All poems

战国战国 · 文 Prose

荆轲刺秦王·节选

Jing Ke Assassinates the King of Qin (Excerpt)

刘向

Liu Xiang

名篇Famous excerpt 叙事Narrative 荆轲Jing Ke 战国策Stratagems of the Warring States

荆轲奉樊於期头函，而秦武阳奉地图匣，以次进。
至陛下，秦武阳色变振恐，群臣怪之，荆轲顾笑武阳，前为谢曰：北蛮夷之鄙人，未尝见天子，故振慑，愿大王少假借之，使毕使于前。

Jing Ke bore the casket holding Fan Yuqi's head, while Qin Wuyang bore the casket of the map, and the two advanced in order. When they reached the foot of the steps, Qin Wuyang's complexion changed and he trembled with fear; the assembled ministers found it strange. Jing Ke turned and smiled at Wuyang, then stepped forward to apologize on his behalf, saying: 'This boor from the northern barbarian lands has never beheld the Son of Heaven, and therefore he is shaken with fright. May Your Majesty graciously pardon him a little, so that he may complete his mission before you.'

Listen

Meaning

This excerpt from 'Jing Ke Assassinates the King of Qin' captures the tense moment in the Qin court just before the attempt. Through Qin Wuyang's panic and Jing Ke's calm, smiling poise, it reveals Jing Ke's courage and quick wit in the face of death.

荆轲捧着盛放樊於期头颅的木匣，秦舞阳捧着督亢地图的匣子，两人按次序一步步走上前去。到了宫殿的台阶之下，秦舞阳脸色突变、浑身发抖，秦国群臣都觉得很奇怪。荆轲回过头来对着秦舞阳笑了笑，走上前去替他谢罪说：「北方蛮夷之地的粗鄙之人，从来没有见过天子，所以吓得发抖，希望大王稍微宽容他一些，让他能够在大王面前完成自己的使命。」

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Before the deed, Jing Ke and Qin Wuyang enter the court bearing the head-casket and the map-casket; at the foot of the steps Wuyang pales and trembles, the ministers wonder, and Jing Ke turns, smiles, and steps forward to apologize, blaming his companion's never having seen the Son of Heaven. [Method] The excerpt sets Wuyang's fear against Jing Ke's courage, renders the court's suspicion to heighten the danger, and uses plain description, contrast, and detail together; 'turned and smiled' and 'stepped forward to apologize' write Jing Ke's unflustered resourcefulness in a few words, and tension fills the page though the passage is short. [Theme] In a single perilous instant it portrays Jing Ke's self-sacrificing, undaunted character and the chivalric spirit of 'a scholar dying for his friend.'

【白话串讲】刘向写《荆轲刺秦王》：荆轲“图穷而匕首见”，去刺杀秦王。临行前“风萧萧兮易水寒，壮士一去兮不复还”——他唱着歌上路，“就车而去，终已不顾”。他失败了，“左右既前，斩荆轲”——“风萧萧兮易水寒”成千古悲歌。【意象与手法】以秦舞阳之怯反衬荆轲之勇，以群臣之疑渲染殿上之险，白描、对照、细节三法并用；「顾笑」「前为谢曰」等动作写尽荆轲临危不乱的机变，寥寥数十字而张力满纸。【情感与主旨】在惊险的一瞬写荆轲舍生取义、临危不惧的义士品格，颂扬「士为知己者死」的侠义精神与明知不可为而为之的悲剧气概。【名句点睛】常考「荆轲顾笑武阳，前为谢曰」的从容与「北蛮夷之鄙人」谦辞背后的机心，以及「图穷匕见」典故的出处与含义。

Background

The story of Jing Ke assassinating the King of Qin took place at the close of the Warring States (around 227 BCE), when Qin's conquest of the six states was all but certain and Yan was in deadly peril. Crown Prince Dan of Yan, once a hostage in Qin and humiliated, resolved to assassinate Zheng, the King of Qin. He treated Jing Ke generously; Jing Ke then carried the head of the Qin defector Fan Yuqi and the map of Dukang into Qin, approaching the king under the pretext of presenting the map. This excerpt records the key moment just before the attempt, as Jing Ke and Qin Wuyang enter the Qin court. The account comes from the Stratagems of the Warring States, compiled by Liu Xiang of the Western Han. Liu Xiang (c. 77–c. 6 BCE), originally named Gengsheng, style name Zizheng, of Pei, was a famous classicist, bibliographer, and man of letters who edited the Stratagems, the Shuo Yuan, and the Xin Xu. Short as it is, the excerpt compresses all the tension before the dagger is revealed, and is the entry point to understanding Jing Ke and the culture of Yan-Zhao lament.

