。
Cao Mo was a native of Lu who served Duke Zhuang of Lu through his courage and martial prowess. The duke admired physical strength. Cao Mo served as a general for Lu, but suffered three defeats in battle against Qi. Alarmed, Duke Zhuang of Lu ceded the territory of Sui to make peace. Even so, the duke retained Cao Mo as his general.
2
齊桓公許與魯會于柯而盟。 桓公與莊公既盟於壇上，曹沫執匕首劫齊桓公，桓公左右莫敢動，而問曰：「子將何欲？」 曹沫曰：「齊彊魯弱，而大國侵魯亦甚矣。 今魯城壞即壓齊境，君其圖之。」 桓公乃許盡歸魯之侵地。 既已言，曹沫投其匕首，下壇，北面就群臣之位，顏色不變，辭令如故。 桓公怒，欲倍其約。 管仲曰：「不可。 夫貪小利以自快，棄信於諸侯，失天下之援，不如與之。」 於是桓公乃遂割魯侵地，曹沫三戰所亡地盡復予魯。
Duke Huan of Qi consented to meet the ruler of Lu at Ke to conclude a treaty. After the two dukes had sealed their covenant atop the altar, Cao Mo drew a dagger and seized Duke Huan of Qi. Not one of the duke's attendants dared stir, and the duke demanded, "What is it you want?" Cao Mo replied, "Qi is powerful and Lu is weak, yet your great state has encroached upon Lu beyond all measure." Now the crumbling walls of Lu press against the very borders of Qi. My lord, I urge you to reconsider." Duke Huan thereupon agreed to restore every last territory taken from Lu. His terms secured, Cao Mo cast aside the dagger, descended from the altar, and took his place facing north among the assembled ministers. His expression remained unchanged, his speech as composed as before. Duke Huan was furious and wanted to renege on the agreement. Guan Zhong counseled, "You must not." To grasp at a petty gain for a moment's satisfaction, only to forfeit the trust of the feudal lords and lose the support of all under Heaven — better to give him what he asks." And so Duke Huan returned the seized territories, and all the lands that Cao Mo had lost in three defeats were fully restored to Lu.
3
其後百六十有七年而吳有專諸之事。
One hundred and sixty-seven years later, the affair of Zhuan Zhu took place in the state of Wu.
4
專諸者，吳堂邑人也。 伍子胥之亡楚而如吳也，知專諸之能。 伍子胥既見吳王僚，說以伐楚之利。 吳公子光曰：「彼伍員父兄皆死於楚而員言伐楚，欲自為報私讎也，非能為吳。」 吳王乃止。 伍子胥知公子光之欲殺吳王僚，乃曰：「彼光將有內志，未可說以外事。」 乃進專諸於公子光。
Zhuan Zhu was a native of Tangyi in Wu. When Wu Zixu fled from Chu to Wu, he recognized the abilities of Zhuan Zhu. Once Wu Zixu had gained an audience with King Liao of Wu, he pressed upon the king the advantages of launching a campaign against Chu. Prince Guang of Wu objected, "Wu Yuan's father and elder brother both perished at the hands of Chu. His call to attack Chu serves only his private vendetta, not the interests of Wu." The King of Wu thereupon abandoned the plan. Wu Zixu perceived that Prince Guang harbored designs on King Liao's life, and remarked, "The prince nurses ambitions of his own. He cannot yet be approached about foreign ventures." He then introduced Zhuan Zhu to Prince Guang.
5
光之父曰吳王諸樊。 諸樊弟三人：次曰餘祭，次曰夷眛，次曰季子札。 諸樊知季子札賢而不立太子，以次傳三弟，欲卒致國于季子札。 諸樊既死，傳餘祭。 餘祭死，傳夷眛。 夷眛死，當傳季子札； 季子札逃不肯立，吳人乃立夷眛之子僚為王。 公子光曰：「使以兄弟次邪，季子當立； 必以子乎，則光真適嗣，當立。」 故嘗陰養謀臣以求立。
Prince Guang's father was King Zhu Fan of Wu. Zhu Fan had three younger brothers: Yu Ji, Yi Mo, and the youngest, Ji Zha. Knowing Ji Zha to be a man of exceptional virtue, Zhu Fan chose not to designate an heir apparent but instead arranged for the throne to pass through each of his three brothers in turn, so that the kingdom might ultimately reach Ji Zha. After Zhu Fan's death, the throne passed to Yu Ji. When Yu Ji died, the throne passed to Yi Mo. Upon Yi Mo's death, the throne should have passed to Ji Zha. But Ji Zha fled and refused to take the throne, so the people of Wu installed Yi Mo's son Liao as king. Prince Guang protested, "If the succession follows the order of brothers, then Ji Zha ought to be king." "But if it must pass to the next generation, then I, as the legitimate eldest son, am the rightful heir." And so he secretly cultivated a circle of advisors in pursuit of the throne.
6
光既得專諸，善客待之。 九年而楚平王死。 春，吳王僚欲因楚喪，使其二弟公子蓋餘、屬庸將兵圍楚之灊； 使延陵季子於晉，以觀諸侯之變。 楚發兵絕吳將蓋餘、屬庸路，吳兵不得還。 於是公子光謂專諸曰：「此時不可失，不求何獲！ 且光真王嗣，當立，季子雖來，不吾廢也。」 專諸曰：「王僚可殺也。 母老子弱，而兩弟將兵伐楚，楚絕其後。 方今吳外困於楚，而內空無骨鯁之臣，是無如我何。」 公子光頓首曰：「光之身，子之身也。」
Once Prince Guang had secured the services of Zhuan Zhu, he treated him with the courtesy due an honored guest. Nine years passed, and King Ping of Chu died. In the spring, King Liao of Wu saw an opportunity in Chu's period of mourning. He dispatched his two brothers, Princes Gai Yu and Zhu Yong, to lead an army and lay siege to Qian in Chu. He also sent Ji Zha of Yanling on a diplomatic mission to Jin to gauge the intentions of the feudal lords. Chu then dispatched forces to cut off the retreat of Gai Yu and Zhu Yong, stranding the Wu army with no way home. Prince Guang said to Zhuan Zhu, "This is the moment — it must not be squandered. If we do not seize our chance, what will we ever gain?" "Moreover, I am the true royal heir and rightfully should be king. Even if Ji Zha returns, he will not unseat me." Zhuan Zhu declared, "King Liao can be killed." "His mother is old and his sons are young. His two brothers are off campaigning against Chu, and Chu has severed their line of retreat." "Right now Wu is beset from without by Chu and left hollow within, with no ministers of stature to stand in our way. He is powerless against us." Prince Guang bowed low and declared, "My fate is yours."
7
四月丙子，光伏甲士於窟室中，而具酒請王僚。 王僚使兵陳自宮至光之家，門戶階陛左右，皆王僚之親戚也。 夾立侍，皆持長鈹。 酒既酣，公子光詳為足疾，入窟室中，使專諸置匕首魚炙之腹中而進之。 既至王前，專諸擘魚，因以匕首刺王僚，王僚立死。 左右亦殺專諸，王人擾亂。 公子光出其伏甲以攻王僚之徒，盡滅之，遂自立為王，是為闔閭。 闔閭乃封專諸之子以為上卿。
On the bingzi day of the fourth month, Prince Guang concealed armed men in an underground chamber, then held a banquet and invited King Liao. King Liao posted a cordon of soldiers stretching from the palace all the way to Prince Guang's residence. At every gate, stairway, and flanking position stood his own kinsmen. Attendants flanked the path, every one of them bearing a long halberd. When the wine had flowed freely, Prince Guang feigned a foot ailment and withdrew to the underground chamber. There, he had Zhuan Zhu conceal a dagger inside the belly of a grilled fish before presenting it to the king. As the dish was set before the king, Zhuan Zhu tore open the fish, seized the dagger, and plunged it into King Liao. The king died on the spot. The king's guards killed Zhuan Zhu in the same instant, and the royal retinue dissolved into chaos. Prince Guang unleashed his hidden soldiers upon King Liao's followers and destroyed them to the last man. He then declared himself king — and became known as King Helu. King Helu enfeoffed Zhuan Zhu's son as a Senior Minister.
