| | 老子韓非... : |
老子者，楚苦縣厲鄉曲仁里人也，姓李氏，名耳，字耼，周守藏室之史也。 |
| | Laozi was a native of Qu Renli, Lixiang, Kuxian, Chu. His surname was Li, his given name Er, and his courtesy name Rong; he served as the historian in charge of the Zhou dynasty's Shoucangshi archives.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
孔子適周，將問禮於老子。老子曰：「子所言者，其人與骨皆已朽矣，獨其言在耳。且君子得其時則駕，不得其時則蓬累而行。吾聞之，良賈深藏若虛，君子盛德容貌若愚。去子之驕氣與多欲，態色與淫志，是皆無益於子之身。吾所以告子，若是而已。」孔子去，謂弟子曰：「鳥，吾知其能飛；魚，吾知其能游；獸，吾知其能走。走者可以為罔，游者可以為綸，飛者可以為矰。至於龍，吾不能知其乘風雲而上天。吾今日見老子，其猶龍邪！」 |
| | Confucius traveled to the state of Zhou and was about to inquire about rites from Laozi. Laozi said, "What you are talking about, both the person and his bones have long since decayed; only his words remain. Moreover, when a man of virtue meets an auspicious time, he takes the reins and acts; but when he does not meet such a time, he travels about like a tumbleweed. I have heard that a good merchant conceals his wares as if they were nonexistent, and a man of virtue with great moral excellence appears foolish in manner. Get rid of your arrogance and excessive desires, your haughty expressions and lustful ambitions; all these are detrimental to you. This is all I have to tell you." Confucius left and said to his disciples, "Birds—I know they can fly; fish—I know they can swim; beasts—I know they can run. Those that run may be caught in nets, those that swim may be ensnared with lines, and those that fly may be shot down by arrows. As for the dragon, I cannot know how it rides on wind and clouds to ascend into heaven. I saw Laozi today, and he is like a dragon!"
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| | 老子韓非... : |
老子修道德，其學以自隱無名為務。居周久之，見周之衰，乃遂去。至關，關令尹喜曰：「子將隱矣，彊為我著書。」於是老子乃著書上下篇，言道德之意五千餘言而去，莫知其所終。 |
| | Laozi cultivated morality and the Dao; his teachings emphasized self-effacement and remaining unknown. After staying in Zhou for a long time, Laozi observed its decline and thus decided to leave. When he reached the Guan Pass, Guan Ling Yin Xi said, "You are about to retire into seclusion; please write a book for me." Thus Laozi composed the upper and lower chapters of his book, consisting of more than 5,000 words expounding the meaning of Dao and De, then departed; no one knows where he finally ended up.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
或曰：老萊子亦楚人也，著書十五篇，言道家之用，與孔子同時云。 |
| | Some say: Lao Laizi was also a native of Chu, and he composed fifteen chapters discussing the applications of Daoist thought; it is said that he lived at the same time as Confucius.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
蓋老子百有六十餘歲，或言二百餘歲，以其修道而養壽也。 |
| | It is said that Laozi lived to be over 160 years old, or even more than 200; this was because he cultivated the Dao and thus prolonged his life.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
自孔子死之後百二十九年，而史記周太史儋見秦獻公曰：「始秦與周合，合五百歲而離，離七十歲而霸王者出焉。」或曰儋即老子，或曰非也，世莫知其然否。老子，隱君子也。 |
| | One hundred and twenty-nine years after the death of Confucius, according to historical records, Zhou Taishi Dan appeared before Duke Xian of Qin and said: "Initially, Qin and Zhou were united; after five hundred years they would separate, and seventy years later a hegemon or emperor would emerge." Some say Dan was Laozi himself; others say he was not. The world does not know which is true. Laozi was a reclusive man of virtue.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
老子之子名宗，宗為魏將，封於段干。宗子注，注子宮，宮玄孫假，假仕於漢孝文帝。而假之子解為膠西王卬太傅，因家于齊焉。 |
