SH84翻译: 六国论 (苏洵)
Translation: Talk on Six States (Su Xun)
(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)六国破灭，非兵不利 ，战不善，弊在赂秦。
The demise of the Six States wasn’t because their weapons were not sharp enough, or their fighting wasn’t good enough. What went wrong was they ceded land to bribe Qin State.
赂秦而力亏，破灭之道也。
In paying off Qin, they weakened their own strengths, and that was the cause of the destruction.
或曰：六国互丧，率赂秦耶？
Someone asked: “The Six States fell one after another. Were all those cases attributable to bribing Qin State?”
曰：不赂者以赂者丧，盖失强援，不能独完。
The reply was: “The downfalls of those which didn’t bribe were caused by those which did. It was because without strong support, survivals on their own were impossible.”
故曰：弊在赂秦也。
So, it was stated: “Bribing Qin was what went wrong.”
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秦以攻取之外，小则获邑，大则得城。
Qin received extra in bribery on top of those taken by force, which ranged from small counties to large cities.
较秦之所得，与打败而得者，其实百倍；
In comparing those land received via bribery with those annexed in battle, the actual number of the former was one-hundred-times that of the latter.
诸侯之所亡，与战胜而亡者，其实亦百倍。
The amount lost by feudal lords through gifts was in fact a hundred times those resulting from defeat as well.
则秦之所大欲，诸侯之所大患，固不在战矣。
What Qin desired the most was what the lords worried the most, and it wasn’t the engagement in war.
思厥先祖父，暴霜露，斩荆棘，以有尺寸之地。
Think about their ancestors who had to brave through tough weathers and slash through thistle bushes to gain inches of land.
子孙视之不甚惜，举以予人，如弃草芥。
Descendants didn’t value the land much and dish them out freely like trinkets.
今日割五城，明日割十城，然后得一夕安寝。
One day five cities could be ceded, and on the next day, another ten cities could be surrendered just so that a certain person would have a single night of good sleep.
起视四境，而秦兵又至矣。
But in waking up and looking around, Qin troops again were approaching.
然则诸侯之地无限，暴秦之欲无厌，奉之弥繁，侵之愈急。
However, there was a limit to the available land of the lords and callous Qin’s avarice could never be satiated. The more there were giveaways, the more earnest Qin’s aggression would become.
故不战而强弱胜负已判矣。
So, even before going into battle, the odds-on-favorite and the most likely victor had already been decided.
至于颠覆，理固宜然。
As to the ultimate toppling, that was a forgone conclusion.
古人云：“以地事秦，犹抱薪救火，薪不尽，火不灭。”
Ancient people said: “Using land to serve Qin State would be like carrying firewood to put out fire. As long as there’s firewood left, the fire would not be extinguished.”
此言得之。
That saying was correct.
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齐人未尝赂秦，终继五国迁灭，何哉？
Qi people never attempted to bribe Qin. But in the end, they followed the five other States to destruction. Why was that?
与嬴而不助五国也。
It was because they allied with Qin and didn’t extend help to the other five States.
五国既丧，齐亦不免矣。
Once the five States met their fates, Qi couldn’t dodge that same destiny.
燕赵之君，始有远略，能守其土，义不赂秦。
The rulers of Yan and Zhao States initially had foresights. They were able to keep their domains intact and stayed righteous not to bribe Qin.
是故燕虽小国而后亡，斯用兵之效也。
Therefore even though Yan was a small state, it was not destroyed until late. That was the result of opposing Qin with armed forces.
至丹以荆卿为计，始速祸焉。
It wasn’t until Prince Dan pulled the plot of sending assassin Jing Ke that triggered the demise of Yan State.
赵尝五战于秦，二败而三胜。
Zhao fought five battles against Qin with two losses and three wins.
后秦击赵者再，李牧连却之。
Afterwards Qin twice attacked Zhao but General Li Mu drove them back repeatedly.
洎牧以谗诛，邯郸为郡，惜其用武而不终也。
It wasn’t until Li Mu was slandered and sentenced to death that its capital Handan became a county of Qin. Regrettably its pursuit of force to defend was not persisted to the end.
且燕赵处秦革灭殆尽之际，可谓智力孤危，战胜而亡，诚不得已。
Besides, Yan and Zhao were at the juncture when the other states were at the brink of total annihilation by Qin, and these two states could be said to be on their last legs mentally and militarily. Going down in defeat and becoming subjugated were just a matter of course.
向使三国各爱其地，齐人勿附于秦，刺客不行，良将犹在，则胜负之数，存亡之理，当与秦相较，或未易量。
If, in the past, the three States valued their respective land, Qi didn’t affiliate with Qin, the assassin didn’t proceed on his mission, the mighty general was still alive, and destiny was left to decide on who would win and who would lose as well as who would live and who would die, then when those States were stacked up against Qin, perhaps things would still be up in the air.
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呜呼！
Oh gosh!
