《左传·僖公·僖公三十三年》
孟明叩头说： 承蒙君王的恩惠，不用被囚之臣来祭鼓，让我们回到秦国去受诛戮，寡君如果杀了我们，死了以后名声不朽，如果依从君王的恩惠而赦免了我们，三年之后将要拜谢君王恩赐。 
孟明稽首曰： 君之惠，不以累臣衅鼓，使归就戮于秦，寡君之以为戮，死且不朽若从君惠而免之，三年将拜君赐。 
Meng Ming kowtowed and said: We are grateful for Your Majesty's kindness, we don't have to use captive ministers to make drumheads. We will return to the State of Qin to be executed. If our King kills us, then our names will be forever immortalized. If he follows Your Majesty's kindness and pardons us, then three years from now we will come to thank Your Majesty for your kindness.