| | Laozi's son was named Zong; Zong became a general of the state of Wei and was enfeoffed at Duangan. Zong's son was Zhu, whose son was Gong; Gong's great-grandson was Jia, who served under Emperor Xiaowen of the Han dynasty. Jia's son Jie became the Tai Fu (Grand Tutor) to Wang Ang, King of Jiaoxi; thus his family settled in Qi.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
世之學老子者則絀儒學，儒學亦絀老子。「道不同不相為謀」，豈謂是邪？李耳無為自化，清靜自正。 |
| | Those in later generations who studied Laozi tended to look down on Confucian learning, while Confucian scholars also looked down on Laozi. "The Dao of those who differ cannot be shared in planning"—was this not referring to this? Li Er practiced non-action and allowed things to transform naturally, maintaining tranquility and purity so that order arose by itself.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
莊子者，蒙人也，名周。周嘗為蒙漆園吏，與梁惠王、齊宣王同時。其學無所不闚，然其要本歸於老子之言。故其著書十餘萬言，大抵率寓言也。作漁父、盜跖、胠篋，以詆訿孔子之徒，以明老子之術。畏累虛、亢桑子之屬，皆空語無事實。然善屬書離辭，指事類情，用剽剝儒、墨，雖當世宿學不能自解免也。其言洸洋自恣以適己，故自王公大人不能器之。 |
| | Zhuangzi was a native of Meng; his name was Zhou. Zhou once served as an official in charge of the lacquer garden at Meng, and lived during the time of King Hui of Liang and King Xuan of Qi. His learning touched upon all fields, yet its fundamental essence ultimately returned to the teachings of Laozi. Therefore, his writings totaled more than 100,000 characters, most of which were largely composed of allegorical stories. He wrote "The Old Fisherman," "Dazhi," and "Opening the Chest," to satirize Confucius's disciples and thereby clarify Laozi's teachings. Figures such as Weilv Xu and Kangsang Zi were all empty words without factual basis. Nevertheless, he was skilled in composing writings and using elaborate rhetoric; by pointing out events and drawing analogies from human nature, he criticized Confucianism and Mohism so effectively that even the most learned scholars of his time could not defend themselves or escape criticism. His words were expansive, unrestrained, and self-indulgent, thus even kings and high officials could not regard him as a person of value.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
楚威王聞莊周賢，使使厚幣迎之，許以為相。莊周笑謂楚使者曰：「千金，重利；卿相，尊位也。子獨不見郊祭之犧牛乎？養食之數歲，衣以文繡，以入大廟。當是之時，雖欲為孤豚，豈可得乎？子亟去，無污我。我寧游戲污瀆之中自快，無為有國者所羈，終身不仕，以快吾志焉。」 |
| | King Wei of Chu heard that Zhuang Zhou was virtuous, so he sent envoys with generous gifts to invite him, offering the position of prime minister. Zhuang Zhou laughed and said to the envoy from Chu: "A thousand gold pieces is a great profit; the position of noble minister is an exalted rank. Have you not seen the sacrificial oxen for suburban rites? They are raised and fed for several years, dressed in embroidered garments, then led into the great temple. At that time, even if they wished to be a small piglet, could they possibly do so? You had better leave quickly and not defile me. I would rather play freely in the ditches, enjoying myself, than be bound by those who rule a state. I will never hold office for life, so that my desires may remain untroubled."
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| | 老子韓非... : |
申不害者，京人也，故鄭之賤臣。學術以干韓昭侯，昭侯用為相。內修政教，外應諸侯，十五年。終申子之身，國治兵彊，無侵韓者。申子之學本於黃老而主刑名。著書二篇，號曰申子。 |
| | Shen Buhai was a native of Jing; he had been a low-ranking official in the former state of Zheng. He studied legalist doctrines and sought an audience with King Zhao Hou of Han, who appointed him as prime minister. Internally he reformed government and education; externally he responded to the feudal lords—for fifteen years. During Shenzi's lifetime, the state was well governed and its military strong, so no one dared to invade Han. Shenzi's learning originated from Huang-Lao thought but emphasized legalism and the doctrine of names and functions. He composed two chapters, known as "Shenzi."
