晏子，晏平仲，平仲，晏氏，字仲，谥“平”，史称“晏子”，夷维（今山东省高密市）人，春秋时期，齐国著名政治家、思想家、外交家晏婴是齐国上大夫晏弱之子。齐灵公二十六年（公元前556年）晏弱病死，晏婴继任为上大夫。历任齐灵公、庄公、景公三朝，辅政长达五十余年。他以有政治远见、外交才能和作风朴素闻名诸侯，聪颖机智，能言善辩。内辅国政，屡谏齐国君主。对外他既富有灵活性，又坚持原则性，出使不受辱，捍卫了齐国的国格和国威。齐景公四十八年（前500年），晏婴去世。其思想和轶事典故多见于《晏子春秋》。
晏子使楚
楚人以晏子短，楚人为小门于大门之侧而延晏子。晏子不入，曰：“使狗国者从狗门入，今臣使楚，不当从此门入。”傧者更道，从大门入。见楚王。王曰：“齐无人耶？”晏子对曰：“齐之临淄三百闾，张袂成阴，挥汗成雨，比肩继踵而在，何为无人？”王曰：“然则何为使予？”晏子对曰：“齐命使，各有所主：其贤者使使贤主，不肖者使使不肖主。婴最不肖，故宜使楚矣！”
晏子将使楚。楚王闻之，谓左右曰：“晏婴，齐之习辞者也。今方来，吾欲辱之，何以也？”左右对曰：“为其来也，臣请缚一人，过王而行，王曰：‘何为者也？’对曰：‘齐人也。’王曰：‘何坐？’曰：‘坐盗。’
晏子至，楚王赐晏子酒，酒酣，吏二缚一人诣王。王曰：“缚者曷为者也？”对曰：“齐人也，坐盗。”王视晏子曰：“齐人固善盗乎？”晏子避席对曰：“婴闻之，橘生淮南则为橘，生于淮北则为枳，叶徒相似，其实味不同。所以然者何？水土异也。今民生长于齐不盗，入楚则盗，得无楚之水土使民善盗耶？”王笑曰：“圣人非所与熙也，寡人反取病焉。”
《晏子使楚》是战国末期佚名创作的一篇散文。此文讲述了春秋末期，齐国大夫晏子出使楚国，楚王三次侮辱晏子，想显示楚国的威风，晏子巧妙回击，维护了自己和国家尊严的故事。故事赞扬了晏子爱国，机智勇敢，善于辞令，灵活善辩的外交才能与不惧大国、不畏强暴的斗争精神。讽刺了狂妄自大，傲慢无理，自作聪明的人。全文语言简洁明了，层次分明，人物性格刻画得入木三分。且叙述客观，情节一波三折节奏紧凑充实，作者将两国交锋时的紧张刺激娓娓叙来，并且通过语言描写向读者传递这种气氛使读者如有亲身体验之感，同时也能领略到晏子的风采。
白话译文：
（一）
晏子出使楚国。楚王知道晏子身材矮小，在大门的旁边开一个五尺高的小洞请晏子进去。晏子不进去，说："出使到狗国的人从狗洞进去，今天我出使到楚国来，不应该从这个洞进去。"迎接宾客的人带晏子改从大门进去。晏子拜见楚王。楚王说："齐国没有人吗?竟派您做使臣。"晏子回答说：“齐国首都临淄有七千多户人家，展开衣袖可以遮天蔽日，挥洒汗水就像天下雨一样，人挨着人，肩并着肩，脚尖碰着脚跟，怎么能说齐国没有人呢？”楚王说：“既然这样，为什么派你这样一个人来做使臣呢？”晏子回答说：“齐国派遣使臣，各有各的出使对象，贤明的使者被派遣出使贤明的君主那儿，不肖的使者被派遣出使不肖的君主那儿，我是最无能的人，所以就只好委屈下出使楚国了。”
（二）
晏子将要出使楚国。楚王听到这个消息，对手下的人说：“晏婴是齐国的善于言辞的人，现在将要来了，我想羞辱他，用什么办法呢？左右的人回答说：“在他来的时候，请允许我们绑一个人从大王您面前走过。大王问，‘这是什么国家的人？’他回答说，‘是齐国人。’大王说，‘他犯了什么罪？’我们说，‘犯了偷窃罪。’”
晏子到了，楚王赏赐给晏子酒，酒喝得正高兴的时候，两个官吏绑着一个人走到楚王面前。楚王问：“绑着的人是什么国家的人？”近侍回答说：“他是齐国人，犯了偷窃罪。”楚王瞟着晏子说：“齐国人本来就善于偷窃吗？”晏子离开座位回答说：“我听说这样的事：橘子生长在淮河以南就是橘子，生长在淮河以北就变成枳了，只是叶子的形状相像，它们果实的味道不同。这样的原因是什么呢？是水土不同。现在老百姓生活在齐国不偷窃，到了楚国就偷窃，莫非楚国的水土使得老百姓善于偷窃吗？”楚王笑着说：“圣人不是能同他开玩笑的人，我反而自讨没趣了。”
春秋时期，很多谋士能臣游走于各国之间，凭借自己的口才和智慧，各为其主，谋取霸业。晏子即是其中的佼佼者。
公元前547年，齐景公即位。前548年，由于齐景公在晋国访问时的狂妄态度，引起了晋国高层的不满，于是派出军队对齐实施震慑性攻击，齐景公一开始并不在意，但后来晋国军队几乎兵临城下，使得他不得不服软。通过这次教训，齐景公意识到单凭齐国的力量是无法与强晋抗衡的，于是他将目光放到了南方的楚国，决意与楚修好，共抗晋国。在这种情况下，晏子作为使者访问了楚国。《晏子使楚》即是记录晏子在这种情况下出使楚国的这一故事。
此文记叙春秋时期齐国晏子出使楚国，不辱使命的故事。晏子何时使楚，史无记载。他历事齐灵公、庄公、景公三朝，其后为齐相，使楚当在早年。此时，齐桓公去世已近百年，齐国称霸的盛世已过，但作为大国，雄风犹存，在诸侯逐鹿中，仍处举足轻重的地位。楚自从庄王一鸣惊人以后，迅速跃居五霸之列，国力日强，骄横日甚。在楚强齐弱的态势下，晏子代表齐国使楚，受到楚王的冷落、戏弄，是不足怪的。
楚王恃强凌弱，在晏子还未入城时，就蓄意侮辱；入城后，又全然不顾外交礼节，接二连三地对晏子予以捉弄和嘲笑。此文用洗练的笔触，生动传神地描述了楚王对晏子的“辱”过程：一是戏弄他长得矮，不把他当人看，故意设狗洞让他钻；二是嘲笑晏子不配为使，讥笑齐国任人不当，显得“无人”；三是诬蔑齐人为盗，进而指责“齐人善盗”。这些贬损与侮辱，当然不是冲着晏子个人而是矛头指向他所代表的齐国，以图在齐楚争雄中，保持自己的威慑力量，稳操外交上的胜券。倘若晏子仅从个人得失考虑，拒不入门，牙眼相对就是了。这样，个人和齐国的尊严是维护了，但出使的任务也化为泡影。如何选择一个两全之策，既坚持原则，不受人侮，又策略灵活，实现两国和好，不能不是坚持气节与完成使命的双重考验。
