Introduction to Literary Chinese - Lesson 4, Text 1
Adapted from the 1927 book by J. Brandt
Vocabulary section transcribed with help from with help from 武克富強/Võ Khắc Phú Cường
海大魚
The Sea-monster.
靖郭君爲齊相。
Ching Kuo-chun was a minister of Ch'i state.
封於薛。
He was appointed to the fief of Hsüeh.
將城而居之。
He intended to build walls and to live in that place.
客諫日。
One of his advisers admonished him, saying,
君不聞海大魚乎。
Have you not heard about the sea-monster, sir?
網不能止。鈎不能牽。
A net cannot stop it, and hook cannot haul it.
不幸失水。則螻蟻制焉。
But if unfortunately it is out of the water, then mole-crickets and ants would master it.
君之在齊。猶魚之在水也。
Your presence in Ch'i is similar to the sea-monster's presence in the water.
君若善治齊。齊强。君又何憂焉。
If you govern Ch'i in the proper way, Ch'i will become strong, and then what sorrow could you have?
若一旦齊亡。雖築薛之城。使高於天。猶之無益也。
But if one day Ch'i perishes, then even if you should build up Hsüeh's walls and make them higher than the sky, still it would be to no avail.
靖郭君曰。善。乃不城薛。
Ching Kuo-chun said, "Good," and he did not build the walls in Hsüeh.