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| | 老子韓非... : |
韓非者，韓之諸公子也。喜刑名法術之學，而其歸本於黃老。非為人口吃，不能道說，而善著書。與李斯俱事荀卿，斯自以為不如非。 |
| | Han Fei was a member of the royal family of Han. He favored the study of legalism, names and functions, yet ultimately traced its foundation back to Huang-Lao thought. Han Fei had a speech impediment; he could not speak well orally, but was skilled at writing books. He and Li Si both studied under Xunzi, and Li Si himself considered himself inferior to Han Fei.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
非見韓之削弱，數以書諫韓王，韓王不能用。於是韓非疾治國不務修明其法制，執勢以御其臣下，富國彊兵而以求人任賢，反舉浮淫之蠹而加之於功實之上。以為儒者用文亂法，而俠者以武犯禁。寬則寵名譽之人，急則用介胄之士。今者所養非所用，所用非所養。悲廉直不容於邪枉之臣，觀往者得失之變，故作孤憤、五蠹、內外儲、說林、說難十餘萬言。 |
| | Han Fei observed the weakening of Han and repeatedly advised King of Han in writing, but the king did not heed his advice. Therefore, Han Fei criticized the governance of states for not focusing on clarifying and improving their legal systems, holding power firmly to control subordinates, enriching the country and strengthening its military forces through reliance on capable individuals. Instead, rulers wrongly promoted corrupt and frivolous officials over those who had actually contributed to national achievements. He believed that Confucian scholars used rhetoric to confuse the law, while chivalrous individuals used violence to violate prohibitions. In times of leniency, rulers favored those with reputations for virtue; in times of urgency, they relied on armored warriors. Nowadays, what is nurtured is not what is used, and what is used is not what has been nurtured. Saddened by the fact that upright and incorruptible men could not find a place in a court dominated by corrupt and crooked ministers, he observed the gains and losses of past events. Thus, he composed works such as "Gufen," "Wudu," "Neiwaichu," "Shuolin," and "Shunan," totaling more than 100, words.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
然韓非知說之難，為說難書甚具，終死於秦，不能自脫。 |
| | However, Han Fei understood the difficulty of persuasion; he wrote an extensive treatise on this subject in his "Shunan" chapter. In the end, he died in Qin and could not free himself from his predicament.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
說難曰： |
| | The "Shunan" chapter says:
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| | 老子韓非... : |
凡說之難，非吾知之有以說之難也；又非吾辯之難能明吾意之難也；又非吾敢橫失能盡之難也。凡說之難，在知所說之心，可以吾說當之。 |
| | The difficulty in persuasion does not lie in my lack of knowledge or ability to persuade, but rather in the following challenges: nor is it because I am unable to argue clearly and express my meaning effectively; nor does it lie in my hesitation or fear of making bold statements that prevent me from fully expressing myself. The difficulty in persuasion lies in understanding the mind of the person being persuaded, so as to determine whether my arguments are appropriate for them.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
所說出於為名高者也，而說之以厚利，則見下節而遇卑賤，必棄遠矣。所說出於厚利者也。而說之以名高，則見無心而遠事情，必不收矣。所說實為厚利而顯為名高者也，而說之以名高，則陽收其身而實疏之；若說之以厚利，則陰用其言而顯棄其身。此之不可不知也。 |
| | If the person being persuaded is one who seeks high reputation, yet you try to persuade them with promises of great profit, they will see your approach as lowly and vulgar, and certainly reject it. If the person being persuaded values material gain, and you try to persuade them by appealing to reputation and honor, they will regard your words as insincere and detached from reality, and certainly not accept them. If the person being persuaded actually seeks great profit but outwardly claims to value reputation and honor, yet you attempt to persuade them by emphasizing reputation and honor, then they will appear to accept your words while in reality distancing themselves from you; if instead you try to persuade them through promises of profit, they may secretly use your advice but publicly discard and reject you. This is something that cannot be overlooked.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