8
其後七十餘年而晉有豫讓之事。
More than seventy years afterward, the affair of Yu Rang took place in Jin.
9
豫讓者，晉人也，故嘗事范氏及中行氏，而無所知名。 去而事智伯，智伯甚尊寵之。 及智伯伐趙襄子，趙襄子與韓、魏合謀滅智伯，滅智伯之後而三分其地。 趙襄子最怨智伯，漆其頭以為飲器。 豫讓遁逃山中，曰：「嗟乎！ 士為知己者死，女為說己者容。 今智伯知我，我必為報讎而死，以報智伯，則吾魂魄不愧矣。」 乃變名姓為刑人，入宮涂廁，中挾匕首，欲以刺襄子。 襄子如廁，心動，執問涂廁之刑人，則豫讓，內持刀兵，曰：「欲為智伯報仇！」 左右欲誅之。 襄子曰：「彼義人也，吾謹避之耳。 且智伯亡無後，而其臣欲為報仇，此天下之賢人也。」 卒醳去之。
Yu Rang was a man of Jin. He had formerly served the Fan and Zhonghang clans, but achieved no distinction. He left their service and entered that of Zhi Bo, who treated him with great honor and favor. When Zhi Bo launched an attack against Zhao Xiangzi, Zhao Xiangzi conspired with the houses of Han and Wei to destroy him. After Zhi Bo's annihilation, they divided his territories among themselves. Zhao Xiangzi harbored the deepest enmity toward Zhi Bo, and had his skull lacquered to serve as a drinking cup. Yu Rang fled into the mountains and cried out, "Alas!" "A true man dies for one who truly knows him, just as a woman makes herself beautiful for one who delights in her." "Zhi Bo understood my worth. I must avenge him, even at the cost of my own life, to repay his recognition — then my spirit may rest without shame." He changed his name, disguised himself as a convict laborer, and entered the palace to plaster the privy walls, concealing a dagger on his person with the intention of assassinating Zhao Xiangzi. When Xiangzi entered the privy, his heart stirred with unease. He seized the convict laborer and questioned him — it was Yu Rang, who had a blade hidden on his person. Yu Rang declared, "I seek to avenge Zhi Bo!" The attendants moved to execute him on the spot. Xiangzi stayed them, saying, "This is a man of honor. I need only be careful to avoid him." "Zhi Bo is dead and left no heir, yet his retainer still seeks to avenge him. Such a man is the most worthy in all under Heaven." And so he pardoned Yu Rang and set him free.
10
居頃之，豫讓又漆身為厲，吞炭為啞，使形狀不可知，行乞於市。 其妻不識也。 行見其友，其友識之，曰：「汝非豫讓邪？」 曰：「我是也。」 其友為泣曰：「以子之才，委質而臣事襄子，襄子必近幸子。 近幸子，乃為所欲，顧不易邪？ 何乃殘身苦形，欲以求報襄子，不亦難乎！」 豫讓曰：「既已委質臣事人，而求殺之，是懷二心以事其君也。 且吾所為者極難耳！ 然所以為此者，將以愧天下後世之為人臣懷二心以事其君者也。」
Before long, Yu Rang smeared his body with lacquer to raise disfiguring sores and swallowed hot charcoal to destroy his voice, rendering himself unrecognizable. He then went begging through the marketplace. Even his own wife failed to recognize him. As he wandered the streets, he encountered a friend who saw through his disguise and asked, "Are you not Yu Rang?" Yu Rang answered, "I am." His friend wept and said, "With your talents, if you pledged yourself to Xiangzi as his servant, he would surely draw you close and trust you." "Once in his confidence, you could accomplish whatever you wished. Would that not be the easier path?" "Why ravage your own body and destroy your appearance to pursue this vendetta against Xiangzi? Is that not an impossibly difficult course?" Yu Rang replied, "If I were to pledge myself as another man's servant and then seek to kill him, that would be serving my lord with treachery in my heart." "What I pursue is indeed the most difficult path of all!" "Yet I choose this path so that all who come after — every minister who would serve his lord with a divided heart — may be shamed by my example."
11
既去，頃之，襄子當出，豫讓伏於所當過之橋下。 襄子至橋，馬驚，襄子曰：「此必是豫讓也。」 使人問之，果豫讓也。 於是襄子乃數豫讓曰：「子不嘗事范、中行氏乎？ 智伯盡滅之，而子不為報讎，而反委質臣於智伯。 智伯亦已死矣，而子獨何以為之報讎之深也？」 豫讓曰：「臣事范、中行氏，范、中行氏皆眾人遇我，我故眾人報之。 至於智伯，國士遇我，我故國士報之。」 襄子喟然嘆息而泣曰：「嗟乎豫子！ 子之為智伯，名既成矣，而寡人赦子，亦已足矣。 子其自為計，寡人不復釋子！」 使兵圍之。 豫讓曰：「臣聞明主不掩人之美，而忠臣有死名之義。 前君已寬赦臣，天下莫不稱君之賢。 今日之事，臣固伏誅，然願請君之衣而擊之，焉以致報讎之意，則雖死不恨。 非所敢望也，敢布腹心！」 於是襄子大義之，乃使使持衣與豫讓。 豫讓拔劍三躍而擊之，曰：「吾可以下報智伯矣！」 遂伏劍自殺。 死之日，趙國志士聞之，皆為涕泣。
After they parted, it was not long before Xiangzi prepared to go out. Yu Rang concealed himself beneath a bridge along the route the lord was sure to take. When Xiangzi reached the bridge, his horse reared in alarm. "This must be Yu Rang," Xiangzi said. He sent men to search, and indeed it was Yu Rang. Xiangzi confronted Yu Rang and demanded, "Did you not once serve the Fan and Zhonghang clans?" "Zhi Bo annihilated them utterly, yet you never sought vengeance on their behalf. Instead, you pledged yourself to Zhi Bo's service." "Zhi Bo is now dead as well. Why, then, do you pursue vengeance for him alone, and with such relentless devotion?" Yu Rang answered, "When I served the Fan and Zhonghang clans, they treated me as a common man, and so I repaid them as a common man." "But Zhi Bo treated me as a man of the highest caliber — a hero of the realm — and so I must repay him as such." Xiangzi heaved a deep sigh, and tears fell from his eyes. "Alas, Yu Rang!" he cried. "Your devotion to Zhi Bo has already won you an immortal name. And I have pardoned you once — that should suffice." "Make whatever arrangements you must. I will not release you again." He ordered his soldiers to surround Yu Rang. Yu Rang spoke: "I have heard that a wise lord does not obscure a man's virtue, and a loyal minister embraces death to fulfill his duty." "Before, my lord pardoned me with great magnanimity, and all under Heaven praised your worthiness." "Today I accept my punishment. But I beg you — let me strike your robes, that I may at least fulfill the spirit of my vengeance. Then I shall die without regret." "I dare not hope for such a thing, yet I lay bare my heart before you!" Deeply moved by his sense of honor, Xiangzi ordered an attendant to bring his robes and present them to Yu Rang. Yu Rang drew his sword, leaped three times, and slashed at the robes. "Now I may descend to the world below and face Zhi Bo!" he cried. Then he fell upon his sword and died. On the day of his death, when word reached the men of honor throughout the state of Zhao, every one of them wept.