以赂秦之地，封天下之谋臣，以事秦之心，礼天下之奇才，并力西向，则吾恐秦人食之不得下咽也。
If the land used to bribe Qin were awarded to brain-trust officials, the devotion dedicated to Qin was instead directed to talents in the nation, and all the States joined forces to defend against the west, then I would imagine the Qin nation would lose their appetite in worrying.
悲夫！
Oh, that’s sad!
有如此之势，而为秦人积威之所劫，日削月割，以趋于亡。
With so many advantages and yet they were backed into corners from the threats of Qin over a long period, and, day in day out, they had to cede more and more land in the process of heading to total failures.
为国者无使为积威之所劫哉！
Those who govern the countries should not be intimidated by threats built up over a period of time.
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夫六国与秦皆诸侯，其势弱于秦，而犹有可以不赂而胜之之势。
Well, the Six States and Qin were all feudal lords. Individually, each of those States could not match Qin in strength. Yet there were ways for any one of them to gain an edge over Qin other than through bribery.
苟以天下之大，下而从六国破亡之故事，是又在六国下矣。
If a sizable nation like us has to adopt an ill-advised approach that the obliterated Six States did, then we would be worse than those Six States.-------------------------------------------------------------------
白话译文六国的灭亡，不是因为他们的武器不锋利，仗打得不好，弊端在于用土地来贿赂秦国。拿土地贿赂秦国亏损了本人的力量，（这就）是灭亡的缘由。有人问：“六国一个接一个地灭亡，难道全部是因为贿赂秦国吗？”回答说：“不贿赂秦国的，因为有贿赂秦国的国家而灭亡。缘由是不贿赂秦国的国家失掉了强无力的外援，不能独自保全。所以说：弊病在于贿赂秦国。” 秦国除了用战抢夺取土地以外，还收到诸侯的贿赂，小的就获得邑镇，大的就获得城池。比较秦国受贿赂所得到的土地与打败别国所得到的土地，（前者）实际多百倍。六国诸侯（贿赂秦国）所丧失的土地与战胜所丧失的土地相比，实际也要多百倍。那么秦国最想要的，与六国诸侯最担心的，本来就不在于和平。想到他们的祖辈和父辈，冒着寒霜雨露，披荆斩棘，才有了很少的一点土地。子孙对那些土地却不很爱惜，全都拿来送给别人，就像扔掉小草一样不珍惜。今天割掉五座城，明天割掉十座城，这才能睡一夜安稳觉。明天起床一看四周边境，秦国的军队又来了。既然这样，那么诸侯的土地无限，强暴的秦国的愿望永远不会满足，诸侯送给秦越多，秦侵犯六国就越急迫。所以用不着和平，谁强谁弱，谁胜谁负就已经决定了。以至于到了覆灭的地步，道理本来就是这样子的。古人说：“用土地侍奉秦国，就好像抱柴救火，柴不烧完，火就不会灭。”这话说得很正确。 齐国并没有贿赂秦国，可是终于也随着五国灭亡了，为什么呢？是因为齐国跟秦国交好而不协助其他五国。五国已经灭亡了，齐国也就没法幸免了。燕国和赵国的国君，起初有长远的谋略，能够守住他们的国土，坚持正义，不贿赂秦国。所以燕虽然是个小国，最初却灭亡，这就是用兵抗秦的效果。等到后来燕太子丹用派遣荆轲刺杀秦王作对付秦国的计策，这才招致了灭亡的祸患。赵国已经与秦国交战五次，打了两次败仗，三次胜仗。后来秦国两次攻打赵国。赵国大将李牧接连打退秦国的进攻。等到李牧因受诬陷而被杀死，赵国都城邯郸变成秦国的一个郡，可惜赵国用武力抗秦而没能坚持到底。而且燕赵两国正处在秦国把其他国家快要消灭干净的时候，可以说它们的智谋和力量都很单薄，战胜了而亡国，确实是不得已的事。假使韩、魏、楚三国都爱惜他们的国土，齐国不依附秦国。燕国的刺客不去刺秦王，赵国的良将李牧还活着，那么胜败的命运，存亡的理数，倘若与秦国相较量，也许还不容易判断出高低来呢。 唉！如果六国诸侯用贿赂秦国的土地来封给天下的谋臣，用侍奉秦国的心来礼遇天下的奇才，齐心合力地向西对付秦国，那么，我恐怕秦国人饭都不能咽下去。真可哀叹啊！有这样的有利情势，却被秦国积久的威势所胁迫，天天割地，月月割地，以至于走向灭亡。管理国家的人不要被积久的威势所胁迫啊！ 六国和秦国都是诸侯之国，六国单个的势力虽然比秦国弱，可是还有可以用不赂秦的手段打败秦国的方式。假如我们凭仗着这样大的国家，而采取下策重蹈六国灭亡的老路，这就是又在六国之下了。
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