夫事以密成，語以泄敗。未必其身泄之也，而語及其所匿之事，如是者身危。貴人有過端，而說者明言善議以推其惡者，則身危。周澤未渥也而語極知，說行而有功則德亡，說不行而有敗則見疑，如是者身危。夫貴人得計而欲自以為功，說者與知焉，則身危。彼顯有所出事，迺自以為也故，說者與知焉，則身危。彊之以其所必不為，止之以其所不能已者，身危。故曰：與之論大人，則以為閒己；與之論細人，則以為粥權。論其所愛，則以為借資；論其所憎，則以為嘗己。徑省其辭，則不知而屈之；汎濫博文，則多而久之。順事陳意，則曰怯懦而不盡；慮事廣肆，則曰草野而倨侮。此說之難，不可不知也。 |
| | Matters succeed through secrecy, and fail when spoken of openly. It may not necessarily be the person himself who reveals a secret; if what is said touches upon matters that are supposed to remain hidden, then in such cases one's own life will be endangered. If a powerful person has committed an error and the speaker openly criticizes or clearly discusses their faults, then one's own life is in danger. If the speaker has not yet received sufficient favor from a ruler and speaks with excessive knowledge or insight, then if his advice is followed and achieves success, he will be seen as having no virtue; if it fails to produce results, he will face suspicion. In such cases, one's life is in danger. If a powerful person devises a plan and wishes to take credit for it as his own achievement, yet the speaker is known to have shared in that knowledge, then one's life will be in danger. If a powerful person publicly takes credit for something he did not do and claims it as his own accomplishment, yet the speaker is known to possess knowledge of this matter, then one's life will also be in danger. Forcing someone to do something they absolutely refuse to do, or preventing them from doing something they cannot help but do—this puts one's life in danger. Therefore it is said: If you discuss matters with a powerful person, he will think you are interfering in his affairs; if you speak of minor officials or common people, he will believe you are trying to manipulate authority. If you discuss what they love, they will think you are seeking favor; if you mention what they hate, they will believe you are testing them. If your words are direct and concise, the person may not understand and thus reject or suppress you; if your speech is overly verbose and filled with erudition, it will be seen as excessive and take too long. If you present your ideas in a smooth and orderly manner, they may say you are timid and not fully committed; if you think broadly and speak freely about matters, they will call you coarse and disrespectful. These are the difficulties of persuasion; one cannot afford to be unaware of them.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
凡說之務，在知飾所說之所敬，而滅其所醜。彼自知其計，則毋以其失窮之；自勇其斷，則毋以其敵怒之；自多其力，則毋以其難概之。規異事與同計，譽異人與同行者，則以飾之無傷也。有與同失者，則明飾其無失也。大忠無所拂悟，辭言無所擊排，迺後申其辯知焉。此所以親近不疑，知盡之難也。得曠日彌久，而周澤既渥，深計而不疑，交爭而不罪，迺明計利害以致其功，直指是非以飾其身，以此相持，此說之成也。 |
| | The essential task in persuasion lies in knowing how to flatter what the person being persuaded respects, while concealing or downplaying what they find shameful. If they are aware of their own plans, do not use their mistakes to corner them; if they take pride in their decisions, do not provoke their anger by opposing them with their adversaries' arguments; if they overestimate their own abilities, do not overwhelm them with difficult tasks or challenges. If you compare different matters to similar plans, and praise other people who share the same actions as them, this kind of flattery will not harm them. If there are others who have made the same mistakes, clearly emphasize that they themselves have committed no errors. The greatest loyalty does not provoke or enlighten forcefully; words and arguments do not attack or oppose directly—only then can one gradually present their reasoning and wisdom. This is why it is so difficult to gain the trust of others without suspicion, and to fully convey one's knowledge. Only after a long period of time, when the ruler's favor has become deep and enduring, when one can make far-reaching plans without being doubted, and when rivalries with others do not lead to punishment—only then should one clearly analyze benefits and harms in order to achieve success, directly point out right and wrong to protect oneself. With such a foundation, persuasion will succeed.