越王元年(公元前496年)，吴王阖庐听说允常去世，就发兵
讨伐越国。越王句践派敢死的勇士去挑战，排成三行，到了吴军
阵前，呼喊着自刎而死。吴军只顾观看他们，越军乘机袭击吴
军，吴军在囗李被打败，射伤吴王阖庐。阖庐快要死的时候，告
诉他的儿子夫差说：“一定不要忘记越国。”
    三年(公元前494年)，句践听说吴王夫差日夜训练军队，为
Goujian，King of Yue
     Goujian, king of Yue, traced his ancestry back to Yu the Great
 through descendants of King Shaokang of the Xia Dynasty who were
 enfeoffed at Kuaiji, where they kept up the sacrifices to Yu. They tat-
 tooed themselves, cut their hair short, and lived among brambles and
weeds. After more than twenty generations there was Yunchang, whose
fight with King Helui of Wu resulted in a feud. When Yunchang died,
his son Goujian succeeded him as king of Yue.
    In the first year of King Goujian, King Helii, hearing of Yunchang's
death, raised an army to attack Yue. Goujian made his desperadoes
challenge the enemy In three parties they went to the Wu lines and with
a great shout cut off their own heads. While the men of Wu were
watching this Yue launched a surprise attack at Zuili, defeated Wu and
wounded Helu with an arrow. As he lay dying the king ordered his son
Fucha, "Never forget Yue!"
    Three years later Goujian heard that King Fucha of Wu was train-
ing troops day and night to avenge himself. He thought of attacking
往伐之。范蠡谏日：“不可。臣闻兵者凶器也，战者逆德也，争
者事之末也。阴谋逆德，好用凶器，试身于所末，上帝禁之，
行者不利。”越王日：“吾已决之矣。”遂兴师。吴王闻之，悉
发精兵击越，败之夫椒。越王乃以余兵五千人保栖于会稽。吴
王追而围之。
    越王谓范蠡日：“以不听子故至于此，为之奈何?”蠡对曰：
“持满者与天，定倾者与人，节事者以地。卑辞厚礼以遗之，不
许，而身与之市。”句践日：“诺。”乃令大夫种行成于吴，膝行
顿首日：“君王亡臣句践使陪臣种敢告下执事：句践请为臣，妻为
【今译】
了报复越国，越王打算在吴国未发兵之前，抢先去攻打它。范蠡
劝谏说：“不可以这样做。我听说武器是凶器，发动战争是违背道
德，争斗是处事的*下策。暗中计谋，违背道德，喜欢使用凶
器，亲身参与*下策的事情，上帝禁止他，这样做是不吉利
的。”越王说：“我已经决定了。”于是发兵。吴王听到消息后，
发动全部精锐部队抗击越军，在夫椒打败越军。越王收聚五千名
残兵败将退守在会稽山上。吴王追赶围困了他们。
    越王对范蠡说：“因为不听您的话，所以到了这种地步，这该
怎么办呢?”范蠡回答说：“能够完满地保住功业的，一定得到了
上天的保佑；能够转危为安的，一定会得到人民的支持；能够节
俭生财而成事的，一定是因地制宜得到了地利。要言辞谦卑地送

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