12
其後四十餘年而軹有聶政之事。
More than forty years afterward, the affair of Nie Zheng took place in Zhi.
13
聶政者，軹深井里人也。 殺人避仇，與母、姊如齊，以屠為事。
Nie Zheng was from the Shenjing neighborhood of Zhi. Having killed a man, he fled with his mother and elder sister to Qi to escape retaliation, and there took up the trade of a butcher.
14
久之，濮陽嚴仲子事韓哀侯，與韓相俠累有卻。 嚴仲子恐誅，亡去，游求人可以報俠累者。 至齊，齊人或言聶政勇敢士也，避仇隱於屠者之閒。 嚴仲子至門請，數反，然後具酒自暢聶政母前。 酒酣，嚴仲子奉黃金百溢，前為聶政母壽。 聶政驚怪其厚，固謝嚴仲子。 嚴仲子固進，而聶政謝曰：「臣幸有老母，家貧，客游以為狗屠，可以旦夕得甘毳以養親。 親供養備，不敢當仲子之賜。」 嚴仲子辟人，因為聶政言曰：「臣有仇，而行游諸侯眾矣； 然至齊，竊聞足下義甚高，故進百金者，將用為大人麤糲之費，得以交足下之驩，豈敢以有求望邪！」 聶政曰：「臣所以降志辱身居市井屠者，徒幸以養老母； 老母在，政身未敢以許人也。」 嚴仲子固讓，聶政竟不肯受也。 然嚴仲子卒備賓主之禮而去。
Some time later, Yan Zhongzi of Puyang, a retainer of Marquis Ai of Han, developed a bitter feud with Xia Lei, the prime minister of Han. Fearing for his life, Yan Zhongzi fled and traveled far and wide in search of someone capable of taking revenge on Xia Lei. When he arrived in Qi, someone told him that Nie Zheng was a man of extraordinary courage who was hiding among the butchers to escape a blood feud. Yan Zhongzi went to Nie Zheng's door to pay his respects, returning several times before at last hosting a banquet of wine in the presence of Nie Zheng's mother. When the wine flowed freely, Yan Zhongzi presented a hundred measures of gold, offering them as a birthday gift to Nie Zheng's mother. Nie Zheng was startled by the extravagance and firmly refused the gift. Yan Zhongzi insisted, but Nie Zheng demurred: "I am fortunate that my aged mother is still alive. Though our family is poor, I wander far and work as a butcher — just enough to provide her with delicacies morning and evening." "Her needs are fully met. I cannot accept such a gift." Yan Zhongzi cleared the room and spoke to Nie Zheng privately: "I have an enemy, and I have wandered through many states in search of help." "When I arrived in Qi and learned of your lofty sense of honor, I offered this gold not with any expectation, but merely to defray your household expenses and to secure the pleasure of your friendship. How could I dare expect anything in return?" Nie Zheng said, "The reason I have swallowed my pride and endured a humble life among the market butchers is solely to care for my aged mother." "While my mother lives, I dare not pledge my life to any man's cause." Yan Zhongzi pressed him once more, but Nie Zheng remained resolute in his refusal. Yet Yan Zhongzi observed all the courtesies of a proper host before taking his leave.
15
久之，聶政母死。 既已葬，除服，聶政曰：「嗟乎！ 政乃市井之人，鼓刀以屠； 而嚴仲子乃諸侯之卿相也，不遠千里，枉車騎而交臣。 臣之所以待之，至淺鮮矣，未有大功可以稱者，而嚴仲子奉百金為親壽，我雖不受，然是者徒深知政也。 夫賢者以感忿睚眦之意，而親信窮僻之人，而政獨安得嘿然而已乎！ 且前日要政，政徒以老母； 老母今以天年終，政將為知己者用。」 乃遂西至濮陽，見嚴仲子曰：「前日所以不許仲子者，徒以親在； 今不幸而母以天年終。 仲子所欲報仇者為誰？ 請得從事焉！」 嚴仲子具告曰：「臣之仇韓相俠累，俠累又韓君之季父也，宗族盛多，居處兵衛甚設，臣欲使人刺之，（眾）終莫能就。 今足下幸而不棄，請益其車騎壯士可為足下輔翼者。」 聶政曰：「韓之與衛，相去中閒不甚遠，今殺人之相，相又國君之親，此其勢不可以多人，多人不能無生得失，生得失則語泄，語泄是韓舉國而與仲子為讎，豈不殆哉！」 遂謝車騎人徒，聶政乃辭獨行。
A long time passed, and then Nie Zheng's mother died. After the burial and the completion of the mourning period, Nie Zheng said, "Alas!" "I am nothing but a man of the marketplace, wielding a butcher's knife." "Yet Yan Zhongzi, a minister to feudal lords, thought nothing of traveling a thousand li to extend his friendship to me." "How meager was my response! I performed no great service worthy of his regard, yet Yan Zhongzi offered a hundred measures of gold for my mother's birthday. Though I refused the gift, his understanding of my character runs uncommonly deep." "When a man of worth, burning with righteous indignation, places his trust in someone as obscure and lowly as myself — how can I simply remain idle and silent?" "Moreover, when he first sought my aid, I declined only because my mother was still alive." "Now my mother has lived a full life and passed away. I shall devote myself to the service of one who truly knows me." He traveled westward to Puyang, called on Yan Zhongzi, and said, "The reason I refused you before was solely because my mother was still alive." "Now, alas, my mother has lived out her natural span and departed this world." "Who is the man you wish to take vengeance upon?" "Allow me to act." Yan Zhongzi laid out the full story: "My enemy is Xia Lei, the prime minister of Han. He is also an uncle of the ruler of Han. His clan is vast and powerful, and his residence bristles with guards. Every man I have sent to assassinate him has failed." "Now that you have consented, allow me to furnish you with chariots and warriors to support you." Nie Zheng replied, "Han and Wei are not far apart. Now, to assassinate a state's prime minister — a man who is kin to the ruler — this cannot be done with a crowd. With too many people, something will go wrong. If something goes wrong, word will leak out. And if word leaks, all of Han will rise against you as an enemy. Would that not be catastrophic?" He declined the offer of chariots, horsemen, and attendants. Nie Zheng set out alone.
16
杖劍至韓，韓相俠累方坐府上，持兵戟而衛侍者甚眾。 聶政直入，上階刺殺俠累，左右大亂。 聶政大呼，所擊殺者數十人，因自皮面決眼，自屠出腸，遂以死。
Carrying a sword, he made his way to Han. The prime minister Xia Lei was seated in his ministerial hall, surrounded by a throng of guards bearing weapons and halberds. Nie Zheng strode straight through them, mounted the stairs, and stabbed Xia Lei to death. The guards erupted in pandemonium. Nie Zheng let out a mighty roar and cut down dozens of men. Then he flayed the skin from his own face, gouged out his eyes, sliced open his belly, and tore out his entrails before dying.
17
韓取聶政尸暴於市，購問莫知誰子。 於是韓（購）縣［購］之，有能言殺相俠累者予千金。 久之莫知也。
The men of Han placed Nie Zheng's body on public display in the marketplace and posted a reward, but no one could identify him. Han then publicly announced a bounty: a thousand pieces of gold to anyone who could name the man who had killed Prime Minister Xia Lei. For a long time, no one came forward.
