3月23日

唐雎說信陵君
西漢 劉向 編 ( 77 ~6 B.C.E. )

信陵君殺晉鄙，救邯鄲，破秦人，存趙國，趙王自郊迎。

唐雎謂信陵君曰，「臣聞之曰，『事有不可知者，
有不可不知者；有不可忘者，有不可不忘者。』」

信陵君曰:「何謂也?」

對曰:「人之憎我也，不可不知也；吾憎人也，不可得而知也。
人之有德於我也，不可忘也；吾有德於人也，不可不忘也。
今君殺晉鄙，救邯鄲，破秦人，存趙國，此大德也。
今趙王自郊迎，卒然見趙王，臣願君之忘之也。」

信陵君曰，「無忌謹受教。」

──選自《戰國策》

【譯文】 魏國的信陵君殺了晉鄙，解救邯鄲，擊破秦軍，保存了趙國，
趙孝成王親自到郊外去歡迎他。於是唐雎告訴信陵君：
「人家厭惡我，對此我不可不知；我厭惡別人，卻不應讓他得知。
別人對我有恩，我不應忘記，我對別人有恩，卻不應老放在心上。
如今您殺晉鄙，救邯鄲，破秦軍，保趙國，這是很大的恩惠。
現在趙王親自來迎接您，倉促之中見到趙王，
我希望您忘掉自己的大德吧！」信陵君聽後恭謹受教。

March 23th

Tang Ju Persuades Lord Xinling
Liu Xiang (77 BCE - 6 BCE, Western Han Dynasty)
English translation: Zhi Yue

Lord Xinling killed General Jin Bi, saved the city of Handan,
defeated the army of Qin, and saved the state of Zhao.

Before the King of Zhao arrived in the countryside
to welcome him in person, Tang Ju said to Lord Xinling,
“I, your subject, have heard the following saying:

There are things that cannot be known,
and those that must be known.
There are things that cannot be forgotten,
and those that must be forgotten.”

Lord Xinling asked, “How so?”

He replied, “If others detest me, it must be known.
If I detest others, it cannot be known. If others do me
a favor, it cannot be forgotten. If I do others a favor, it
must be forgotten.

“Today, my Lord has slain Jin Bi, saved Handan,
defeated the army of Qin, and saved the state of Zhao,
a great favor indeed. Now, the King of Zhao has come
to the countryside to welcome you in person. As soon
as you meet the King of Zhao, I your subject, sincerely
hope my Lord will forget it.”

To which Lord Xiling said, “Inevitably, I respectfully
receive your teachings.”

── from Zhan Guo Ce (Records of the Warring States)