廉颇蔺相如列传，出自西汉司马迁所著《史记》卷八十一。战国末，强秦采取远交近攻、各个击破的战略，积极对外扩张。赵国实力比秦稍弱。本篇为合传，以廉颇、蔺相如为主，并记述了赵奢父子及李牧的主要事迹。价值连城、完璧归赵、渑池之会、布衣之交、负荆请罪、刎颈之交、怒发冲冠等成语均出自本篇。
The Biographies of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru are from Volume 81 of “Records of the Grand Historian” written by Sima Qian during the Western Han Dynasty. At the end of the Warring States period, the strong Qin adopted a strategy of distant communication and close attack, and actively expanded outward by defeating each other. Zhao’s strength is slightly weaker than Qin’s. This article is a joint biography, mainly featuring Lian Po and Lin Xiangru, and records the main deeds of Zhao She, his son, and Li Mu. The idioms such as priceless, perfect return to Zhao, meeting at Mianchi, friendship in cloth clothes, pleading guilty with thorns, friendship by cutting one’s neck, and angry hair and hair are all from this article.
廉颇蔺相如列传（节选）
知死必勇，非死者难也，处死者难。方蔺相如引璧睨柱，及叱秦王左右，势不过诛；然士或怯懦而不敢发。相如一奋其气，威信敌国，退而让颇，名重太山，其处智勇，可谓兼之矣。
Courage (excerpt)
He who will face death at the call of duty must necessarily be brave. There is no difficulty in merely dying: the difficulty lies in dying at fitting junctures only. When Hsiang-ju carried in the jewel, and with haughty gesture cursed right and left of the Prince of Ch’in, death was the worst he had to fear; yet few would have been bold enough to act as he did. His courageous attitude commanded the admiration even of an enemy; and when on his return he forbore to risk death in a wrong cause, he gained for himself a name which shall endure for ever. Verily, wisdom and courage were well combined in that man!
（Herbert A. Giles 译）