荆轲刺秦王的故事发生在战国末年（公元前227年前后），秦灭六国之势已成定局，燕国危在旦夕。燕太子丹曾在秦国为人质，受辱逃归，为挽救燕国，决心刺杀秦王政。他厚待荆轲，荆轲遂携秦国叛将樊於期之首级与燕国督亢地图入秦，以献图请罪为名接近秦王。本组所录节选，正是荆轲与秦舞阳进入秦廷、行刺即将展开前的关键一幕。篇中所记出自《战国策·燕策三》，该书由西汉刘向整理编订。刘向（约前77—前6）本名更生，字子政，沛人，西汉著名经学家、目录学家、文学家，曾领校秘书，编纂《战国策》《说苑》《新序》等书。他按国别将战国游士的策谋言论编为三十三篇，故《战国策》虽记战国事，实成书于西汉。该书文辞纵横捭阖、长于铺陈，善于通过细节刻画人物，本篇即是典型代表。此节选虽短，却浓缩了图穷匕见大高潮前的一切张力，是理解荆轲形象与燕赵悲歌文化的入口。

Art

This is typical pre-Qin historical prose from the Stratagems, whose art lies in portraying men through action, revealing the principal by contrast, and building tension through detail. It opens: 'Jing Ke bore the head-casket, while Qin Wuyang bore the map-casket, and the two advanced in order'—'bore' and 'in order' write the ritual of their approach and foreshadow the sudden change. Then 'at the foot of the steps, Qin Wuyang's complexion changed and he trembled' turns sharply—tension ignites from Wuyang's collapse; 'the ministers found it strange' freezes the court's atmosphere. At this Jing Ke 'turned and smiled'—a turn and a smile write his composure at the critical instant; 'stepped forward to apologize' hides his design as he draws near the king. His speech is outwardly reverent ('boor from the northern barbarian lands,' 'may Your Majesty pardon him') yet inwardly cunning (using 'let him complete his mission' to gain proximity)—classic Warring-States rhetoric. In under a hundred words it builds atmosphere, contrasts the men (Wuyang's fear against Jing Ke's courage), and advances the plot (from entering the court to drawing near the king), showing the Stratagems' narrative power line by line.

本文是典型的先秦史传散文，选自《战国策》，其艺术特色在以动写人、以衬显主、以细节蓄势。节选以「荆轲奉樊於期头函，而秦武阳奉地图匣，以次进」起笔，奉、以次进三字写二人捧物登殿的秩序，暗合礼制，也为骤变蓄势。紧接着「至陛下，秦武阳色变振恐」陡转——紧张气氛由秦舞阳的失态陡然引爆，群臣怪之四字以群臣的疑怪写殿上氛围的凝滞。此时荆轲顾笑武阳，一个顾字、一个笑字，在千钧一发之际写荆轲的从容；前为谢曰的前字，写他借谢罪之名逼近秦王，机心深藏。其后的谢辞，语极恭顺（北蛮夷之鄙人、愿大王少假借之），意极狡黠（借使毕使于前为自己靠近秦王争取机会），是典型的战国纵横辞令。全文不足百字，却完成了氛围的营造、人物的对照（舞阳之怯对荆轲之勇）、情节的推进（由入廷到近身），足见《战国策》一字一画的叙事功力。这种白描与对照的笔法，开后世史传文学与小说烘云托月之先声。

Allusions

The passage condenses several allusions. First, Fan Yuqi's offering his head: a Qin general who fled to Yan, his head became the pledge of a martyr, embodying the chivalric ideal of 'a scholar dying for his friend.' Second, the Dukang map: presenting the map meant submission, and from it comes the idiom 'the map unrolls and the dagger appears'—the map-casket was the mechanism of the strike. Third, 'boor from the northern barbarian lands' is the self-deprecating diplomatic courtesy of the Warring States, a stalling tactic showing the persuader's mastery of ritual language. Fourth, 'pardon him a little' puns on leniency and exoneration, defending the king's majesty while rescuing his companion. Fifth, Jing Ke himself became a cultural symbol of Yan-Zhao lament—the Yi Shui farewell, 'the wind desolate on Yi Shui, the brave man goes and returns no more,' became the archetype of knowing the cause hopeless yet attempting it; Tao Yuanming's 'On Jing Ke' ('the man is gone, yet a thousand years of feeling remain') sings of it.