18
政姊榮聞人有刺殺韓相者，賊不得，國不知其名姓，暴其尸而縣之千金，乃於邑曰：「其是吾弟與？ 嗟乎，嚴仲子知吾弟！」 立起，如韓，之市，而死者果政也，伏尸哭極哀，曰：「是軹深井里所謂聶政者也。」 市行者諸眾人皆曰：「此人暴虐吾國相，王縣購其名姓千金，夫人不聞與？ 何敢來識之也？」 榮應之曰：「聞之。 然政所以蒙污辱自棄於市販之閒者，為老母幸無恙，妾未嫁也。 親既以天年下世，妾已嫁夫，嚴仲子乃察舉吾弟困污之中而交之，澤厚矣，可柰何！ 士固為知己者死，今乃以妾尚在之故，重自刑以絕從，妾其柰何畏歿身之誅，終滅賢弟之名！」 大驚韓市人。 乃大呼天者三，卒於邑悲哀而死政之旁。
Nie Zheng's elder sister Rong heard that someone had assassinated the prime minister of Han — that the killer's identity remained unknown, his body displayed publicly with a bounty of a thousand gold pieces — and she cried out in anguish, "Could this be my brother?" "Alas! It was Yan Zhongzi who truly understood my brother!" She set out at once for Han. When she reached the marketplace and saw the body, it was indeed Nie Zheng. She threw herself upon his corpse, weeping with the most wrenching grief, and cried, "This is the man known as Nie Zheng of the Shenjing neighborhood of Zhi." The crowd of onlookers in the marketplace said, "This man committed an act of violence against our prime minister, and the king has posted a bounty of a thousand gold for his identity. Has this woman not heard?" "How does she dare come forward to identify him?" Rong answered, "I have heard." "The reason Nie Zheng endured humiliation and debased himself to live among the butchers was that our aged mother was still alive and I was not yet married." "Now our mother has died in the fullness of her years, and I am already wed. Yan Zhongzi raised my brother from poverty and obscurity and extended his friendship — such kindness was profound beyond measure. What choice did my brother have but to repay it?" "A man of true honor will die for one who understands him. It was only because I was still alive that he disfigured himself to sever any connection to me. How can I, out of fear of death, allow the name of my noble brother to vanish into oblivion?" Her words stunned the people in the marketplace of Han. She cried out to Heaven three times, then collapsed in a paroxysm of grief and died beside her brother.
19
晉、楚、齊、衛聞之，皆曰：「非獨政能也，乃其姊亦烈女也。 鄉使政誠知其姊無濡忍之志，不重暴骸之難，必絕險千里以列其名，姊弟俱僇於韓市者，亦未必敢以身許嚴仲子也。 嚴仲子亦可謂知人能得士矣！」
When word reached the people of Jin, Chu, Qi, and Wei, they all declared, "Not only was Nie Zheng remarkable — his sister was also a woman of fierce conviction." "Had Nie Zheng known that his sister would refuse to bear her grief in silence — that she would brave a thousand li of peril to proclaim his name, so that brother and sister alike would meet their end in the marketplace of Han — he might never have dared pledge his life to Yan Zhongzi." "Yan Zhongzi may truly be called a man who understood others and knew how to win the loyalty of the resolute."
20
其後二百二十餘年秦有荊軻之事。
More than two hundred and twenty years afterward, the affair of Jing Ke took place in Qin.
21
荊軻者，衛人也。 其先乃齊人，徙於衛，衛人謂之慶卿。 而之燕，燕人謂之荊卿。
Jing Ke was a native of the state of Wei. His forebears were originally from Qi but had migrated to Wei. The people of Wei knew him as Qing Qing. When he traveled to Yan, the people of Yan called him Lord Jing.
22
荊卿好讀書擊劍，以術說衛元君，衛元君不用。 其後秦伐魏，置東郡，徙衛元君之支屬於野王。
Lord Jing was devoted to reading and swordsmanship. He presented his skills to Duke Yuan of Wei, but the duke declined to employ him. Afterward, Qin conquered Wei and established the Eastern Commandery, relocating the collateral kinsmen of Duke Yuan of Wei to Ye Wang.
23
荊軻嘗游過榆次，與蓋聶論劍，蓋聶怒而目之。 荊軻出，人或言復召荊卿。 蓋聶曰：「曩者吾與論劍有不稱者，吾目之； 試往，是宜去，不敢留。」 使使往之主人，荊卿則已駕而去榆次矣。 使者還報，蓋聶曰：「固去也，吾曩者目攝之！」
On his travels, Jing Ke once passed through Yuci, where he discussed swordsmanship with the master swordsman Gai Nie. Gai Nie glared at him in displeasure. Jing Ke departed. Someone suggested summoning him back. Gai Nie said, "When we discussed swordsmanship, he said something I found objectionable, so I glared at him." "Go check if you wish — he should already be gone. He would not dare remain." When a messenger reached his lodgings, Jing Ke had indeed already harnessed his horses and departed from Yuci. The messenger returned with the report. Gai Nie said, "Of course he has gone. My glare intimidated him into leaving."
24
荊軻游於邯鄲，魯句踐與荊軻博，爭道，魯句踐怒而叱之，荊軻嘿而逃去，遂不復會。
While traveling in Handan, Jing Ke played a board game with Lu Goujian. A dispute arose over a move, and Lu Goujian angrily berated him. Jing Ke withdrew in silence and never saw him again.
25
荊軻既至燕，愛燕之狗屠及善擊筑者高漸離。 荊軻嗜酒，日與狗屠及高漸離飲於燕市，酒酣以往，高漸離擊筑，荊軻和而歌於市中，相樂也，已而相泣，旁若無人者。 荊軻雖游於酒人乎，然其為人沈深好書； 其所游諸侯，盡與其賢豪長者相結。 其之燕，燕之處士田光先生亦善待之，知其非庸人也。
After Jing Ke arrived in Yan, he became close to a certain dog butcher and to Gao Jianli, a man renowned for his skill with the zhu, a stringed instrument. Jing Ke was fond of wine. Each day he drank with the dog butcher and Gao Jianli in the marketplace of Yan. When the wine flowed, Gao Jianli would play the zhu while Jing Ke sang along in the middle of the marketplace. They reveled in each other's company, and then wept together, as though no one else in the world existed. Though Jing Ke kept company with drinkers, his nature was in truth deep and contemplative, and he was devoted to books. Wherever he traveled among the states, he formed bonds with the most worthy, heroic, and distinguished men. When he arrived in Yan, the reclusive scholar Tian Guang treated him with great respect, recognizing that he was no ordinary man.
