宋与楚为兄弟
Song and Chu Became Brother States
【原文】
宋与楚为兄弟。齐攻宋，楚王言救宋。宋因卖楚重以求讲于齐，齐不听。苏秦为宋谓齐相曰：“不如与之，以明宋之卖楚重于齐也。楚怒， 必绝于宋而事齐。齐、楚合，则攻宋易矣。”
【今译】
宋国和楚国结为兄弟国.齐国军队进攻宋国，楚王杨言要营救宋国。于是宋国就卖弄楚国将要前来援救的事，以求给齐国施加压力，从 而争取跟齐国讲和，齐国不听。苏秦为宋国对齐国的相,说不如听 它的，以此来表明宋国卖弄楚国将营故它的事来给齐国施加压力.楚 国恼火了，就一定会断绝跟宋国的关系而跟齐国结交。齐国和楚国联 合起来，进攻宋国就容易了.
The state of Song and the state of Chu became brother states. The troops of the state of Qi launched an attack on the state of Song，and the king of Chu promised to aid Song. In order to put some pressure on the state of Qi and thus force it to agree to negotiate a ceasefire with them, the people of Song boasted that Chu would come to their rescue. However， the state of Qi did not listen to them. On behalf of the state of Song, Su Qin talked with the prime minister of the state of Qi and suggested to him, “It would be better for you to listen to them and thus show that the people of Song are trying to put pressure on your state by boasting that reinforcements from the state of Chu will come to their rescue. As a result, the king of Chu will be vexed and therefore cut off relations with Song to ally with your state. When Qi and Chu build an alliance, it will be easier to conquer Song. ”