本篇浓缩了多个典故与文化意象。其一是樊於期献头：樊於期本为秦将，得罪秦王后逃亡燕国，秦王悬重赏购其头；荆轲以报将军之仇说服樊於期自刎献头，故头函二字背后是一条义士的性命，暗含士为知己者死的侠义传统。其二是督亢地图：督亢为燕国膏腴之地，献图即表示臣服，而图穷匕见的成语正由此而来，地图匣是行刺的机关所在。其三是北蛮夷之鄙人的自贬之辞，是战国外交中常见的谦辞与缓兵之计，可见游士对礼法话语的娴熟运用。其四是少假借之的假借，本义为宽容、通融，既维护了秦王的威严，又为同伴解围，一语双关。其五，荆轲其人其事早已凝为燕赵悲歌的文化符号——易水送别「风萧萧兮易水寒，壮士一去兮不复还」的悲壮，成为中国文化中明知不可为而为之的典范意象，陶渊明《咏荆轲》「其人虽已没，千载有余情」即咏此事。

Commentary

The story of Jing Ke, written twice by the Stratagems and the Shi Ji's 'Biographies of the Assassins,' became one of Chinese literature's central assassin narratives. The Jing Ke here—undaunted, resourceful, self-sacrificing—has long been seen as the embodiment of the righteous warrior and the knight-errant. Sima Qian sighed that he 'held his purpose clear, not betraying his will'; Tao Yuanming called him 'the gentleman dying for his friend'; Li Bai often sang of him. In modern times Jing Ke has been reinterpreted continuously—praised for resisting tyranny, or pitied as tragic in opposing a state alone; Lu Xun's 'Forging the Sword' continues the modern meditation on the assassin's spirit. 'The map unrolls and the dagger appears' entered daily language; the excerpt long features in school texts as the window onto the Stratagems and pre-Qin narrative. Its value lies not only in history but in the eternal tragic-hero image it raises with minimal brush—the desolate bravery of Yi Shui still moves readers after two thousand years.

荆轲刺秦王的故事经《战国策》与《史记·刺客列传》的双重书写，成为中国文学中最重要的刺客题材之一。本节选塑造的荆轲形象——临危不乱、机变从容、舍生取义——历来被看作义士与侠的化身。司马迁在《史记》中叹其「立意较然，不欺其志」，陶渊明《咏荆轲》称其「君子死知己，提剑出燕京」，李白亦多次咏及。近代以来，荆轲形象更被不断重释：或赞其反抗强权的勇气，或哀其以一人敌一国的悲剧性，鲁迅《故事新编·铸剑》等作品更延续了对刺客精神的现代思考。图穷匕见成为成语，进入日常语言；《荆轲刺秦王》节选长期入选中学语文教材，是学生接触《战国策》与先秦叙事散文的窗口。其价值不仅在于史料，更在于它以极简的笔墨树立了一个永恒的悲剧英雄形象，让风萧萧兮易水寒的悲凉与壮烈穿越两千年，至今仍能唤起读者的敬意与喟叹。而其图穷匕见的瞬间，也已成为汉语世界形容阴谋败露的经典表达，与易水寒的意象一同沉淀为民族记忆的一部分。

Prosody

Form Pre-Qin historical prose (narrative from the Stratagems)先秦史传散文（《战国策》叙事体）

Rhyme Pure prose, unrhymed; linked by function words such as 'er,' 'zhi,' 'yi,' and given rhythm by punctuation and parallel structure—e.g., 'bore... bore...,' and the echo of 'trembled' with 'awed.'全文为散体文，不押韵；以而、之、以等虚词联络语气，靠句读与排比形成节奏，如奉……奉……、振恐与振慑的呼应。

Tone pattern Mostly four- and six-character phrases, varied in length. Narrative lines are short and urgent ('advanced in order,' 'at the foot of the steps'); the speech lines are expansive ('boor from the northern barbarian lands, never beheld the Son of Heaven'), using slowness to set off urgency, the voice keeping pace with the plot.句式以四字、六字为主，长短错落。叙事句短促（以次进、至陛下），随情节收紧；辞令句舒展（北蛮夷之鄙人，未尝见天子），以缓衬急，声情与剧情同步。