26
居頃之，會燕太子丹質秦亡歸燕。 燕太子丹者，故嘗質於趙，而秦王政生於趙，其少時與丹驩。 及政立為秦王，而丹質於秦。 秦王之遇燕太子丹不善，故丹怨而亡歸。 歸而求為報秦王者，國小，力不能。 其後秦日出兵山東以伐齊、楚、三晉，稍蠶食諸侯，且至於燕，燕君臣皆恐禍之至。 太子丹患之，問其傅鞠武。 武對曰：「秦地遍天下，威脅韓、魏、趙氏，北有甘泉、谷口之固，南有涇、渭之沃，擅巴、漢之饒，右隴、蜀之山，左關、殽之險，民眾而士厲，兵革有餘。 意有所出，則長城之南，易水以北，未有所定也。 柰何以見陵之怨，欲批其逆鱗哉！」 丹曰：「然則何由？」 對曰：「請入圖之。」
Before long, Crown Prince Dan of Yan, who had been held as a hostage in Qin, made his escape and returned to Yan. Crown Prince Dan had once been a hostage in Zhao, where the future King of Qin had been born. In their youth, the two had been friends. But when Zheng ascended the throne of Qin, Dan found himself a hostage in that very kingdom. The King of Qin treated Crown Prince Dan with contempt. Nursing a deep resentment, Dan fled back to Yan. Once home, he sought a way to exact revenge upon the King of Qin, but his state was small and lacked the strength. In the years that followed, Qin relentlessly dispatched armies east of the mountains to attack Qi, Chu, and the Three Jin, devouring the feudal states one by one and drawing ever closer to Yan. The ruler and ministers of Yan trembled with dread at the approaching catastrophe. Crown Prince Dan was consumed with anxiety and consulted his tutor, Ju Wu. Ju Wu replied, "Qin's territory spans the breadth of the realm. Its might menaces Han, Wei, and Zhao. To the north it holds the strongholds of Ganquan and Gukou; to the south, the fertile plains of the Jing and Wei rivers. It commands the riches of Ba and Han, the mountains of Long and Shu on its right, the barrier of the passes and Xiao on its left. Its people are numerous, its warriors battle-hardened, its arms and armor in surplus." "Should Qin turn its intentions toward us, then everything south of the Long Wall and north of the Yi River would hang in the balance." "How can you, out of a personal slight, presume to stroke the dragon's scales against the grain?" Dan asked, "Then what course do we have?" Ju Wu replied, "Allow me to retire and give the matter thought."
27
居有閒，秦將樊於期得罪於秦王，亡之燕，太子受而捨之。 鞠武諫曰：「不可。 夫以秦王之暴而積怒於燕，足為寒心，又況聞樊將軍之所在乎？ 是謂『委肉當餓虎之蹊』也，禍必不振矣！ 雖有管、晏，不能為之謀也。 願太子疾遣樊將軍入匈奴以滅口。 請西約三晉，南連齊、楚，北購於單于，其後乃可圖也。」 太子曰：「太傅之計，曠日彌久，心惛然，恐不能須臾。 且非獨於此也，夫樊將軍窮困於天下，歸身於丹，丹終不以迫於彊秦而棄所哀憐之交，置之匈奴，是固丹命卒之時也。 願太傅更慮之。」 鞠武曰：「夫行危欲求安，造禍而求福，計淺而怨深，連結一人之後交，不顧國家之大害，此所謂『資怨而助禍』矣。 夫以鴻毛燎於爐炭之上，必無事矣。 且以鵰鷙之秦，行怨暴之怒，豈足道哉！ 燕有田光先生，其為人智深而勇沈，可與謀。」 太子曰：「願因太傅而得交於田先生，可乎？」 鞠武曰：「敬諾。」 出見田先生，道「太子願圖國事於先生也」。 田光曰：「敬奉教。」 乃造焉。
After some time, the Qin general Fan Yuqi fell afoul of the King of Qin and fled to Yan, where Crown Prince Dan received him and gave him refuge. Ju Wu remonstrated, "This must not be done." "Given the cruelty of the King of Qin and the fury he has already directed at Yan, it is enough to make the blood run cold. How much worse when he learns where General Fan has taken refuge?" "This is what they call 'placing meat in the path of a hungry tiger.' The disaster will be beyond all remedy!" "Even Guan Zhong and Yan Ying at their wisest could not devise a way out of this." "I urge you to send General Fan away to the Xiongnu immediately, to remove all pretext for attack." "Then ally with the Three Jin to the west, forge ties with Qi and Chu to the south, and reach an understanding with the Chanyu to the north. Only then can further plans be made." Crown Prince Dan said, "The Grand Tutor's plan would take far too long. My mind is in turmoil — I fear I cannot wait even a single day." "And that is not all. General Fan came to me in his hour of desperation. I would never, no matter how great the threat from Qin, abandon a man I have shown compassion to and cast him out to the Xiongnu. That would be the moment I seal my own fate." "I beg the Grand Tutor to reconsider." Ju Wu said, "To court danger in the hope of safety, to invite disaster in the pursuit of fortune, to scheme shallowly while nursing deep grievances, to forge a bond with one man while ignoring the peril to the entire state — this is what they call 'fueling resentment and abetting disaster.'" "It is like laying a swan's feather upon a bed of hot coals — it will amount to nothing." "Moreover, to provoke a Qin as fierce as a raptor and invite its wrathful violence — is that even worth discussing?" "There is a man in Yan named Tian Guang, whose wisdom runs deep and whose courage is steadfast. You could consult with him." The Crown Prince said, "I would like to be introduced to Master Tian through the Grand Tutor. Would that be possible?" Ju Wu replied, "With the greatest pleasure." He went out to meet Tian Guang and conveyed the message: "The Crown Prince wishes to discuss affairs of state with you." Tian Guang replied, "I shall respectfully comply." And so he proceeded to the prince's residence.
28
太子逢迎，卻行為導，跪而蔽席。 田光坐定，左右無人，太子避席而請曰：「燕秦不兩立，願先生留意也。」 田光曰：「臣聞騏驥盛壯之時，一日而馳千里； 至其衰老，駑馬先之。 今太子聞光盛壯之時，不知臣精已消亡矣。 雖然，光不敢以圖國事，所善荊卿可使也。」 太子曰：「願因先生得結交於荊卿，可乎？」 田光曰：「敬諾。」 即起，趨出。 太子送至門，戒曰：「丹所報，先生所言者，國之大事也，願先生勿泄也！」 田光俛而笑曰：「諾。」 僂行見荊卿，曰：「光與子相善，燕國莫不知。 今太子聞光壯盛之時，不知吾形已不逮也，幸而教之曰『燕秦不兩立，願先生留意也』。 光竊不自外，言足下於太子也，願足下過太子於宮。」 荊軻曰：「謹奉教。」 田光曰：「吾聞之，長者為行，不使人疑之。 今太子告光曰：『所言者，國之大事也，願先生勿泄』，是太子疑光也。 夫為行而使人疑之，非節俠也。」 欲自殺以激荊卿，曰：「願足下急過太子，言光已死，明不言也。」 因遂自刎而死。
The Crown Prince came forth to greet him, walking backward as a mark of respect to guide his way, and knelt to clear the seat cushion for him. Once Tian Guang was seated and they were alone, the Crown Prince left his seat and said earnestly, "Yan and Qin cannot both endure. I beg you to give this matter your deepest consideration." Tian Guang said, "I have heard that in its prime, a thoroughbred can gallop a thousand li in a single day." "But when it grows old and spent, even a common nag will outpace it." "The Crown Prince has heard of me as I was in the days of my vigor, but does not realize that my strength has already faded." "Be that as it may, I would not presume to neglect a matter of such importance. Allow me to recommend a man — Lord Jing — who could undertake such a mission." The Crown Prince said, "I would like to be introduced to Lord Jing through you. Would that be possible?" Tian Guang replied, "With the greatest pleasure." He rose at once and hurried out. The Crown Prince accompanied him to the gate and cautioned, "What I have confided in you and what you have spoken of today concern a great affair of state. I beg you, sir, do not let word of this escape." Tian Guang bowed his head and smiled. "I shall not," he said. He made his way, stooped with age, to see Jing Ke and said, "You and I are close friends — all of Yan knows this." "The Crown Prince heard of me as I was in my prime, but does not realize that my body can no longer keep pace. He was gracious enough to confide in me that Yan and Qin cannot both endure, and asked me to give the matter my attention." "I did not presume to hold back, and I commended you to the Crown Prince. I beg you to call upon him at his palace." Jing Ke said, "I shall respectfully comply." Tian Guang said, "I have heard that a man of integrity, in his conduct, must give no one cause for suspicion." "Now the Crown Prince has cautioned me that our conversation touches upon a great affair of state and has asked me not to divulge it. This means the Crown Prince suspects me." "For a man to conduct himself in a way that invites suspicion — that is beneath a true man of honor." Wishing to spur Jing Ke to action through his own death, he said, "I urge you to go to the Crown Prince at once and tell him that Tian Guang is dead — as proof that no word has escaped my lips." With that, he cut his own throat and died.
