One day, the miracle-working doctor Bian Que saw Huan

Gong, King of the State of Cai, and said:

一天，神医扁鹊见到蔡桓公，就说:

"Your Majesty¹, I think you are ill. But your illness is only

under the skin and can be easily cured. If you do not treat it now,

I'm afraid your condition will become serious."

“大王，我看您身体有病。不过，您的病还只是在皮肤里，不难治好。如果现在不治，恐怕病情就会加重。”

Huan Gong did not believe him. He said:

桓公不相信，说:

"I am not ill."

“我没有病。”

After Bian Que left, Huan Gong said to his subjects around him:

扁鹊走后，桓公对左右的大臣说:

"These doctors always like to treat people who are not ill in order to brag² about their superb medical skill."

“这些医生，就是喜欢给没有病的人治病，好夸耀自己医术高明。”

Ten days later, Bian Que saw Huan Gong again. He said:

过了十天，扁鹊又见到蔡桓公，说:

"Your Majesty, your illness has invaded your muscles. If you do not treat it now, your condition will become more serious."

“大王，您的病已侵人到肌体里了，如果现在不治，病情还会加重。”

Huan Gong was displeased³ with what he heard and did not listen to Bian Que.

桓公听了很不高兴，也不理睬扁鹊。

Another ten days later, Bian Que saw Huan Gong and said anxiously:

又过了十天，扁鹊看见蔡桓公，着急地说:

"Your Majesty, your illness has invaded your stomach and intestines⁴. If your do not treat it, your condition will worsen."

“大王，您的病已经侵人肠胃，再不治的话，病情会恶化的啊!”

Huan Gong still would not listen to Bian Que.

桓公还是没有理睬扁鹊。

Another ten days later, when Bian Que saw Huan Gong, he turned round at once and left. Huan Gong was surprised and sent someone to catch up Bian Que to ask him for the reason. Bian Que said:

再过了十天，扁鹊一见桓公，转身就走。桓公很奇怪，就命人追去询问扁鹊。扁鹊说:

"When a person gets ill and his illness is only under the skin, it can be easily cured with medical plaster or decoction. When it is between the skin and the flesh, it can still be cured by acupuncture⁵; even if it develops into the stomach and intestines, medical decoctions will still be effective. But when it reaches them arrow, then one can only resign to one's fate, for the doctor can no longer do anything about it. Now His Majesty's illness has penetrated⁶ into the marrow⁷. I can do nothing to cure him."

“一个人生了病，当病在皮肤表面时，只要用膏药和汤药洗，就能够治好;如果发展到皮肉之间，用针灸还可以治好;即使发展到肠胃里，服用汤药还有疗效;而发展到了骨髓，那么只好听天由命，医生就无能为力了。现在，大王的病已经深人到了骨髓，我再也没有办法治好他了。”

Five days afterwards, Huan Gong felt pain all over his body. He sent for Bian Que. Since Bian Que had anticipated that Huan Gong would ask him for treatment and that he would get into trouble if he couldn't cure the illness, he had escaped to the State of Qin a few days before.

五天以后，蔡桓公全身疼痛，派人去请扁鹊来给他治病。扁鹊因为早料到桓公会来请他去治病，而且治不好会惹祸的，所以几天前就逃到秦国去了。

Soon afterwards, Huan Gong of Cai died of his illness.

不久，蔡桓公就病死了。