」管仲對曰：「患夫社鼠。
“What do you mean?” asked Lord Huan. “Earth spirit temples,” said Guan Zhong, “are made by tying wooden rafters together and coating them with mud, and rats in consequence rely on them as places of refuge.
One may wish to smoke them out, but that might cause the wood to burn; one may wish to flush them out with water, but that might cause the mud coatings to dissolve; that is why the rats cannot be killed—it is for the sake of the temple.
」桓公曰：「何謂也？
The state also has its temple rats; they are the attendants of the ruler.
Within the palace they hide the good and evil deeds of others from the ruler, and, when they go abroad, they flaunt their power and influence before the people.
」管仲對曰：「夫社束木而塗之，鼠因往託焉，熏之則恐燒其木，灌之則恐敗其塗，此鼠所以不可得殺者，以社故也。
Not executing them leads to disorder, but executing them will not do either, for these are the people upon whom the ruler relies and to whom he gives special protection and favors.
Such people are the temple rats of the state.
夫國亦有社鼠，人主左右是也；內則蔽善惡於君上，外則賣權重於百姓，不誅之則為亂，誅之則為人主所案據，腹而有之，此亦國之社鼠也。
“There was a man who sold wine.
His vessels were immaculate, and his sign was hung high, but his wine turned sour without being sold.
人有酤酒者，為器甚潔清，置表甚長，而酒酸不售，問之里人其故，里人云：『公之狗猛，人挈器而入，且酤公酒，狗迎而噬之，此酒所以酸不售之故也。
He asked a person in his neighborhood why this was so.
The man said, ‘Your dog is too ferocious.
』夫國亦有猛狗，用事者是也；有道術之士，欲明萬乘之主，而用事者迎而齕之，此亦國之猛狗也。
When people come with vessels to buy wine, the dog comes out and bites them.
That is why the wine turns sour without being sold.’ “The state also has its ferocious dogs; they are the people who hold positions.
左右為社鼠，用事者為猛狗，則道術之士不得用矣，此治國之所患也。」
When men of practical wisdom come to enlighten the ruler of a ten-thousand-chariot state, the position holders come forth and bite them—these are the state’s ferocious dogs.
“If the ruler’s attendants are temple rats and his office holders are ferocious dogs, then men of practical wisdom will not be employed.
This is what one should fear most in governing a state.