Reading note Pre-Qin historical prose wins not by sound but by qi and momentum. The Stratagems, though not versified, is meticulous in rhythm: the first half narrates in short, staccato phrases ('at the foot of the steps,' 'advanced in order') pressing the pre-assassination tension; the latter half turns to long, four-and-six-character speech ('boor from the north,' 'never beheld the Son of Heaven,' 'may Your Majesty pardon him'), reverent and drawn-out, exactly the sound of Jing Ke's composed parley. The shift in rhythm is the sonic present of plot moving from action to words, from peril to poise. The repeated function words 'er,' 'zhi,' 'yi' keep the breath flowing; read aloud one feels a step-by-step pressure yet room to maneuver—the rhythmic渗透 of the Warring-States rhetorician's style into narrative.先秦史传散文不以声韵取胜，而以气与势驭文。《战国策》虽非韵文，却极讲究句式的节奏安排：本段前半叙事，多用短句，一字一顿（至陛下、以次进），逼出行刺前夕的紧张与急促；后半辞令，句式转长，四字六字相间（北蛮夷之鄙人、未尝见天子、愿大王少假借之），语气恭顺而绵长，恰似荆轲从容周旋的声口。两段节奏的转换，正是情节由行到言、由险到稳的声化呈现。虚词而、之、以的反复运用，使文气流转而不板滞，诵读时能感到一种步步紧逼又游刃有余的韵律。这种以散句写紧张、以长句写周旋的节奏设计，是战国纵横家文风在叙事中的渗透，也开了后世史传文学以声传情的传统。

Line by line

荆轲奉樊於期头函，而秦武阳奉地图匣，以次进。

Jing Ke bore the casket holding Fan Yuqi's head, while Qin Wuyang bore the casket of the map, and the two advanced in order.

荆轲双手捧着盛放樊於期头颅的木匣，秦舞阳捧着装督亢地图的匣子，两人按照次序一步步走向秦王的大殿。

Jing Ke carried the casket with Fan Yuqi's head, and Qin Wuyang the case of the Dukang map; the two advanced in step toward the King of Qin's hall.

这是全节选的起笔，三句写尽二人入廷之状。奉字双现，一写荆轲捧头函、一写秦舞阳奉地图匣，两件信物正是行刺的全部道具——头函以示忠诚、地图以献疆土，皆是对秦王的投诚姿态，为接近秦王铺垫合理性。以次进三字极妙：表面写二人按礼仪次序登殿，秩序井然，实则是步步逼近虎穴的进程，礼仪与杀机在此并置，张力暗生。而两匣一前一后，已预示分工：头函在荆轲之手，地图匣在秦舞阳之手，后者正是图穷匕见时匕首所藏之处。此句以极简的白描交代人物、道具与情势，无一字写紧张，而紧张已随脚步弥漫全殿，见出《战国策》举重若轻的叙事本领。

This is the excerpt's opening, three phrases writing the two's entry into the hall. The word 'bore' appears twice, once for Jing Ke's head-box, once for Qin Wuyang's map-box; the two tokens are the plot's whole props - the head-box to show loyalty, the map to offer territory, both gestures of surrender to the King, the reasonableness of approaching him primed. The words 'in due order' are exquisite: on the surface the two mounting the hall in ceremonial order, orderly; in truth the step-by-step approach to the tiger's den, rite and murder set side by side, the tension darkly rising. The two boxes, one before one behind, already foretell the division: the head-box in Jing Ke's hand, the map-box in Qin Wuyang's, the latter the very place where the dagger lies hidden when 'the map ends.' The line, in the barest plain brush, sets out person, prop, situation; no word writes tension, yet tension fills the hall with the footsteps - the Zhan Guo Ce's narrative art of 'lifting a heavy thing lightly.'

至陛下，秦武阳色变振恐，群臣怪之，荆轲顾笑武阳，前为谢曰：北蛮夷之鄙人，未尝见天子，故振慑，愿大王少假借之，使毕使于前。

When they reached the foot of the steps, Qin Wuyang's complexion changed and he trembled with fear; the assembled ministers found it strange. Jing Ke turned and smiled at Wuyang, then stepped forward to apologize on his behalf, saying: 'This boor from the northern barbarian lands has never beheld the Son of Heaven, and therefore he is shaken with fright. May Your Majesty graciously pardon him a little, so that he may complete his mission before you.'