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
伊尹為庖，百里奚為虜，皆所由干其上也。故此二子者，皆聖人也，猶不能無役身而涉世如此其汙也，則非能仕之所設也。 |
| | Yi Yin was once a cook, and Bai Li Xi was once a captive—both of them used these humble positions as means to gain access to their superiors. Therefore, these two men were both sages; yet they still could not avoid serving in lowly positions and enduring such disgraceful circumstances when entering the world. Thus, it is clear that those who are truly capable of holding office do not seek to do so lightly.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
宋有富人，天雨牆壞。其子曰「不築且有盜」，其鄰人之父亦云，暮而果大亡其財，其家甚知其子而疑鄰人之父。昔者鄭武公欲伐胡，迺以其子妻之。因問群臣曰： 「吾欲用兵，誰可伐者？」關其思曰：「胡可伐。」迺戮關其思，曰：「胡，兄弟之國也，子言伐之，何也？」胡君聞之，以鄭為親己而不備鄭。鄭人襲胡，取之。此二說者，其知皆當矣，然而甚者為戮，薄者見疑。非知之難也，處知則難矣。 |
| | In the state of Song there was a wealthy man; on a rainy day, his wall collapsed. His son said, "If we don't repair the wall, there will be thieves," and his neighbor's father also said as much. That evening, indeed, a great theft occurred in his house; the family greatly praised their own son but suspected the neighbor's father. In ancient times, Duke Wu of Zheng wanted to attack Hu, so he gave his daughter in marriage to a man from Hu. He then asked his ministers: "I want to wage war; who is suitable to attack?" Guan Qisi said, "Hu can be attacked." He then executed Guan Qisi and said: "Hu is a country of our brothers; you say we should attack it, why?" The ruler of Hu heard about this and thought that the state of Zheng was friendly toward him, so he did not prepare for defense against Zheng. The people of Zheng launched a surprise attack on Hu and captured it. In these two cases, the knowledge or advice given was appropriate in both instances; yet one advisor was executed and the other suspected. It is not difficult to have knowledge, but it is difficult to handle that knowledge properly.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
昔者彌子瑕見愛於衛君。衛國之法，竊駕君車者罪至刖。既而彌子之母病，人聞，往夜告之，彌子矯駕君車而出。君聞之而賢之曰：「孝哉，為母之故而犯刖罪！」與君游果園，彌子食桃而甘，不盡而奉君。君曰：「愛我哉，忘其口而念我！」及彌子色衰而愛弛，得罪於君。君曰：「是嘗矯駕吾車，又嘗食我以其餘桃。」故彌子之行未變於初也，前見賢而後獲罪者，愛憎之至變也。故有愛於主，則知當而加親；見憎於主，則罪當而加疏。故諫說之士不可不察愛憎之主而後說之矣。夫龍之為蟲也，可擾狎而騎也。然其喉下有逆鱗徑尺，人有嬰之，則必殺人。人主亦有逆鱗，說之者能無嬰人主之逆鱗，則幾矣。 |
| | In the past, Mi Zixia was loved by the ruler of Wei. According to the laws of the state of Wei, anyone who stole and drove the ruler's chariot would be punished with amputation of a foot. Later, when Mi Zixia's mother fell ill and the news spread, someone went to inform him at night. Mi Zixia then forged an order and drove out in the ruler's chariot. The ruler heard about it and praised him, saying: "How filial! He committed a crime punishable by amputation for the sake of his mother!" When he went with the ruler to tour an orchard, Mi Zixia tasted a peach and found it sweet; before finishing it, he offered the rest to the ruler. The ruler said: "How much he loves me! He forgot his own taste and thought of me!" Later, when Mi Zixia's beauty faded and the ruler's affection waned, he incurred the ruler's displeasure. The ruler said: "He once forged an order to drive my chariot and also once gave me the remaining half of a peach he had eaten." Therefore, Mi Zixia's actions did