29
荊軻遂見太子，言田光已死，致光之言。 太子再拜而跪，膝行流涕，有頃而後言曰：「丹所以誡田先生毋言者，欲以成大事之謀也。 今田先生以死明不言，豈丹之心哉！」 荊軻坐定，太子避席頓首曰：「田先生不知丹之不肖，使得至前，敢有所道，此天之所以哀燕而不棄其孤也。 今秦有貪利之心，而欲不可足也。 非盡天下之地，臣海內之王者，其意不厭。 今秦已虜韓王，盡納其地。 又舉兵南伐楚，北臨趙； 王翦將數十萬之眾距漳、鄴，而李信出太原、雲中。 趙不能支秦，必入臣，入臣則禍至燕。 燕小弱，數困於兵，今計舉國不足以當秦。 諸侯服秦，莫敢合從。 丹之私計愚，以為誠得天下之勇士使於秦，闚以重利； 秦王貪，其勢必得所願矣。 誠得劫秦王，使悉反諸侯侵地，若曹沫之與齊桓公，則大善矣； 則不可，因而刺殺之。 彼秦大將擅兵於外而內有亂，則君臣相疑，以其閒諸侯得合從，其破秦必矣。 此丹之上願，而不知所委命，唯荊卿留意焉。」 久之，荊軻曰：「此國之大事也，臣駑下，恐不足任使。」 太子前頓首，固請毋讓，然後許諾。 於是尊荊卿為上卿，舍上舍。 太子日造門下，供太牢具，異物閒進，車騎美女恣荊軻所欲，以順適其意。
Jing Ke went at once to the Crown Prince, told him of Tian Guang's death, and delivered his final message. The Crown Prince bowed twice and dropped to his knees. He crawled forward, tears streaming down his face, and at last spoke: "The reason I cautioned Master Tian not to speak was to ensure the success of a great plan." "Now Master Tian has died to prove his silence. Was this ever what I intended?" Once Jing Ke was seated, the Crown Prince left his own seat, bowed his head to the floor, and said, "Master Tian, despite my unworthiness, enabled you to come before me so that I might dare to voice this plan. Surely this is Heaven's way of showing pity on Yan and not forsaking its orphaned people." "Now Qin is consumed by insatiable greed — its appetite knows no limit." "It will not rest until it has seized every inch of land under Heaven and reduced every king within the seas to vassalage." "Qin has already captured the King of Han and annexed his entire realm." "It has raised armies to attack Chu in the south and to menace Zhao in the north." "Wang Jian commands hundreds of thousands of troops along the Zhang River and toward Ye, while Li Xin advances from Taiyuan and Yunzhong." "Zhao cannot withstand Qin and will inevitably surrender. Once it falls, the disaster will reach Yan." "Yan is small and weak, exhausted by repeated wars. Even if we mobilized the entire state, it would not suffice to oppose Qin." "The feudal lords have submitted to Qin, and not one dares to form an alliance against it." "In my private and admittedly naive estimation, if we could find the bravest warrior under Heaven and send him to Qin, dangling the promise of great gain before the king —" "The King of Qin is greedy, and he would certainly grant the man an audience." "If we could hold the King of Qin hostage and force him to return all the territories seized from the feudal lords — as Cao Mo once did with Duke Huan of Qi — that would be the finest outcome." "If that proves impossible, then we would assassinate him where he stands." "With Qin's great generals commanding armies far afield and turmoil erupting within, the ruler and his ministers would fall to mutual suspicion. The feudal lords could then seize the moment to form a united alliance, and the destruction of Qin would be assured." "This is my highest hope, yet I do not know to whom I can entrust such a mission. I beg Lord Jing to give this matter his deepest attention." After a long silence, Jing Ke said, "This is a great affair of state. I am a man of limited ability, and I fear I am not equal to such a task." The Crown Prince bowed low and earnestly implored him not to refuse. At last, Jing Ke accepted. Jing Ke was thereupon honored with the rank of Senior Minister and lodged in the finest quarters. Each day the Crown Prince called on him, providing the most lavish banquets, presenting rare gifts at intervals, and furnishing him with carriages, horses, and beautiful women to indulge his every desire.
30
久之，荊軻未有行意。 秦將王翦破趙，虜趙王，盡收入其地，進兵北略地至燕南界。 太子丹恐懼，乃請荊軻曰：「秦兵旦暮渡易水，則雖欲長侍足下，豈可得哉！」 荊軻曰：「微太子言，臣願謁之。 今行而毋信，則秦未可親也。 夫樊將軍，秦王購之金千斤，邑萬家。 誠得樊將軍首與燕督亢之地圖，奉獻秦王，秦王必說見臣，臣乃得有以報。」 太子曰：「樊將軍窮困來歸丹，丹不忍以己之私而傷長者之意，願足下更慮之！」
Yet a long time passed and Jing Ke showed no sign of preparing to depart. Meanwhile, the Qin general Wang Jian crushed Zhao, captured its king, and annexed the entire kingdom. He then pushed his troops northward to the southern border of Yan. Terrified, Crown Prince Dan implored Jing Ke, "The Qin army could cross the Yi River any day now. Much as I would wish to have you here at leisure, how can that still be possible?" Jing Ke said, "Even without Your Highness's words, I was about to raise this very matter." "But if I go with nothing to win the King of Qin's trust, there will be no way to get close to him." "General Fan — the King of Qin has placed a bounty of a thousand catties of gold and a fief of ten thousand households on his head." "If I could obtain General Fan's head and a map of the Dukang district of Yan and present them to the King of Qin, the king would surely be delighted to grant me an audience. Then I would have my chance." The Crown Prince said, "General Fan came to me in his darkest hour. I cannot bring myself to betray him for my own purposes. I beg you to find another way."
31
荊軻知太子不忍，乃遂私見樊於期曰：「秦之遇將軍可謂深矣，父母宗族皆為戮沒。 今聞購將軍首金千斤，邑萬家，將柰何？」 於期仰天太息流涕曰：「於期每念之，常痛於骨髓，顧計不知所出耳！」 荊軻曰：「今有一言可以解燕國之患，報將軍之仇者，何如？」 於期乃前曰：「為之柰何？」 荊軻曰：「願得將軍之首以獻秦王，秦王必喜而見臣，臣左手把其袖，右手揕其匈，然則將軍之仇報而燕見陵之愧除矣。 將軍豈有意乎？」 樊於期偏袒搤捥而進曰：「此臣之日夜切齒腐心也，乃今得聞教！」 遂自剄。 太子聞之，馳往，伏尸而哭，極哀。 既已不可柰何，乃遂盛樊於期首函封之。
Knowing the Crown Prince could not bring himself to act, Jing Ke went privately to see Fan Yuqi and said, "Qin has treated you with the utmost cruelty — your parents and your entire clan have been slaughtered." "Now I hear that a bounty of a thousand catties of gold and a fief of ten thousand households has been placed on your head. What do you intend to do?" Fan Yuqi raised his eyes to Heaven, heaved a long sigh, and wept. "Whenever I think of it, the anguish cuts to the very marrow of my bones. Yet I see no way forward." Jing Ke said, "I have a plan that could lift the peril from Yan and avenge your wrongs. What do you say?" Fan Yuqi stepped forward eagerly. "How?" Jing Ke said, "I wish to present your head to the King of Qin. He will be overjoyed and grant me an audience. With my left hand I will seize his sleeve, and with my right I will plunge a dagger into his chest. The general's wrongs will be avenged, and Yan's humiliation will be wiped away." "Would you be willing?" Fan Yuqi bared his shoulder, seized his own wrist, and declared, "This is what I have gnashed my teeth over and agonized about, day and night — and now at last I hear how it can be done!" And he cut his own throat. When the Crown Prince heard the news, he raced to the scene, threw himself upon the body, and wept in the most wrenching grief. Since nothing could be undone, he placed Fan Yuqi's head in a casket and sealed it.
