翻译如下:
When Yanzi arrived in the state of Chu, the king of Chu invited Yanzi to drink. When the wine was happy, two officials tied a man to the king of Chu.
The king of Chu asked, "who is the person tied up?" the official replied, "the people of Qi have committed the crime of stealing." the king of Chu glanced at Yanzi and said, "are the people of Qi good at stealing?"
Yanzi left his seat and solemnly replied: "I've heard that oranges growing in Huainan are oranges, and oranges growing in Huaibei are oranges, but their leaves are similar in shape, and their fruits taste completely different.
What's the reason? The water and soil are different. Now people don't steal in the state of Qi, but they steal when they come to the state of Chu.
Does the water and soil of the state of Chu make people good at stealing?" the king of Chu said with a smile: "The sage can't joke with him. Instead, I'm asking for nothing."
原文:晏子到了楚国,楚王请晏子喝酒。酒喝得正高兴的时候,两个小吏绑着一个人到楚王面前。楚王问:“绑着的是什么人?”小吏回答说:“齐国人,犯了偷窃罪。”楚王瞟着晏子说:“齐国人本来就善于偷窃吗?”
晏子离开座位,郑重地回答说:“我听说过这样一件事,橘子生长在淮南是橘子,生长在淮北就是枳子,只是叶子的形状相似,它们果实的味道完全不同。
这样的原因是什么呢?是水土不同。现在百姓生活在齐国不偷窃,来到楚国就偷窃,莫非是楚国的水土使百姓善于偷窃吗?”楚王笑着说:“圣人不是能同他开玩笑的,我反而自讨没趣了。”