Once, the King of the State of Wu wanted to invade the State of Chu.
一次，吳王要進攻楚國。
The King of Wu warned his ministers:
吳王警告他的大臣們說:
"If anyone should dare to dissuade me from invading Chu again, I will put him to death."
“有誰再敢來勸阻我進攻楚國，我就處死他。”
One young hanger-on of his wanted to dissuade him but didn't dare. He carried a slingshot, and for three consecutive days paced up and down in the King's back garden. The dew wetted his clothes all through.
吳王的門客中有一個年青人，想去勸阻但又不敢。他懷里揣著彈弓，一連三個早晨在吳工的后花園里徘徊，露水濕透了他的衣服。
One day, the King of Wu called him:
一天，吳王叫住他:
"The dew has wetted your clothes to such a state. Why should you bear such hardship?"
“露水把你的衣服濕成這個樣子，你何必吃這個苦呢?”
The young man replied:
年青人回答說:
"There is a cicada on a tree in this garden. The cicada is high above, chirping leisurely and taking in the dew freely, not knowing that a mantis is right behind it. The mantis, pressing its body close in a concealed place, is intent on catching the cicada, not knowing that a siskin is hiding right behind it. The siskin is stretching out its neck to peck at the mantis, not knowing that a man carrying a slingshot is under it. These three small creatures make every effort only to get the benefit before them but ignore entirely the disaster behind."
“這個園子里，有一棵樹，樹上有一只蟬。蟬高高在上，悠閑地叫著，自由自在地吸著露水，卻不知道有一只蝗螂在它身后呢!蝗螂把身子緊緊地貼在隱蔽的地方，只想去捕蟬，卻不知道有一只黃雀早已躲在它的身后呢!黃雀正伸長了脖子想去啄蝗螂，卻不知道在它下面正有人拿著彈弓呢!這三只小生物，只是力求得到它們眼前的利益，卻全不管它們身后隱伏著禍患啊!”
Having heard the young man's words, the King of Wu suddenly saw the light and said:
吳王聽了年青人的話后，恍然大悟說:
"What you said is right!"
“你說得好啊!”
Consequently, the King of Wu dropped his plan to invade the State of Chu.
于是，吳王就不再進攻楚國了。