32
於是太子豫求天下之利匕首，得趙人徐夫人匕首，取之百金，使工以藥焠之，以試人，血濡縷，人無不立死者。 乃裝為遣荊卿。 燕國有勇士秦舞陽，年十三，殺人，人不敢忤視。 乃令秦舞陽為副。 荊軻有所待，欲與俱； 其人居遠未來，而為治行。 頃之，未發，太子遲之，疑其改悔，乃復請曰：「日已盡矣，荊卿豈有意哉？ 丹請得先遣秦舞陽。」 荊軻怒，叱太子曰：「何太子之遣？ 往而不返者，豎子也！ 且提一匕首入不測之彊秦，仆所以留者，待吾客與俱。 今太子遲之，請辭決矣！」 遂發。
The Crown Prince then sought the sharpest dagger in all the realm. He obtained one from a Zhao craftsman named Xu Furen, paying a hundred pieces of gold, and had an artisan temper it with poison. When tested, a single scratch drew blood that soaked through a thread of silk, and the victim died instantly. He then outfitted Jing Ke for the journey. In Yan there was a young warrior named Qin Wuyang who had killed a man at the age of thirteen. No one dared meet his gaze. He was assigned to serve as Jing Ke's assistant. But Jing Ke was waiting for a certain person, intending to bring him along. The man lived far away and had not yet arrived, and Jing Ke continued his preparations. As time passed with still no departure, the Crown Prince grew suspicious that Jing Ke had changed his mind. He pressed him again: "The days are running out. Does Lord Jing still intend to go?" "Allow me to send Qin Wuyang ahead." Jing Ke was furious and snapped at the Crown Prince, "Why would Your Highness send him?" "To rush off on a one-way journey with no hope of return — that is the work of a reckless boy!" "I am to enter the unfathomable power of Qin armed with nothing but a single dagger. The reason I have delayed is that I am waiting for my companion to arrive." "Since the Crown Prince finds me too slow, then let me take my leave at once!" And so he set forth.
33
太子及賓客知其事者，皆白衣冠以送之。 至易水之上，既祖，取道，高漸離擊筑，荊軻和而歌，為變徵之聲，士皆垂淚涕泣。 又前而為歌曰：「風蕭蕭兮易水寒，壯士一去兮不復還！」 復為羽聲慨，士皆瞋目，發盡上指冠。 於是荊軻就車而去，終已不顧。
The Crown Prince and all the guests who knew of the mission came to see him off, dressed in the white caps and robes of mourning. At the bank of the Yi River, after the farewell sacrifice and before setting out on the road, Gao Jianli struck the zhu and Jing Ke sang in harmony, his voice in the mournful zhi mode. Every warrior wept. He stepped forward and sang once more: "The wind howls and the Yi River runs cold — the brave man departs, never to return!" Then he shifted to the stirring yu mode. Every warrior's eyes blazed, and their hair stood on end until it lifted their caps. With that, Jing Ke mounted his chariot and departed. He never once looked back.
34
遂至秦，持千金之資幣物，厚遺秦王寵臣中庶子蒙嘉。 嘉為先言於秦王曰：「燕王誠振怖大王之威，不敢舉兵以逆軍吏，願舉國為內臣，比諸侯之列，給貢職如郡縣，而得奉守先王之宗廟。 恐懼不敢自陳，謹斬樊於期之頭，及獻燕督亢之地圖，函封，燕王拜送于庭，使使以聞大王，唯大王命之。」 秦王聞之，大喜，乃朝服，設九賓，見燕使者咸陽宮。 荊軻奉樊於期頭函，而秦舞陽奉地圖柙，以次進。 至陛，秦舞陽色變振恐，群臣怪之。 荊軻顧笑舞陽，前謝曰：「北蕃蠻夷之鄙人，未嘗見天子，故振慴。 願大王少假借之，使得畢使於前。」 秦王謂軻曰：「取舞陽所持地圖。」 軻既取圖奏之，秦王發圖，圖窮而匕首見。 因左手把秦王之袖，而右手持匕首揕之。 未至身，秦王驚，自引而起，袖絕。 拔劍，劍長，操其室。 時惶急，劍堅，故不可立拔。 荊軻逐秦王，秦王環柱而走。 群臣皆愕，卒起不意，盡失其度。 而秦法，群臣侍殿上者不得持尺寸之兵； 諸郎中執兵皆陳殿下，非有詔召不得上。 方急時，不及召下兵，以故荊軻乃逐秦王。 而卒惶急，無以擊軻，而以手共搏之。 是時侍醫夏無且以其所奉藥囊提荊軻也。 秦王方環柱走，卒惶急，不知所為，左右乃曰：「王負劍！」 負劍，遂拔以擊荊軻，斷其左股。 荊軻廢，乃引其匕首以擿秦王，不中，中桐柱。 秦王復擊軻，軻被八創。 軻自知事不就，倚柱而笑，箕踞以罵曰：「事所以不成者，以欲生劫之，必得約契以報太子也。」 於是左右既前殺軻，秦王不怡者良久。 已而論功，賞群臣及當坐者各有差，而賜夏無且黃金二百溢，曰：「無且愛我，乃以藥囊提荊軻也。」
He arrived in Qin bearing gifts worth a thousand pieces of gold, and lavished them upon Meng Jia, a trusted minister of the King of Qin. Meng Jia spoke to the King of Qin on his behalf: "The King of Yan truly trembles before Your Majesty's might. He dares not raise arms against your forces and begs to submit his entire state as your vassal, to take his place among the feudal lords and render tribute as would a commandery or county, that he may preserve the sacrifices at his ancestral temple." "In his fear he dares not present himself in person. He has reverently beheaded Fan Yuqi and offers a map of the Dukang district of Yan, both sealed in caskets. The King of Yan bowed in farewell at his own court and dispatched an envoy to report to Your Majesty. He awaits Your Majesty's command." When the King of Qin heard this, he was overjoyed. He donned his formal court robes, arranged the full nine-rank ceremonial reception, and received the envoy from Yan at Xianyang Palace. Jing Ke carried the casket containing Fan Yuqi's head, while Qin Wuyang carried the map case. They advanced in order toward the throne. When they reached the steps leading to the throne, Qin Wuyang's face went pale and he began to tremble with fear. The assembled courtiers eyed him with suspicion. Jing Ke glanced back at Wuyang and smiled, then stepped forward to apologize: "He is but a rough man from the northern frontier who has never stood before the Son of Heaven. Naturally, he trembles with awe." "I beg Your Majesty to overlook his behavior and allow him to complete his duty before you." The King of Qin said to Jing Ke, "Bring me the map that Wuyang carries." Jing Ke took the map and presented it to the king. As the king unrolled it, the dagger was revealed at the very end. In one motion Jing Ke seized the King of Qin's sleeve with his left hand and snatched up the dagger with his right, thrusting at the king. But before the blade reached his body, the King of Qin recoiled in alarm and sprang to his feet. His sleeve tore free. He reached for his sword, but the blade was too long and caught in its scabbard. In his panic, the sword jammed fast and would not come free. Jing Ke pursued the King of Qin, and the king fled around a bronze pillar. The assembled ministers were stupefied. The crisis erupted so suddenly that every one of them lost his composure. By the law of Qin, ministers attending in the throne hall were forbidden to carry even the smallest weapon. The armed palace guards were all stationed below the hall and could not ascend without a direct royal command. In the urgency of the moment, there was no time to summon the guards from below. And so Jing Ke continued to chase the King of Qin. In the chaos and confusion, with nothing to strike Jing Ke with, the ministers resorted to grappling at him with their bare hands. At that moment, the court physician Xia Wuju hurled his medicine bag at Jing Ke. The King of Qin was still running around the pillar in blind panic, unable to think clearly, when his attendants shouted, "Sling the sword across your back, Your Majesty!" He swung the sword across his back, managed to draw it at last, and struck Jing Ke, severing his left thigh. Crippled, Jing Ke hurled the dagger at the King of Qin. It missed, striking a bronze pillar instead. The King of Qin struck again, inflicting eight wounds on Jing Ke. Knowing his mission had failed, Jing Ke slumped against a pillar and laughed. He spread his legs wide and spat, "The reason I failed is that I wanted to take you alive — to force you to sign a covenant and repay the Crown Prince." The attendants rushed forward and killed Jing Ke. The King of Qin remained shaken for a long time afterward. When merits were assessed and rewards dispensed — each minister and those who bore fault receiving his due — Xia Wuju was given two hundred measures of gold. The king declared, "Wuju was devoted to me — it was he who threw his medicine bag at Jing Ke."