面对楚王的挑衅，晏子临阵不乱，谈笑自若，巧施辩辞，应付裕如。文章对晏子三驳楚王的刻画相当精彩，从中不难领略晏子这位政治家、外交家的机智灵活及论辩、反击技巧。接过对方的逻辑，以其人之道还治其人之身，此其一也。楚王让其从小门入，意在给他一个下马威。晏子则毫不畏惧，据理反击：“使狗国者，从狗门入”其暗含的一个逻辑三段论是：你让我从狗门入，你就是狗国不费吹灰之力，即把拟狗之辱还给楚王。楚王讥笑晏子不堪使命，晏子则回答：“贤者使使贤王，不肖者使使不肖王，婴最不肖故直使楚矣。”接过楚王话题，轻易地又将“不肖”之诬回敬给楚王。若细加体味，前后两驳，也有些许不同。前者是义正词严地指出对方逻辑之谬。凡讲究礼仪的君子之邦，是不会让外国使臣从狗门而入的让人从狗门入国者，必为狗国。分明是骂了对方，又不让对方难堪到无法容受的地步。紧接着又补了一句：“今臣使楚，不当从此门入。”我出使的不是狗国而是楚国，故不应当从狗门入。一下子又巧妙地把楚国从“狗国”的尴尬地位上拉了回来，使对方既挨了骂，又无法还嘴，只落得个自知理亏、自讨没趣的下场。后一驳则是以退为进，反将一军。你认为我“不肖”，我就自认“不肖”，正因为我“不肖”，才不得使贤主，只好派到你这“不肖”的楚国，见你这“不肖”之主来。罗列事实，指出对方论据的虚妄，此其二也。楚王讥刺齐人委派晏子，属用人不当，显得齐国“无人”。晏子则将本意上的“有无人才”之辩，巧妙地转换为齐国“有无人”之辩，对以齐国首都临淄的人口众多，“张袂”可以“成阴”，“挥汗”可以“成雨”，行人“比肩继踵”，何谓“无人”？楚王关于齐国“无人”之诬，一攻即破。取类引譬，指出对方论题的荒谬，此其三也。针对楚王诬齐人“善盗”，晏子引用化橘为枳的故事，说明橘生淮南为橘，生于淮北为枳，叶徒相似，味实不同，原因在于水土、地气不同然后采用类比推理，指出齐人在齐不盗，入楚则盗，正是楚之水土地气，即社会环境使然。
全文语言精炼，却写得生动传神，文中所塑造的晏子形象，遇事不乱，临大节而不辱，娴于辞令，出妙语而制胜。其思维的敏捷，论辩的严密逻辑性以及作为政治家、外交家的气量风度，均给读者留下难以磨灭的印象。晏子形象在中国古代杰出人物的艺术画廊中，也是独具特点，闪烁着耀眼光华的晏子的炉火纯青的外交艺术和高超绝妙的讲话艺术，丰富了中国传统文化的宝库，至今仍值得人们研究和借鉴。
"Yanzi visits Chu as an envoy of Qi is an unknown prose created in the late Warring States period. This article tells the story of Yanzi, an envoy of the State of Qi, who went to Chu State in the late Spring and Autumn Period. The king of Chu insulted Yanzi three times to show the power of Chu State. Yanzi fought back and defended the dignity of himself and the country. The story praised Yanzi's patriotism, wit and courage, good at rhetoric, flexible and eloquent diplomacy, and the spirit of fighting against big powers and violence. It satirizes people who are arrogant, arrogant and wise. The language of the full text is concise and clear, and the level is clear, and the characters' personalities are well described. The narrative is objective, the plot has twists and turns, and the rhythm is compact and full. The author narrates the tension and excitement of the confrontation between the two countries, and conveys this atmosphere to readers through language description, so that readers can experience the feeling of personal experience, and at the same time can also appreciate Yanzi's Style.
Vernacular translation:
(1) Yanzi's mission to Chu State. King Chu knew that Yanzi was short, so he opened a five-foot-high hole beside the gate to invite Yanzi in. Yan Zi didn't go in, and said, "People who are envoys to the dog country enter through the dog cave. Today I am on an envoy to the country of Chu, and I shouldn't enter through this cave." The person welcoming the guests led Yan Zi through the gate instead. Yanzi paid homage to the king of Chu. The king of Chu said, "Is there no one in Qi? You were sent to be an envoy." Yanzi replied, "There are more than 7,000 households in Linzi, the capital of Qi. Unfolding sleeves can cover the sky, and sweating is like rain. Similarly, people are next to people, shoulder to shoulder, with toes touching heels. How can you say that there is no one in Qi country?" King Chu said, "If this is the case, why do you send you as an envoy?" Yanzi replied Said: "Qi State sends envoys, each has its own targets, wise envoys are sent to the wise monarch, and unworthy envoys are sent to the wise monarch, I am the most incompetent person, so I had no choice but to go to Chu as an envoy."
(2) Yan Zi is about to leave Chu as an envoy. When the king of Chu heard the news, his opponents said: "Yan Ying is a good speecher from Qi State. He is about to come now. I want to humiliate him. What can I do? The people on the left and right replied, "When he comes , Please allow us to tie a person and walk in front of you, the king. The king asked, ‘what kind of country is this from? ’He replied, ‘I’m from Qi. "The King said, "What crime did he commit?" ’We said, ‘committed theft. "" When Yanzi arrived, the king of Chu rewarded Yanzi with wine. When he was happily drinking the wine, two officials tied a person and walked to the king of Chu. King Chu asked: "What country is the person tied up?" "The attendant replied: "He is from Qi and has committed the crime of stealing." "The king of Chu glanced at Yanzi and said, "Are the people of Qi people good at stealing?" "Yan Zi left his seat and replied: "I heard something like this: oranges grow south of the Huai River and become oranges, but they grow to the north of the Huai River and become citrus aurantium, but the leaves are similar in shape, and their fruits taste different. What is the reason for this? Water and soil are different. Now the common people living in Qi state do not steal, but when they arrive in Chu state, they steal. Could it be that the soil and water in Chu state make common people good at stealing? "The king of Chu said with a smile: "The saint is not someone who can make jokes with him, but I am asking myself to be boring." "