到了宫殿台阶之下，秦舞阳脸色大变、浑身战栗，秦国群臣都感到奇怪；荆轲回头冲秦舞阳笑了笑，走上前去替他谢罪说：「北方蛮夷之地的粗鄙之人，从没见过天子，所以吓得发抖，希望大王稍微宽容他，让他能在大王面前把使命完成。」

At the foot of the palace steps, Qin Wuyang turned pale and trembled; the Qin courtiers were taken aback. Jing Ke glanced back and smiled at Wuyang, stepped forward to apologize: 'A rude fellow from the northern barbarian lands, never having seen the Son of Heaven, is frightened. May Your Majesty graciously pardon him, and let him finish his mission in your presence.'

这是节选的核心，也是图穷匕见前最惊险的一刻。秦舞阳色变振恐，写副手在秦王威仪下的崩溃，恰以怯衬勇——舞阳之惧愈甚，荆轲之定愈显。群臣怪之四字，把殿上气氛推到将破未破的临界点，一旦起疑，全盘皆输。荆轲此时顾笑武阳：顾是回头，写他在众目睽睽之下仍从容顾盼；笑是安抚，也是稳住同伴的机变。紧接着前为谢曰，一个前字最堪玩味——谢罪本当止步，他却借谢罪之名向前挪近，逼近秦王，行刺的距离由此缩短。谢辞则极尽恭顺：自称北蛮夷之鄙人，自贬以求宽宥；愿大王少假借之以退为进；末句使毕使于前更是双关——明说让舞阳完成使者的礼仪，暗指让自己与秦王近在咫尺、便于动手。这段辞令恭而有礼、谦而藏刃，正是《战国策》纵横之辞的精华，也将荆轲的智勇机变刻画得入木三分。

This is the excerpt's core, the most dangerous moment before 'the map's end, the dagger shown.' 'Qin Wuyang's color changed and he shook with fear' the deputy's collapse under the King's majesty, precisely fear setting off courage - the greater Wuyang's terror, the calmer Jing Ke. 'The courtiers marveled' four words pushing the hall's air to the breaking point; once suspicion rises, all is lost. At this moment Jing Ke 'turned and smiled at Wuyang': 'turned' the backward glance, his unhurried look even under all eyes; 'smiled' the soothing, the quickness steadying his companion. Close on, 'stepped forward and apologized' - the word 'forward' most worth savoring: apology should mean stopping, yet he borrows the apology to edge nearer, closing the distance to the King, the assassination's space shrinking. The apology itself deeply deferential: calling himself 'a rude man from the northern wilds,' debasing himself for pardon; 'may Your Majesty show him some indulgence,' the retreat as advance; the last, 'let him complete his mission before you,' a double meaning - outwardly letting Wuyang finish the envoy's rite, inwardly letting himself stand a breath from the King, ready to strike. This speech, deferential yet armed, humble yet hiding the blade, is the very essence of the Strategists' eloquence, and cuts Jing Ke's wit and courage to the quick.

荆轲顾笑武阳，前为谢曰：北蛮夷之鄙人，未尝见天子，故振慑

Jing Ke turned and smiled at Wuyang, then stepped forward to apologize, saying: 'This boor from the northern barbarian lands has never beheld the Son of Heaven, and therefore he is shaken with fright.'

荆轲回头对秦舞阳笑了笑，走上前去替（他）谢罪说：北方蛮夷之地的粗鄙之人，从没见到过天子，所以害怕得发抖。

Jing Ke glanced back and smiled at Wuyang, stepped forward to apologize: 'A rude man from the northern barbarian lands, never having seen the Son of Heaven, is terrified.'

这一句单看，是荆轲全盘机变中最精彩的动作与辞令的连续：顾笑写他回身安抚同伴的从容，前为谢写他借题发挥、向前逼近的机心，谦辞则句句为缓兵与近身服务。顾与笑连用，是神态的镇定；前字是空间的推进；谢曰以下，先自贬（北蛮夷之鄙人）以迎合秦王的优越感，再解释（未尝见天子，故振慑）以消除群臣的疑心，逻辑严密、滴水不漏。值得注意的是这席话的受众：表面说给秦王听，实则说给满殿君臣听——它要让所有人相信这只是小国使者的怯场，而非刺客的破绽。一个勇士能在刀斧环伺中说出一番如此得体的谎辞，可见荆轲不仅勇，而且智，且深谙纵横家的辞令之道。此句与上文色变振恐对照，一怯一勇、一乱一静，把人物的性格与局势的凶险写得纤毫毕现。