35
於是秦王大怒，益發兵詣趙，詔王翦軍以伐燕。 十月而拔薊城。 燕王喜、太子丹等盡率其精兵東保於遼東。 秦將李信追擊燕王急，代王嘉乃遺燕王喜書曰：「秦所以尤追燕急者，以太子丹故也。 今王誠殺丹獻之秦王，秦王必解，而社稷幸得血食。」 其後李信追丹，丹匿衍水中，燕王乃使使斬太子丹，欲獻之秦。 秦復進兵攻之。 後五年，秦卒滅燕，虜燕王喜。
After this, the King of Qin was consumed with fury. He dispatched additional troops against Zhao and ordered Wang Jian's army to attack Yan. Within ten months they captured the capital, Ji. King Xi of Yan, Crown Prince Dan, and the rest retreated eastward with their finest troops and took refuge in Liaodong. The Qin general Li Xin pressed the pursuit of the King of Yan relentlessly. King Jia of Dai sent a letter to King Xi: "The reason Qin pursues Yan so urgently is Crown Prince Dan." "If Your Majesty would kill Dan and present his head to the King of Qin, the king would surely relent, and the altars of your state might yet be preserved." Afterward, Li Xin pursued Crown Prince Dan, who went into hiding along the Yan River. The King of Yan then sent men to behead his own son, intending to present the head to Qin. But Qin pressed its attack regardless. Five years later, Qin at last destroyed Yan and captured King Xi.
36
其明年，秦并天下，立號為皇帝。 於是秦逐太子丹、荊軻之客，皆亡。 高漸離變名姓為人庸保，匿作於宋子。 久之，作苦，聞其家堂上客擊筑，傍偟不能去。 每出言曰：「彼有善有不善。」 從者以告其主，曰：「彼庸乃知音，竊言是非。」 家丈人召使前擊筑，一坐稱善，賜酒。 而高漸離念久隱畏約無窮時，乃退，出其裝匣中筑與其善衣，更容貌而前。 舉坐客皆驚，下與抗禮，以為上客。 使擊筑而歌，客無不流涕而去者。 宋子傳客之，聞於秦始皇。 秦始皇召見，人有識者，乃曰：「高漸離也。」 秦皇帝惜其善擊筑，重赦之，乃矐其目。 使擊筑，未嘗不稱善。 稍益近之，高漸離乃以鉛置筑中，復進得近，舉筑樸秦皇帝，不中。 於是遂誅高漸離，終身不復近諸侯之人。
The following year, Qin unified all under Heaven and assumed the title of Emperor. Qin then hunted down every associate of Crown Prince Dan and Jing Ke. All of them fled. Gao Jianli changed his name and went into hiding as a hired laborer in the town of Songzi. After a long time, worn down by hard labor, he overheard a guest playing the zhu in the main hall of his employer's house. He lingered outside, unable to tear himself away. Each time, he would comment, "That playing has its merits and its flaws." A fellow servant reported this to the master: "That hired man seems to know music — he keeps offering his opinions on the playing." The head of the household summoned him and had him play the zhu before the assembled guests. Everyone praised his skill, and he was rewarded with wine. Gao Jianli, weary of living in fear and concealment without end, withdrew and took from his traveling case his own fine zhu and good clothes. He changed his appearance and came forward once more. Every guest in the hall was astonished. They rose to greet him with full ceremonial courtesy and seated him in the place of honor. When he played the zhu and sang, not a single guest departed without tears in his eyes. The people of Songzi hosted him from house to house, and his fame eventually reached the ears of the First Emperor of Qin. The First Emperor summoned him for an audience. Someone in the court recognized him and said, "That is Gao Jianli." The Emperor, loath to waste such a musician, spared his life but had his eyes put out. He was made to play the zhu at court, and his playing never failed to win praise. Gradually he was allowed closer and closer. Gao Jianli then filled his zhu with lead. When he was next brought near, he swung the weighted instrument at the Emperor — but missed. Gao Jianli was executed on the spot. For the rest of his life, the Emperor never again allowed anyone from the former feudal states to approach him.
37
魯句踐已聞荊軻之刺秦王，私曰：「嗟乎，惜哉其不講於刺劍之術也！ 甚矣吾不知人也！ 曩者吾叱之，彼乃以我為非人也！」
When Lu Goujian learned of Jing Ke's attempt on the King of Qin, he said to himself, "Alas! What a pity he never mastered the art of the blade!" "How gravely I misjudged the man!" "When I berated him that day, he must have thought me beneath his notice!"
38
太史公曰：世言荊軻，其稱太子丹之命，「天雨粟，馬生角」也，太過。 又言荊軻傷秦王，皆非也。 始公孫季功、董生與夏無且游，具知其事，為余道之如是。 自曹沫至荊軻五人，此其義或成或不成，然其立意較然，不欺其志，名垂後世，豈妄也哉！
The Grand Historian remarks: The world speaks of Jing Ke, and people cite the tale that Crown Prince Dan commanded grain to rain from the sky and horses to sprout horns. That is a great exaggeration. Others claim that Jing Ke wounded the King of Qin — that, too, is false. In earlier times, Gongsun Jigong and Master Dong were friends of Xia Wuju and knew the full account of what happened. They related it to me just as I have set it down here. From Cao Mo to Jing Ke, these five men pursued their cause — some succeeded and some did not. Yet their intentions were plain for all to see. They never betrayed their convictions, and their names have been passed down through the ages. How could this be without reason?