齐攻宋宋使臧子索救于荆
On Song and Wei
【原文】
齐攻宋，宋使臧子索救于荆。荆王大说，许救甚劝。臧子忧而反。 其御曰索救而得，有忧色，何也？”臧子曰宋小而齐大。夫救于小宋 而恶于大齐，此(王）[人]之所忧也。而荆王说甚，必以坚我。我坚而齐 弊，荆之利也臧子乃归。齐王果攻，拔宋五城，而荆王不至。
【今译】
齐国进攻宋国，宋王派臧子到楚国去求救。楚王非常高兴，答应全 力救援。臧子忧伤地踏上归途。他的车夫说：“求救成功了，脸上却布 满忧愁的神色，为什么？”臧子说宋国弱小而齐国强大。营救小小的 宋国而得罪强大的齐国，这是做君主的所忧虑的，但楚王却很高兴，一 定是用空口承诺来坚定我们跟齐国作战的斗志。我们斗志姿定，齐国 军队就会疲惫不堪了，这对楚国是有利的于是臧子就回国了。齐王 果然派兵攻打宋国，攻克宋国五座城邑，但楚王却没有派兵前来营救。
The Troops of Qi Attacked Song and Song Sent Zangzi to Chu to Ask for Reinforcements. The troops of the state of Qi were going to attack the state of Song. Therefore,Song sent Zangzi to the state of Chu to ask for reinforcements. The king of Chu appeared very happy and promised to do his best to help Song. Zangzi was very melancholy on his way back to Song. His driver asked, “You asked for help and the king of Chu promised you to help us. So why are you looking so sad?” Zangzi said，“Our state is small and Qi is large. Rescuing a small state to offend a big one is something every sovereign will worry about. However, the king of Chu appeared very happy. He must have intended to boost our morale. If our morale is high, we can make the officers and men of Qi exhausted. And this is advantageous to Chu, ” Zangzi then went back to Song. The king of Qi dispatched his troops to attack Song as expected. They occupied five cities of Song, but the reinforcements of Chu didn’t come to Song’s aid.