not change from the beginning; yet he was praised as virtuous at first and later punished with a crime—this was due to the extreme shift in affection and hatred. Therefore, when someone is loved by their ruler, even appropriate advice will be met with greater closeness; but if they are disliked by the ruler, then even a just punishment will lead to increased estrangement. Therefore, those who offer advice or persuasion must carefully observe whether their ruler is inclined toward love or hatred before proceeding with their arguments. The dragon, as a creature, can be tamed and ridden. Yet beneath its throat is a patch of backward-facing scales about a chi in diameter; if anyone touches this area, the dragon will surely kill them. A ruler also has his own "backward-facing scales"—if an advisor can avoid touching the ruler's sensitive points, then he is nearly successful.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
人或傳其書至秦。秦王見孤憤、五蠹之書，曰：「嗟乎，寡人得見此人與之游，死不恨矣！」李斯曰：「此韓非之所著書也。」秦因急攻韓。韓王始不用非，及急，乃遣非使秦。秦王悅之，未信用。李斯、姚賈害之，毀之曰：「韓非，韓之諸公子也。今王欲并諸侯，非終為韓不為秦，此人之情也。今王不用，久留而歸之，此自遺患也，不如以過法誅之。」秦王以為然，下吏治非。李斯使人遺非藥，使自殺。韓非欲自陳，不得見。秦王後悔之，使人赦之，非已死矣。申子、韓子皆著書，傳於後世，學者多有。余獨悲韓子為說難而不能自脫耳。 |
| | Some people transmitted their writings to the state of Qin. The King of Qin read the books Gu Fen and Wu Du, and said: "Alas! If I could meet this man and associate with him, I would have no regrets even if I were to die!" Li Si said, "These are the writings of Han Fei." Qin therefore launched an urgent attack on the state of Han. The King of Han initially did not employ Han Fei, but when in dire straits, he sent Han Fei as an envoy to Qin. The King of Qin was pleased with him, but had yet to fully trust and employ him. Li Si and Yao Jia were jealous of Han Fei and slandered him, saying: "Han Fei is a prince of the royal family in Han. Now that Your Majesty wishes to conquer all the feudal states, Han Fei will ultimately remain loyal to Han and not to Qin; this is human nature. If Your Majesty does not employ him, but keeps him here for a long time and then sends him back to Han, this will leave behind a hidden danger. It would be better to put him to death under the pretense of some legal offense." The King of Qin agreed and handed Han Fei over to the officials for punishment. Li Si sent someone to give Han Fei poison, ordering him to commit suicide. Han Fei wanted to plead his case in person but was denied an audience. Later, the King of Qin regretted this and sent someone to pardon Han Fei—but by then, Han Fei had already died. Shenzi and Hanzidi both wrote books that were passed down to later generations, and many scholars studied them. I alone feel sorrow for Han Fei, who was unable to free himself despite writing about the difficulties of persuasion.
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| | 老子韓非... : |
太史公曰：老子所貴道，虛無，因應變化於無為，故著書辭稱微妙難識。莊子散道德，放論，要亦歸之自然。申子卑卑，施之於名實。韓子引繩墨，切事情，明是非，其極慘礉少恩。皆原於道德之意，而老子深遠矣。 |
| | Grand Historian said: Laozi valued Dao, which is empty and formless; he acted without deliberate effort and responded to changes accordingly. Therefore, his writings are filled with subtle and difficult-to-understand expressions. Zhuangzi scattered the principles of morality and freedom in his discussions; yet ultimately he returned to the idea of naturalness. Shenzi emphasized humility, applying it to the relationship between names and realities. Hanzi used strict standards like a plumb line or measuring rope; he analyzed practical matters, clarified right and wrong, and in the end his approach was harsh and lacking in mercy. All of these ideas originated from the principles of Dao and De; yet Laozi's understanding was the most profound and far-reaching.
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