Read alone, this line is the finest continuous stroke of action and speech in Jing Ke's whole improvisation: 'turned and smiled' the composure of soothing his companion; 'stepped forward and apologized' the quickness of edging nearer under pretext; the humble words every one serving delay and approach. 'Turned' and 'smiled' together, the mien's steadiness; the word 'forward,' the space's advance; below 'apologized,' first the self-debasement ('a rude man from the northern wilds') to flatter the King's superiority, then the explanation ('who has never seen the Son of Heaven, is terrified') to dispel the courtiers' doubt, the logic tight, no seam. Note the audience of this speech: on the surface for the King, in truth for the whole hall of lord and court - it must make all believe this is only the stage-fright of a small state's envoy, not the assassin's flaw. A warrior, ringed by axes, speaking such a fitting lie: Jing Ke is not only brave, but wise, and deep in the Strategists' art. Set against the 'color changed and shook' above, one fearful one bold, one disordered one calm, the character and the danger rendered to a hair.

Study

Word focus

顾顾 (gu), 'to turn the head / look back,' in 'Jing Ke turned and smiled at Wuyang' is the word that captures his composure. Amid danger, with the ministers suspicious, Jing Ke 'turned and smiled'—the turn shows unhurried poise, the smile reassures his companion and projects the false image of a bashful envoy. Paired with 'stepped forward' moments later, the one turn and one advance reveal a man whose every gesture is calculation. 荆轲顾笑武阳之顾字，回头之意，是节选中写荆轲从容神态的点睛之字。险境当前、群臣疑怪，荆轲却顾而笑——顾写他动作的从容不迫，回头的姿态透出对同伴的安抚与对局面的掌控；笑更写他神色之镇定，一笑之间，既稳住秦舞阳，又向殿上人展示此乃小国之羞怯的假象。若径直写荆轲笑曰则失之神采，唯顾笑连用，才见出他在刀光剑影前一念之间的周旋与胆略。这个字还与后文前为谢曰的前字呼应：顾是回身示同伴，前是转身逼秦王，一顾一前，进退之间全是机心，把一个以性命行刺的义士写得既有江湖豪气，又有纵横家的缜密。炼一字而见全人，正是《战国策》语言精警之所在。

振慑振慑 (zhen she), 'to tremble and be awed,' answers the earlier 'complexion changed, trembled with fear.' Zhen is to shake, she to be overawed by majesty; together they render fear as a visible bodily reaction—exactly the historian's art of showing character through form. The double writing (first 'trembled,' then 'awed') avoids repetition while deepening Wuyang's collapse, and by contrast sets off Jing Ke's calm. 故振慑之振慑，与上文色变振恐相应，写秦舞阳因恐惧而战栗之状。振为战抖，慑为因威势而惧服，二字连用，将怕写成了身体性的反应——不是心理描写，而是可见的生理失态，恰合史传以形写神的笔法。妙处在双写：一处写振恐，一处写振慑，同状而换字，避免重复，又递进写出舞阳在秦王面前怕得更加厉害；而舞阳越怕，越衬出荆轲顾笑的镇定，一怯一勇，对照成章。且慑字有威服之意，暗写秦王天子的威严——这正是秦舞阳失态的原因，也是荆轲谢辞中未尝见天子一句的着落。一字既写配角之怯，又写秦王之威，还反衬主角之勇，辞约而义丰，非大手笔不能为。

假借假借 (jia jie), 'to pardon / make allowance,' in 'may Your Majesty graciously pardon him a little' is the most tactful and cunning word in the speech. On the surface it is a humble plea for leniency; in truth it is a stalling tactic—if the king pardons Wuyang, suspicion is dropped and the assassination may proceed. It also smoothly returns the topic to 'completing the mission,' paving the way for Jing Ke to draw near the king. 愿大王少假借之之假借，宽容、通融之意，是谢辞中最为得体也最富机心的一词。假与借本义皆为借，引申为给予宽限、不加追究；少假借之即稍微宽容他一下，语气谦卑，极合臣下对天子的身份。然而细味之，此词实是缓兵与近身之计：秦王若假借舞阳，便不再细究疑点，行刺便有了继续的机会；同时假借二字又将话题从舞阳失态轻轻揭过，转回使毕使于前的使命上来，句句为逼近秦王铺路。在战国辞令中，谦辞往往只是工具，真正的意图藏在语气缝隙里，假借正是这种话里有话的标本。一词而见荆轲之智、秦政之慢、局面之险，令人击节。