During the Warring States Period, King Xuan of the State of Qi loved to listen to the yu (anancient wind instrument), especially in the ensemble.

战国时期齐国的齐宣王喜欢欣赏吹竿，特别爱听合奏。

In the palace, there was a band of fully 300 yu players.

王宫里，专门有个吹竿的乐队，足足有三百人。

King Xuan of Qi often ordered this band to play for him.

齐宣王常常叫这个三百人的乐队为他演奏。

A man named Nan Guo could not play the yu.

有一个名叫南郭的人，不会吹竿。

But when he learned of King Xuan's hobby, he volunteered his service and bragged abouthow well he could play.

但是，当他了解了齐宣王的这个嗜好以后，就毛遂自荐，吹嘘自己吹竿吹得如何好。

He asked for permission to play for the king with other players.

请求跟别的乐师一道为大王演奏。

King Xuan was very glad to hear this and granted his request.

齐宣王听了非常高兴，批准了他的要求。

Thereupon, in each performance he would mingle with others, put on an act, play atrandom, and swindled the same amount of remuneration as paid to others.

于是，每次演奏时，他混在里面，装模作样，胡乱地吹奏一番，却骗得了跟别人同样的报酬。

In this way, he drifted along till King Xuan of Qi died.

就这样，他一直混到齐宣王去世。

After King Xuan of Qi died, King Min succeeded to the throne.

齐宣王死后，滑王继位。

Under his father's influence, King Min also loved to listen to the yu.

齐洛王受父亲的影响，也喜欢欣赏吹竿。

The only difference was that he liked to listen to solos, not ensembles.

不同的是，齐滑王只爱听独奏，不爱听合奏。

King Min proclaimed that the players must perform one by one for him.

滑王宣布，吹竿的乐师必须一个一个地为他演奏。

When Nan Guo heard of this, he was afraid.

南郭先生一听就害怕了。

He knew he could not drift along any longer, so he sneaked away that very night.

知道自己再也混不下去，只好连夜溜走了。